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skymax 127 stupid question

boabsta

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boabsta

boabsta

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Evening all. Ive just purchased a skywatcher skymax 127 on what I think is an eq3 mount. I got it at a very reasonable price 2nd hand. The thing is though, there were no instruction manuals with it and I cant find any by searching the googleverse. I have owned already a 130 newtonian and a celestron 114 newt with goto. Both of these scopes had manuals but were also more obvious as how to focus. I have no idea how you focus the mak? If any of you nice people can stop laughing long enough to state the obvious to me I would be most obliged. Also if anyone has a link to a manual that would also be nice.

Seeing as how I am asking anyway, what is the best way to clean the outer glass and eyepieces as these are covered in dust as the previous owner never worked out how to use the scope so just left it sitting about in a spare room with all accessories just lying in a heap and all covers off. I have a lenspen if this is a good start?

Cheers and all that, Boab.

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JamesF

JamesF

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i love this site ... there is only one knob that moves on the ota of a sw127 mak ... i wonder what that does :D

That's to set the timer for the self-destruct. Maximum is 8 seconds. If you look carefully you'll even see it has "8" embossed on the knob.

:(

James

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boabsta

boabsta

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i love this site ... there is only one knob that moves on the ota of a sw127 mak ... i wonder what that does :D

And its eejits like yourself that stops people from asking questions and just giving up! It is after all in the beginners section, does that not tell you something.

Thanks to the rest, you are the guys who keep us all feeling as if we belong :(

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imarcs

imarcs

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i love this site ... there is only one knob that moves on the ota of a sw127 mak ... i wonder what that does :D

Funny. But - With all the talk of 'focusers' on this website, a newcomer to a Mak can easily think 'where is it?' . Plus those focus knobs have a serious amount of travel in them so you can turn them for a long time, possibly in the wrong direction and never see focus. This has been asked several times on this website since i joined. So not that funny at all really. :(

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hemihaggis

hemihaggis

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And its eejits like yourself that stops people from asking questions and just giving up! It is after all in the beginners section, does that not tell you something.

Thanks to the rest, you are the guys who keep us all feeling as if we belong :(

lol come on bobsta .. you have already had two goto scopes ... and obviously aligned them set them up used them changed ep`s used barlows ect .... be honest ..what did you think the knob on the back did ?? :D (remember there is only one moving knob on the whole ota ...did you not point the scope at somthing and twiddle the knob just to see what it did ?? )

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jimmyjamjoejoe

jimmyjamjoejoe

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i love this site ... there is only one knob that moves on the ota of a sw127 mak ... i wonder what that does :D

Sets the self destruct timer?

I can understand the confusion though and the reluctance to just start turning any knob you see.

The way the knob is orientated on a mak/sct doesn't make a very obvious focus knob if you're used to newt/fracs.

As for cleaning, i have no idea. I know with mirrors it's a case of warm soapy water, then rinse with distilled water to prevent marks, and under no circumstances touch the damn thing. As for the corrector lense on a mak though, i don't even know if they're removable...

Eyepieces are fine to do with the lense pen, although it'd be better to invest in some baader wonder fluid, it is literally miracle in a bottle (not suitable for mirrors or objective lenses etc though).

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boabsta

boabsta

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lol come on bobsta .. you have already had two goto scopes ... and obviously aligned them set them up used them changed ep`s used barlows ect .... be honest ..what did you think the knob on the back did ?? :D

With the lack of any manual I honestly didnt know what it done and I wasnt for turning it just because its there. I got the scope for cheap but that doesnt mean I'm quite happy to break it to see what something does.

I do find the pisstaking a bit alarming as once again I will remind you I am still new to this. Yes I have had reflectors in the past but they are different to the mak.

Perhaps in the future if you and your ilk like to laugh at peoples dumb questions do so to yourself and not on here. I actualy do feel proper angry at this. Obviousley I cant say exactly as I feel as there are rules on language but use your understratched imagination as what 1 irate scotsman may possibly say to another.

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JamesF

JamesF

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To be fair, I imagine if all you've used is R&P or crayford style focusers then the Mak must come as a bit of a surprise unless you've researched it first. Especially as if the mirror is at the "wrong end" you can turn the focuser knob for ages with no appreciable difference in the view. With no end in sight (I think it does something like 22 full turns) I can see that someone might come to the conclusion that it's just spinning around and doesn't do much that's useful.

I'm sure I didn't get a manual with mine. I can't recall whether I looked at it and thought "Oh, that's the focuser" or knew already or just played with it. It's probably just in my nature to muck about with things until they work or fall apart though :D

James

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boabsta

boabsta

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James I had read a lot of posts where people had asked questions about focusers before I posted this and it did a lot to confuse me. I honestly thought that the "missing" focuser was going to be my sting in the tail for my bargain buy.

I wasnt even looking for a mak having sold my other scopes to fund a explorer 200p but I think it was just too good to pass on. My total spend so far having bought and sold a few scopes is just £10. I am trading my way up to the 200p and am now in a position where if I sell the mak I am more than able to buy a new 200. I wont tho as I enjoy the hunt of a bargain but I do like to use the scopes I buy and sell on in hopefully a better condition than when I got them. And I can honestly say I am learning all the time and enjoying myself doing so.

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JamesF

JamesF

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I'd forgotten about the cleaning bit...

I recently cleaned mine with Baader Optical Wonder Fluid and their cloth. I wouldn't have bothered but for the fact that I could hear something inside was loose so was going to take it apart anyway and when I did discovered it was disgustingly filthy inside and out.

The corrector lens and secondary mirror assembly unscrews from the tube. I marked the position of mine with a pencil line across the lens assembly and tube so it would go back in exactly the same position and removed it, cleaning both sides.

I also cleaned the mirror, but unless you can see it's really bad I'd leave well alone. Collimating it after the mirror has been moved is a pain in the neck and I'm still not totally certain I have mine absolutely right.

James

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boabsta

boabsta

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I think it is only the outermost glass that is dirty. They had a triangle(?) eyepiece in but not a proper eyepiece so thats pretty much ruined but I think it has stopped much dust form entering the internals. also it was set up and facing upwards so I think that has helped keep dust away fron internals also.

Having had a look at the eyepieces I think I may have to bite the bullet and just buy some new ones, they realy are filthy. Will try anyway.

And if I may ask 1 more silly and prob obvious question, I take it the 127 maks are quite good as I have seen them in a lot of peoples equipment lists and read the reviews on the trade websites but would still like to know from people who own them.

Thanks again :D

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JamesF

JamesF

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Not sure what you mean by a "triangle eyepiece". Star diagonal, perhaps? Two 1.25"-ish tubes connected at right angles by a triangular "box" containing a mirror? If so, it could just be that the mirror is dirty and might be recoverable after cleaning. If that's not it, a photo may help.

Lots of people really like the 127 Mak. It gives a reasonable view of the planets and does a fair job on most DSOs as well. It's also small enough to use as a travel scope and good enough to have some fun imaging solar system objects. I'd probably only ever sell mine if for some strange reason I wanted a newer version.

Star hoppping with it isn't as easy as it might be because of the narrow field of view (much easier with my ST120, for example), but you can't have everything.

James

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boabsta

boabsta

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Yeah that'll be the star diagonal then. See, still learning.

I'm glad that its good for planetary as I have a Nikon D90 that i want to try and connect for some photos and see how that turns out. I think I will still aim to get the 8" but maybe not as desperately as I have been trying.

Thanks again everyone for help and advice.

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