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Hi Scooter,
Magnification is not very meaningful when imaging. People seem to refer to the focal length and type of imaging equipment. These two things determine the image scale which is the number of arc seconds per pixel in the image. Obviously, if you display an image on a monitor with pixels that are twice the size, the image will look twice as big.
I described the equipment I used at the start of this thread. The only magnification over the 8" SCT telescope was a 2x barlow lens.
Visually magnification makes a lot of sense. If something looks 100x bigger through the eyepiece than it would naked eye then the magnification is 100x.
What magnification are you using on Saturn?
I'd usually use eyepieces giving 133x and 200x in order to see much detail on Saturn. You can only push the magnification to 200x when the seeing is good.
Dark adaption is not that important for bright planets. It is critical to view them when high in the sky though. Don't expect to see much if the planet is lower than 30 degrees in altitude.
The main thing is patience. When I first got really into Saturn I got the telescope out every second night for a few months straight just watching the planet for a few hours every time. I'm not suggesting you need to go this far but the more you look the more you will see.
You also have to be patient for the moments of good seeing. On an average night you might get a clear view for a couple of minutes every hour. On a night of exceptional seeing (maybe about once a month) you get a clear view most of the time and can increase the magnification.
Glad to see you understand the importance of collimation. It is important to collimate pretty well in order to see planetary details.
I took this image from Jindalee in Brisbane. I have lived on the South side of town a few times in the past and have had no trouble observing bright planets. In fact one of the nights of most exceptional seeing I can recall was in a backyard in a house in Tarragindi.
Hope this helps and good luck observing.
Have fun,
Doug
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