Simple Mak 127 Mods

[jasdav]

I just wanted to share a couple of very simple mods, picked up after ggogling, which have made my Celestron 127 Mak easier to use, and of course would work for the Skywatcher variant. They may already be somewhere on this site but I couldn't find them easily - if so I apologise.

1. Improve the focuser using a bottle top with a suitably sized hole cut in the middle (Pic 1). I've found the top from a 5L water bottle is ideal - right size and relatively stiff. This allows finer focusing and transmits less vibration to the scope. I put a little tape around the original focus knob to prevent marking.

2. Improve tripod stability by sliding thin plastic ,strips cut from a large clear plastic bottle, into the small gaps where the upper part of the steel tubing in the tripod meets the black metal both top and bottom. Some people force glue into the space but I think this is quicker and works well enough. This significantly reduces rotation of the tripod.

Hope this helps.

Jason

[fbassett]

Just found this, thanks for the info, I'm going to try this on my 90.

Tony

[sunshine185]

the focusser looks promising, will give it a whirl, thnx.

[JamesF]

I'm still using a clothes peg focuser on mine. I quite like it, actually, as it's easy to operate with one finger.

Now, if only the seeing would remain steady enough to get a decent focus in the first place.

James

[Karen]

Have to give that a go, thanks

[vince1976]

Thanks, that tripod hack is ingenious and looks like it'd work a treat on my shaky SkyWatcher 130P GOTO mount. Will certainly be giving it a go.

[Stagman]

I just wanted to share a couple of very simple mods, picked up after ggogling, which have made my Celestron 127 Mak easier to use, and of course would work for the Skywatcher variant. They may already be somewhere on this site but I couldn't find them easily - if so I apologise.

1. Improve the focuser using a bottle top with a suitably sized hole cut in the middle (Pic 1). I've found the top from a 5L water bottle is ideal - right size and relatively stiff. This allows finer focusing and transmits less vibration to the scope. I put a little tape around the original focus knob to prevent marking.

2. Improve tripod stability by sliding thin plastic ,strips cut from a large clear plastic bottle, into the small gaps where the upper part of the steel tubing in the tripod meets the black metal both top and bottom. Some people force glue into the space but I think this is quicker and works well enough. This significantly reduces rotation of the tripod.

Hope this helps.

Jason

Rotation of the tripod? ... Sorry, I'm not sure I understand what this problem actually means?