Reflector Telescope - Can't see anything

[Cheekychino]

Hey Everyone,

Finally got myself a cheap telescope to get started. I've followed the instructions and set it up, but after inserting the Eyepiece, and then a lense. I see nothing. Just blackness.

I bought this
http://www.dealsdirect.com.au/reflec...escope-tripod/

When I look into the telescope, with no eyepiece I see a reflection of my eye, sorrounded by a larger mirror.

When I put in the Erecting Eyepiece, I see the same thing but blurred if I try and look through it closely.

Then I had a H20mm lens into that eyepiece, and now I see nothing.

I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong, but I think at one stage I checked that the screws on the telescope were tight, and very slightly tightened one of the screws relating to the small mirror. So not sure if its out of alignment at all ?

Any help much appreciated, I'm a complete amateur here, thought this was gonna be strait forward and was so excited, but had it for a week now and still havn't looked at anything

Chino

[scagman (John)]

Hi Chino,

Cant give to much advice but have you tried to set it up during the day. This will make it easier to get the finder scope and telescope aligned, pointing to the same object.
First thing I must ask is have you removed the cap on the end of the scope, I know its a stupid question, but, its these studip things that get us each time.

Eg. set up during the day, avoiding pointing the scope at the sun, very bad idea. You should see white when you look thru the eyepiece end. While looking thru it move your had over the end of the scope, you should see the view go dark/light/dark as you move your hand in front of the scope.

If you can then its probably just not in focus.
Point the scope at a distant object such as a light pole, tree or something. Rack the focuser all the way in then move the focus all the way out and hopefully you will be able to see what your aiming at. If that doesn't work I'm out of ideas and someone with some knoweldge about your scope will be able to give some better advice.

If you can get the image in focus during the day leave the scope pointed at the object now align the finder scope to the same object using the 3 little screws holding the finder in the finder mount.

Hope this helps

Cheers

[AstralTraveller (David)]

Hi Chino and welcome.

If you can see a reflection of your eye then there isn't anything too far wrong. (Your scope may yet need a collimation - easy - but that isn't your first problem.) You don't say what you are trying to look at nor whether you attempted to focus the scope. My suggestion is to start by looking at a reasonably distant object during the day. Make it at least a few 100m, preferably a km or so. This is so it is effectively 'at infinity', just like the stars. Once you are sure you have something in the field of view (other than blank sky or foreground) operate the focusser by turning the knob on the side of the focusser - the eyepiece tube should move in and out of the main tube. You should then be able to find focus. Don't use any accessories like the erecting prism or the barlow (if you have one). Just use the basics to start. Use the longest eyepiece you have (largest number written on the side).

If you get that far you should then align the finder scope so that both the main scope and the finder are pointing at the same spot. There will be some screws that allow the direction the finder is pointing to be slightly adjusted. You need to get whatever the the main scope is seeing to be under the crosshairs of the finder. Once you do that you can use the finder to point the main scope at something in the sky. Start with the moon.

There is a bit more to learn but lets start with that. Let us know how you get along.

[Cheekychino]

I havn't dont any sort of focusing yet. Havn't even played with the finderscope yet. Not sure if this is a problem, but I'm setting it up in the daytime, but indoors. Just pointing to a wall a couple meters away, but I think I should atleast see light when looking through the eyepiece & lens?

At first I was only removing the inner hole of the telescope cover, now removing the entire thing!

With the eyepiece holder how it extends in and out. I've inserted an Erecting Eyepiece 1.5x, which is about 4" long. Looking through this, but a couple inches away from eyepiece, I can see my hand waving at the end of the telescope and the light. As soon as I insert any lens (one of those approx 1" long items 20mm, I have a couple different ones.) Then I don't see anything, not even light. I wave my hand past the end but doesn't even go light and dark.

It's challenging, but I'm willing to put in the effort and learn it all

[Cheekychino]

I don't understand why I can hold up a 20mm lens, and see light through it. But then insert it into the eyepiece holder, and only see black...

