Kenneth Spackman

Hi jjohnson3803. That's also a great idea. Ideally, manufactures should be replacing the screws on vixen style dovetail clamp/saddle with brass plates/blocks due to the damage they cause on the telescopes vixen bar. It would also be a good idea for manufacturers to also supply vixen dovetail bars fitted with metal plates either side of the dovetail bars which would solve the problem.

Hi paulastro Thanks for your reply. I have today used a piece of cardboard as a template on a piece of 3mm thick aliminum bar as recommended by dweller25 and works brilliantly and also holds well. This has saved me quite a few quid and no need to change the vixen dovetail clamp. Thank you all.

Many Thanks dweller25

Hi dweller25 I have found a supplyer selling aliminum bars. Can I ask what thickness is the aliminum bar you are using please.

Thanks everyone, your advice is much appreciated. I will now source a thin strip of aliminum and try this out. I have also been able to accurately measure up the screw holes and feel more confident in buying a new vixen dovetail saddle that won't mark vixen bar.

Hi Dweller25 Looking at your photo, I was wondering if I should try this myself first before spending out. Do you not get any slipping/sliding.

Thanks John. Much appreciated.

Absolutely stunning. I don't have the skills to do something like that.

Hi Bosun21 Yes I can see the screws with the saddle in place so will take a measurement this way. Many thanks.

Hi Bosun21 Thank you for replying. Do I unscrew the vixen saddle first and then measure the mounting screw holes on the holding mount. Sorry if this sounds silly.

Hi. I have purchased and been using the svbony sv225 alt-azimuth mount for about three months now. The problem I am having is with the vixen style dovetail clamp that holds the telescope. It has three screws that tighten down on the Dovetail bar causing indentations on both my 127mm maksutov and 90mm refractor telescopes. I would be grateful if anyone can recommend a vixen style dovetail clamp with 2 brass screws that will not damage the Dovetail bar and prefably one that does not require any holes that need to be drilled if this is possible.

I have the SvBony 7.2 - 21.5mm zoom eyepiece my most used eyepiece with mak 127mm. Great quality and very versatile. If by chance you get clear nights with steady viewing and want to go higher, then just barlow it.

I have had this scope for over twelve months and use in partnership with a maksutov 127mm telescope. This is a brilliant little scope as well as the pronto tripod and mount. I use the slokey x2 aberration free Barlow and suffer no false colours whats so ever on double stars or planets. I have observed much as wiblefish but might add that I get great views of jupiter , mars and saturn and the moon views are stunning. I can take this scope up to 220x with a 6mm 66 degree eyepiece before running out of focus. All in all, a great little scope with wide views.

Hi Louis D Thanks for your reply. I have knocked the red dot finder out of aliment a couple of times at night and not much fun however, Reading your great report will give another angle to reaching and finding fainter stars and clusters and I will definitely look into this. Many thanks

Hi louis D. How accurate is the laser and is it difficult to align to scope in daylight and does it come with a dovetail mount.

Hi everyone. Just like to share an idea I had. I have the skywatcher 127mm maksutov telescope and really struggle stooping/bending down when locating planets, star clusters ect however. I have exhausted every Internet site and cannot find any single dovetail extension to gain more height so purchased the triple dovetail mount and sawed both ends off to leave the middle bracket and to make it lighter as it is made of heavy alloy. It is very solid with no movement what so ever and works a treat. See photos.

Hi to all the people that gave me some advice in regards to problems with focuser on my new mak 127mm. Just an update. The mak has been sent back to the manufacturer for testing/fault finding. The seller has kindly sent a replacement mak 127mm on loan untill mine is sorted. The focusing and focuser knob on this loaned mak is working superbly making focusing a delight.

Hi Louis D Mak getting picked up on Thursday and will keep you all informed of the outcome. Many Thanks :

A massive thanks to FLO for sponsoring this site. I am totally amazed by the kind and generous but more importantly, the sheer knowledge of the members who have given me advice in regards to a maksutov telescope I purchased. I live in a small village in the borders of Scotland and as far as I am aware, I am the only star gazer so have no one to ask for advice. The last couple of days I have been deliberating calling it a day and taking up another hobby due to ongoing problems with the mak and seller I purchased it from however, due to the support and advice from members on this forum, you have inspired me to keep looking up and never give up. I salute you all.

