How do I Troubleshoot a National Geographic Telescope?

Checking the Optical Alignment

• 1

  Star test the telescope. Set up the telescope outside and wait at least a half an hour for it to adjust to the ambient temperature. Clear nights with a steady atmosphere provide the optimal conditions for star testing.

• 2

  Aim the telescope at a bright star. Insert an eyepiece into the focuser. Turn the focuser knobs until the star appears sharp in the field of view. If you cannot focus the star, then the optics might need realignment, a process known as collimation.

• 3

  Turn the focuser knob outside of focus and examine the image. You should see a series of evenly spaced, concentric circles if the optical alignment is correct.

• 4

  Turn the focuser knob inside of focus and examine the image. You should see the same series of concentric circles if the optics are correctly aligned.

• 5

  Contact National Geographic if your telescope requires professional collimation.

Aligning the Finder Scope

• 6

  Verify the alignment of the finder scope and telescope. Set up the telescope outside during the day. Point the telescope at a distant object, such as a telephone pole or sign.

• 7

  Look through the finder scope. Raise or lower the telescope and move it left or right to center the object in the finder scope.

• 8

  Insert an eyepiece into the focuser. Look through the eyepiece to check if the object appears centered in the field of view. Move the telescope to center the object in the field of view if it's not already.

• 9

  Look through the finder scope again. Adjust the vertical and horizontal alignment screws on the finder scope to move the object up, down, left or right in the field of view. Adjust the alignment screws until you have the object centered in the field of view.

• 10

  Look through the eyepiece and finder scope to verify that the object is now centered in both.