[Allan_L (Allan)]

Hi Chino,
welcome to Ice In Space

From your description, I think John could be right about the end cap.
Note that the end cap has two sections, a larger cap with a smaller cap.

The larger cap needs to be removed.

Additionally from your description, it sounds like you may be confusing the use of the barlow. It should not initially be put into the focuser. The 20mm eyepiece (without barlow) should be used for initial operation and to line up your finder scope.

Adjusting the mirror screws may put your mirrors out of alignment, but these should not be further adjusted without some sort of alignment tool.

Where are you located?

Edit: Sorry David got in while I was still typing.
It now sounds like a focus problem.
But you may need the erecting prism to achieve focus so try both ways.
But definitely don't use the barlow yet.
You use of "lens and eyepeice" makes me think you still have the barlow in.
This would make it difficult to use initially

[Cheekychino]

Hey Allan, thanks.

Just to confirm I am removing the entire telescope cover. both parts.

I havn't used the 2x Barlow yet. I've just been inserting firstly the Erecting Eyepiece 1.5x, and then a 20mm.

From Sydney.

[Cheekychino]

UPDATE 2 - Just did the test, I can see leaves on a tree swaying approx 500m away crystal clear. But the image is upside down.

Hey an UPDATE.

Not sure what that Erecting Eyepiece is for. But I took that out, and now only got the 20mm lense in there. And now I can see light, well a blue sky so far. Gonna try point at some trees and see how it goes.

[Kunama]

Hello 'chino, Welcome

The image will be upside down and reversed left to right, thats normal. Looking at the link you posted, the findersope is facing the wrong way also.

Don't worry too much about the upside down reversed image. When you look at the stars it doesn't matter and you will get used to the required movements to centre objects soon enough.

Start with you lowest power eyepiece without barlows (lowest power is the highest mm number) this will help you get started. In your case that will be the 20mm eyepiece without the barlow or 1.5x erector, that will give you 35x magnification (approximately) Magnification is focal length of scope divided by fl of eyepiece eg. 700 divided by 20 = 35x

(ingore this at the moment but as you read more it will make sense: The information given in the scope specifications is a bit misleading so I can't give you the exact magnification. The scope is listed as a 700mm x 76mm F7.9 but at 700mm with 76mm aperture it comes to a focal ratio of 1: 9.2 or conversely if it is a 76mm F7.9 the focal length will be 600mm, as I said this does not matter at this stage)

Just point it at any part of the night sky and enjoy your new window to the distant past.
If you are setting up in the daytime do NOT point it anywhere in the direction of the Sun !!!!

The erecting eyepiece will flip the image you see back the right way up and will also darken the image a bit.
Cheers, Matt

Originally Posted by Cheekychino

UPDATE 2 - Just did the test, I can see leaves on a tree swaying approx 500m away crystal clear. But the image is upside down.


Hey an UPDATE.

Not sure what that Erecting Eyepiece is for. But I took that out, and now only got the 20mm lense in there. And now I can see light, well a blue sky so far. Gonna try point at some trees and see how it goes.

[Allan_L (Allan)]

Originally Posted by Cheekychino

UPDATE 2 - Just did the test, I can see leaves on a tree swaying approx 500m away crystal clear. But the image is upside down.

Not sure what that Erecting Eyepiece is for.

The erecting eyepiece should make your image the correct way up.
But because it is also 1.5 x magnification, it will seem bigger and will need focuser adjustment.

For Astro viewing, you dont need image erecting eyepiece.
But for land use, it helps

[Cheekychino]

Yeah thanks guys, I might try out some stars/moon tonight. I'm always carefull not to point towards the sun. Also is it safe looking at the moon? I thought I read somewhere that I needed some sort of filter.

With the erecting eyepiece, I would like to use that for landscape viewing, but whenever I put that in all I see is black.

