Top Tips To Improve a Entry-Level Telescope

Entry level telescopes are usually good to go straight out of the box, but there are a few things you can do to improve the overall performance. In this video I will share with you some of my best hints & tips to get the very best out of your telescope...Hope you enjoy...Clear skies :)

[@papapotato1875]

This channel has served as my astronomer's bible, everything is explained clearly and useful tips are always provided that aren't really apparent to me as a beginner

[@androidcaller7902]

I agree. He's very good. With a lovely affable demeanour.

[@chriscov282]

I am a newbie ...I learned more practical info in 3 videos from small optics than all the other videos i have ever watched. GREAT JOB !!!!!!

[@smalloptics753]

Hello Chris, Thank my friend.. Great to hear :)

[@STho205]

Very good straight advice. Aperture shroud of posterboard, check Adding weight to tripod (pail of sand) off center hub and bags of shot taped to the legs, check Painting or taping the locking knobs and adjustment wheels white or glow in the dark, check Buying plossl eyepieces, check Shimming loose fittings, check Adjusting all tensions, check Did all that my first year of adult astronomy...and I'm still with it for many years now.

[@Manny_News_Blogs_Tutorials]

14:48 In camera terms we call that cardboard tube extension as "HOOD", same hood we place in front of our lenses to reduce if not, totally remove glare from creeping in our photos. Glare is the number one cause of low contrasts in images because stray light overpowers the details of an image. Nice tip!

[@smalloptics753]

Hello Manny.... Of course a HUD lol, I just couldn't think what they were called...Thanks for the info buddy. Stay safe, clear skies :)

[@BrockOBauma]

I love how easy these tips are. It also helps that they're in the free to very affordable price range.

[@louboom5711]

Great advice here. Another mentionable upgrade would be the finder scope. Having a good finder will help immensely in locating your target, especially when star hopping. Living in Las Vegas I deal with heavy light pollution, I’m gonna try the light shroud. Cheers

[@smalloptics753]

Hello Lou. Great point, those little stock optical finders are not much use and as you say upgrading is definitely something people should consider...It's funny you made that point my next video is all about finders :)..Take care buddy, clear skies.

[@noth606]

I have a craptastic finder but it is attached to the main tube with 2 small hex screws, have yet to find any way to replace it. If you want to see what it looks like it's a B&L Criterion 4000, 4" 1200mm f/12 SCT. Scope is good, finder is terrible.

[@cbf63]

You can also buy Flocking material which is a black velvet that keeps light from bouncing around in the tube or you could say it absorbs light. When placed in the right areas it improves contrast a lot....Cheers!

[@kanie1972]

Thanks for your videos mate, just turned 50 and got my first telescope a Celestron Astromaster. When I was little I used to look up at the starts for hours with my grandad (wish he was here to look through it now) I saw Jupiter last night and 3 of its moon and couldnt believe it was amazing seeing something so far away, I love looking through it and seeing things I cant see or didnt expect to see with my eye. Thanks again :-)

[@epic_playz4283]

You deserve more subs and support from yt (monetization) and I watch the whole vid, so you can have 4k watch hours for monetization and cause their interesting and useful and keep up the great work 👍

[@smalloptics753]

Thanks buddy, really appreciate that. Comments like yours make it all the more worthwhile.

[@fishmissile1318]

Watched a few of your videos now and they're the most informative ones I've watched yet! Thanks!

[@sabyasachibanerjee124]

Great advice. Do not have a Telescope yet. But keeping this bookmarked. Cause all of it made a lot of sense.

[@Critical_Cabbage]

I got a telescope for my 30th birthday a month ago. I've been out on 3 clear nights so far (last night was my first outside of town with no moon...wow!). Been great fun and watching some of your videos have helped temper expectations. Excited to try out some of these tips and do some simple upgrades in the future! Thanks a lot!

[@smalloptics753]

Great to hear my friend, your more than welcome :}

[@KarldorisLambley]

For your Tip number 1 I have a lump hammer attached to a bit of rope which i depend from the spreader tray.

[@scottb5178]

I've been rewatching some of your videos. Made the light shield, works great. The tension screw adjustment was also a big help as mine was pretty hard to turn. Still wasn't happy with the how tough it was to fine tune the view, (adjust wait for shake to stop, repeat...) Found an Orion battery powered "Accufocus" for $92 online, for my Nexstar 130SLT. What a difference that makes.

