Replacment End Caps...

[ibraidwo]

End caps are important for keeping our scopes and lenses dust free... however they have a habit of disappearing in the dark or missing on 2nd hand eyepieces/scopes.

Aside from the standard eyepiece barrel ends and eyepiece entry points (i.e. 0.965”, 1.25” and “2) it is hard to find replacement caps.

So my question is, for your various scopes/eyepieces, what have you used as a replacement – that fits well? Have you used a particular household or beauty product’s cap on a particular eyepiece or particular scope?

Thanks,

Ian

[Pete Presland]

End caps are important for keeping our scopes and lenses dust free... however they have a habit of disappearing in the dark or missing on 2nd hand eyepieces/scopes.

Aside from the standard eyepiece barrel ends and eyepiece entry points (i.e. 0.965”, 1.25” and “2) it is hard to find replacement caps.

So my question is, for your various scopes/eyepieces, what have you used as a replacement – that fits well? Have you used a particular household or beauty product’s cap on a particular eyepiece or particular scope?

Thanks,

Ian

on my lovely Televue eyepieces no way! they would not be seen dead in anything other than the official attire

[coulthamst]

The caps to be found on plastic milk containers can make satisfactory top caps for 1.25 Plossls and similar sized eyepieces (after thorough cleansing of course!).

[Codmate]

I'm still searching for something that will fit my 41mm Panoptic

I think I'm either going to have to put something together myself out of laminated card, or find somebody with a 3D printer who can make one for me. I don't know how much TV charge for replacement caps, but it's going to be overpriced and it seems ridiculous to have to order this tiny item from the states!

[ibraidwo]

I'm still searching for something that will fit my 41mm Panoptic

I think I'm either going to have to put something together myself out of laminated card, or find somebody with a 3D printer who can make one for me. I don't know how much TV charge for replacement caps, but it's going to be overpriced and it seems ridiculous to have to order this tiny item from the states!

This is exactly the reason for my post. Some of us will have experienced this before and a replacement may not be feasible from the original supplier...

...so, has anyone out there found/used a suitable replacement for Codmate's eyepiece?

[ronin]

Contact TV and ask them.

Sure I have read of people doing this and getting eyepiece caps from TV.

[L8-Nite]

For 2" eyepieces, tops from Gaviscon containers fit perfectly, and being white, are easy to find.

Click on photo to enlarge.

[stevepeverall]

365 astronomy is good for ep endcaps and other bits and bobs like hard to find screws etc.

For telescope end caps there are a few websites in the States which offer pricey machined aluminium ends caps of various sizes.

http://www.buytelescopes.com/Category/50-dew-caps-shields.aspx

I've never used the latter though.

[Key]

The caps to be found on plastic milk containers can make satisfactory top caps for 1.25 Plossls and similar sized eyepieces (after thorough cleansing of course!).

That is a brilliant tip! Just bought a couple of cheap eyepieces off ebay and one came without a dust cap; tried a lid off a milk container as suggested: a perfect fit and a heck of a lot cheaper than importing from USA!

I don't understand why there are no UK suppliers of decent and reasonably priced dust caps though; there's clearly a market for them - and afterall, they can even double-up as lids for milk containers!!!

[Key]

For 2" eyepieces, tops from Gaviscon containers fit perfectly, and being white, are easy to find.

Click on photo to enlarge.

Another top tip, and given that the cost of 2" eyepieces is enough to give anyone heartburn it's likely that there'll be a Gaviscon container to hand should you need to borrow the lid!

[Moonshane]

I think I read that TV charge about £10 delivered. This is about the difference in used sale value too if you don't have original caps/box so maybe you cannot lose?

[Steve Ward]

Quibbling over a ten pound cap for a £440.00 EP .....