Old Tasco EQ mount - worth keeping/cleaning/repairing?

[bradfrankshaw]

Hi everyone - for some time now I have been trying to convince my wife to let me get an eq mount plus scope but we have limited space so the negatives always outweigh the positives.

She did say to get some binos as the pair we have the kids love using so I thought a good pair of 15x70s was a good compromise.

Anyhow there had been much talk about an old tasco newtonian I had about but it is over 20 yrs old and I didnt think it was very good so never got it out. This weekend I came across it stored away and to my surprise I saw it was a manual eq mount. The scope is a fair 4.5" and has a few eyepieces but the mount is in a poor state.

Not sure of the correct terms but the 0-90 latitude part is ok, the degrees left right axis is ok but the teeth of the main cog are worn so it keeps slipping when using the slow motion arms. Both slow motion turning screws are sticky with old grease.

What I wanted to find out is it worth getting a replacement main cog (RA Dec I think) and taking apart everything and degreasing (is this possible?) and reoiling all the parts, scrub it up, get the mirrors cleaned etc Or just get another newtonian? Im loathed to throw away something as beautifully complex as a scope but is it worth the effort?

We cant afford a Meade or goto or cat system just yet but need to know if it is possible to get this kit back to working order or just fork out for a new one?

cheers

frank

[tonyh66]

give it a go, some of those old Tasco's are good scopes, finding a replacement cog may be an interesting pastime though

[John]

For what it's worth, I think the mount on those old Tasco 4.5" newts is quite similar to the Skywatcher EQ2 and equivalents.

You might find you can buy a whole replacement mount head for £20 or so from the Scopes N Skies Astroboot if you are patient:

http://www.scopesnskies.com/AstroBoot

[Cornelius Varley]

There is an EQ-Z mount (looks like an EQ2) on Astroboot. The mount looks incompleter - no counterweight bar.

Peter

[bradfrankshaw]

There is an EQ-Z mount (looks like an EQ2) on Astroboot. The mount looks incompleter - no counterweight bar.

Peter

Cheers everyone - had a look at the EQ-Z; the scope uses a twin thread screw to attach to the mount, I can't see from the picture if this will work? http://www.scopesnskies.com/AstroBoot?needle=eq The counterweight and bar is missing but I suppose I could easily use the old one, as well as the slow-motion adjusters. Will keep a look out for eq-2 as well.

thanks

frank