[@kathleenstrittmatter6895]

I've been fascinated by stars and planets since I was little. Always wanted a telescope but never bought one. Just got a used one yesterday and trying to put it together. Can't wait for clear skies. Maybe if I can master this one I can save for a better one. Thank you for explaining the basics.

[@smalloptics753]

Hello Kathleen, Your more than welcome. Enjoy your new telescope hope the clear skies come soon for you. :)

[@kris.andrews]

Excellent tips, thanks! I have a Skywatcher 127 MAK on the AZ goto mount, there is no way to tighten the top of the legs, but bits of card slid in the gaps works great! Also some anti-vibration pads that you put under the feet made a huge difference as well. Thanks for all the tips!

[@ZippZimmerman]

Good tips, glad I found your channel. Totally agree on the 15mm plossl w/2x Barlow. You need nothing else. A few years ago I found I using 8-24mm zoom eyepiece beneficial. While not the best quality, it got me to what I wanted to see quicker, and used to what size eyepieces I should be upgrading to when $ allows. I also found making hardware adjustments to "lock in" my spotting scope (eliminating the need to constantly calibrate it) a must. Cheers

[@saythealphabet776]

Damn, I literally just ordered a 20mm plössl. Should have looked at these comments more. Hopefully it's good enough.

[@Sethlondon19930]

You're a 10/10 dude. Every time I see one of your videos I feel welcomed to the hobby. 100% chill dude, 100% informative, Youre fuckin awesome dude thank you.

[@gregoryw3311]

So glad I found this channel. All other YT astronomy channels focus on astro photography, which I have no desire for, and are no use to me personally. Thanks for content for those of us that enjoy visual astronomy.

[@smalloptics753]

Hello Gregory. That's great to hear my friend, and your more than welcome.. All the best for 2022 :)

[@petset77]

Another great video full of useful tips for beginners like me. My wife very recently bought an Orion Starblast 4.5 inexpensively ($100) from a friend who is moving, and I'm trying to sort out some issues with it (including that the 10mm eyepiece and collimating cap are missing). I'll either get a cap or make one as you described in another video so I can check mirror alignment. Since the longer eyepiece was missing, I've ordered a set of Plossl eyepieces with filters including moon filter, and a Barlow, all in a nice looking aluminum case. One thing I hadn't checked is the eyepiece tube and play. Sure enough, it has a slight "wobble" to it. I'll see if the towel tube will fit. Something will. While further checking it while your video was playing, I found that the Right ascension slow-motion control screw was barely engaging the geared ring, allowing it to be moved while everything is locked down. It was simply adjusted with a 8mm open ended wrench (spanner). The tripod is a bit flimsy as you mentioned, and I'll be noodling around with ways to stiffen it up. Thank you again for sharing valuable knowledge with newbies. I subscribed yesterday, and will continue viewing your videos.

[@petset77]

...oh, and painting the locking knobs is a great idea. I'll be doing that for sure. Thank you!!

[@brandoninco]

Really looking forward to trying that light shield/shroud tip! Will be very interested to see what it does in my Bortle 6 local skies. Thanks for the video! I found it helpful.

[@smalloptics753]

Hello Brandon, your welcome buddy, great to hear you found my video helpful. Have fun with the light shield, it does make a difference if you have a lot of localised light pollution.

[@dougsbir]

the magic wand made me chuckle! thanks for the tips I am an absolute beginner and these were very helpful to me, cheers buddy/boyo

[@smalloptics753]

Your welcome buddy, pleased to hear you found the tips helpful. Congratulations on choosing this great hobby, welcome to the community. All the best, clear skies.

[@himanshus9335]

Yes your tips helped me greatly. They supplied a 26mm, a 9mm and a 6.3mm with my beginner Meade 127mm. All Kellners. First two are good to go, but the third one has a small FOV as have all the Kellners but even worse for a 6.3mm. Even looking at moon is painful to the eyes and much straining. Guess high powered ones just have to be plossles.

[@martinsmerek9063]

Hi Jason, thank you very much for these videos. I really like your practical, simple and understandable tips and hints. I bought my first telescope last week and I'm going to see the moon with my 5yo son today for the first time.

