Paracorr Type 1 - hints & tips please.

[alan potts]

Steve,

You are making it sound like I need to be removing a Moonlite focuser and spending a lot more money before I have even view my first star. Just out of interest what is needed just a Feather touch and a Paracorr and a small matter of 800 quid.

Alan.

[nicoscy]

Steve,

You are making it sound like I need to be removing a Moonlite focuser and spending a lot more money before I have even view my first star. Just out of interest what is needed just a Feather touch and a Paracorr and a small matter of 800 quid.

Alan.

But Alan, consider it as a long term investment!

[Scooot]

I always tweak my collimation using a normal laser with my type 2 in place, it works really well. I just leave it in the focuser all the time, and now I've bought the Paracorr in travel adapter all the Delos are par focal and use the same setting, I just have to adjust it slightly for the Nagler.

[faulksy]

Yes, but don't you have to collimate without the SIPS in place first?

Edit: Apparently Starlight Instruments recommends removing the optical elements for collimation unless Howie Glatter tools are used.

More editing: There is always a trade-off. At least you don;t need to find the proper setting with a SIPS as opposed to a Paracorr so there is a benefit to that 

your right, but if you transport your scope you remove the sips, you then colimate then re install it. 2 twists and its home and you dont need to mess about with it just view and forget

[faulksy]

Steve,

You are making it sound like I need to be removing a Moonlite focuser and spending a lot more money before I have even view my first star. Just out of interest what is needed just a Feather touch and a Paracorr and a small matter of 800 quid.

Alan.

thats all alan and your done . but when you consider the price of a premium focuser and then a parracor theres not much in it, but you will love the moonlite alan i had one for nearly a week . but you can blame that on steve (the big guy)

[estwing]

i so nearly went for the red moonlite...very nice

[Daniel-K]

Alan feather touch are in a league way above moonlite. if your gunna roll with the dob mob. do as we say

[Scooot]

This is the lightweight one.

[Daniel-K]

Steve,

You are making it sound like I need to be removing a Moonlite focuser and spending a lot more money before I have even view my first star. Just out of interest what is needed just a Feather touch and a Paracorr and a small matter of 800 quid.

Alan.

http://starlightinstruments.com/store/index.php?route=product/product&path=35&product_id=338

and  base plate. mine $976 inc shipping but then add the import tax £169

[alan potts]

You lot are awful but I like you, really, (variation on a quote from  Mr D Emery).

No this is something to grow into and change at a later date, I have both types of focuser and there is not that much between them in my opinion, albeit on different types of scope.

If I do change this I will only do so if I can source the change through the dealer here or through the UK, I am happy to spend in both economies,  but will not help bolster the US even if it does save a few quid, I don't agree with it, but everyone is entitled to choose what they do and I am fine with that.

It is a shame that Sumerian could not offer this as an extra, maybe they can but it was never mentioned. Much of the stuff used in the making seems to be sourced from TS and looking at their site they do seem behind in stocking a few things. I had a Moonlite that had threads for fitting the SC reducer inside 2 years before I saw it advertised on their web-site, maybe it is the same with the focuser/Paracorr. How long that piece of equipment has been on the market I do not know but even this was secondhand from England.

So there is not point trying, my mind is made up for the time being it will be Moonlite and Paracorr, what you have never had you do not miss.

Now let's see how long it is before I have got one.

Alan.

[nicoscy]

Alan,

Michael can fit any focuser you want as well as SIPS and anyway you can do the mod yourself if you feel up to it 

[alan potts]

Nicos,

I am sure he can but I have just checked the TS site and they do not seem to stock it. I am very good at DIY work, I have built my own house and it has not fallen down yet.

I see from SwampThings PM that it is available from the US at $800 plus and then I imagine you need a mounting plate, probably another arm, leg or kidney. This comes with the Paracorr which it not free with Corn Flakes so when it is here it will no doubt be in the 900 Euro range, so food for thought. I am going to see how I get on with the normal system first and I still have that Orion Optics scope to pick and if I go with your model the paracorr with have work to do there..

Alan.

[nicoscy]

Alan,

I have 2 left thumbs and that's it when it comes to DIY!!!!

Yes, the FTF costs an arm and a leg, but unless you want the SIPS system, there is no need for one. Despite the glowing recommendations of the FTF, I have tried in previous and current scopes the FTF, the Moonlite, the Baader Steeltrack and the modified Baader Steeltrack that comes with the OO Scope.

I actually prefer the modified Baader Steeltrack and it is perfectly capable of handling the weight of a Paracorr + E21....

[alan potts]

Nicos,

I have had a play with the Baader SC focuser and that seemed more than strong enough for any collection of glass for visual use. I think the FT and Moonlite are much better when it comes to loading up with AP equipment or the SIPS as you say. I wonder how long it will be before we see a Chinese copy?

Alan.

[Dude_with_the_tube]

cant comment on Baader or Feather touch focusers,but always had Moonlite on all my dobs and now also on my refractors.They are beautiful piece of machinery and butter smooth.Can hold great weight of eye piece without compromising on anything.

I had a combo of Paracorr +30mm ES in focuser on regular basis and has no issues with it.

