Jump to content

SkySurveyBanner.jpg.21855908fce40597655603b6c9af720d.jpg

I have just removed 55mm from my new Tak tube !! and.......


Recommended Posts

16 hours ago, 25585 said:

Clamshell when FLO sell 95mm rings now ? 

Rings when Tak offer a superb, beautiful, matching and superior clamshell? And the rings are red for goodness sake. What would possess anyone with a modicum of good taste to put red rings on a beautiful, elegant, white, blue and silver Tak tube assembly? It would be like putting Micra wheels on a Porche. :icon_puke_r::evil4:

Edited by mikeDnight
  • Like 2
  • Haha 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Same as others, surely he hasn't taken a hack saw to a new Tak I thought! Brilliant of Tak to have that focuser section removable :) 

Congrats by the way! She's a beaut! :) 

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, mikeDnight said:

Rings when Tak offer a superb, beautiful, matching and superior clamshell? And the rings are red for goodness sake. What would possess anyone with a modicum of good taste to put red rings on a beautiful, elegant, white, blue and silver Tak tube assembly? It would be like putting Micra wheels on a Porche. :icon_puke_r::evil4:

Have to agree Mike. :wacko:

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, mikeDnight said:

Rings when Tak offer a superb, beautiful, matching and superior clamshell? And the rings are red for goodness sake. What would possess anyone with a modicum of good taste to put red rings on a beautiful, elegant, white, blue and silver Tak tube assembly? It would be like putting Micra wheels on a Porche. :icon_puke_r::evil4:

I have not seen such a clamshell. Certainly not the bathroom green plumber's pipe clamp that came with my DL, or in the Takahashi catalogue. I have a couple of the former in my garage as garden hose conduits. 

But if your taste does not run to pretty Primaluce lovely red anodised hardware, there are bog standard black Parallax rings that Ian King sells, white Vixen rings that FLO does not sell, or very expensive silver rings from Japan you need to Google for. 

 

Edited by 25585
  • Like 2
  • Haha 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

26 minutes ago, 25585 said:

I have not seen such a clamshell. Certainly not the bathroom green plumber's pipe clamp that came with my DL, or in the Takahashi catalogue. I have a couple of the former in my garage as garden hose conduits. 

But if your taste does not run to pretty Primaluce lovely red anodised hardware, there are bog standard black Parallax rings that Ian King sells, white Vixen rings that FLO does not sell, or very expensive silver rings from Japan you need to Google for. 

 

If I were you I'd sell those green clamshells quickly and get more primuluce rings. Those long DL's need as much support as possible to prevent their lightweight, slimline tubes from drooping. :happy11:

  • Like 1
  • Haha 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, Stub Mandrel said:

Use oversize cable ties or a jubilee clip or two, they'll do the job just as well ?

Those are more for holding a homemade dewshield extension in place. Jubilee clips can scratch nice paintwork. Cable ties need cutting off & replacing each time so impractical. 

However users of the OE clamshell clamp, with its single bolt lock might wish to consider your suggestion as a secondary fastening, which 2 (or more) rings provides. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, mikeDnight said:

If I were you I'd sell those green clamshells quickly and get more primuluce rings. Those long DL's need as much support as possible to prevent their lightweight, slimline tubes from drooping. :happy11:

If only rings were sold singly. Anyone want to go 50/50 on a pair? Or maybe @FLO could split boxes. 

Dropping my Tak is a nightmare scenario which is why she is armoured-up. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've never known of a Tak clamshell springing open or the locking nut coming loose. I'm pretty certain it wold be headline news on the world's astro forums if they did. I'm pretty certain that the dovetail/mount interface is where the real danger lies and not with rings or clamshells.

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 minutes ago, 25585 said:

However users of the OE clamshell clamp, with its single bolt lock might wish to consider your suggestion as a secondary fastening, which 2 (or more) rings provides. 

What evidence or experience, either personal or from third party experience is there to back up this suggestion ?

There is no evidence of the Takahashi clamps / lock bolts being problematical, deficient, not up to the task, failing or poorly manufactured as far as I am aware :icon_scratch:

If you just don't like the ergonomics or aesthetics of the accessory then thats your choice of course but thats a bit different from veiled suggestions that they are inadequate, I feel.

