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    Default Telescopes

    Hi all,

    We recently purchased a second-hand telescope on eBay. It is a Saxon.
    While I can't find the exact model on the Saxon site, this is a close replica of it:

    "607AZ - 60mm aperture, 700mm focal length (f/12). One of the most popular beginner's telescopes on the market, it combines durability with the efficiency of much larger refractors. This telescope comes with a 5x24 finderscope, 1.5x 45º erecting eyepiece for terrestrial viewing, two 1.25" eyepieces (K10, K25) and aluminium tripod."

    My question is - should we be able to get a decent view of the moon and stars with this telescope? We have used it a few times (it has been way too cloudy since we recieved it) but we have not been able to get any image of the moon at all.

    Any advice would be appreciated.

    Thanks,

    N.



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    You should have no problems with the moon even with the largest eyepiece (the larger the number the less the magnification). During daylight see if you can focus on something in the distance, the further away the better. This way you can get a feel on the operation of the telescope and how well it works. You can try each eyepiece and note how they work, the K25 is probably better, as the higher magnification of the k10 makes it very hard to find and keep objects within the eye piece. You can also check and align the finder scope so that it points to the same object as the main scope during daylight on a distant object.

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    Thank you for the quick reply and for the advice.

    I am glad to hear that the telescope is decent. So the problem is obviously us!

    We have been able to quickly focus on objects in the distance (trees; the escarpment) but it has been very difficult finding the moon.

    I think that as you have pointed out ssrattuss, we need to align the finder scope. When we did have the moon in the scope, we could see nothing through the main lens.

    Thanks,

    N.

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    i bought a telescope a few years ago, when i looked through it every thing was upside down, so i sold the bloody thing. lol.

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    For the moon you really don't need the finder scope, just look along the length of the main scope pointing at the moon and when you look into the eyepiece you should either see the moon, or a glow in the eyepiece indicating you are close. You may need to use a "moon filter" that threads onto the back of the eyepiece to cut back the brightness.

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    Quote Originally Posted by mango View Post
    i bought a telescope a few years ago, when i looked through it every thing was upside down, so i sold the bloody thing. lol.
    Year 11 physics would have told you that they telescope was doing exactly what it is supposed to do. what you needed was what is called a terrestial inverter.

    Even when you use a standard telescope to look at anything in the sky you are viewing it upside down.

    Do a ray diagram and see!!!!

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    I wouldn't mind getting a telescope used to have small red one when I was a kid until it was droped and thrown away. Was hard to pin point a planet but once I had it I didnt move it lol...

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    mate with that size you'll get good moon views Telescope are a lot like Sat dishes, Car engines..........in the fact that the second you start enjoying the hobby you wish you had something bigger with more features LOL.

    I got a second hand meade ATX 70 with the computer control drive motors, and was able to 'find' Jupiter and Saturn with it, fantastic to actually see, but they were small and not much detail................

    The great thing about the computer control thingy is once you do get it setup, which takes some practise, but teaches you how to find at least 2 stars just by looking at the sky, the telescope finds objects for you, and then adjusts to keep it in view.

    I'm looking at getting new instrument now, but umm be warned, like most hobbies $$$$...................3 to 4k for something I like now

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    Quote Originally Posted by closershave View Post
    We have been able to quickly focus on objects in the distance (trees; the escarpment) but it has been very difficult finding the moon.

    I think that as you have pointed out ssrattuss, we need to align the finder scope. When we did have the moon in the scope, we could see nothing through the main lens.

    Thanks,

    N.
    Best to line it up on a distant object in the daytime when you can see what you're doing on a distant tree or mountain etc. When you have an object in the main scope, then center it in the finder with the 3 adjusting screws.

    While the Moon looks great through a scope of that size, don't expect to see much else with any detail, especially not like photos taken with large telescopes. The planets are tiny and the stars are just a bit brighter.

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    I had a Tasco roughly that type and was able to see the rings of Saturn.
    That was back in high school.
    After that got one about 80mm Vixen, was better again.

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    Saturn's rings change angle as seen from Earth. At the moment they are hard to see in any telescope as they are nearly edge on. In another year or two the angle of view will allow us to see them better.

