Antares dual speed crayford focuser

[Whippy]

I'm interested in buying a half-decent focuser for my 8" newt and the Antares crayford does seem to do what it's supposed to. I don't particularly fancy drilling holes into my tube to make one fit so does anyone know if they fit directly onto your average Synta 8" newtonian?

Cheers,

Tony.

[GazOC]

I've just fitted one to my Dob, feels very nice and smooth. It won't be was good as the Moonlights of this world but it a damn sight cheaper and a MASSIVE improvement over the Synta R&P focuser. I've yet to test it out under the stars but I can't see there being any problems.

My Dob had a Skywatcher focuser and the Antares is not an exact fit, its about 0.75 cm smaller all the way round. What I did was to bolt the Antares bracket onto the Skywatcher bracket and put that back on the scope, it means you lose about 1.5 cm in travel but this doesn't matter for visual on my Dob and I'm hopefull the Toucam will still focus but I hav't checked yet.

I nip out to the shed I get you some quick measurements, if the rain ever stops!

[Cloudgazer]

Just a thought Tony..

Have you tried re-greasing your Synta R&P focuser?.. might be worth giving it a go before shelling out for a Crayford if you haven't.

Scott

[mikkey99]

Have you thought about motorising the R&P focuser

Be a lot cheaper than the crayford

[Black Shuck]

Tried regreasing the focusser on my C8N. It's worth a go - easy job to take apart, the old grease comes off easy with a squirt of WD40 on a rag. I tried "copperslip grease" but in retrospect maybe a lithium grease would be better???

It was smoother but I still felt it had a rather coarse action.

I was feeling flush at the time so went for a moonlight CR1 (cheaper than CR2 but not dual speed). It is a great focusser - very smooth 8).

Cheers

Bill£

[Albireo380]

I don't know Tony, there is the Antares, the Revelation, the William Optics or the Moonlight. The first two cost about £99-£120, the WO is about £120 (From the States) and the Moonlight is double the price. They are probably all a huge improvment on a R&P, but I don't know if the Moonlight would justify double the cost.

Tom

[GazOC]

Tom,

I think the first two (and maybe the third) in your list are the same focuser with a different badge.

Gaz

[Black Shuck]

I don't know Tony, there is the Antares, the Revelation, the William Optics or the Moonlight. The first two cost about £99-£120, the WO is about £120 (From the States) and the Moonlight is double the price. They are probably all a huge improvment on a R&P, but I don't know if the Moonlight would justify double the cost.

Tom

I paid £119 for my Moonlite (minus the FLO/SGL discount ~ £107 ). It is the single speed CR1 but has a very smooth operation.

You are correct that the dual speed CR2 is nearly £200.

http://www.firstlightoptics.co.uk/proddetail.php?prod=Mcr1

Bill£

[Whippy]

Scott, I did think about doing a strip-down and regrease, but I'm having trouble getting a nice sharp view which I'm putting down to the actual focuser movement being too 'coarse'. Hence I'm thinking about a dual-speed. Get it close, then get it pin-sharp with the fine adjustment.

Mikkey, I don't fancy motorising it TBH I can see the extra wires getting ripped off If I trip over it or something. I just like to go out, go bom, bom, bom, set up and I'm ready to go. No mucking about if you get my gist.

Gaz, I've just had a quick look on my focuser and where's the bracket? From what I can see, my one just bolts straight onto the tube and there's nothing there underneath..

I'd love to get a CR2 but £200 for a focuser is a lot of dough (sorry Steve!) and I could spend that spare £100 or so on something else..

Tony..

[GazOC]

Is there a square piece of metal, curved that bolts into the tube? You can seperate that from the rest of the R&P and use it as a mounting plate for its Antares counterpart.

I was in the same boat, I wanted dual speed for lunar imaging and could't afford the extra £130 for a Moonlight, I got mine from Terry for £70.

[Whippy]

No mate, it just bolts straight into the tube. Could be a probalem that...

[GazOC]

The focuser and mounting plate is all one unit is it? I'll get a couple of rough measurements for the Antares...

[GazOC]

The Antares mounting plate is 90mm x 90mm with the bolt holes in the 4 corners 70mm ish apart. Hope I explained that OK?

[Whippy]

Hm.......... Not sure about this, going to to have a think about this one..