Can RAC Help with My Telescope?
Short Answer, Yes!
First, a shameless plug for the club: If you’ve got your first telescope and need some help, you are a perfect candidate to become a club member. With membership you get access to our club email list and can find a mentor to help get you started in the hobby. Additionally, you gain membership into the Astronomical League, which through their observing challenges helps progress you in the hobby and keeps you engaged with lists of deep sky targets.
That said, membership is not required to get some help. One of RAC’s primary goals is to stimulate interest in astronomy by helping our community with these things!
First Places to Check
A new telescope can take some time and patience to get started. Like any new piece of technology, there is a learning curve. Of course you should start with any instruction manuals that came with the telescope (often they can also be found via a Google Search). Additionally, there is often a video on YouTube that can help. Many of our club members, both experienced and novice look to the Cloudy Nights forums for help.
Asking the Club For Help
Just drop us an email ([email protected]) and tell us the problem. Here are some useful bits to include:
- What kind of telescope you have. Include the brand and the model number.
- Where you live (general vicinity)
- A description of the problem. What step are you trying to complete that fails. And how does it fail?
- Pictures! A picture is worth a thousand words and can help us diagnose issues faster
Please remember that all RAC members are volunteers, so please be patient.
