DaveL59

11 minutes ago, wookie1965 said:

No just been looking if I can get one separately. 

Should be able to, my set has one similar to the one you have but for the smaller taps only, never used it tho.

Out of interest, what was the original bolt size?

It may be that you're trying to tap a hole that's just a shade too small so the tap is trying to cut away more than just the material that it cuts to form the thread.

did your set not come with one like this?

6 minutes ago, wookie1965 said:

I have got a tap and die set but it's a cheap one, I have got a few taps that I sent for and have used one of these and got a couple of turns but could not turn it any more it was just slipping in the handle. 😥

might be worth asking at a local machine shop or auto-repairs place if they could run a thread in there for you? They may even do a helicoil repair if they have the right size. No idea what they'd charge but may not be much for a small part like that one.

Don't ask at the local shipyard tho, they'll likely want to fix the parts together using a hot iron rivet and steam hammer 😉 

ok so taking this debate a tad further, what are folks thoughts on this one:

Yes, the 'Von Braun' Space Hotel Idea Is Wild. But Could We Build It by 2025? | Space

I mean, really! that is not a good choice of name at all given the history the the man. Of course the US quietly extracted him from Germany after WW2 because they wanted his expertise and happily turned a blind eye to his past but to consider naming something after him?

Wernher von Braun - Wikipedia

Might as well name something after the leader of the party he was a member of too, no?

7 minutes ago, wookie1965 said:

Thanks Dave can I use a hand drill to tap it once drilled or is that a no no. 

Regards 

Paul 

I'd use a hand tap rather than a drill assuming you'd have a hand drill that would take the size of the tap shank. Just work slowly and lube the tap so it can do its job. As above you might be able to run a tap 0.5-1mm oversize but be sure you can get a suitable replacement bolt in that size and that it'll fit the assembly before diving in 😉

22 minutes ago, maw lod qan said:

Many mistakes have happened in the past that I'm sure if it was possible to have a "do over", most would change things.

I see the calls to "right wrongs" over here, and most of the time it is just another type of hate and discrimination. 

Instead of trying to erase the past, we should learn from it and hopefully not make the same mistakes again.

Sadly, I see around me every day signs this is still a long time coming.

I agree that lessons should be learned. Something that was named years/generations ago that had been built by someone who profited from, for example, slavery, yes don't change it but perhaps have some informational plaque to indicate an acknowledgement of said past. But to name something today after someone whose known past shows a discriminatory approach to others, well I'd say that obviously no lesson was learned at all.

Perhaps the motivation behind current admin deciding it was OK was he either holds those same views or he hopes one day to have some great instrument named after himself...

If a larger bolt would fit then drill out to suit and re-tap to size would work.

Never used helicoils myself but they are common to repair damaged threads so would be a solution too. Think you may still need to drill the existing hole out and re-tap for the coil to be fitted but at least you'd be staying to the OEM standard size bolt.

9 hours ago, Bigwings said:

Not a silly question. If you take the excess of £250 and consider the increase in premium its getting close to the price of a second hand one. Still we don't know what other problems may be present 

 The focuser sometimes feels a little rough. 

That's the thing many forget or don't realise when they make a claim, you're also then stymied if you look for an alternative quote at renewal time as you have to declare prior claims and that'll afflict the price offered. Sometimes its better to swallow the bitter pill and bear the cost yourself rather than be paying forward for several years and come out about even or worse at the end.

now that's a serious looking tripod mount and needed to keep those long heavy barrels stable, looks like they get the centre of balance set just right too.

For sure one heck of a bargain you landed on there 🙂 

3 minutes ago, Pixies said:

I have one of these for an old pair of 10x50s. I doubt it'll work with such a heavy pair, as the 2 sides will probably twist down, bringing the IPD really close.

Modern big binos have a shaft that runs the length, attached at either end,  and allows you to adjust the balance at the mounting point:

what about something like this:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/333434041534

or a DIY version?

 

I think those big 14x100's will be too heavy for something like that unless you custom make one from ally plate.

Agree tho that a centre bar like your first pic is the way most are done, I briefly considered a pair of big Swift 20x80's but decided I'd rarely use them so passed on those.

Hard to tell for sure from the last pic but that may be a tripod mount screw thread in the objective end of the hinge? If so as said above you'd need a substantial bracket to hold these steady, such as one of the L brackets shown here (the 50mm+ one probably best)

Binocular Tripod Mounts | Opticron

If not then the centre focus bar version may work if it'll fit onto the hinge and not obstruct the prism housings when you adjust for your IDP.

For a 20 year old pair of bins those do look in nice cosmetic condition and a bargain price at that. Hopefully they perform well optically too 🙂 

If the ones you are/were looking are these

then do be aware that the quick-focus type (that paddle/lever on the hinge) might be more a curse than a blessing for you. As you press your eyes into the eyepiece cups you'll likely find focus changes and you'll be fiddling with the flappy paddle trying to find infinity/sharp stars as you pan around the skies.

