Getting started with a scope question

For Christmas I got a Bushnell 78-9519 telescope (900mm Focal Length, 60mm Objective Lens f/15). It's a pretty nice scope and should be fun for star gazing. Obviously it is not very fancy and while it does have an equatorial mount, it is not motorized.

I was thinking about trying out attaching the XS to it to see what I could get out of it. I'm not looking to spend much on this and am really only looking to be able to get closer to the moon, etc, not get crazy nebula shots like come of you all can (some of your set-ups simply have me in awe)

Since I have no experience with anything like this (aside from crudely using a pair of binoculars to extend the reach of my old p&s at a NASCAR race...lol), I thought I would ask here before spending even a little money.

Would these two items be all that I need to get a basic start in playing around with this?

http://www.adorama.com​/LNTMEOS.html

http://www.adorama.com​/BS780104.html

This would get me in the game so to speak for about $40. Just want to make sure there is nothing else that I would need to make this work in the most basic way.

Hi there,

Had a quick look online, and from what I can tell, those two items, (the T-Adapter and T-Mount), should be all you need to get started, (assuming you have a Canon EOS of course, and the Bushnell has a 1.25" in focusser).

That ought to give some pretty decent moon shots I guess. Try and find out where the planets are too, (Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn specifically), because you ought to get quite nice images of these at that focal length.

The adapter you linked to looks like an Eyepiece Projection adapter too, so you can whack an eyepiece in there for extra zoom. If you can get focus, things will move pretty quickly, but as long as you're polar aligned you've got the manual drive to keep the scope on target.

Good luck, have fun, clear skies, and show us what you get with it!

Thanks.

I do have an EOS (Rebel XS 1000D) and I am pretty certain that that is the correct size eyepiece for my scope. I will double check that before I order (hoping that since the scope and this adapter are both Bushnell that it should be correct).

Then all I will need is for the sky to stop being so dang cloudy

Well, it appears that my scope does not have 1.25" diameter eyepieces, they are just under an inch. So far I have not had any luck finding an adapter to fit that.

ssracer wrote in post #7160200
... they are just under an inch.

*Under* an inch? I know I know very little about scopes really, but hadn't heard of smaller focuser sizes. You're going to get a seriously vignetted image when you manage to get the right adapter, but for super-zoom shots of the moon that shouldn't be too much of a problem.

One of your options is going to be to mount your camera on a tripod, and point it through the telescope eyepiece, for what's called A-Focal imaging. Bit like those people who hold a Point-And-Shoot up to the eyepiece. Can manage some good shots like that if you get it right. If you can somehow mount the camera on the scope then you won't have to re-align the camera each time you move the scope.

Readng a little more on-line about the Bushnell scopes, I'm seeing "upgradeable to 1.25" format" a lot. Another link I saw suggested your eyepieces are something like 0.9". I can't find any adapters though. Probably wouldn't be too tricky to get one specially made. You'd just need a piece of tube to fit your focuser, widening to 1.25" or 2", and then get the correct T-Adapter to fit that wider piece.

I feel for you actually. I started with a Newtonian, and straight away wanted to hook my camera up to it. Wouldn't work, and I was gutted because for a cheap scope it gave me lovely views of the night sky. Fast too...500mm f/4.4.

Here you go...not sure how widely available these are, but you might be able to get hold of one from somewhere. Second item up on the bottom of the page.

http://www.scopetronic​s.com/diagonals.htm

This will make your 0.956" focuser into a 1.25", which is one of the standard sizes, along with 2". Alternatively, for a bit more money, you might want to completely replace the focuser, (if possible), for a 1.25" or 2" one.

(My concern with using a diagonal is that you might not achieve focus. Because the diagonal moves the camera further away from the primary telescope lens, it might move it so far away that you can't get the camera close enough to achieve focus. On my scopes, if I use my 2" diagonal and focus it all the way in, I'm about half a millimeter away from achieving focus. What I have to do is fix my camera and adapter directly into the telescope focuser. For that reason you might want to also look at other T-Adapters...ones that are shorter...if you're going to get a 0.965" to 1.25" diagonal. Just a thought.)

I think I may just ditch the idea for now. I thought about just building my own custom mount, but I don't think it's worth the hassle. I'll just live with only looking through the scope for now. Maybe I'll pick up a better scope in the future (like to have a reflector actually) and try it then.

Thanks for your help.

Ooh, no, look...you can get the right adapter for your size focuser it would seem

http://www.first-telescope.com …T7EFKET02/produ​ct_id/1329
http://www.hioptic.com …24_5mm_camera_a​dapter.htm

Then just get the Canon EOS T-Ring to attach this to your camera, and away you go. A small price really to enable you to start imaging the moon and planets.

OK...now you have me thinking again...lol.

Thanks for the links and for all your help on this!

Well, the first link you posted has it on back order and on the second I can't see anywhere to actually order.

However, once I had the correct size I was able to find this on B&H
http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …ails&Q=&sku=458​097&is=REG

Placing an order for it ans a Kowa T-mount right now!

Thanks again!

No problem, I know what it feels like to get a scope and then find you can't attach your camera to it.