Filter compatibility

[Valmir]

Does anyone know if meade filters are compatible with a tasco scope.

[ausastronomer (John Bambury)]

Hi,

It will depend on what sized eyepieces your Tasco scope is designed to take. ie. if it has a .965" or 1.25" focuser.

The Meade filters you are considering will invariably be designed for 1.25" eyepiece barrels. However it gets more complicated than that. "Some" Meade filters are notorius for not fitting the 1.25" eyepiece barrels of other eyepiece manufacturers, due to a slightly different thread pitch. In fact if you don't have Meade eyepieces I would avoid the Meade filters for this reason. There are plenty of other good filter options for 1.25" eyepieces and basically none for .965" eyepieces.

Cheers,
John B

[Valmir]

do you know if you need a nebula filter to view a nebula?.

[Zuts]

Originally Posted by Valmir

do you know if you need a nebula filter to view a nebula?.

No you dont need a filter to view nebula. However from light polluted skies or for very dim nebula they can help by increasing the contrast.

As always it depends on the nebula, the scope, the seeing, the light pollution and so on.

Definately if you point nearly any scope at M42 you will see nebulosity as it is a very bright one, even from central sydney viewing.

Here is some reading to get you started http://pages.sbcglobal.net/raycash/filters.htm

Paul

[Valmir]

Thanks for that, but my skies are unpolluted do you saggest you need polluted skies for better viewing and i think im getting orions nebula but it just looks like a slightly glared star.

[edwardsdj (Doug)]

What type of Tasco telescope are you using Valmir?

[Valmir]

a Tasco galaxsee 46 114500.

[edwardsdj (Doug)]

Hi Valmir,

I used a telescope similar to this for over a decade. I certainly wouldn't recommend filters for this apeture. At the end of the day, filters block light in order to increase contrast. I'd only use filters on apetures of 8" or above.

It does have the 1 1/4" focuser though so you should be able to use 1 1/4" filters.

Are you familiar with collimation?

Does the mirror have a centre spot?

In a dark sky you can see quite a bit of detail in the Orion Nebula with this apeture when properly collimated.

Have fun,
Doug

[Valmir]

Whats collimation? sorry im new to this sort of thing.

[edwardsdj (Doug)]

Collimation is where you line up the mirrors and the focuser in the telescope to provide the best possible image. If collimation is off it prevents you from reaching a sharp focus. If you've never looked at it it will almost certainly be off.

Procedures will be described in the manuals that came with the telescope. I'd ignore these. There is a great video on Newtonian collimation here:

http://www.andysshotglass.com/Collimating.html

As your telescope has a built-in barlow/corrector at the end of the focuser tube you won't be able to use a laser collimator. I've used a home made (out of an old 35mm film canister) collimation cap for a 4 1/2" reflector much like yours with much success in the past. You just need something that fits in your focuser with a hole in the middle so your eye is centred in the focuser when you collimate.

Collimation is easy after you've done it a few times. It is a critcal skill to learn. Collimation is essential for viewing detail in nebulas and on planets.

There are many threads on IceInSpace discussing Newtonian collimation.

Have fun,
Doug

[Valmir]

Thanks for all your help I've watched the video and it was great.