 

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just now, John said:

What evidence or experience, either personal or from third party experience is there to back up this suggestion ?

There is no evidence of the Takahashi clamps / lock bolts being problematical, deficient, not up to the task, failing or poorly manufactured as far as I am aware :icon_scratch:

If you just don't like the ergonomics or aesthetics of the accessory then thats your cheoice of course but thats a bit different from veiled suggestions that they are inadequate I feel.

 

I simply feel that for securing anything valuable, one lock, however strong may not be enough because it is the only one. 

Whether by user, or mechanical error, or both, a failsafe secondary independent securing mechanism is never ever a bad idea. 

As for aesthetics, beautiful OTAs retained by a crude industrial device. Beauty & the beast. 

king_kong_movie_poster_concept_by_moviedragon009v2-d8aga2w.jpg

  • Confused 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

To anyone buying an FC-100 or any variety, please be assured that either the original clamshell or a couple or decent tube rings are perfectly adequate to hold what is a lightweight OTA.

I actually find it quite a challenge to loosen the locking screws enough for them to disengage, so it is very safe and easy to loosen them a little should you need to rotate or shift the scope.

I have never read of a scope jumping out of tube rings or a clamp, or falling off the end of an alt-az mount. There is no need to use the top clamp of a SkyTee mount, infact the end clamp is far more suitable.

So, if you wish to add expense and weight to your scopes with superfluous mounting hardware then by all means do, but please understand it is NOT necessary!

  • Like 2
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Peace of mind is what counts for happy carefree use. 

Whatever you personally feel is adequate to secure and protect your scope regardless of any other person's choice. It was your money that bought it!

Manufacturers provide what is the bare minimum. 1 cylindrical clamp with 1 bolt or 2 narrow rings with a bolt each. Adding to, upgrading, modifying is often done on other astro kit. There should be no stigma attached to an individual's choice. 

And that includes chopping off 55mm of OTA!

Edited by 25585
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Tak clamp is more then adequate and holds the tube as steady as a rock .....mind you I have just fixed an extra three legs to my old tripod just for peace of mind on those extra windy days ?? I am not sure if that makes it a Hexapod

Edited by Pig
  • Like 1
  • Haha 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

15 hours ago, 25585 said:

Peace of mind is what counts for happy carefree use. 

Whatever you personally feel is adequate to secure and protect your scope regardless of any other person's choice. It was your money that bought it!

Manufacturers provide what is the bare minimum. 1 cylindrical clamp with 1 bolt or 2 narrow rings with a bolt each. Adding to, upgrading, modifying is often done on other astro kit. There should be no stigma attached to an individual's choice. 

And that includes chopping off 55mm of OTA!

Peace of mind is fine, no problem with that, but I think it is best to set reasonable expectations with those who might be new to this about what is reasonable and what is quite frankly belt, braces and gaffa tape too! If you are an over cautious person that is fine, but two tube rings are perfectly adequate and new starters need to know that.

The issue of using the top bracket of the SkyTee2 mount is quite frankly poor advice. The end mount point on the main axis is the best place for your heaviest scope, it is designed to cope with the rates weight and the fact that you are mounting in line with the centre of mass means things are much more easily balanced.

  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Stu said:

Peace of mind is fine, no problem with that, but I think it is best to set reasonable expectations with those who might be new to this about what is reasonable and what is quite frankly belt, braces and gaffa tape too! If you are an over cautious person that is fine, but two tube rings are perfectly adequate and new starters need to know that.

The issue of using the top bracket of the SkyTee2 mount is quite frankly poor advice. The end mount point on the main axis is the best place for your heaviest scope, it is designed to cope with the rates weight and the fact that you are mounting in line with the centre of mass means things are much more easily balanced.

No gaffa or any other tape. Just 2-extra-rings, for an expensive long OTA. DLs now cost a lot more than they started off doing, and always more than the F7.5 models. Irreplacable funds as well as common sense dictate adequate security & protection of my outlay. 