Bushnell made their name by importing Japanese made binoculars and selling them, at least in the beginning and so likely they were all badge-engineered or custom made to a spec Bushnell provided in much the way many scopes are largely made by one of two far east companies. Same with a lot of stuff we pay premium price for the brand name are in fact 😉 

Personally I prefer the ZCF type with a focus wheel tho others prefer IF types (each eyepiece dioptre adjusts independently) since you're never refocusing if they are soley for astro use.

They look similar to what was supplied with many older scopes like the Prinz and others. If you knew which scope they came from then that may give a clue as there was often a mark on the label of the scope to denote who made it, circle-V,  T, diamond-Z etc. The H20, HM6 and Or4 below came to me via a fellow member here from a Prinz 660 as I recall and are unmarked as to maker but very similar in design to your one.

Interesting tho perhaps not so useful for folk like me who like to lounge backwards, , can see me going A over T using one of those 😉 

Hmmm, the perception of quality/luxury at the cost of resources, in the environmentally aware times we are now in I wonder if they'll revert to more eco friendly designs?

Tho I have to admit too that when I built or shopped for HiFi gear, proper solid knobs was always a points winner vs ally covered plastic ones, they just felt better 🙂 

saw this on the BBC web page, thought it'd be of interest if you've not...

Neutron stars: New telescope detects dead suns colliding - BBC News

Looking at the link you posted, I'd not be wanting to rely on those to carry any load

they are OK for binding cables/grouping things together to aid carrying but aren't designed to bear a load, esp as they are stretchy according to the description you could find they just let go or stretch and slip off. As Geoff mentioned, better to get a bar fitted that you can grab on to. Sorry I can't really add any useful advice as I don't have one of these to share experience about.

8 minutes ago, badhex said:

Delivery two of two - Gitzo Traveller Series 2 to hopefully replace the TS-Optics CF tripod in my travel kit. Need to test it first to check if its actually worth the terrifying investment! 

 

Nice.

Interesting object in the background by the radiator, a ceramic insulator from HT lines?

A knock at the door from Evri (Hermes)  with 2 packages containing:

The big Tammy 150-600 in nice clean condition optically and cosmetically but as advertised AF doesn't function. Something I hope I can sort but manually focusing works and even gives an AF confirm if I push the AF button on the camera when I think I have it right.

wow you have to wonder what that extra bodywork adds to the price, does it actually add any functional benefit rather than just aesthetics?

1 minute ago, Greymouser said:

Not sure I can agree really, if there was a will there would be a way. The trade deficit could be turned round very quickly, if it became too expensive to import from the likes of China etc. Simplistic I know, but the world just does not need goods being transported so far, when they can be produced locally with the right motivation. This heat wave is the obvious example of why it needs to stop. It is just not sustainable.

Neither is this conversation either as it is in danger of drifting into politics, sorry.

inclined to agree, the right incentives and things could've been different, hopefully that'll be the way things do go so the environmental costs are drastically reduced 🙂 

10 minutes ago, Greymouser said:

Couldn't agree more, but I do hope the lessons get learned by those who lead us, because the cynic in me, thinks it may not happen on past performance.

the problem is only a little in part to who's the leader, more a case of company and investors bean counters wanting less labour cost and more profit from the same product line, unfortunately nations have historically done little to rein that ideology in. No strikes also helps, a lot! Consumers of course love that the expensive shiny thing is now more affordable and rarely care. Same's happened with call centres and support roles not just manufacturing so it is heartening to hear of someone who's reversing the process, well done Meade/Orion US 🙂 

Not sure I can recommend anything specific but a question, do you need glasses for astigmatism or just long/short sight?

If you don't need them when using binos that could widen your options a bit.

Probably in the low price bracket I'd look for a reasonable porro rather than roof type and if hand holding then 10x or 8x as anything higher will likely result in a very shakey view which won't be enjoyable. 8x is easier to hold steady but 10x is workable if you can manage to hold them steady or rest against a fixed object (railing or table etc).

Avoid any zoom bino as they will be terrible in astro use and little better in terrestrial esp those claiming a huge zoom range. Likewise avoid any with fancy coloured lenses (red etc) as they generally aren't ruby coated etc regardless the claims of superior image. A good 'normal' multi-coated lens will work just fine, in fact way better than those odd coloured ones.

9 minutes ago, Rustang said:

Thanks and apologies, I didnt realise there was a section for bino's!

no worries, just ask the mods to relocate it I'm sure there'll be others with useful info too 🙂

probably best asked in the equipment - binoculars section.

Most these days would opt for a roof bino, perhaps 8x42 as a good balance between weight and usability but can she manage to hold a 10x pair steady to get a stable view as those would have a little more reach when out and about. Specific brands is a personal preference tho and costs can be a surprise. They'll all be MC these days tho some ranges also have oil/water resistance coatings too.

RSPB range IIRC Viking are reputedly good then there's the high end Zeiss, Swarovski and Leica if you want to go that far. Defo worth looking thru before deciding on the best pick for your use case tho as the ergonomics and image need to suit the main user.