More Crayford loathing.

[ollypenrice]

Just gone back out to check some carefully set up subs, all hunky dory. Enter the Baader Steeltrack Crayford. Exit the carefully set up subs. Oh how I hate those things. The C word. Crayfords are about as much use as teflon motorbike tyres. I could scream. Forgive me.

Olly

[NickK]

Well at least you've not destroyed the socket on one of your cams on a perfect night of great seeing..

[martin_h]

Just gone back out to check some carefully set up subs, all hunky dory. Enter the Baader Steeltrack Crayford. Exit the carefully set up subs. Oh how I hate those things. The C word. Crayfords are about as much use as teflon motorbike tyres. I could scream. Forgive me.

Olly

You don't like them then?

[Spikey]

Olly I was considering one of those as a replacement for my stock SW offering on the ED80 which slips at random intervals - only a matter of time before there is an expensive tinkling sound.

What sort of replacement would be worth looking at?

[Spikey]

You don't like them then?

Olly, famous for his subtlety

[HD-AP]

Hi

My optec TCF-S performs ok .

But it's quite interesting that astrophysics has never used a crayford on any of it's scopes as an O.E.M fitting..

[ollypenrice]

I really don't know if there is anything worth having short of a Feathertouch, quite honestly. Maybe a Moonlite C-word. I just don't see what is happening in the market at the moment. There is surely no need for R and Ps to be silly prices. Vixen make them for their scopes. The setup I'm using tonight is heavy, be it said, but things should work.

Olly

[Alma]

Can't beat a Feathertouch, I'm afraid.

[Gina]

How about a safety net under your scope?

[ollypenrice]

Hi

My optec TCF-S performs ok .

But it's quite interesting that astrophysics has never used a crayford on any of it's scopes as an O.E.M fitting..

...nor do TeleVue or Takahashi or TEC. Guess why!!?? I don't think Vixen use them either, do they?

Clearly some Crayfords work some of the time, that is not at issue. But would you fly in an airliner whose undercarriage often worked?

Olly

[Euan]

Can't beat a Feathertouch, I'm afraid.

+1 from me. Has been rock solid, even with quite a heavy imaging train. Even better than the Moonlite which was a beast.

The problem is your using Baader Olly....

[m.tweedy]

... But would you fly in an airliner whose undercarriage often worked?

Olly

I did as a passenger on Dan Air (only for the people old enough)

[m.tweedy]

Joking aside I have a moonlite on my C11 and it "seems" to be solid.

[Tom Habaj]

I too used Baader Steeltrack with GSO 8" Newtonian without any problem. And my setup was quite heavy - 2.5 kg. Later on I had Orion CT8 with Moonlite focuser, and that focuser didn't work. There was a significant tilt in the drawtube, mainly due to open design in the focuser body. Now I have a Feathertouch 2" crayford (not R+P) and its great. So not all crayfords are bad.

[Tom Habaj]

And that how it looked:

[nightfisher]

I think this crayford argument boils down to this, some crayfords are not suitable for imaging, but most are suitable for observing work

[Peter Drew]

Boiling it down even further, assuming well made mechanics, proper adjustment is the key. I purchased a 2nd hand SmartAstronomy Crayford, lovely looking bit of kit but useless in operation with any load despite repeated attempts to improve it. Just before deciding to bin it I stripped it down and found an adjustment assembly, once tweaked it has produced an excellent focuser, smooth and able to take considerable weight. Better than my Takahashi R & P.

[ollypenrice]

In a nutshell I think you have it, Peter. The Crayford design does not fail safe, it relies on adjustment, and that's what's wrong with it.

Olly

[pilkinn]

Has anyone tried the motor drive with the Steeltrack? I need a focusser for my newly acquired C11 and would love to have it motorised. I just can't justify the cost of a Moonlite or Feathertouch.

[Moonshane]

if anyone has a good crayford they are throwing away in frustration then I'll have it for visual use! :D

[Rob]

Gotta say I'm rapidly changing my mind on Crayfords... I've had and used a quality R&P on my vixen 102M. And never got the urge to change. I'd like that now on my AR80mm rather than the Crayford on there.

Rob

[Moonshane]

for me it's all about the fine focus (visual only). it's so nice to be able to just tweak the focus very minutely and get it right, especially for fast scopes. once used to this it's hard to go back.

[ollypenrice]

Has anyone tried the motor drive with the Steeltrack? I need a focusser for my newly acquired C11 and would love to have it motorised. I just can't justify the cost of a Moonlite or Feathertouch.

Yes. It has slipped and caused me to lose data... a terrible sin!!!

Shane, 2 speed fine focus, yes, but that is available in R and P as well. I have it on both my TEC and Takahashi. If you only have single speed an extended 'wand' on the knob isn't a bad idea.

Olly

[Rob]

for me it's all about the fine focus (visual only). it's so nice to be able to just tweak the focus very minutely and get it right, especially for fast scopes. once used to this it's hard to go back.

I dont dissagree here.. just hate it when you have nailed that fine focus, and blasted thing slips!!!..

Funny thing is the one on my 200pDS (stock cheap synta job) is the best out of the 3 I have!. Never slips. no slop at all.

[rfdesigner]

Seems to come down to quality, my JMI crayford (10 years old now) works well.

But it cost me an arm, 2 legs and the 7th son of my 7th son.

The design demands the very finest engineering tolerances which arguably is a design flaw, but when it works, as mine does, it's faultless.

like mercs, the newer cheaper ones aren't a patch on the no expense spared older models.. I've had both.

Derek