[@smalloptics753]

Hello Martin, your more than welcome .. That's fantastic to hear, hope you and your son have a good clear night for it.. Enjoy your new telescope my friend😀

[@brucenunn3268]

Very Helpful.! Thank you for sharing.! My Telescope is Similar to this and I have really gotten Some Use and Enjoyment out of it. I recently purchased a motor Drive to Start Tracking, and a Neximage 10MP Camera that is arriving Tuesday. Can’t wait to Start using it.! - Clear Sky’s - BWN

[@robmains6195]

Great video Jason..... As always & really great tips especially upgrading your eye piece, gradually upgrading mine with celestron omni eye pieces, like you say good upgrades without taking out a loan. 👍 Thank you Jason for the time you take for us beginners. 🔭 🌗

[@smalloptics753]

Hello Rob, your welcome my friend. The Celestron Omni range are great eyepieces for the price, Stay safe buddy, clear skies :)

[@Gave-rf1hr]

Hello do you still recommend the Celestron Omni pieces ? Or have you made an upgrade to other line up ?

[@BassmanMoto]

You are awesome. I've come back to your videos so many times and I've only had my 130az DX for 3 days! Thank you and keep up the good work.

[@smalloptics753]

Thank you for your kind words my friend much appreciated :)

[@adozendeadroses]

I'm definitely stealing some of these tips for personal use. Thank you for the incredibly helpful video for new users!!

[@JeffBrauss]

Painting the locking nuts is the best advice I’ve heard. No matter how much I use my telescope, the min it gets dark I can never find those locking nuts, and end up feeling around where I think they should be, but aren’t. Thanks for the tip!

[@waltertruenorth]

My own experience as a beginner. When we got a PowerSeeker 114EQ telescope for my son as a present. I ordered a laser collimator and managed to check and align the laser itself. Then I collimated the telescope using a laser collimator. The telescope's main mirror and reflector were off from a factory, I found out while collimating the telescope.

[@pqgscott]

Well done and I will be trying every tip provided. I completed most of the tips while watching the video and noticed a significant difference with my mount already! I have been thinking about purchasing a single upgraded eye piece but couldn't decide what I wanted to try and thanks to your video I will be looking for a 15mm quality eyepiece.

[@damianbutterworth2434]

I got a Plosso 15mm after watching this video. Loads better than the cheap ones I got with the £50 telescope. Have you seen the SVBony cams.

[@D148521]

As far as I'm concerned, yours is the best astronomy channel on you tube. Thanks for what you do.

[@mikeecho1979]

Thanks for this. I will take your advise on upgrading the eyepieces. Cheers from Tasmania

[@smalloptics753]

Hello Katie, Your more than welcome :)

[@jazzman0173]

Thanks I'm a astronomy buff for 20 years and I still learned a couple tricks from you !

[@jamesbogart3334]

I was recently given a free 600mm focal length and 50mm aperture telescope on a lark, your videos have been a gold mine. Got me great views of the moon, way better then I expected.

[@demej00]

Thanks so much. So useful. Didn't know about the screw adjustment on the rack and pinion focuser. Need a new diagonal as mine is all cheap plastic and can't even take a filter. I replaced the cheap Barlow with a Celestron Onmi and wow what a difference and I like that you can use the bottom part for a 1.5 Barlow. I love a Barlow. I did buy a cheap zoom and it is darker than the Kellner lens that came with the scope but still I like the convenience. But I will try a Plossel 15mm. Great stuff you have provided. I have a Bresser 90500 - not bad tube, focuser and lens but the rest of the stuff is cheap plastic garbage.

[@marcgreen196]

Another great video with really useful tips 👍Keep up the good work!

[@davidzahnd2891]

Thank you so much for your videos - I learned so much from you already. I got the first views with my 150/1400 reflector telescope and I was blown away when I saw the rings of Saturn. The oculars of my telescope-set are not very good (25mm and 10mm) and I just ordered a 15mm Plossel before I saw your video, and I was so happy when I heard your advice to get a 15mm plossel. I am looking forward to look at Jupiter and Saturn with my new 15mm ocular. Thanks for your content!

[@simonhucknall1978]

My main motivation at my obsevation location is quick implementation of a sturdy work station. For viewing the operation of our celestial conurbation. So lets give a standing ovation for this information.. great vid

[@petset77]

SO.... I just today got an 8" Orion Dobsonian to see more things in deep sky. (Orion XT8plus, used on Craig's List for half retail). Sure enough, the focusing tube has as much wobble as the 4.5. I scrolled back through you tube history to specifically find this video of yours. Thanks you, and thank you again.

