Darn it - scope fell !!!!!!

[nightfisher]

John, this is the type i have on my skytee and i feel they are very secure, i will be hanging a 200p newt of this clamp and have full confidence, the mount came used with one of these fitted, having the original as a second.......it did not take long to see why they were high on the upgrade priority list

                                                             http://www.firstlightoptics.com/dovetail-bars/baader-vixen-style-dovetail-clamp.html

[John]

That looks good Jules - it's a close match for the clamp on the other arm as well

[nightfisher]

Hope it helps John,

When i got my skytee, it seemed the only option was an ADM, then i spotted the Baader, jobs a good un as they say

[John]

John I am so sorry to read this thread because I know how much you love your Vixen. Its the worst nightmare to see a lovely piece of equipment fall onto concrete. I bought the better ADM dovetail for the SkyTee 2 but even now I check both ends to make sure the scope is properly secure especially when its carrying a heavy OTA.

I do hope hope you can repair the various bits because the Vixen was such a great frac.

Take care my friend

Thanks Mark

The pinion shaft seems to have straightened quite easily and the focuser is now working Ok again. It's not quite as smooth as before but some tweaking of the tension screws and a little light lubrication will probably help.

The scope is still in spot on collimation - they are tough things !

So it's just the damage to the paint on the dew shield and the plossl eyepiece to sort now. Both function fine as it happens so no rush there.

[Moonshane]

Your plossl may well be ok John. If the eyecup hides the damage I would just forget it. You may have to use a file to get the extender to fit.

[John]

I've been looking more closely at the dovetail clamp on my mount which is the Telescope Services type as I pictured earlier in the thread. I actually have two of these and there is a difference in the machining tolerances in them as one has the annoying "lip" that I described above and one is flush all the way across and clamps securely first time. Of course I had the poorer one on the mount last night

Obviously some variation in manufacturing tolerances with these clamps.

I still may well change to another clamp design though as you loose confidence in something when an incident like this happens.

[Physopto]

Just read you post. Sorry to hear about the accident. I was at Galloway a month or two ago when a fellow astronomers scope blew over. Luckily it was on grass, but still sickening. One thought though. Maybe try using the keyed foam blocks, available from COSTCO . I use them in the awning of the caravan but also on block paving at home. Keeps the feet warmer and if you do drop a lens at least a chance of recovery (I suffer from dropsy as can't feel my hands properly). I used an ADM dovetail clamp on my NEQ6, was very good.

Derek

[Peter Drew]

Bad luck John, the fact that this can so easily happen to an experienced user is a "heads up" to everyone. I'm not a fan of the spring loaded clamping system, IMO more prone to this type of incident.

[Mark at Beaufort]

 I'm not a fan of the spring loaded clamping system, IMO more prone to this type of incident.

When I bought my SkyTee 2 mount I knew that the supplied dovetail clamps were poor quality. I thought the only option was the ADM double spring loaded clamp but I still worry when I use it to carry the 8" Newt or the 180mm Mak/Cass.

I never appreciated that Baader made a suitable clamp to fix onto a SkyTee 2 which Jules mentioned in post 26.

Because I only bought one ADM saddle I might try one of these Baader clamps to sit on the top - I like the extra securing screw and its a lot cheaper than the ADM.

[Moonshane]

I have the same sort of clamps (like the baader) on my giro. I like the bite of the screw and also always have a projecting bolt head on the bottom side of the dovetail bar 'just in case'

[John]

The slight irony is that the clamp on the other arm of my Giro is like the Baader one !. I assumed that the larger contact area of the sprung type clamps increased security. I guess it does if properly tightened up !

[Gazabone]

Totally agree with Macavity, an oversized screw in the dovetail helps to ensure that if the clamp isn't tight enough the scope still won't fall to the ground.

Really glad that you haven't suffered any more damage than you have, hope you soon get everything back to normal.

[John]

I've just had the scope out again (on the other side of the mount this time !) and the optics seem just as good as they were so no issues there, which is the most important bit. The moon is looking rather splendid again and the scope / conditions seemed to cope well even over 200x. Star tests look as they should be and I've split a couple of close doubes with pleasing results. I need to do a bit more work on the focuser which is a little stiffer than I'd like but overall I'm content with it.

[paul mc c]

Glad to hear things arent as bad as they might have been,one thing, when anything like this happens it keeps us on our toes when using our gear.

[Chris]

Good to hear John Phew! that could have been much worse.

[Moonshane]

Nice one John. Maybe it corrected a small collimation error

[nightfisher]

When I bought my SkyTee 2 mount I knew that the supplied dovetail clamps were poor quality. I thought the only option was the ADM double spring loaded clamp but I still worry when I use it to carry the 8" Newt or the 180mm Mak/Cass.

I never appreciated that Baader made a suitable clamp to fix onto a SkyTee 2 which Jules mentioned in post 26.

Because I only bought one ADM saddle I might try one of these Baader clamps to sit on the top - I like the extra securing screw and its a lot cheaper than the ADM.

You will need a couple of countersunk 12mm   ?M6 screws to fit it, then it goes on a dream, very secure

[steppenwolf]

Really sorry to hear this, John and it is a timely warning because if this can happen to an experienced observer like you, it can happen to anyone else too .....

Delighted to hear that the optics have remained as good as ever.

[John]

Thanks again everybody. SGL is at it's best when you get in a spot of bother

PS: The Moon really is looking gorgeous tonight !

[nightfisher]

Glad to hear the trusty Vixen is okay on the optics, just a few war wounds to dress, and yes, moon looking superb, i have been doing some imaging but as always the processing is trying to make me chuck the lappie out the window

[bingevader]

Oh my goodness! Only just read this, what a nightmare. I'm so glad it hasn't turned out as badly as you feared, that 32mm TV plossl must be a seriously tough bit of kit.

I hate it at this time of year in the mud bath that is my back garden, but it is the one advantage of observing on the grass!

I've spent ages looking for dropped screws or lens caps in the dark mind you.

[John]

Thanks Ben

The plossl seems to have come off worse than the scope really. It's got a big dent / graze on it's rim and the rubber eye cup is split in a couple of places. I think the eyepiece took the weight of the impact when the scope 1st hit the ground. No damage to the optics though and a new rubber eyecup will cover up the scrape completely. The eyepiece is still perfectly useable as it is though. The diagonal was unmarked / undamaged by the whole affair and that must have taken it's share of the impact too. Not a mark on it though. It's a TV Everbright and a very solid piece of engineering.

I have been lucky here, all things considered.

[ollypenrice]

Happened to me, too, John. I get very tired, as is inevitable in a 'staying up all night ' profession, and in swapping a guidescope for my Lunt solar scope I failed to tighten the Lunt sufficiently and it hit the ground. One of those things. Take it on the chin. It won't happen very often in an astronomical life and it has happend to me before in other lives. I scrapped a very fine LeMond bicycle frame by riding it into a parked car. I slipped a gear while climbing a hill, glanced back at the rear derailleur and just caught the Volvo bumper. Had to be a Volvo, right???     

Life goes on. (Hey, after 250,000 two wheel miles I could have had worse than one busted frame and, on another occasion, a busted collar bone. So think of all the Takahashis I could have smashed. On second thoughts... dont!)

Olly

[LeeB]

I have been experimenting with making dovetails with a slight tapper on them, then if the saddle works loose the slip retightens them, it works ok so far and would avoid dropped scopes,

[Stu]

I have been experimenting with making dovetails with a slight tapper on them, then if the saddle works loose the slip retightens them, it works ok so far and would avoid dropped scopes,

That sounds like an ingenious idea Lee

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