Crayford Vs Rack & Pinion - How much difference

[Catweazel]

Hi all,

Whilst I wait for the snow storm to arrive, I have been thinking about whether it's worth replacing the focuser on my Evostar 120 with the Crayford type. To be honest, the cost seems fairly bonkers at £129 for this focuser, so I wondered what anyone who had replaced theirs thought about it. Was it worth it for the difference it made to your scope/focusing.

To put the cost into perspective, the Tal 100RS with Crayford is £249 from FLO at the moment, so for an extra £120 I could have a second scope

Maybe I just answered my own question

[Cunhaval]

Rather think you did!

:D

[AstroMum]

If you decide to buy the Tal, you can then sell me your Evostar.

[Catweazel]

If you decide to buy the Tal, you can then sell me your Evostar.

I'm amazed at how much trouble you're having finding an Evostar. Luckily, I bought mine the week before Stargazing Live. It might be worth waiting for a month or two, 20 - 30% of them will end up on eBay

[John]

I prefer a well tuned R&P to your average Crayford. Of course there are Crayfords that are not average like the Moonlights and Featherlights of course and those are superb. They cost as much as many scopes though.

[Peter Drew]

Shussh, you'll wake Olly!

[AstroMum]

I'm amazed at how much trouble you're having finding an Evostar. Luckily, I bought mine the week before Stargazing Live. It might be worth waiting for a month or two, 20 - 30% of them will end up on eBay

I wouldn't be at all surprised lol. There'll be plenty of bargains to be had then!

Though I understand there are more episodes of SL being broadcast in March, so knowing my luck, demand will stay high for some time.

[nightfisher]

come on olly, your on next

if it helps i swapped the focuser on my st150 for a dual speed crayford and really like it, it was a huge improvement on the stock item, however the old one had seen better days:icon_confused:

I do tend to agree in principle that a decent r an p focuser is a decent bit of kit

[AndyH]

If anyone can send me to a site that actually sells sensibly priced, GOOD r&p focusers, then I'd gladly give them a shot.

As it is, for us visual astronomers, if we want to upgrade an old, gubbed focuser, we really only have one choice and thats a crayford.

Maybe it's just me, but I've never had a problem with any of the crayfords I've had. It's not as if I put feather weight stuff on the end of my scopes. My Tal 2" eyepiece and a diagonal isn't light. The 28mm Uwan I once had was even heavier.

Andy.

[NGC 1502]

I prefer a well tuned R&P to your average Crayford.

Me too. The best focuser I've ever had is the R&P focuser on my old TV Pronto.

But I'm visual only, so my needs are different to imagers.

Regards, Ed.

[Catweazel]

Ok folks, thanks for all of the advice! I read somewhere (probably on here ) that the R&P's that come with the skywatchers can be a bit sticky 'cause of the grease they put on them in the factory. I may take it out, clean it and re-grease it, that might make it a bit more responsive. Cheers! CW

[Caldwell 14]

Me too. The best focuser I've ever had is the R&P focuser on my old TV Pronto.

But I'm visual only, so my needs are different to imagers.

Regards, Ed.

Crayfords are over rated IMHO I really don't see whats wrong with R&P to be honest, but then I don't image, does that make a difference? I dunno.

[E621Keith]

There are two type of R&P. Quality ones like Feather touch, or budget type like the one on a Evostar 120. The average crayford is in between in terms of quality.

[todd8137]

when it comes to tweak in the focuser i find the crayford gives me that little extra bit ,the r/p are rubbish the one i had prior ,to the crayford dual speed i do image and its top job for that

[jgs001]

I've two scope with r&p stock focusers and one with a crayford. The r&p's have not slipped on me but the crayford has. I did mod both of my r&p's with strips of Teflon tape which tightens them up and removes slop. I do image, and whilst unlike the dual speed of the crayford, for solidity the r&p on my celestron 80ed wins (now I've modded if). I did consider updating the focusers but them the focusers would be worth more than the rest of the tube and at present my budget does not support that.

[ollypenrice]

ROOOOOAAAARRRR!!!!!

I'm awake. I had a nightmare that someone wanted to put a slippery slidery C......d onto a scope with a rack and pinion. Monique had to sedate me.