As for Paracor type 1 questioned earlier,it works with ANY eye piece,including Ethos.There is a table of settings available on Televue home page for type 1 and worked fine in scope down to F4.6.Personally tested it and i can confirm that. Also it is simple to work out.Nagler=any brand 82 deg,Panoptic=any brand 68 deg,Ethos=any brand 100deg

[Paul73]

Personally tested it and i can confirm that. Also it is simple to work out.Nagler=any brand 82 deg,Panoptic=any brand 68 deg,Ethos=any brand 100deg

Thanks Dude.

That will save me a load of messing about! Looks clear this evening, so looking forward to giving it a run out.

Paul

[Dude_with_the_tube]

good luck Paul! no observations for me,strong wind and a yellow weather warning issued for today.Happy days...

[Don Pensack]

I have just acquired one of these in anticipation of an upgrade to a bigger faster Dob in the future. I was going to wait and try without, but faced with a potential bargain and with the advice of the collective SGL Dob Mob egging me on, I hit the "increase bid" button. 15 seconds later I became the proud, if slightly surprised, owner of yet another piece of essential Astro kit.

TeleVue claims big benefits at F5 so I reckon that I'll give it a go on my current F4.7 scope. I've never a coma corrector before and would be grateful for any hints and tips for getting the best out of it given my rather meager scope/eyepiece(s) combination.

Any thoughts?

Paul

For those on Tap Talk:

Scope : SW 250px Flex Tube Dob.

Eyepieces : MaxVision 68° 28, 24, 20 & 16mm: Delos 12 & 8mm: Vixen SLV 6 & 5mm

Paul,

Here's what you do:

Assuming that you don't own a TeleVue eyepiece (otherwise you'd start with that one and dial in the setting for that eyepiece and start from there), :

1) take the 2" eyepiece in your collection that requires the in-most setting of your focuser to come to focus.  Dial the tunable top to the outer-most position setting, insert the eyepiece and focus your scope.

2) Look at the stars at the edge of the field.  Are they tiny little points?  (Unlikely).  If so, you've found the setting for that eyepiece.  More likely, the stars still appear distorted, so move the tunable top of the Paracorr in one setting and refocus the scope.  Are the star images better?  Great.  Repeat with the next setting in on the tunable top, and keep repeating until moving the tunable top in one more setting makes the star images at the edge worse.  Move the tunable top back to the previous setting, where the star images at the edge were best.

[Note: the star images may never be perfect because of astigmatism in most eyepieces, but there will be a setting of the Paracorr where the stars at the edge are best, and if you compare that to having no Paracorr at all, the star images will seem a lot improved.]

3) Freeze the focuser, remove the eyepiece, and insert a second eyepiece.  Focus the 2nd eyepiece by ONLY moving the tunable top in the Paracorr--don't touch the focuser knobs.

Look at the Paracorr setting when it's in focus.  That's the setting for that eyepiece.  Repeat using every eyepiece you have, recording the setting for each eyepiece.  When you're done, you'll know the setting for each eyepiece and you can pre-dial that setting before inserting the eyepiece the next time.

In this manner, you will have:

--found the best setting of the Paracorr for every eyepiece (and any you buy in the future)

--par-focalized all your eyepieces so only a millimeter or two will bring every eyepiece to focus in the future

--found the best coma correction for your scope.

If you had a TeleVue eyepiece, you'd simply use the setting they mentioned on their website (using the Web Archive to look it up) and then adjust for all your other eyepieces starting with the setting for the TeleVue eyepiece.  Though, I have found that even their eyepieces may be best corrected with a setting about 1/2 setting away from the listed setting for that eyepiece.

If you have an eyepiece that needs to be pulled out farther than the Paracorr tunable top will allow, but it's less than 25mm, add a barrel extender to the eyepiece to allow you to pull it out farther.  If you have an eyepiece that requires inward movement more than the Paracorr allows, simply use the in-most setting of the Paracorr for that one and don't worry about perfect correction (in fact, the 31 Nagler, 21 Ethos, and 17 Ethos require a setting farther in, which led to the development of the Paracorr II).  If the eyepiece is 1.25", use the provided adapter with it and focus the same as you would do if all your eyepieces were 2".  If the eyepiece needs to be pulled out more than 25mm, try using an extension tube with that one.  It's unlikely any eyepiece will need an extension tube.

Hope that helps.  You only have to be fussy and careful for the one eyepiece and all the others follow from that.  Simple.

[Paul73]

Thanks Don

This is exactly what I was looking for.

Paul

[Paul73]

Hmmm.

I must be doing something stupid.

Can't get any eyepieces to reach focus. With the standard 2" adaptor, too long. Without, too short.

I'm guessing that I need a shorter 2" extender...

Paul

[Dude_with_the_tube]

i can assume you are using the original skywatcher focuser on your telescope? Paracorr or coma corrector also acts as a "mild" barlow as such it does mess up focusing travel distance by a small bit.You should be able to get a shorter 2" extender without any big issues.Companies like Moonlite,William Optics,Televue make them,possibly even skywatcher does or at the end of a day,any brand will do as soon as the length is right.