Hi cornelious varley and dweller 25. Thank you both for replying. It has been an absolute nightmare focusing so reading recommendations on this site in regards to using a clothes line peg for fine tuning I tried it in the hope it would help but no. I first tried a wooden peg clipped it to the focuser knob and it's weight immediately turned the focuser knob half way. So tried a very light plastic peg and it did the same. Any way, the seller has arranged collection next week and for the mak to be looked at. Both take care

Hi dweller25 Thank you for replying I have compared my 127mm maksutov telescope with my brothers and my friends 180mm mak and their mak's are spot on. My focusing knob is very light with little or no tension when turning to focus. I have even utilised a peg for fine focusing but the weight of the peg which is light plastic turns the knob itself out of focus. In regards to narrow field of view this mak is not bad. I am using 66 and 70 degree eyepieces which initially gave fantastic views. The vignetting is new and getting worse as is the focusing. I normally start off with a 15mm eyepiece and go to 9mm which gives me 40 seconds for the planets to cross my field of view. The 7.5mm gives me 30 seconds. The 6mm gives me about 20 seconds all at first with great views. I have taken this scope further with a 5mm giving about 9 seconds however, no longer able to do this as the mak's focusing became worse and then vignetting became a massive problem.

Hi oddsocks All I can say is wow. Not heard of this before. Had my first reflector in the 70s which got me hooked but never a mak. What's baffling is that at first the focusing was a nightmare in what I now know is back focusing but I eventually got focus there was no vignetting what's so ever. The focusing and vignetting became much worse very quickly left/right and top/bottom of the eyepieces. I will certainly look into your kind advice and thankyou. I have just had a reply from the seller who has agreed to collect the scope to be sent back to skywatcher.

Hi All Thank you all for your kind support. My site isn't let me reply to individual replys so will try this way. Steviedvd, Elp and second time Around. The mak was purchased on a visa card paid for by the wife as a present. We both retired from the nhs early and on small pensions getting by ( genuinely not looking for any sympathy) so more angry and frustrated with Rvo as they do have very good reviews. I have never gotten angry with them and have remained diplomatic at all times. I am just gobsmacked at how they are behaving. The only thing that I can think of is that the mak may have been used and returned prior to me purchasing it. Initially the mak gave fantastic views that I can only describe as HD quality with no severe back focusing problems or vignetting of any kind but quickly deteriorated. I have resigned myself knowing that I will not be able to fully use this scope to it's optimum level again which has left me sickened and shocked.

Hi All Just to let you all know we're I am up to. The issues with the mak continues from bad to worse. dust issues still inside mak and focusing still an issues which has gotten worse. Severe back focus problems. Severe vignetting and getting worse making viewing planets extremely difficult. I have tried all 14 of my eye pieces and all the same. Set up in daylight this morning and problems remain. Used the mak again last night for saturn and jupiter but gave up because of the problems as above so set up my 90mm skywatcher evostar refractor bought from FLO and had great views. Contacted the seller again and got fobed off. I persevered with emails but last email from seller to me was: it may need to go to manufacture or I ( me) could sell it. Yet again no offer of refund or replacement even though I made the seller aware of problems the next day when I took delivery . A member here asked me what shop did I buy the mak from but I did not give the name. The only reason I did not buy the scope from FLO initially is flo did not have it in stock. I wished I had waited. The shop I bought it from is Rother Valley Optics. Buyers beware from buying from them they don't care or give a dam. I have contacted skywatcher direct and in the process of contacting trading standards. The mak is now back in its box possibly for good.

Hi Elp No they haven't requested scope back which is shocking. I reported a problem to them after first use and it steadily got worse so contacted them again and requested scope be returned but they refused saying that the scope is now used and anything under their 30 day returns policy must not be used. I have been in contact with them again today as scope now deteriorating to the extent it cannot be used but not getting anywhere. I have kept all the email correspondence even todays when they advised me to sell it.