Skywatcher-heritage 130p....spider vein fitted wrongly?

[BeerMe]

I've been watching videos and stuff on collimation and I noticed that when I look in the focuser, although the secondary mirror shows perfectly round, it is way off centre (below) by quite some distance.  I had noticed earlier that the spider vein holding the secondary mirror seemed to be coming down at a strange angle which means the secondary is slightly off centre in relation to the tube opening.

 

There is a small nut at the top of the vein which joins it to the tube opening, and the vein coming out of the nut looks as if it is on the wrong thread, causing the weird angle.  Is this normal with these telescopes?

 

When I unwind the vein, the but also starts to unwind from the tube opening, so im not sure if I should take it off and see if the nut will screw on to the correct thread?

 

I've attached a couple of pics to see if itmakes sense...

[Skipper Billy]

Can't see the photos ?

[BeerMe]

Hmm it won't let me link from photobucket...2 minutes 

[Cornelius Varley]

The threaded rod is bent where it enters the top ring.

[Cornelius Varley]

It might be easier to upload them directly to the forum rather than use Photobucket.

[BeerMe]

2 minutes ago, Cornelius Varley said:

The threaded rod is bent where it enters the top ring.

That's what I think...on close inspection it looks like the wrong thread.

 

I guess as long as im careful, it will be worth trying to unscrew it and see if it will go in the correct thread?

[BeerMe]

It is one long thread that comes out with a nut on it and the thread is bent at about a 15 degree angle halfway up.

 

I assume the rod is goosed and needs replaced?

[Grant]

Fixed the image link for you

That looks very wrong to me - if you've just brought it, I would contact your supplier and get it replaced.

[ronl]

If I were you I would send it back and ask for a replacement, contact the seller, they have to replace it.

[Skipper Billy]

Aye thats had a dunt - needs replacing.

[BeerMe]

Thanks guys thats what I thought.  I'll phone the shop first thing in the morning and hopefully they agree to just send me out a new secondary mirror setup, rather than having the hassle of returning the whole scope.

 

Bit gutted, but it explains some issues I was having.

[LukeSkywatcher]

33 minutes ago, BeerMe said:

Thanks guys thats what I thought.  I'll phone the shop first thing in the morning and hopefully they agree to just send me out a new secondary mirror setup, rather than having the hassle of returning the whole scope.

 

Bit gutted, but it explains some issues I was having.

Send the whole scope back and get a new replacement. The screw is certainly bent.

[Torin]

If it's had a bash enough to do that much damage then my advice is swap the whole scope. Otherwise there will be a question mark on the rest of the scope. It's a good scope, so sorry it has begun like this!

[laudropb]

Return the whole scope. You do not know what other damage has been done.

[BeerMe]

Spoke to the shop this morning.  They are sending me a replacement scope that will be here tomorrow, and picking up the faulty one at the same time.  Happy with that

[happy-kat]

That is brilliant a quick exchange.

[laudropb]

Very good. I hope you will soon be out under a starry sky.

[Astro Imp]

Great result and good luck with the replacement.

[BeerMe]

Thanks everyone, should get it in time for a few hours of clear skies forecast for tomorrow night in Lanarkshire

[ronl]

That's a good result, fingers crossed this one is Ok.

Hope the forecast is right, have an enjoyable night.

[malnuman]

seeing your pic I just went and looked at my Heritage 130,   my bar is dead straight, so yours must of took a good whack at some point.. glad your getting a new one tomoz, great service from the supplier..   good luck with the weather, I am planning on taking mine out tomoz for the 1st time, so lets hope the midlands has a few clear hours also

[BeerMe]

I'm not convinced that the scope itself has took a knock.  I don't know how they are manufactured, but it looks like the rod itself has been bent while not attached to the tube.  The rod is fairly rigid and it is in an enclosed part of the tube so I just can't see how it would have took any kind of knock in transit, that wouldn't have caused hefty damage to another part of the scope.  Especially the part of the tube that the rod screws in to.

Either way, I'm happy they are sending me out a replacement that's due to arrive on the same day the original was due to be here.  Can't fault that for service