My heavier scope, the 120 Equinox does indeed go on the side. Balances out nicely thanks. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 hours ago, 25585 said:

No gaffa or any other tape. Just 2-extra-rings, for an expensive long OTA. DLs now cost a lot more than they started off doing, and always more than the F7.5 models. Irreplacable funds as well as common sense dictate adequate security & protection of my outlay. 

My heavier scope, the 120 Equinox does indeed go on the side. Balances out nicely thanks. 

Richard, I don't think anybody is arguing about your own choices (e.g. 4 rings vs 2 rings). The issue is that this is a public forum, meaning that even unregistered people can read our comments, and there is a wide spectrum of expertise among readers. It would always be wise to state that something you report is based on your opinion, rather than making a general statement. And of course, backing an opinion with facts or some form of evidence is always a good thing. This is important for keeping high quality standards within this astro forum, and most importantly to help inexperienced users select their equipment. 

Regarding the 4 rings on your scope, personally, I can understand your safety concerns and care very little about the added red colour to a white/blue/green scope. It is your scope and it is up to you what to do with it. Said this, in terms of safety or functionality, claiming generically that the Tak clamshell provides an unsafe manner to hold an instrument, simply because your perception tells you that 1 bold is not sufficient, is wrong information, and there is really no evidence supporting that.

Rings can have other advantages, for example they can reduce weight and can be less bulky. One can provide measurements for this. On the other hand clamshells offer the advantage to slide the telescope tube rather than the bar. 

Edited by Piero
  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well then, for sliding, an alternative is the ADM saddle for Tak clamps that @FLO sell. 

Fitted by 2 bolts to the bottom of a clamshell, the saddle slides fastens & can slide when slightly loosened, along the ridged side of a dovetail bar. How much depends on the length of bar, which would need to be attached to a mount flat side facing. 

Photos of my clamshell on a saddle below. 

IMG_20180502_132332_edit1.jpg

IMG_20180502_131319.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, 25585 said:

No gaffa or any other tape

Incase it passed you by, that was a reference to the fact that belt and braces is already too much.....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Piero said:

adequate security & protection of my outlay. 

I’m sorry Richard, I can’t let that stand. The standard practise of two rings or a clamshell is perfectly adequate for a lightweight OTA such as the DL. Your setup may make you feel safer, but please accept that it is entirely unnecessary. I know of no one else who does this, and we cannot have this accepted as necessary practise, it is not.

I totally accept your right to do whatever you like with your kit, whatever you need to feel safe with it, but as Piero states with far more eloquence than me, please do not represent the standard practises as unsafe, they are not.

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, 25585 said:

Well then, for sliding, an alternative is the ADM saddle for Tak clamps that @FLO sell. 

Fitted by 2 bolts to the bottom of a clamshell, the saddle slides fastens & can slide when slightly loosened, along the ridged side of a dovetail bar. How much depends on the length of bar, which would need to be attached to a mount flat side facing. 

Photos of my clamshell on a saddle below. 

IMG_20180502_132332_edit1.jpg

IMG_20180502_131319.jpg

This defies all logic. The clamshell may be attached to the clamp by two bolts, but if you undo the clamp slightly too much the scope will just drop off the dovetail or the scope will slide down and off the dovetail.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

58 minutes ago, Stu said:

The clamshell may be attached to the clamp by two bolts, but if you undo the clamp slightly too much the scope will just drop off the dovetail or the scope will slide down and off the dovetail.

Stick a screw or two in each end of the dovetail as an emergency stop, just like Skywatcher do.

Dovetail disasters are vastly more likely than ring/clamshell failure.

I'm sure the plastic clamshell on my 70/700 is more than adequate... its (metal) dovetail has cast in cutouts so loosening the clamp screw doesn't cause it to fall out. Good design for a cheap as chips scope!

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Looking at my Tele Vue Genesis, it is in a clamshell ring. But that ring is held closed by 2 Allen bolts. The tube secure in that clamshell is attached to TV's Panoramic mount by 2 wing head bolts. In that case I feel one clamshell is fine. 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue. By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.