beginners problems-help!

Hey guys I am a TOTAL beginner so I have a stupid question to ask.I have the meade etx70 scope and am trying to get used to it. :oops: I can use the 25mm eyepiece easily and the 12mm but when I use the 4mm I see nothing.I can locate the comet,Saturn etc easily but trying to get closer images seems to be impossible-everything is tiny!I know its me-in my ignorance I'm doing something wrong-when I use the 12mm and 4mm things look even further away.Can someone help.Also I dont seem mto be able to fugure out how to use the 3xbarlow lens-do you attach it by itself or with another eyepiece-either way it doesnt seem to slot in properly.I know these are stupid questions but I'd really appreciate someone's advice if they had the patience Thanks a mil
Shazzie

Happy New Year Shazzie!

Your best bet is to take the time to read through th threads in the Observing Equipment section about the ETX-70, or the special forum Albert set up in General section here . There is loads of Q&A, hints and suggestions there.

Basically, to answer one or 2 of your questions:

The Barlow: you put your eyepiece into the Barlow, and this 2-piece is now a new eyepiece, which you put into your focuser.

Magnification: The smaller diameter eyepieces offer higher magnification, which, in smaller telescopes, is not always as good as it sound. I really would not bother with the 4mm at all really!

Have fun with your scope! And none of your questions are stupid!



Seanie.

Hi,

Just to add onto what Seanie said.

If you try using the scope during the day you'll be able to see the magnification difference better. Focus on a distant tree or steeple and try different eyepieces.

Not seeing anything with the 4mm could be because the object has drifted out of the field of view, or you moved the scope while changing the eyepiece. Hence getting used to it on trees etc. first.

Cheers,
~Al

Shazzie,
Don't worry about it. It takes getting used to.The 4mm gives a very high magnification, and on most objects isn't worth using. Fine for the Moon, which is very bright, but on less brilliant objects it won't give good results. Use as low a magnification as possible, you will get better results that way. If you don't see anything with the 4mm that is because the object isn't in the field of view. Try centering something at low power, then increse the magnification. If you use high magnification to begin with it is almost impossible to find anything. Very high magnification is only really usefull on very good, clear nights, and on certain objects. Lower powers give better results as a rule. If you want any furether advice, please feel free to contact me at gordo@iol.ie

DENTON P. WALTER

Astronomy Ireland
Astronomy & Space Magazine

Also I dont seem mto be able to fugure out how to use the 3xbarlow lens-do you attach it by itself or with another eyepiece-either way it doesnt seem to slot in properly.

Heres how the barlow fits together on my ETX-70:

I know these are stupid questions but I'd really appreciate someone's advice if they had the patience Thanks a mil

No worries, ask away, thats what the board is for!

Cheers,
~Al

The Barlow is fitted into ther focuser, and an eyepiece then put into the Barlow. But remember, if you have a 3x Barlow, that takes the magnification of any eyepiece used up by a factor of 3. A 4mm for example would be completly useless if used with a x3 Barlow, since it would then be giving a magnification so far beyond the ability of the telescope that it would be impossible to use it.

Denton