Top 10 Edu-Science (10166) Telescope Questions & Answers

Get a free star chart at:
www.starmaps.com

and go to the Cloudy Nights forum and read the telescope articles.
http://www.cloudynights.com/

I use a barlow lens quite a bit with my telescope. It is usually inserted before the diagonal if you use one or before the eyepiece if you don't. The barlow lens for your telescope will double the power of the eyepiece used.

However, despite what the manufacturer claims for your telescope things will look quite poorly if you try to view at 180 power. Generally you'll get the best images by using 50x for each inch of your objective lens. For example, your telescope has a 50mm lens. That's roughly 2 inches. 2 inches times 50x gives you a maximum useful power of 100x. Depending on the viewing conditions you may be able to exceed this or not even reach it. Things will look blurry and dim when you try to use too much power.

Your power or magnification is calculated by dividing your telescope focal length which is 360 mm by the eyepiece focal length. You have two eyepieces with focal lengths of 4mm and 20mm. If we divide 360mm by 20mm we get 18 power. If you add a barlow to that you get 36 power. Dividing 360mm by 4mm (no barlow) we get 90 power. That would be your maximum useful power.

Therefore, you should be able to used the 20mm eyepiece with or without the barlow but the 4mm should only be used without the barlow.

I hope all of the math wasn't confusing.

-jodair

You will not find a manual for that telescope. However Meade maintains a web site for their telescope manuals. Look under REFRACTOR or REFLECTOR for one similar to your telescope. They all go together in a similar fashion.

http://www.meade.com/manuals/index.html

The front is the part where the eyepiece and the focuser happens to be. That is called a REFLECTOR style telescope. Light enters the front of the tube and bounces off the mirror in the bottom of the tube. There returns and bounces off the small secondary tilted mirror out into the focuser and eyepiece. There should be an easy to remove dust cap on the front end near the focuser. That end is pointed toward the sky.

These types of scopes should be checked for collimation to determine if the optics are all lined up.

Watch this video:

http://www.andysshotglass.com/Collimating.html

Try to find a local Astronomy club and get them to help you with the telescope.

You are about the 10th person to ask for this. These are being sold at Toys R Us and the "toy" really applies to this scope. If you can return it and buy this telescope for your child.
http://www.telescope.com/control/product/~category_id=classicdobs/~pcategory=dobsonians/~product_id=09804

and no you cannot buy a usable scope for less than $200. No manual exists for your telescope, however Meade maintains a web site of manuals for all their telescopes. Look under the REFRACTOR heading on the below web site for one similar to your telescope. They all assemble about the same way, and Meade includes a section in the back of all manuals on how to use the telescope.
http://www.meade.com/manuals/index.html


This one is similar to your telescope.
http://www.meade.com/manuals/TelescopeManuals/Refractors/Meade70AZ_AR.pdf

Basics first - please don't get angry at the suggestions ......

1) On the main telescope, can you see the actual glass lenses at both ends of it (i.e. you've removed both of the lens caps).

2) If you remove the eyepiece (in broad daylight), can you hold it up to an indoor light and see clearly through it?

3) If you now look into the socket where the eyepiece goes, can you see any form of light (in daylight) or is it totally black?

A lot of smaller telescopes have caps both ends, and sometimes caps both ends of both parts, to stop debris getting in when in transit or swapping objectives.

You will not find a manual for that telescope which is sold by Toys R Us. However Meade and Bushnell both maintain web sites with all of their telescope manuals--- here:

http://www.meade.com/manuals/index.html Meade manuals

http://www.opticsplanet.net/bushnell-warranty.html Bushnell

Look around the web sites under the REFRACTOR heading for one that is similar to your telescope. They all assemble and are used the same way.

Read my TIPS on my profile page and also read this web site:

http://www.texasastro.org/telescope.php

Why did you buy a telescope being sold by TOYS R US!

We get more complaints on this scope than any other brand.

Read the negative reviews here:
http://www.buzzillions.com/reviews/edu-science-astro-nova-102-telescope-reviews

Next time buy from a regular telescope retailer like this one:
http://www.telescope.com/control/main/

Read my tips on my profile page, and read this:
http://www.texasastro.org/telescope.php

That little scope will NEVER be able to use the 4mm with the 3xbarlow, just too mmuch magnification. The maximum possible magnification for ANY telescope is about 50 times aperture.

Your scope is about 3 inches so 150 power is the maximum.

Read my tips on my profile page.

Ours came with one....