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[SarahW]

Album: Damage

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Total newbie. My husband and I just purchased our first scope (new)--a Celestron Astromaster 130eq. I found that it was difficult to get a "full" view through the scope, with a portion of the view seeming to eclipse. Upon inspection inside, I found that the secondary mirror doesn't appear to be centered down the focuser, but beyond that, I noticed a small chip on the edge of the secondary mirror. Is that normal? Is it going to affect performance? Again--complete newbie so I have no idea about these things. Should I contact the company I purchased through and get a replacement/return?

 

Thank you for your help.

Edited by SarahW, 28 November 2020 - 11:25 AM.

[cuzimthedad]

Welcome to Cloudy Nights SarahW! There are plenty of members on the forum who will be able to walk you through the steps of getting your new scope up and running properly. I just wanted to chime in and say hi and welcome.

[SeattleScott]

That chip is dwarfed by the mirror clip. I personally wouldn’t worry about it. I mean if I bought a $2,000 scope then it potentially becomes a resale value thing, but this isn’t a $2,000 scope.

Scott

[SarahW]

Thank you for the responses! I'm going to reach out to Celestron tomorrow and see what they say. I live near Torrance, so if there's an option to take it in and have them take a look at it/replace the mirror, I'll do that. If they require shipping stuff in, I'll probably just chalk it up as my bad luck and move on since it won't affect performance.

[SteveG]

Thank you for the responses! I'm going to reach out to Celestron tomorrow and see what they say. I live near Torrance, so if there's an option to take it in and have them take a look at it/replace the mirror, I'll do that. If they require shipping stuff in, I'll probably just chalk it up as my bad luck and move on since it won't affect performance.

It's so unperceivable I wouldn't waste time with it.

[KerryR]

The chip on the edge of the secondary mirror is so teeny that it won't do anything meaningful to the image. However, if you bought the scope new, everything should be pristine, so you'd be justified in a return if you wanted to do so. But it's not going to hamper the scope's performance.

The issue you're describing- the eclipsed view- sounds like the mirrors need to be aligned. There are oodles of resources for how to do this, I like THIS one.

Edited by KerryR, 02 December 2020 - 09:59 AM.

[SarahW]

Thanks for the response Kerry! Yep I went ahead and aligned the mirrors. It’s working great at this point and I think we’ll just keep it. Celestron was very kind and would’ve replaced it but they said it would take several weeks to a month. We’re camping at Joshua Tree in a week and a half and would hate to miss out on those dark skies 😊

[peta62]

The question is how the mirror was chipped, whether in production or after the scope assembly. If it was a hit to the assembled scope, it could force other parts out of its collimated place.

 

Edit : It is great that it works well. Enjoy Joskua tree, it is great there. I remember my hike to the Lost Palms Valley ( I hope I remember the name correctly ) in the southern part of the park, hikes to some peaks, great place to be especially with scope.

Edited by peta62, 02 December 2020 - 10:58 AM.

[KerryR]

Thanks for the response Kerry! Yep I went ahead and aligned the mirrors. It’s working great at this point and I think we’ll just keep it. Celestron was very kind and would’ve replaced it but they said it would take several weeks to a month. We’re camping at Joshua Tree in a week and a half and would hate to miss out on those dark skies

Glad the scope is working now. 130mm f5 Newts are one of my favorite scopes-- great ratio of aperture to compactness, not to mention affordability.

 

Many years ago, I lived in Twentynine Palms, and spent a lot of time Joshua Tree; the park entrance was a mile and a half or so from my house. I love it out there, and miss it. You'll enjoy having your scope under those dark and transparent skies! (On the other hand, it's shocking how bright the light dome over the L.A. basin is, and how much of the western J-tree sky is impacted. Luckily, every other direction is great.)