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    just had a look at Saturn here, look pretty good although I only have a meade ETX-70AT, so it was rather small, but rings where there.

    I know a couple of people were looking for reasonable instruments to have a go with, there are some on e-bay atm, a second hand meade 90 and 125 from memory, and some new bigger celestrons...............so have a look, I have no money at all now, so you'll not be bidding against me LOL

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    Take a look at Mars while it's at close approach. It's not very big but I was able to see polar caps earlier this month.

    Blurry pic taken with camera held up to the eyepiece. Lots of CA colour fringing but you can sorta see the polar cap on top. Taken through a mate's Meade 11 inch SCT.


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    that is pretty good really, when you consider how you took the picture, with a deep sky imager or some such thing you'd get a lot more detail of course, with the way the software can 'stack' the pic over say a few mins, you usually get a better pic than what your eye can see in real time.

    As I said before my little meade doesn't really have the power, and mars, well umm I can tell it is red and that is about all.

    Here is a well known space object, I think it was about 10 images stacked and converted by the software

    Last edited by mudcrab; 28-02-10 at 07:27 AM.

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    That's a good shot of the Moon.

    I mostly use short wide f stop scopes myself. They are not so good for planets but are better for deep sky.

    The big 16 inch hasn't been taken out for ages. Last time I checked on it there was a giant carpet snake sleeping in the base. The snakes, mossies and heat just take all the fun out of it these days.

    Saturn through the big scope a few years ago.


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    Quote Originally Posted by Learjet View Post
    That's a good shot of the Moon.

    I mostly use short wide f stop scopes myself. They are not so good for planets but are better for deep sky.

    The big 16 inch hasn't been taken out for ages. Last time I checked on it there was a giant carpet snake sleeping in the base. The snakes, mossies and heat just take all the fun out of it these days.

    Saturn through the big scope a few years ago.

    No fun with snakes, mossies, heat?
    Sounds like you are in the wrong country.
    I moved to AU... BECAUSE OF THE FUN

    Didn't you grind the 16" yourself?

    My 6" Nasmyth hasn't been out in ages due to a more serious problem.
    It always looks somewhat milky, never really sharp.
    It is not dusty or milky inside and I have tried to align the mirrors using a pin hole in black cardboard with a white LED behind it as a target, but no avail.
    I got this scope when I was a kid around mid 70's and it has traveled a fair bit.

    Any tips how I could revive it?
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    It's a bit to tell what's going on without seeing it. How do the eyepieces look? What type are they?

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    Quote Originally Posted by Learjet View Post
    It's a bit to tell what's going on without seeing it. How do the eyepieces look? What type are they?
    Hmmm.... after viewing this website

    I could assume the focus problems/distortions from 2.5mm eyepiece that came with it would be normal.

    The milkyness is also apparent with terrestrial viewing in broad daylight using the 20mm and 6mm eyepiece and the moon, even with filter looks washed out.

    They consist of two biconvex lenses and no doubt of the cheap type( 0.965" barrel) although my parents must have paid quite a bit for the scope 35 years ago. Has a solid polar mount that can be motorised.
    But I know the image was much clearer then and I can still remember having the impression of walking on the moon using the 2.5mm eyepiece back then.

    The telescope is from Bresser - Optik
    Last edited by Uncle Fester; 05-03-10 at 10:54 PM.
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    Really not sure without seeing it. 2.5mm though would be just about unusable. My shortest focal length lens is 7.5mm.

    Are there any letters and numbers written on the eyepieces, like SR 2.5mm or H 20mm, K 20mm that sort of thing?

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    Yes they all have H.
    The one which I have probably mistaken for 2.5 has "HI 2.5" printed on it and probably should have been printed "H 12.5". The 6mm DOES have the highest magnification. It has been years since I used it.
    The eyepieces look clean.

    What I haven't looked at are the little mirrors that direct the light to the eyepiece. Have yet to figure out how to take that area apart.
    Edit: took it completely apart, only way to get at the small mirror for the eyepiece, found nothing suspicious. Then took the main mirror out and held it up against a light, could partially see through it with some small bright spots. If I look frontal towards it it reflects a clear image.
    Last edited by Uncle Fester; 06-03-10 at 07:11 PM.
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