Dented telescope tube

Depends on how deep the dent is, is it a sharp crease, has the paint cracked in or near the dent? There are kits available that can pop out a simple dent, but not a more severe dent. You can Google paintless dent removal to see the kits and where to get one.

If you point it at a STAR --- it will NOT be magnified. Stars are always just points of light no matter which scope you own.

OR do you mean it's in the finderscope but not in the main tube eyepiece?? We need more information to properly answer you.

You did put an eyepiece into the focuser-- right?

Depends on what you broke? The tripod head? is the scope tube dented badly-- any glass broken? You might be able to buy a new MOUNT for the scope from Meade-- call them here:

http://www.meade.com/support/index.html

www.telescopeman.org
www.telescopeman.info

No one cells a lens cell for this small telescope. Only Meade may have the part. You can call them and see--

http://www.meade.com/support/index.html

However I doubt that they actually stock that part as the tube is imported from overseas.

The dent in the tube is not the problem, or at least not the whole problem. You will have to re-align the optical parts, which have been disturbed by the impact or possibly the change to the geometry of the tube. This is called "collimation" and you can find lots of articles about how to do it on the web. It is a complex process, though.

Just fitting a new tube will not fix the problem, as the various optical elements will still need to be collimated after having been fitted to a new tube. You would be better off to either live with the dent or remove the mirrors and knock the dent out before re-collimating the scope. You don't need a new tube, but you will have to re-collimate in any case, so save the money. Maybe you could pay for a specialist to do the collimation instead.

This is a 6 inch Dobsonian mounted reflector. They are VERY simple to assemble-- only two parts-- the base and the tube. The small finder scope goes on top. The eyepiece goes into the focuser. That's it.

No manuals exist for that brand but all of them assemble and are used in the same fashion. Here is a manual for an Orion brand Dobsonian just like your scope.

http://content.telescope.com/rsc/img/catalog/product/instructions/IN_165D_web_XT6-8-10.pdf

You may be able to buy a replacement drive from a Zhumell dealer?

Here is one. Contact them and find out.

http://www.telescopes.com/telescopes/zhumell/8197+8198+8269.cfm?source=googleaw&kwid=zhumell%20telescopes&tid=exact

Just watch this video:
http://www.andysshotglass.com/Collimating.html

and read this:
http://www.astrosurf.com/legault/collim.html

Try posting this question on the www.cloudynights.com FORUM, either in the REFLECTORS topic, and or ATM, Optics Topic.

Someone will answer you with the exact dimensions You can also post a Free Classified ad there -- a WANTED ad looking for the entire missing top section, Meade "may" also be willing to sell you this.
www.meade.com.

Clear Skies

Focuser could be broken. Call a dealer and see if you can purchase a new focuser-- or a replacement focuser(which you can do).

OPT is a really good internet dealer--
www.optcorp.com