Hi everyone,
I'm jumping into astronomy with my family. I've been a decades-long photographer and I've done a lot of work with macrophotography with my SLRs, as well as setting up scopes for hunting and target shooting (definitely realise the dichotomy there
)
Anyway, I picked up a second-hand Orion Astroview 6" reflector in fantastic condition, and I set myself to immediately learning how to collimate the mirrors, configure and use the equatorial mount, and I grabbed some new midrange eyepieces and a good Barlow lens. I'm trying not to overdo it right at the moment, but I believe the lenses were with the telescope originally and thought some basic eyepieces would be good to start with.
On my list of to do is to carefully and properly clean the mirrors (they look pretty good but I figure it won't hurt), and I was thinking whilst I have everything apart I might look at flocking the tube.
Once I work out my lens set up a bit more, I'll probably start investigating some better and alternative glass as I'm a big believer in good quality glass for the best results (that's the photog in me being OCD
). It intrigues me with the use of different configurations of lenses, tubes and combinations just how complex and customisable telescopes can become. There looks to be plenty to learn there and keep me occupied anyway.
I'm only setting some really basic goals of the planets at the moment, but I did run into a question regarding the primary mirror. The documentation with the scope and everything I've read so far, there is (in theory) three locking/fixing screws and three adjustment screws on the primary mirror.
I removed the metal cover from the back of the primary and I found only three adjustment screws, however I did find holes for what I'm guessing are locking/fixing screws. I have moved the scope several dozen times already and nothing seems to have moved in terms of collimation, but I couldn't help but wondering if someone forgot to put something back sometime in the past.
I can certainly add some photos if it helps to see, but it's really just a metal cover over the mirror with the three screws to hold the cover, and removing the cover three adjustment screws. The holes for the metal plate and the empty holes are very close to each other, but I'm wondering if they are really necessary or indeed how they would fit with the metal cover in place. Unlike a lot of the photos I've seen, the mirror is not covered by anything at the back with the metal cover removed - it's just glass.
Anyway, look forward to reading more, playing around a whole lot more, and maybe one day getting around to joining my love of photography with some burgeoning astronomy love.
Cheers,
Sean.