DaveL59

was fortunate enough to snag a Tal-1 1.25-inch focuser which arrived today. Figured I'd go this route as whilst the older unit does hold modern eyepieces ok if I ever loaned this to someone who's less aware and they flip the OTA (or if I forget!) there's a chance a decent EP will end up on the floor, plus the EP will sit better located in the new focuser. Comparing it alongside the older 32mm focuser it looks like it might be slightly taller so I may need to raise the mirror a tad further to hit focus, will know more once I've fitted it and had a play. So the ad which said "If you have a TAL 1 non-standard focuser size then this, latest upgraded version, focuser can solve your problem. " isn't exactly correct. Sure it'll hold the EP better, but ain't gonna fix the issue re the mirror location on the older OTA as that'll still need to be moved further up the tube. But then I've already done that bit No chance to test it tho given total cloud cover here at the moment, so I'll leave fitting it till the weekend I think - apologies in advance for the wet weekend 😉

oh not good then if as you say the seller was well aware of the fault, if they won't play fair then you'd have to fall back on credit card/paypal protection if any. Does leave you wary of trying again tho for sure. A triplet isn't something you can sort yourself either, I expect and getting rectified will need a specialist and cost.

were the optics shipped or collected? I went to collect the Tal100RS as I didn't want to risk damage in shipping and tbh the seller wasn't keen to ship for the same reasons. OK they can survive fine if well packed but there's always a risk of harsh handling and on gear that's out of production I chose not to risk it. On the stripped thread, that's unfortunate but I found on one EQ5 that the bolts took a lot of effort and it was down to them seizing in place. Running a tap and die over the threads and then a dab of grease sorted mine, but if they've stripped then you could re-tap a size up and either helicoil or replace the bolt to suit. Easily said and assumes access to the equipment to do that of course.

That's unfortunate Adam and I guess I've just been lucky with my purchases this far since all has been used gear and acquired via the big auction site. Only had one pair of binoculars that had an issue as it reeked of mould when I opened the case and still don't smell great after cleaning them up with bleach and peroxide so they'll need a full strip down and run through the ultrasonic cleaner I think. Another couple had a chipped prism but were honestly described as such and I've been able to sort. The scopes and eyepieces I have were all as described and the scopes collected in person with the option to walk away offered, but since optically they were good I wasn't worried by marks in the paint. After all with 15+ YO equipment you can't expect perfection and at the price I was looking to overhaul anyway It can be a lottery though but it does sound like you've had bad experiences. What sort of issues did you find, are they fixable without incurring major costs?

I occasionally see a bat flit thru the view when I'm out, there's a couple that scoot around by my garden which teases the cats a lot lol

I'd been looking for something like these https://www.amazon.co.uk/Gobe-Lens-Filter-Metal-Caps/dp/B076Z6LK8V?ref_=fsclp_pl_dp_2 at least for the 67mm camera filters, but did wonder if they did them the right size for the scope ones too, assuming of course the EP filters are threaded both sides and can be stacked. Might find them fiddly to select the filter I want tho could be compact when stored.

It departs to New Zealand after tomorrow, pretty spectacular and the surface looked so 3D given it was a 7M diameter helium balloon covered with the HD images. Was lovely to see the look of amazement on the faces of some of the kids who'd come to see it. The night show is apparently excellent as it is internally lit but I won't be able to make that. I guess the question now is... Can I claim to have orbited the moon as I did walk right around it

so I managed to go visit the moon after seeing off relatives at the station earlier today.

different scope but similar reason for doing it (eyepiece focus rather than camera but same principle) a post or so above I'd listed the bits I got to do it but of course these could well be different on yours. This thread may also help Seems the magic number is around 20mm shift of the mirror but you'd need to check the existing screws can accomodate that. Also if you'd then like to use it for visual you'd need an extension tube.

its a procedure you'd want to do in daylight I think as it can be fiddly to get just-so. Of course knowing how far you need to shift it is key, then getting the longer bolts and springs to achieve it, usually easy enough to order online and get hold of in a few days. Then you'd need to collimate the rig and if you've some far distant views to test on that can help too, though with the moon visible in daytime you may well be able to confirm against that while its still easy to see what you're doing.

ahh this pastime sure does teach patience but it'll be rewarded in the end

I don't know that scope but I'd not wind the adjusters too much without knowing how far you need to move the mirror and then check that the existing ones are long enough, you might also need longer springs so the mirror moves with the bolt adjustments. If you can remove the whole mirror cell then you'd be able to assess the bolts/springs and get an idea how far you might be able to adjust things vs the expected shift you're looking for. Others with more knowledge of this scope are bound to appear with less generic advice but for sure be cautious in the meantime.