[@petset77]

Well... tinkering with it a bit more this morning, the focuser doesn't have any looseness in it at all. The sleeve with the eyepiece tightening screws threads into the rack and pinion focuser tube, and it wasn't all the way in. The 4.5EQ doesn't have the extra piece, so I wasn't familiar with it. ...still learning!! It's out of collimation (previous owner told me he twisted knobs while trying to view the sky with anxious grand kids the only time he used it), so fixing that is next.

[@andrewmortimer3317]

I’m 3D printing a Hadley 114mm dobsonian scope. These tips are very valuable to me. I haven’t had a telescope this size before and I’m trying to stay in budget. These are all practical improvements that don’t cost very much.

[@andrewking3087]

Very practical - Thanks!👍

[@ninotocka]

Just got an entry level telescope for my kid and me to play with, and the 10mm stock eyepiece is almost useless. More detail on the 25, even if it's less magnified. A good 15mm sounds like the best upgrade for his next birthday :) Great vid, thanks.

[@smalloptics753]

Hello Nino. Thank you my friend and your more than welcome.. :)

[@scottb5178]

Thanks!

[@smalloptics753]

Hello Scott. Thank you so much for the donation my friend very much appreciated.

[@paganphil100]

I got one of those Super 10 eyepieces with my new Mak....and I've already "donated" it to the dustbin (a replacement 12.5mm better-specs one is on the way from FLO). The 25mm eyepiece that came with the telescope is quite good so I'll be keeping that one.

[@paulbennett4548]

just found your video, I will be heading out into the backyard tonight to try out my $20 scope. Thanks for the tips I live in Dartmouth Nova Scotia so might need the tube extender. BTW loved the Tommy Cooper moment with the cardboard wotsit. Have subscribed to explore your back catalog.

[@davenone7312]

I got a Celestron 114AZ -SR Reflector telescope and right out of the box the secondary mirror is out of alignment!! The circles looking into the empty eyepiece are not near concentric. Nothing in the manual on how to fix it but you-tube shows how yay!

[@TheUrbanAstronomer]

Great tips as always Jason!!

[@smalloptics753]

Hey The Urban Astronomer, thanks buddy, much appreciated :)

[@PaveLiki]

You are very good teacher Mr Small Optics.

[@mikefisher5665]

Hi Jasonh, Thanks for the info you have given and why it can aid one in the attempt a few bother some issue making ones viewing a bit better while correcting a few viewing issues! . Fish from NYUSA

[@lovetruthandknowledge]

Love your down to earth simple and clear explanations, what a charming accent, your videos are very enjoyable to watch and educational, thank you!

[@smalloptics753]

Thank you Pistis very nice of you to say .. Your more than welcome :)

[@springbloom5940]

The best mod to do for those slomo cables is to throw them away. First thing I do is replace them with some kind of knob or wheel, directly on the shaft. No searching for them in the dark, no flopping around, no coming loose and very accurate. The Celestron 'Super' eyepieces are actually pretty good, if you do some internal blackening. Of course disassembling eyepieces isnt recommended for noobs.

[@saalikreynolds3064]

So glad I found your channel. Excellent tips and instructions. Well done, Jason.

[@raysalvatore1988]

Love your simple and down to earth explanations and ideas for improvement. As far as the weight for the tripod, I love the idea of using a 4 pack of beer! We don't have 4 packs here in the States but I can figure out what to do with the 2 extra beers.

[@smalloptics753]

Hello Ray. Hahaha.. It's a great idea but like somebody else commented when they use beer for weight the problem is the tripod get lighter throughout the evening.. For obvious reasons XD

[@richardwarren1718]

Ray, I (hic) totally agree.🔭🌌🍻👍

[@keithahendrickson]

Thank-you for the tips. Getting started ..I have learned a Lot from you

[@ogshotglass9291]

