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Hi Inertia
Well done on getting a scope. My usual advice to beginners with new scopes is not to get hung up on collimation. I have seen people spending hours trying to get the collimation "just right" when they could have spent that time actually using the scope. The sight tube can be thought of as duplicating the eyepiece, so if it is slightly off centre when you tighten the grub screw, then the eyepiece will do the same, assuming that the sight tube and eyepiece barrel are the same diameter.
Apart from that, following the Astro Baby sheet will get you on the money!
With cleaning the secondary, just be careful, it is very easy to damage optical coatings if too aggressive with cleaning. Best strategy with mirrors is not to look too hard at them, that way you won't see the dirt!!
You do not need a moon filter to look at the moon, it will be bright but a small scope like that will not be an issue (try it in a 20" some time!!). It is often nice to observe the moon at the moment at dusk, easy to see and check out but doesn't ruin your dark adaption.
If you are looking out for a dark site, we are having a camp at Snake Valley in March (weekend of March 20-22) so keep an eye out for details.
Cheers
Malcolm
Last edited by barx1963; 31-12-2014 at 04:40 PM.
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