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Skywatcher 200P Focus Wheel HELP

Bignev

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Bignev

Bignev

Posted
Posted

Hi all i do hope someone out there can help me out out there as i am having a bit of a major problem over here.

I am very new with my telescope and i am paying the price for it, i took my telescope out a couple of nights ago 

all eager as usual and up till now i have only been using it with one weight on but this night i put both weights on

and while adjusting the height of the back legs my telescope fell over { Very Very angry with myself, stupidity}

The top white ring smashed and the tube buckled but managed to fix those the problem is my Focus wheel.

The tuning wheel has gone really slack and it wont turn the barrel any more, i have had it apart and i dont know  

if there is supposed to be a thread on the barrel as there looks as if something has been totally flattened on the

top of the barrel itself. If anyone has one i would be forever grateful if you could take a look and let me know how

the mechanism works because as things are i just dont know what needs replaced or something has come loose,

i had my DSLR on my focus at the time so there was a fair bit of weight on it at the time.

Many thanks to all who kindly help a very upset telescope owner. :mad:  

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Spikey

Spikey

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Bad luck !

Some pictures of the damage would be very useful. It sounds as though the focusser has taken quite a knock which may or may not be salvageable.

It will need to be stripped and assessed by someone who knows how they work and fit together.  Do you know anyone local? astronomy groups?

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ArmyAirForce

ArmyAirForce

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Not sure how the focus on the 200P works, but it can't be too different from my 200PDS. There are some screws to tighten to increase friction between the tube and the small drive shaft. Typically, due to the machining, the small drive spindle only runs on the outer edges of the flat on the focus tube. I took a small needle file to mine to flatten the edges a little more, and then attached some 1200 grit wet and dry paper with double sided tape to this flat. Now my focus tube won't slip at all, even with a heavy DSLR camera on it.

focusser5.jpg

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Bignev

Bignev

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Thanks All, i do believe wookie has won the prize the screw which is below the lock nut is not there so i am going to have to go and find it, and thanks again the tip for applying the wet and dry is going to get done, il let you know if i find it, you guys are fantastic i am smiling again.  :smiley:

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Ouroboros

Ouroboros

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Good luck, Bignev. The thought of such catastrophes fill me with horror.

Just a suggestion ... I've taken to levelling the tripod legs with a spirit level across the top before I put the mount on. It's still necessary to check levelling after assembling everything - the mount, weights and telescope - but usually I find its all pretty level as indicated by the bubble on the mount with only small adjustments required.

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Daveb3650

Daveb3650

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If you hang fire I'm sure someone from the S.A.S. will help you soon......

Thats the Sunderland Astro Society not the forces blokes who can kill you with a single look.....

Google for them too.....they are just through the Tyne Tunnel and meet regularly and have a wealth of knowledge that they are keen to share......

Mr Tweedy ......where r u ??

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Bignev

Bignev

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Thanks to all for all of your replies and your sympathy towards my fatal error which i am very glad to say could have been a lot worse.

I have managed to repair the main problem  which was my focus wheel and reshaped the dent out of the tube as close as i can get it,

so i only have to find a way of glueing the end ring back together as it is now in four pieces and refitting it back onto the tube.

Hopefully all that will be needed after that will be a quick collimation and we are back in the game.

I have to admit this has been one of the harshest lessons i have had to bare so hopefully when people read the post it might remind

them just how quickly disaster can strike, it happened in just a fraction of a second, i was and still am gutted, i shall just have to leave the

wounds on it as a very hard reminder to myself to take a lot more care setting up, Why is it all good things in life tend to be bad for you.

Anyways many thank again to everybody and Happy Hunting to you all.

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  • 2 weeks later...
Bignev

Bignev

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Yes its all fixed there now, never managed to find the original screw but found another to fit so all is fine on that front now, even managed to fix the end ring back on as it shattered into 5 pieces ( used to fit the dust shield)

Here i am looking forward to some more black nights again, thanks again, you guys are just SUPER.

Happy Hunting.

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