9:22 I purposely have my focuser tension extremely tight by preference. I have a "fast" (not fast in photography, btw) f/5.7 70mm telescope and objects get out of focus extremely easily. So to help provide more accurate focusing and to keep from somehow accidentally bumping the image out of focus, I have it set tight. Yes, it bumps the OTA around, but unless I'm just setting it up, I make tiny adjustments. Better to take the time getting it right I think. 15:20 - Actually pretty good idea. It's the equivalent of a lens hood for a camera. Id shorten that up a bit, though. It may be cutting down on spilled light, but it looks like it might be impeding light gathering with one that long. Kind of like sticking a toilet paper tube over a compact camera. On wide views it'll create a vignette effect. My advice, make several of them, each 1 inch shorter than the other and use the shortest one that does the job. Use the lowest power eyepiece you have in the day and look at the sky. Point it near but not at the sun, and make sure it's not blocking any view from the side. 20:10- Plössl eyepieces are not the only eyepiece designs that feature 4 lens elements. The design comes down to the arrangement and curvature of the lenses to deal with a specific design flaw of another. However, some telescopes actually come with Plössl eyepieces to begin with. I'd still recommend upgrading to another Plössl. Sometimes to cut costs, they supply the slightly defective ones, or factory seconds, literally just to get rid of them. By the way, if you are on a tight budget for any telescope, email the manufacturer and ask where their factory second list is. Much of the time, these have big savings on them due to something as simple as a misprinted logo! I did this with Celestron in the past.

[@karl-70]

Hi Jason. Another incredibly useful video. I have an entry level skywatcher 70mm refractor which belonged to my late father in law and had been sitting for the last few years. It needed some tlc and some tightening up etc. I thought I'd pretty much gotten to grips with it but there are so many great tips in this video that I hadn't thought of or knew about. In reality I'm still studying and learning the constellations through binoculars but it gets out now and then 👍

[@smalloptics753]

Hello Karl. Thank you my friend. Using binoculars to learn your way around the night sky is a great practise to do, I use binoculars a lot for astronomy, there are many great things you can see with them and also with your 70mm, you don't big optics to see amazing sites. Have fun. Clear skies.

[@alexandrevaliquette3883]

I've watch about 10 of your video... okaaaaaaaayyyyy They are all very good and quite useful... okaaaaaaaaayyyyyyy Not the perfect audio, but I already comment on this earlier. I like your personality and your approach, I seriously do! So, as usual, thumbs up even before the video start.... Reeeeally!

[@MsHarpsychord]

I loved the idea of glow in the dark paint and customisation. If any astronomer is brave there is a cute "astronomy nail polish" in claires. (Yes the shop for teenage girls haha). It's really easy to apply since it comes with a very small brush and if you pick up a clear coat to varnish. Anyone looking at your telescope will see the cute little glow in the dark stars you painted on it

[@glennledrew8347]

For these EQ1 and EQ2 mounts, the Right Ascension slow motion control often interferes with the scope tube in certain orientations. This requires to swap the control rod to the other side of the mount. Instead of suffering that annoying inconvenience, attach 'stereo knobs' on each side of the R.A. gear shaft. Those made for a standard 1/4" shaft, and having a set screw to securely lock into place, make for a very significant upgrade. Refractor scopes in the beginner class which are provided with an Amici prism a.k.a. RACI (Right Angle Correct Image) diagonal often suffer a poor image due to the low tolerance on the 90 angle formed by the two reflecting surfaces. This can be so bad that a double image will result. Even if not that bad, an error on that 90 degree angle will cause a point source to be slightly elongated horizontally, and it will wreck fine detail resolution for planet observation particularly.

[@j.v.3078]

HI! As a beginner in skywatching I knew 🌰🌰 about telescopes and how to use them... recently I bought my first tele and due to your magnificent vids, I'm enjoying learing about the usage of it! Thanks for the effort Jason👍👍

[@smalloptics753]

You're more than welcome JV enjoy your new telescope my friend😀

[@ReynanLim]

Your videos really are a great help for me as a beginner. Just watching your videos helped me understand and see the big picture. That's why I subscribe to this channel. Please make more informational videos.

[@gildemeister2006]

You are the man Jason, just did couple of those tricks and man! The difference is super noticeable. Thanks for sharing brother 👍

[@smalloptics753]

Your more than welcome Carlos :)

[@gregy.]

Thanks for these good tips! I think your videos are nice and humble :)

[@toadamine]

How about laser aiming devices, my viewfinder was absolutely awful. I can't see anything but the moon thru the viewfinder, so I mounted a small cheapo laser aiming device for firearms (from amazon) and now the laser points exactly at whatever star/object/etc im aiming at... just crank the knobs till the laser points at what you're looking at, then turn off the laser and enjoy the view... no cranking your neck onto a viewfinder while trying to point the scope... I think these should be on all scopes!

