Crayford Focuser - Brilliant

[Pig]

I have just recieved my Baader steeltrack sc focuser from FLO yesterday, I have got to say I am thrilled to bits with it. Smooth and solid as you like with no hint of any play in any direction

I was looking at that golden object in todays sky (the Sun someone told me it was called) and the 10:1 focus has transformed my viewing experience. The detail in the suspots is incredible.

I waited for Saturn this morning but to no avail, it was so murky out there that I could just about see the full Moon so I went to bed reluctantly at about 4:30.

I must also add what an excellent service I recieved from FLO ,great advice, they didnt try to sell me the most expensive focuser infact they talked me out of it, delivery was 18 hours, How !!!

I also got a price match reduction . What more can I say 10 out of 10

[alan potts]

Pig,

you could have said 11/10. They seem a jolly decent bunch, I wish they were at the end of my road. As you say very good advice, James gave me a very detailed account of collimation on my M/N 190, I am getting some device from them when I get to England, most likely a laser.

Alan.

[alanjgreen]

+1 for the Baader Steeltrack

If you look underneath it then you will see a large allen type key hole (adjacent to the focus lock knob) - you can use this to add more resistance to the focuser knobs - which I find makes it easier to hit the exact spot

[Pig]

Pig,

you could have said 11/10. They seem a jolly decent bunch, I wish they were at the end of my road. As you say very good advice, James gave me a very detailed account of collimation on my M/N 190, I am getting some device from them when I get to England, most likely a laser.

Alan.

Alan I almost did - I have purchased items in the past but I have never had to call to request information. But they are abs spot on

[Pig]

+1 for the Baader Steeltrack

If you look underneath it then you will see a large allen type key hole (adjacent to the focus lock knob) - you can use this to add more resistance to the focuser knobs - which I find makes it easier to hit the exact spot

Thank you Alan,

I was wondering what that was for - there doesent seem to be any destructions on the internet for the unit, I have tried searching

[alan potts]

Looks like we are all called Alan. I hope you get some clear sky to try it. We have wall to wall fluffy stuff at the moment but the moon is big so I am pleased it is cloudy now for me. I wish I had got that one (Baader) in the first place, I would have but TS who I was dealing with were out of stock and gave a 4 month lead time, it may have stopped me buying the Moonlite later on after the TS variant.

Enjoy they make the scope look rather fab.

Alan

[Pig]

Alan # 1,

I must admit with the Baader at one end and the Celestron dew shield at the other the scope does look pretty spiffing.

I never thought I could fall in love with an inanimate object but I do believe I have

[alanjgreen]

You will find various posts on this forum if you try the search facility, some with screenshots of the steeltrack and labels of the various allen slots

* the ones on top adjust the angle of the focuser

* can't remember what the 2 small ones underneath do - I have never adjusted these

[alan potts]

Pig,

Is yours the orange tube, that would look really good with the black and that like bit of gold on the twisty things, very Versace. I'm a right posser my Moonlite its the blue one to match the tube.

Alan.

[Pig]

Alan # 2

I will have to have a search because I dont want to fiddle with it and mess it up

[Pig]

Alan # 1,

Yes it is the orange coloured tube, I think if I changed the red dot finder to a different finder scope ,preferably the same colour as the main scope, that would just about guild the lily as JamesF would say.

Blue and gold looks the biz too

[alan potts]

Can you get colour coded finders? The Moonlite is wearing silver accessories, it's the starlight that has gold. I hope your finder is better than the one that came with my scope, for a 4000 quid scope it is not the ticket. That really gets to me, you buy a scope then have to change everything because it's all just so so quality, if I had my time again I would buy a mega dob and a custom made one too, you can't beat quality.

Alan

[Pig]

Alan,

Visually I would describe the RDF that came with it as ok at best and it is tiny and matt black, I must admit though functionally it is great. It took some setting up and I worked my way down to a 7mm eyepiece to centre it but it really does the job well so I guess that is what counts.

However I must admit that I have some Maltese blood in me and I do like a bit of the glitterati side of life

[alan potts]

Shaun,

Now you need some black and green accessories in the diagonal to really set it off.

It works you know, I have black and green and orange on a shirt by the man himself, and purple and yellow etc. You sure wouldn't get run down if out for the night in town, someone else may do though. I bought it back in the 90's when GV was top fashion now I daren't throw it away, I'm worried the dustbin men would have a heartattack.

Alan.

[faulksy]

+ another for the baader steel track, once you set it up properly you never need to move the mirror again lovely piece of engineering, looks horny too

[Pig]

They certainly are the dogs clankers, Looks like we may be getting some breaks in the clouds too so I can set it up

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

I must say I am tempted by these Steeltrack focussers. Is this strictly speaking a Crayford, or is it an adaptation? Given Olly's rants about Crayfords slipping and ruining shots, I was looking at the R&P one from Revelation.

[StevieDvd]

Does the original focus knob catch or interfere with the new sct focuser at all on the 6" sct?

[Pig]

Stevie,

The answer is no, the old focus knob however is very close to where the Baader attaches to the back of the scope.

This does not cause too much of an issue as once set you dont have to move it again.

[ollypenrice]

To be fair to the Steeltrack I have found it pretty good on Yves' scope. I thnk it may have slipped once but I do trust it.

Olly

[faulksy]

To be fair to the Steeltrack I have found it pretty good on Yves' scope. I thnk it may have slipped once but I do trust it.

Olly

if oliy reccomends/ or says there good then they are good enough for anyone

[StevieDvd]

Stevie,

The answer is no, the old focus knob however is very close to where the Baader attaches to the back of the scope.

This does not cause too much of an issue as once set you dont have to move it again.

Thanks that good to know.

Steve

[alan potts]

The great thing about Olly is he sees a great deal of different gear at work and I think when he knocks Crayfords he is really having a go at the cheaper ones for photography. I don't believe he means Moonlite and Starlight which in my books are high quality equipment. Myself I think most focusers on scopes out of the box could be a good deal better, but they would only put the price up. I moan about these things and I do wish they had have been made with better and I would be happy to pay the extra mark-up. I think it would be nice if, say SW scopes, were offered with an upgrade option on a few things, focuser, finder and maybe mirror quality.

The only scope I cant moan about that I have bought is the APM and look at the price of one of them.

Alan

[Stargazer_00]

The pds range have their standard issue dial speed focuset but I don't know if that's any good.

I put a lacerta 10:1 upgrade on my dob Crayford and to be honest it's amazing. Can't See the point getting a moonlite now as it does everything I want just fine.