the first night out

This weekend i took my new telescope for a test drive outside on top of my garage. So here is how it went:

Telescope alignment
During my research i had stumbled on a couple of forums where people were reporting problems using the SkyAlign feature. It was pointed out that in order to have this feature work properly, you need to make sure that the telescope is placed perfectly horizontal/level to the ground.

I did that using the bubble level that comes with the telescope. I also checked it again using the carpenter app on my iphone. From what i could tell, the tripod was more or less level. (this "more or less" bit would bite me in the butt later...)

I attached and plugged in the dew cap and after a couple of minutes i could feel that it was getting slightly warm. So far so good !

So i started the SkyAlign feature and after entering my location, time and date, I chose Jupiter and Arcturus as my first two objects and then just picked some star that was in between the two. The hand controller showed a rotating line for a couple of seconds and then said something like "aligment confirmed". (too bad that it does not have the star trek computer voice or Mr. Worf stating this out loud, like "captain - stellar aligment confirmed !")

Whooopdi-doo ! Finally something that works after the first try ! Needless to say, i was quite proud of myself...

With alignment completed, i immediately pressed the "M" button on the remote and entered "M13" and the telescope started its GOTO thing going "whhiiirrrr..rrr..rrr" with me blissfully watching it go. Then it stopped. I looked through the eyepiece and saw: nothing.

DANGIT !

I moved the telescope left and right and then found M13 quite a ways off and centered it in the eyepiece. After a while i noticed that it had started to move off to one side. So obviously something was not quite right. So i used the SYNC feature to tell the telescope that i was indeed looking at M13. I then hit the "Planets" button and selected "Jupiter". And the marvels of GOTO started to swing the telescope in the direction of Jupiter. Jupiter ended up just slightly out of view of my 25mm eyepiece.

DOUBLE-DANGGIT !

So i decided to use my 40mm wide field eyepiece and spent the night cruising the sky quite happily, but not at all satisfied with the GOTO feature. I also noticed that it took quite a while for the telescope to move in certain directions after i had pushed the movement buttons on the controller. This supposedly is called "backlash" and i decided that i would read up on the matter the next day.

So hang on for part TWO, where things looked ALOT better : )