[@alandyer910]

Great tips, thanks! I’m enjoying your channel.

[@tonygriffiths313]

Thank very much for the information I found it very informative and clear again thank you.

[@bieahtjuh]

These tips are gold! Thank you sir!

[@andrewpattie358]

Some good tips im definitely going to try the tripod ideas iv got a very cheap meade 76az (not what I wanted but for £49 new wasn't going to let go) iv upgraded a couple of things the best thing i got is a zoom eyepiece its so much better then the standard eyepiece and its made really hard scope to keep in position so much easier to use i got the celestron 8/24mm on the back of ur review of it and I must say I'm not disappointed. I recommend anyone with a AZ mount to get one so ur not swapping eyepiece over..iv spent 3x more on exercises than the scope cost me 🤣 😬

[@smalloptics753]

Hello Andrew, you can't go wrong £49 for a telescope, I would have done the same thing...In fact I did, the telescope in my videos the black Skywatcher, I paid £70 for it, like you it wasn't the one I wanted, but I couldn't let it go for that price... Eyepieces costing more than your telescope is common, somtimes even when you've bought the telescope new...But worth it. Stay safe buddy, clear skies.

[@andrewpattie358]

@@smalloptics753 my plan is to keep the eyepieces i also got the celestron barlow after watching ur review iv found ur video's very helpful in helping me choose what to go for as what ur reviewing is not massively expensive and its very easy to get carried away and spend ££££ especially for someone new who doesn't have anything to compare it to 👍

[@smalloptics753]

@@andrewpattie358 Geat to hear you are finding my videos useful.... I am hoping to do a lot more on quality buget astro stuff, your right you don't need to pay a fortune to get quality... :)

[@alex-E7WHU]

Brilliant video, some fantastic tips for us newbies.👍

[@DK-df2hi]

Thanks for all the help!

[@OfficialCalbel]

Do you recommend the celestron eyepiece and filter kit? I have a cheap starter telescope, the celestron travelscope 70 off Amazon. Recently upgraded the tripod and got a red dot finder, but still using everything else it came with. Would the 2x Barlow lens in the celestron kit and plossl eyepieces/filters it come with be a good upgrade?

[@OfficialCalbel]

There is also a £45 90 degree celestron star diagonal on Amazon, so you think this is also worth buying instead of using the 45 degree one that came with the travelscope ?

[@smalloptics753]

Hello Calbel, the Celestron eyepiece range are great for the money and will work well with your telescope. The diagnol you mentioned will be a great upgrade and definitely will be of better quality than the one originally provided with your telescope 😀

[@OfficialCalbel]

@@smalloptics753 Thank you, gone ahead and ordered the 90 degree star diagonal, found it a bit cheaper on eBay. I also ended up ordering the Celestron omni 2x Barlow and Celestron plossl 15mm eyepiece, instead of the Celestron eyepiece range (also got filters already) - wonder if that was the right decision? Appreciate your help and videos, thanks

[@6x-phoenix77]

Very helpful video. Thank you for all the thought put into this video.

[@kidpapa8809]

Great info, great channel. Thanks for your hard work.

[@philippaoo]

Thanks a lot, that helped me guiding me in a good direction!

[@bryandraughn9830]

Great advice. Thank you!

[@cindyh3137]

Just got my first telescope. This video is fantastic. Thank you 👍

[@smalloptics753]

Hello Cindy.. Your more than welcome.. Enjoy your new telescope :)

[@smcferran1]

lol, observation location... i love that... u laughed at ur own words.. very funny :). and the 4 pack of beer lol, self humour best in the world x

[@NewbFixer]

A great thing for weighing down your tripod without any mess, hooking, strapping or attachments is to buy lead tape for golf and other sports. Stick it vertically to anywhere you can without interfering with the telescopic function. If you dont mind a little bulk you can wrap it round and round horizontally to build up more weight. again avoiding the moving parts.

[@maldelamare4475]

Thank you very much for all that info. I'm brand new to this and have loads of questions but I find that I am ticking off the answers as I watch your videos. Cheers Diolch yn fawr Mal in North Wales

[@richardgentles]

All so helpful, thanks so much Jason

[@smalloptics753]

Thanks for watching, and you're more than welcome my friend.

[@decibellone696]

would like to see a vid on how to improve your under weighter mount.

