astrobagel

I know this is an old thread, but on searching I didn't find anything to resolve this so I'm posting some info here provided to me by Scientific Explorer support when I raise a ticket for this for my ED80, in case it's useful for others. Basically, there are some shipping screws on ED80s which need to be loosened. Here is what they said ... "To prevent the optics in this telescope from moving during shipping, set screws have been installed at the factory. If pinched optics are noticed during astrophotography sessions, it is recommended that you loosen the shipping set screws using the included hex wrench. The pinch, which is visible on astrophotographs, looks like wedge shapes projecting from bright stars. To remove the pinch, you need to access nine set screws that cause the pinch. The screws are hidden by the dew shield. To remove the dew shield: 1) If the telessopce is an Essential Series white tube or an FCD100 white tube, the dew shield unscrews from the slip collar. The threading is standard thread -- left to loosen. 2) If the telescope is a carbon fiber tube, the dew shield is held in place with screws. Remove the screws. Once the dew shield is off, you will see six groupings of three screws located 60° apart. Three sets are covered in a rubberized sealant. DO NOT remove the rubberized sealant on these screws. Only loosen the screws that are not covered. To prevent the optics from misaligning during situations of excessive vibration, reinstall all set screws. The images here are with an ED80, but the procedure is the same for all the telescopes." I know this is specific to ED80s, but would have helped me a bunch. Pinched OpticsShipping set screws adjustment.docx