I've given it a go and it seems to be ok on the EQ5 mount I have, pretty sure I picked up on it from another post on here so might be better to post on this thread and solicit response from a wider audience The polar align is in beta but seems to work, for sure better than nowt if you can't see polaris. Does a 3-star align not get you to better finding ability once done, as that should get the system pretty close to knowing its location/orientation relative to the stars I thought. With your scope being a Dob (unless I'm mistaken?) not sure how you'd use it tho, perhaps laying it on the OTA? Hence suggesting posting as someone else may be using it on similar gear to yours.

yeah, once I've dealt with the family duties that have to take precedence over anything at the mo, I can hopefully fit it in before I'm back to work in a couple days.

just came across this, didn't even know it was going on, might have to go take a peek if I can fit it in amongst more pressing family things I need to attend to https://www.kentonline.co.uk/medway/news/moon-exhibition-draws-huge-crowds-222956/

placing them in a sealed bag with silica gel sounds a reasonable suggestion and if you can suck the air out that may assist further, alternatively rice has been used to good effect when salvaging phones in the past too (not cooked tho ). That way you're drawing moisture out in an environment that not additional moisture can enter. A dehumidifier should also work but may take time as it'll be trying to draw the moisture out of the room too. At 10 years, possibly a seal is perishing a little or a shift in the mated components from thermal effects perhaps and its allowed ambient air to creep in and raised the humidity level a little inside the casing. No idea how water resistant these are given there's a battery so perhaps not sealed at all in that area?

have you tried out the app that can help you polar align by laying the phone on the mount? Polar Aligner Pro - it has a mode where you can do the align in daylight hours which can be handy if you're wanting to set up early and leave things to cool down ready for the nights fun

hehehe I'll be telling family to go sit far from me tomorrow too 😉

hope you're gonna self-isolate now Stu, was a confirmed covid-19 case in that area according to the news! 😮

if the main tube screws into the main body then that could've jumped a thread and be slightly offset, that'd throw the images out of line for sure. Might be worth laying a marker (masking tape) on the barrel and body then unscrew it and carefully screw it back so it is correctly threaded and tightened up. The markers should align once done. Then re-check but if that was the cause you will have to re-adjust the prisms as they'll be out of place. Am guessing they're not a unibody? Can't find ASA when I google the description so can only guess at the shape/build.

definitely worth having a play in daylight and you can practise the alignment routine so you get familiar with it before trying it in the dark. No need to see stars, just adjust at each one and let the mount do its thing. Of course you'd have to select blind and the stars it'll choose may seem odd compared to what you'll expect at night since those stars you'd look for normally are likely below the horizon, just have a check in your fave sky map app for what's up at the time you're playing oh and remember, end the adjustment with up and right (IIRC) before confirming it

is the powertank actually putting out 12v, as in have you checked with a meter? and also check it wile it has a load attached. I assume the red LED is blinking on the SynScan also? I run mine either mains or via a LiPo pack through a 12v buck converter and it works fine, but then I first got it and tried a couple of used 17AH lead batteries they failed to do much for more than a minute or so. But then these had a failing cell so wasn't too surprised after they'd served 3+ years in UPS by then. If you have a 12v regulated supply available then worth trying that and see if it sorts things, the type CCTV cameras come with will work fine, only needs to be 2A capable for slewing, <1A for powering up and slow adjustments.

if you're worried that it might be fungus then an easy way to kill it off is to expose to UV/sunlight, tho not directly at the sun of course. 20 mins or more depending on how sunny a day it is but do monitor so the sun doesn't track round and cause problems This won't remove it but at least arrest it spreading, tho bear in mind too that you'll be opening the OTA regularly for use and that'll expose the innards to whatever is floating about in the night air, so you can never fully prevent things settling on the mirror over time.

sounds like a great buy, well done! For sure it's worth travelling for the right scope, I drove kent to coventry for my Tal100RS and don't regret it at all. Luckily I picked up the others I have locally so it definitely is worth looking around to see what's about.

not sure if its the same as on mine, but you might have to set the switch to S(outh) rather than N(orth) to get it to track in the right direction. Will depend I guess on where the motor is fitted but being EQ2 and from that pic, looks the same as my SW130EQ2 setup. For sure it makes for more relaxed time viewing as you're not having to tweak the adjusters and maybe finding you induce wobble in the long OTA.