[@alexandrevaliquette3883]

14:23 "Ridiculously long telescope" Me, having a 300mm wide by 2000mm long telescope... I still like the idea of this dew protection extender... Should I push it up to 10 feet total? Living in Montréal... Bortle 8-9-10? It could be pretty useful indeed! Thank for the tips

[@smalloptics753]

@alexandrevaliquette3883 Always worth a shot if it helps to suppress light pollution ... Thanks for watching 🙂

[@lukepuglisiwav]

amazing advice and info

[@scasey1960]

Thanks for the tips

[@mikegeyser467]

This was very useful, thank you!

[@smalloptics753]

Your more than welcome Mike, thanks for watching :)

[@raymarvelez]

Upgrading a diagonal and eyepiece really help to match the true value of the telescope

[@MrJames19676]

Hi Jason, I think it would be a great idea on a short video on how you actually made that 'magic wand ' cover. Its a brilliant idea because so many viewers are living in light polluted areas. Just a thought. James. 🤓👍

[@davidb8146]

Only trouble with using four cans of beer is over the course of the night the weight would reduce

[@smalloptics753]

Hahaha... So true XD

[@VickiAnkney]

You are right but the best part is after the 4th can there's a good chance your going to see double stars an star clusters. What a bonus. haha

[@mcdon2401]

The years of decent observing I lost out on as a kid (long before the net was a thing) because there was no mention in the instructions on the focuser tension screws 😥.

[@book3100]

The homemade cardboard dew shield isn't silly, it's just what we do. Why spend money on fancy plastic when you can do it for nearly free and get the same result? And great job talking about Plossl ep's. They are super and very inexpensive anymore.

[@kennethmidwinter982]

Once again great video however most of your good advice related to an EQ rather than an AZ mount AND a reflector…..hmmm. Look great advice however you don’t need addition weight to make the tripod more balanced if you are using an AZ. Love your videos. Kind regards as always.

[@gopinathnair9716]

Great tips. Thank you for the information. You did great.

[@smalloptics753]

Your more than welcome friend :)

[@Robert08010]

The biggest advantage to upgrading your eyepiece to a Plossel is "eye relief". It not unusual for the cheap eyepiece that comes with the telescope to have a smaller and smaller opening with the higher magnification. Along with that is a smaller and smaller window so that you pupil has to be in the exact right spot over the eye piece or you will see nothing. Half a MM left or right in or out, and nothing. So while a beginner scope is likely to come with more than one eyepiece, the higher mag eyepieces are far less comfortable to use. A Plossel gives you a higher mag and a bigger area within which you can see your target, that can make using a higher magnification more practical and more comfortable.

[@Robert08010]

Another advantage is if you buy a set and they are par-focal. That means that you will not have to refocus when switching from one mag to another.

[@YaMomsOyster]

Mate if it solves the problem , who cares what it looks like and others think! 😂 That’s always been my philosophy in life. Great video and advice.

[@alansimpson8377]

Enjoyed the video taking on board some of your tips. Query though. You said you had a motor on your telescope what kind? Where does it help and will it fit a celestron telescope. Thanks for your help. Alan

[@smalloptics753]

Hello Alan, The motor is either separate or you can get it included in a telescope package, they are round about £60/70 you do have to make sure that your mount is compatible with a motor before buying obviously because not all are, and then get the motor to suit your mount because again there are many and not all will work/fit and all mounts ... What these simple motors do is keep the object in the field of view by correcting the rotation of the earth by slowly turning the telescope (about the same speed as the hour hand on a clock) therefore the image will stay in the eyepiece without you having to re-centre every 10 second or so, great for solo but even better when there is a few people out with you and your sharing the telescope.

[@alansimpson8377]

@@smalloptics753 thank you for the advice. It's an equatorial mount. But watching your video last night showed about a dozen mistakes I've been making. So as evenings get earlier just need clear skies. Thank you again.

[@hil428]

again brilliant video 👌

[@lolathedog3108]

Thank you!

[@smalloptics753]

Hello Lola. Your more than welcome :)

[@Astrolavista]

Hey Jason, I wanted to watch this yesterday but I was on a double shift, Booo! lol...Really useful tips to get the most out of a scope, great stuff :)

[@smalloptics753]

Hey Chris, Thanks pal. Nothing wrong with that pal...got to keep feeding the baby....or is it feed the telescope collection..I know which one it is for me lol :)

[@juhoreinikainen2556]

Tjis is the best tips ewer !❤