TonyEMDL

Thank you all for your help and advice - it's now in the capable hands of Peter Was fortunate enough to meet both Peter and Andy at The Astronomy Centre - a most impressive, knowledgable, and good-natured pair of fellows one can ever wish to meet. And the centre is just out of this world. How they both have single-handedly managed to keep it going for more than 40 years without commercial support i'll never know; it is testament to their enduring passion for astronomy, as well as good old fashioned grit and determination. Hearing them both speak about their experiences and adversities over the decades, one can't help but be inspired, and feel compelled to aid them in their efforts! They have both built and maintain an enviable and most impressive observatory - and Peters collection of self-made telescopes are simple awe-inspiring...

Thanks @Dinglem - that's very kind of you. I thought I'd let Peter see it in the flesh before proceeding, although if it's obvious from the photos that parts need to be replaced then i'd be more than happy to accept. I'm right on the edge of the Peak District/Derbyshire Dales.

Hello Everyone. I need some advice please. I have a SW SkyMax 180 SCT that I bought a few years back with a goto mount and some accessories for lunar and planetary viewing as astrophotography. About 8 months ago I lent the setup to a friend of mine for his forest school to show the local kids some of the solar system. It worked out pretty good and it became a regular thing; I ended up leaving the scope there so I didn't have to lug it down every other day. Anyway, I left to go abroad for some work for a bout four months - I was confident of leaving the scope as there were some seasoned stargazers that showed up regularly and said they would keep an eye on it. Sadly, when I got back it turns out that the had been some bad weather, and part of the roof of the shed where the scope was stored had collapsed; I'm not sure how badly it's affected but it looks as though the secondary mirror has taken a knock and its VERY dirty inside - the mirrors could use a good clean. I'd just like to get some opinions on what the relative state of the scope is, and will it likely be costly to repair/clean, or should I just scrap it? Also, if anyone knows any good scope repair workshops in the East Midlands, that would be great! Thanks in advance everyone.