Crayfords, unless very expensive, work for several minutes* and then begin to malfunction. They can often be adjusted and sometimes this can be achieved before the clouds arrive. Exceptionally they will retain their adjustment till just before the next clear night.

Without exception every Crayford I have ever owned has malfuntioned. Without exception every rack and pinion I have ever owned has worked perfectly.

Olly

*Many Crayford owners will disagree with this claim, never ever having seen a their example work at all. It must be stressed that the 'few minutes' in question are frequently exhausted before the instrument leaves the factory.

For those with a sense of humour, by the way, Finger Lakes make a focuser costing about 6000 dollars...

[nightfisher]

To be honest, i tend to agree with olly`s comments, to me the problem is the rack an pinion focuser fitted to standard, mass produced telescopes are pants, all the syntra ones i have had have wobbled in and out like drunk on a pub crawl, the exception is my vixen scope, that has a really nice r an p fitted, so a crayford is a cheap alternative to a cheap thing fitted by a manufacturer, moonltes are very nice, but often cost more than the average scope

[Catweazel]

ROOOOOAAAARRRR!!!!!

I'm awake. I had a nightmare that someone wanted to put a slippery slidery C......d onto a scope with a rack and pinion. Monique had to sedate me.

Ok Olly, point taken

Would it be a better idea to fit a superior rack & pinion? Any advice on which ones would be better than the standard Evostar one? Not too expensive though!

CW

[John]

The standard Skywatcher rack and pinions can be made to work pretty smoothly, for visual use, with a bit of TLC. Once properly adjusted, they can hold heavy eyepieces rather better than a low cost crayford I reckon. The problem in sourcing third party R&P is finding one - because the crayford design has become so "fashionable" thats the one that the 3rd party manufacturers make. Presumably their reasoning is that nobody wants an R&P these days.

I can sort of understand that because for years on here and on other forums the advice often given (not by Olly !) was "....and you will want to upgrade the standard R&P to a crayford ...."

Here is a thread on the Cloudynights forum on improving the standard focuser:

Telescope Reviews: Improving a standard R&P Focuser?

[wrinkly]

Catweazel,

Pop over to Astronomy Shed (now I feel like a traitor) and look at Dion's Tutorials on the ST80. Shows you how to set up a Synta R & P focusser but be sure to come back.

WARNING! Dion is a self confessed sufferer from Collimation Disease, make sure you don't catch it.

[coulthamst]

Crayford focusers respond well to the same treatment that R&Ps do- namely that they can require very careful adjustment, especially of the allen screw centred between the focus knobs. Correct adjustment will allow substantial weights to be "lifted" from the vertical, whilst retaining the "feather-lite" movement. In addition, Crayfords do not suffer from the axial focus tube rotation that practically all R@Ps do. The adjustment needs checking from time to time, say about monthly - but we all check our collimation far more frequently than that, and with greater care!

[ollypenrice]

I'm afraid I know of no affordable R and Ps, though I reckon that since William Optics are moving to R and Ps the Crayford Craze is on it's way out. My R and Ps are on expensive scopes, Tak, TeleVue and TEC. A Feathertouch comes it at about £750, I think. (The R and Ps on my cheapo SW guidescopes never budge though. I don't touch them for months at a time.)

I can do nothing with the Crayford on my Lunt. I cannot get the slow motion knob to work at all. I'm stuck but am all ears as to how to sort it.

As for maintaining my R and Ps, well I have to confess that I simply don't. They just work.

Olly

[proflight2000]

The rack and pinion on my evostar is rubbish, even after degreasing, cleaning up and re greasing with a few tweeks it is still rubbish. SW do a crayford for £129.00 SkyWatcher Dual Speed Focuser For Refractors

it is utterly better, the 10-1 fine tuning makes all the difference beyond doubt.

[Catweazel]

Thanks John, and wrinkly, most helpful! Dions video made it very clear, and it doesn't look too complicated. I noticed that he's selling his modded 200p at the moment CW

[wrinkly]

Thanks John, and wrinkly, most helpful! Dions video made it very clear, and it doesn't look too complicated. I noticed that he's selling his modded 200p at the moment CW

Yes. Can you lend me the three hundred quid and arrange delivery? As an OAP, can pay back at 50p a week.

Glad to be of service.