Sponcom

Good call Robert, thanks.

Hi SGL

I wanted to make you aware and would appreciate any feedback for Altair Astro.

I have never had any success via telephone and before new year contacted them via email (web form). This was before the date they went on holiday.  I was enquiring regardinga spare part that eventually after several tries and 4 weeks later Ian confirm they would send one and would send me an invoice. I never received the invoice and have repeatedly tried to contact via email as suggested but I never receive a reply and thus not the spare part.

I am interested in buying a Hypercam 26c.

I am concerned if I checked out and bought something if there is a problem I will never get a response. How will I return a faulty item for example if they refuse to communicate? This has been my experience with my older hypercam requiring a spare dessicant tube.

Anyone experience problems in this area after purchase? Or is it just me and an unusual experience.

3 hours ago, Elp said:

In future it may be productive to search before making a new thread:

Nice and polite, anyone would think it was a cloudy nights forum.

Thanks, it's the screw fitting that looks a bit odd. Sorry for the delay replying Ian, I think I forgot to follow the post!

Hi SGL

years ago I pickup up a Monk optics Cyclops 90 spotting scope/binoviewer. I think these were rebadged Russian scopes. The binoviewer that attaches to it is way out of alignment between left and right and I wondered if anyone had any info on how these could be aligned -before I start pulling it apart to see where screws, bolts or adjustments might be

The optics themselves are lovely and clean so would seem a shame not to give it a go. Failing collimation I thought about adapting another binoviewer if I could source or make up an adaptor.

A couple of pics below. Any tips much appreciated.

probably M3 but take it with you to your local wickes/B and Q and try a bolt and see which one fits  then you'll know.

Sorry for delay in getting back to this thread. I've perfected the print with thicker walls.

if anyone needs one then I'd be happy to print one of for the cost of postage and a couple of pounds to cover the filament and the 3 hours of electric!

I'll post here tomorrow the latest incarnation.

Good job Bosun!

Because at the moment I have trouble with too much adhesion on the glass plate that I need to work out. Normally it is the logical way to print it avoiding the supports but I am losing to much on larger prints with a relatively large surface  area. I'm now printing with a brim which is helping somewhat.

I have a 3 colour printer have different filament properties on each one. Sometimes I just forget to make the changes on the settings!

So for anyone trying this. I'm no 3d printer expert. @Ratlet

I found I didn't need to change the first layer or walls but I increased the infill to 40%.  

It is so much better than the first, I'm also going modify the STL as the top layer holes are spot on and I want a flat one without the dovetail

it's on a 10" skywatcher Newtonian but it won't be used on that. It's just for demo purposes. I am going to make a bracket to fit my Orion mount which is motorised but not Goto.  The idea is it sits side by side with the scope and provides a more convenient viewing angle that actually on top of a scope. I'll post some pics when I've done it, hopefully next week now I'm off for christmas.

I should have printed it celestron orange. I'll print another one using a denser infill and the first/bottom layer and sidewalls could do with being thicker but otherwise works perfectly. You also will want some longer M3 bolts for the rear and a longer M3.5 screw (I think) for the front as the originals are not long enough.

screw hole position is spot on! Cheers

Thanks again for the pointer @Ratlet came out well. As a tip to others when printing this type of thing on a 3D printer, increase the infill in the slicer your using (we use Cura) otherwise they can be a bit weak and you want it pretty solid. Default is often about 20% that I find is not enough.

!

23 hours ago, Ratlet said:

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4868065

This sort of thing?

That's a great STL just what's needed. Thanks for that! Always worth asking....

(I might think about putting the heating on and letting him use my printer nearer Christmas when I'm feeling more generous with my energy use. )

Well done Malcom! I looked for ages and couldn't find one I could see the markings! A quick search it looks like some kind of voltage detector but what the spec is difficult to say.

ACD - not much to go on but well see. I had a thought I wonder if the celestron nexstars are similar and contain this part since these V4 boards are marked Celestron. I've a couple of dead ones of those hanging about. I'll pop the cover off later. I have surface mount equipment so have no problem replacing if I can find the part.

Thanks Malcolm, saw that. I'm not holding out much hope!

Hi All

I've a Synscan V4 handset that has a cooked  IC number U6 in the centre of the pic below.  I'd like to replace if I can get hold of one. It is responsible for the error 'motors not responding.'

I wondered if anyone could identify it as I can't find a circuit diagram or clear picture of the synscan v4 internals on the internet.

Thanks, Paul

Thanks, I'll maybe contact FLO and see if they can help.

Hi SGL

Could anyone suggest a source for a replacement latitude scale for an NEQ6 like the one in the picture please?

. 

Thanks

Paul

I certainly will. One thing I would mention on the SN scopes is make sure there is a mark on the side of the mirror before removing/sending it off so that you can reassemble it in the same position relative to the front corrector. This will minimise how much fettling you might have to do when reassembling and aligning the optics. There's a good guide (on the weasner site I think) about how to align the optics on the Meade SN scopes.

I'm going to use scientific mirrors for the recoating. I considered Orion Hilux and have used them before but the cost is double from Orion. I haven't had any experience of scientific mirrors before but have used Galvoptics for a 12" GSO newtonian mirror and that came back fine. 

One thing I will mention from my experience is that any, say, black pitting where the coating has come off and affected the substrate underneath will not take recoating. Meaning that the black areas will still be there after but it will be such a tiny fraction of a percent it won't make any difference. 

I managed to removed the mirror so thought I'd mention how I did it as it might help others. It was held on by what looks like some double sided tape . I tried a hot wire cutter with no succes and in the end used a multitool like the one below and managed to gently prise it off

.

Thanks both. It does require re coating along with the primary mirror that’s much worse.

(it’s been cleaned with a mixture of distilled water and isopropyl alcohol.)

I’ll be sending them both to scientific mirrors for recoating as they seem to be the best value currently. 

I'm looking to recoat my mirrors on a Meade Schmidt Newt 8" (lxd75) and looking for advice on the best method to separate the secondary elliptical mirror from the diagonal assembly.

I'm not sure how the mirror is bonded on. Looks like some kind of PVu? 

Before I try some heat and try to release it thought I'd ask here first.

Thanks all.

Paul

Thanks for the link Dave

0.13mm width sounds OK. I'll give it a go.