Focusing a FSQ?

[Earl]

I noticed some funny shaped stars on my last image in the corners, over the last few nights of trawling the net I have read that is best to focus on some stars in the corners rather then the middle of the image, (I normally focus outside the bullseye in Nebulosity).

The thread in a Yahoo group said it can look like bad PA but is infact due to not focusing the corners..

Has anyone else experienced this with the FSQ85 or other scopes for that matter?

[ollypenrice]

My FSQ85 can be focused anywhere, Earl, and is pinpoint across the chip. Peter (Psychobilly) did some homework and suggested that focusing at the intersections of the 1/3 lines gives the best compromise on lenses and is also recommended for SCTs with flatteners. Might be worth a try. My suspicion is that you have a bit of tilt somewhere, probably at the nosepiece.

Olly

[laser_jock99]

Or the CCD chip isn't flat

[Earl]

Im still waiting on Tak EU to reply on the needed adapters, only been a week now.....premium product... far from premium service !!!

its looking clear tonight so ill try the focus thing and also see if I can improve the connection between stuffs.

Im pretty sure the ccd is ok as it has worked with other scopes.... but you never know.

[Astroscot2]

Earl I have the florite version and had a simlilar issue with elongated stars on on side of the image that changed when I rotated the camera through 180 degrees ,I had read it may be a problem with tilt on the CAA I believe this recommendation came from

Steve Cannistra described here http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/UncensoredTakGroup/message/43074

Mark

[ollypenrice]

On my 85 I don't use the CA35 unless I'm using the reducer. I just use a push fit nosepiece so I don't think Earl will be using one either. Earl?

Olly

[Erwin Kats]

Earl, let me say, TAK EU is a joke, it is the worst thing i ever contacted, on the phone they did not speak english,and they did not reply to any e-mail.( also contact to them through resellers did not work )

Thanks to the uncensored tak group on Yahoo, with Arth Chiampi from TAK USA, i got alot of details, and the full discription on all the adapters and spacers i needed for my setup.

* Be aware !! the USA spacers and EU spacers are not the same part numbers *

My adapter for the QSI was shipped from the USA to holland, and its fits perfect.

I know with the first fsq 106 ED there where tilt problems in the focuser/ rotator unit.

I do not know if this also counts for the fsq 85.

Kind Regards, Erwin Kats.

[Earl]

I have managed to get one today from Optique Unterlinden, when i was struggling to get the phone to call them they called me , took payment and I now have a dispatch email and tracking information. I have only got the TKA23250 coming as this will remove the need for the 2" pushfit extension im using, I have a few other gubbins on way to hook it all up after this point too.

[ollypenrice]

I must say that Optique Underlinden were a dead loss when I asked about spacers to go between the reducer and the camera. They just said (nicely, I must say) that they didn't know what to suggest. Tak Europe? Ahem! So I have to agree with Erwin. If ever you need to deal with anything beyond their English I'll gladly contact them in French for you, though. They are pleasant but not as clued up as I'd like. They had my mount back (via Robtics) and failed to fix it. In the end I did it myself and then had some help from Per for the last fix.

Olly