G'day I'm in Sth Tas and picked up a new cheap DSE 114mm newtonian which I have just begun to use and am having problems working out how to use it properly. It came with the following lenses, super plossl 6mm, 10mm, 30mm, 2x barlow and 1.5 x erecting eye piece. I've given up using the line up scope as it just doesn't work.
I first tried looking at a star, but no matter what I used only the 30mm would work and it showed a fuzzy blob, using anything else was just a blur. So I looked at Venus in the early morning and could get a nice round blob with the 30mm but nothing else. When I attached the 1.5 erecting piece with the 30mm I could see what appeared to be craters and lines, but the centre of the view was filled with what looked like the frame of the viewing mirror. The next morning I tried to look at the moon but sadly it clouded over and it's been that way for the last few nights.
The last time I had a go at astronomy was as a kid back in the 1950's with a pair of binoculars I borrowed and have always had a keen interest in astronomy and cosmology. So can someone direct me to a thread where I can work out how to get the best out of my scope and lenses. Then I can decide whether I want to spend a bit more, I'm a pensioner so don't have a lot of cash to splash around. Thanks
