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Dave Cherrett

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  1. Late to the party as usual... I tend to agree with you - the end cap is best adjusted to give the right clearance and friction/feel on the alt adjustment, then left. I've stripped and re-greased mine with Aeroshell, and overall it's better for it. My solution to the second clamp adjustment is to use a homemade short 'counterweight' bar, threaded M16, that screws into the end cap, with an iOptron secondary clamp (designed for AZ pro etc). This clamp incorporates 2 grub screws which allow a small amount of az adjustment. The counterweight bar also has a locknut which allows alt adjustment and clamping, or the iOptron clamp itself can be rotated and re-tightened. Note that hole in the iOptron clamp is 19.7mm dia, so the bar needs to be, say, 19.5!. The bar is long enough to accommodate a counterweight - it's always best, I've found, to balance the mount on both axes for smooth operation. TS Optics do an adapter which might also be adapted for this purpose https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p11334_TS-Optics-Adapter-for-mounting-accessories-to-D-20-mm-counterweight-rods.html Top mount in my case used only for a Telrad, which fits directly into the original clamp
  2. @StuThey came with a Vixen 80m, which probably dates from 1990. They are better than the OVL ones - torsionally stiffer and a larger knob
  3. This was degreaser spray, and quite a lot of effort! My big problem was the the thread in the worm shaft carriers, which were all worn or stripped. I re-threaded these to M5, and they hold securely. Problem 2 was the lack of a suitable tripod! I have an iOptron AZpro with 2" leg tripod, so I made an adapter to accept the 60mm dia. register on the ST2, and subsequently I've modified this to create a 'minipier' that accepts both the AZpro and the ST2. This is really sturdy, and easy to use for both mounts When I say "I made an adapter...." I really mean I drew a picture of it, and a friendly machinist made it for me....
  4. According to Shell website, of 359 grease points on a Boeing 737 Aeroshell 33 grease is OK for all but 9 of them. No mention of a Skytee, (or Boeing 737 Max, for that matter). Perhaps we need the grease that does the other 9?
  5. Be brave, Stu, go for it! The other cause of backlash is end float in the worm shaft - easily adjusted. Also, I had a bent worm shaft, which I've nearly straightened, but OVL are supplying another - promised for May sometime. Aeroshell 33 is the grease of choice - ask me nicely, and a dollop is yours! Adjustment is mostly trial and error... both axes on mine are slightly stiff at some point (due, I guess, to machining inaccuracy), so you have to tweak the assembly to achieve the best result.
  6. Yep, the top mount is ideal for the Telrad - it fits directly into the much-maligned original ST2 clamp (that's if you haven't thrown them away) . I find the TS XL Premium Clamp rather better than the usual ADM substitute for the main mount - the depth of the dovetail grip is greater, and safer, I think. A similar clamp is on eBay at about £30, if I'm allowed to say that. Maybe controversial This well-used ST2 was bought inexpensively (thank you Telescope40) and titivated. The slo-mo worm carrier clamp screws were worn or stripped, so these were re-threaded to M5; the whole mount was disassembled, cleaned and re-greased with the magic green Aeroshell 33 The end cap had been drilled for a secondary clamp, but instead I've made a short counterweight bar with a lock nut, so a weight, if needed, and a second clamp can be added. This allows some alt adjustment without disturbing the end cap grub screws. An iOptron AZpro secondary clamp has grub screws to allow some lateral tweaking. The flexible slo-mo controls are old Vixen, not modern OVL ones. Maybe an agricultural substitute for a snobby Ercole, or a poor man's Rowan, but it's serving me well, and the exercise is doing some good....
  7. Hello all... May I resurrect this topic, please? I have a rather ageing Skytee2 that I'm planning to service and re-grease, and to serve as a mount for my SW 120ED. I've ordered some Aeroshell 33, and had a preliminary look at it - it functions reasonably, but with some backlash on both axes and some stiffness. The original gloopy grease is there in abundance. I find that the pair of M4 threaded holes in both worm carriers are virtually stripped, so my plan is to either use a heli-coil insert or re-thread to M5 screw size. The central M4 screw holds ok in the mount body, but a slightly longer screw would be better. Has anyone had experience of this, and maybe point me the right way? The heli-coil option would be tricky, so I'm thinking the M5 screw would be the better option. Question 2..... I can see that adjustment of the worm gear end-float is straightforward, but adjustment of the gear meshing looks tricky - is it a question of tweaking those two tiny grub screws, and trial and error? I'm in at the deep end, and would appreciate any pearls of wisdom, and a lifebuoy. Thanks, Dave
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