[erick (Eric)]

Nope you don't need any filter for the Moon - go for it. The Moon is the place to start if you are successfully seeing distant trees well focussed during the daytime. Point it to a hilltop as far away as you can- kilometres - and focus it with that H20 (20mm) eyepiece. Then don't adjust the focus until you point it at the Moon tonight. Once you see bright light through the scope, then focus on the Moon - shouldn't take much adjustment from what you set for the distant hilltop. Happy observing.

[erick (Eric)]

With the erecting eyepiece, which usually is an "adapter" you have to put between the telescope and a normal eyepiece, I suspect it is a matter of positioning your eye correctly - they can be very sensitive to this. Start with daytime observation of distance trees.

Just checked the photos - I'm sure you need to put an ordinary eyepiece into the "erecting eyepiece".

[Scorpius51 (John)]

Originally Posted by Cheekychino

Yeah thanks guys, I might try out some stars/moon tonight. I'm always carefull not to point towards the sun. Also is it safe looking at the moon? I thought I read somewhere that I needed some sort of filter.

With the erecting eyepiece, I would like to use that for landscape viewing, but whenever I put that in all I see is black.

When you look through the erecting eyepiece by itself, can you see light? Are all the caps off?

[Cheekychino]

Yeah weird, I just gave the erecting eyepiece another shot. Seems to be working as it should. I see what you mean about it being extra sensitive. The circle image within it keeps bouncing around.

So far looking good. I can actually see things, and the correct way up if I want to.

Look like this gonna be fun

[Kunama]

One more thing you might want to set up during the day is the finderscope alignment.
Point the telescope at a reasonably distant stationary object like a lightpole, tree top or tower then without moving the telescope adjust the small finderscope so it is also pointing at the same target. That way at night you can locate objects using the finderscope and then view them through the telescope. Let us know if you have any problems.
Cheers

[barx1963 (Malcolm)]

The thing with the erecting eyepiece as they are really only useful for terrestrial viewing, there is no 'up' or 'down' in space, so for astro use put it away. It also degrades the view, especially the cheap ones supplied with these scopes.
The reason the end caps has a smaller and larger one is you can remove just the small cap and it reduces the effective aperture and so dims images. Can be useful on really bright objects such as the moon.

Malcolm

[Cheekychino]

Did a test last night. Havn't setup my finderscope yet, it's way off. But found the moon. Tried the 20mm, saw the moon crystal clear. Looks like HD hehe. Then tried the 2.5mm I think it was, the smallest number one I had. And then the moon took up the entire eyepiece, sweeet.

The only thing I notice is that even the moon bounces around in the eyepiece, probably from bumping into it with my eye. And I get a tired face closing one eye to look through after a while, lol.

[TheAstroChannel (Sean)]

A good technique to have when observing through the eyepiece, is to have both eyes open, and cover your non observing eye with your hand!
Also a chair can be quite helpful on long observation nights!

[brian nordstrom (As avatar)]

Hi Chino and welcome , you have not really told any of us what type / model / make of scope you have , to me it sounds like a Newtonion reflector ? Mirror at the bottom and focuser and eyepieces sticking out the side torwards the top ? thats sounds right ?
The cap thing sounds like the most possable cause of your problems , forget the erecting prisim for now and enjoy the upside down , sharp views ..
I will never forget a young man bringing his new scope up to one of our public nights ( so proud he was as well ) and he could not get a nice sharp view of the moon , I asked him to show me the set up , he did , and nobody had showen him that the clear plastic eyepiece cap needed to be removed first !!! , he nearly fell over seeing the moon for the first time in a Month !!! , true story .
Brian.

Originally Posted by Cheekychino

Did a test last night. Havn't setup my finderscope yet, it's way off. But found the moon. Tried the 20mm, saw the moon crystal clear. Looks like HD hehe. Then tried the 2.5mm I think it was, the smallest number one I had. And then the moon took up the entire eyepiece, sweeet.

The only thing I notice is that even the moon bounces around in the eyepiece, probably from bumping into it with my eye. And I get a tired face closing one eye to look through after a while, lol.