Help with son's Tasco Telescope

[kiwalian]

Hello,

My son got a Tasco Luminova 40-114675 telescope for xmas but after setting it up we are unable to view any objects. The manual advised to put the 20mm eyepice into the focus tube. After doing that and removing the small dust cover all we can see is like a white sort of haze but no object.

Am i doing something obviously wrong here. Sorry I cant provide more info then that.

Cheers

Kiwalian

[h0ughy]

OK have you read the instructions of the telescope, the rack and pinion focuser will have a knob to turn. visually line up the scope with something like a tree in the distance, then turn the focus knob until you can achieve a sharp image, from there you can practice how to focus the scope, then you can try the moon later tonight with a moon filter in place.

[kiwalian]

Hello,

I read the instructions and it advised to use the 20mm to look at an image about a 1000 yards away. when i look through the 20mm eyepiece I see white and can see my eyelashes as well.

When you say the rack and pinion focuser do you mean the knobs you turn to move the eyepice up and down. Have tried that but no success. The dust cover has a smaller round cover, I have tried removing one and both covers as the manual states to remove the dust cover.

Thankyou

Kiwalian

[matt]

Completely remove all covers from the end of the scope.

Try pointing the scope to a large treetop canopy in the distance so you can at least see a change through the eyepiece.

Then try and bring that to a focus.

Once you've achieved that, we'll work on getting the scope and the finder scope aligned (does it have a smaller telescope included for attachment to the larger scope?)

By the way... make sure the scope's not pointing anywhere near the sun!!!!!!:scared:

[kiwalian]

Hello,

The scope has three eypieces and two barlow lenses. (does it have a smaller telescope included for attachment to the larger scope?) Sorry not quite sure what you mean there. All I seem to see is white will try to llo at an image some distance away.

Tried to look at images in the distance using the 20mm eyepiece only can still only see white. There appears to be no change in the eyepiece. Where the dust cover was that is pointing in the oppasite direction of where I am looking is that correct.

Thanks

Kiwalian

[matt]

If the Luminova is a reflector telescope (uses mirrors and the eyepiece is to the side, up near the large opening) it should come with a smaller scope which is a refractor which serves as a finder scope.

The littler scope will look like what most people consider "normal" ie like a pirate scope with lenses which you look straight through. It attaches to the bigger scope to help you "find" things in the larger scope.

I won't make life harder by talking about fields of view at this stage.

Got a picture of the Luminova?

[Dujon]

Hello, Kiwalian.

The 'small telescope' referred to by matt is the finder 'scope. It's the small one which should be attached close to the focus tube (see the attached 'photo of your model Tasco) and enables you to more easily point the 'scope at a target.


*edit*

Whoops! Sorry, Matt.

[kiwalian]

Hello,

It is a Reflecter luminova and it does have a finderscope attached to the side of the body when you look through the finderscope objects are upside down. This is a link to this scope http://www.tasco.com.au/Default.aspx?tabid=82&ProductID=311&cid=209

Thanks

Kiwalian

[kiwalian]

I have a Barlow 1.5x erecting eyepiece and a Barlow lens 3x

Do i use the Barlow 1.5x erecting eyepiece with the 20mm eyepiece

Kiwalian

[matt]

Don't bother with the barlows until you've got everything else sorted.

They just add more magnification and will make life more tricky.

get your finder and scope aligned first, using just the 20mm eyepiece.

[kiwalian]

Ok,

all I see is a round white field the only adjustment I can see is the up and down of the eyepiece. on the other side of the scope is 3 round metal knobs with a screw next to it that has not been touched as i dont think it is to be removed. The finderscope works fine just can't see any image through the eyepiece

The open cover is facing the oppisite way to where i am looking

Thanks

kiwalian

Kiwalian

[saturn c]

merry xmass every 1
hi kiwalian , hang in there dont give up! the iis team will help u through the difficult times...

[matt]

You really need to try and focus on something quite large close by which will allow you to get "something" in your eyepiece which you can focus on.

Don't you have a big tree or something similar only a couple of hundred metres away?

Maybe a telegraph or light pole?

Then you adjust the finder scope to bring the same object into the centre of the finder scope's field of view. Then your scope and finder will be aligned:thumbsup:

Sorry, but that's about all I can suggest.

Slew the scope around until you see something enter the bright "white field". Then try turning the focus knob all the way in each direction.

If none of this works, we might have to consider the possibility your optics (mirrors) are not aligned. This points toward a topic known as collimation. We'll cross that bridge when we have to.

[kiwalian]

The back of the telescope with the dust covers removed points in the opposite direction to where you are looking. This seems to pick up colours from behind you but nothing from in front where you are looking. Have tried focusing the finderscope on a yellow car but could not see anything through the big scope. Placing your hand over the rear of the scope and looking through, you can see (sort of) your hand through the viewer. Wishing now that we bought a readily assembled & tested piece - save the frustration (lol)

[matt]

But the dust covers go over the front of the scope... the open end... which points at what you want to look at

Are you sure you're pointing the correct end of the scope at your intended visual target?

You also need to get something focused in the big scope first, and then adjust the finder scope (small scope) to bring it into alignment. Not the other way round.

[kiwalian]

I might have something, When i face take the small dust cover off and point the open bit towards an object I can see it. Is the end with the dust cover supposed to be pointed towards the object.

Thanks

Kiwalian

[matt]

Yes yes yes!!!

The open end is the front. Eureka!!!!:lol:

Problem solved... I hope;)

Glad I could help

[kiwalian]

OOPS!!!!! Gee, I feel like a flaming idiot, that's for sure. When we looked at the instructions & diagrams that came with the infernal thing, we had it set up according to that info - maybe the have it wrong??? Telescopes for Dummies??!!??
With the Barlow erecting eyepiece, there was a lens that fell out of it, not sure if it is part of that eyepiece? If so, where does it go cos' it wasn't attached at all, just sitting there.
Thanks for all of your help, our budding astronomer son is over the moon.......Have a great Christmas Day & thanks again!

[matt]

Not sure about that 2nd lens. Possibly a 2nd eyepiece? Is there any writing on it? Perhaps a 10mm or 9mm eyepiece for higher power?

Just try experimenting with it. Do the list of contents state there should be a second eyepiece?

These things usually come with 2.

Again, glad I could help. A Merry Xmas to you and your family.

Enjoy the scope and feel free to keep asking questions and share your experiences with all of us here at IIS;)

[Dujon]

The second lens: could it be the moon filter? If it is it'll look like a dusky disc of material housed in a narrow ring with a short screw thread on one side. This screws into the bottom of your eyepieces, kiwalian. It is designed, like sunglasses, to reduce glare, only this time from the moon.

[matt]

Could definitely be a moon filter