Anybody offering a service for adjusting refractor optics

[David Crane]

I have a TS PHOTOLINE Triplet FPL-53 80mm and we have a strong suspicion that the optics are the long standing cause of elongated stars of varying severity across the FOV. Please can you help , we need to get this checked out and if need be adjusted. We are over in Spain and desperately need advise/support , we have introduced a field flattener , ensured optictics are tight , filterwheels removed but keep coming back to the primary cell !. Can you advise/offer a service to check/repair ?? Regards David Crane

 

[Skipper Billy]

Es Reid is the guru in the UK but I dont know how to contact him sorry. Try FLO - they offer an Es Reid collimation checking service with Es so they must know how to contact him.

I think https://www.rothervalleyoptics.co.uk/ also offer a similar service (I havent used them but I am sure I read somewhere that they can do this.)

Good Luck!

[Skipper Billy]

Have you run your images through CCD Inspector - its very good at helping to identify what the issue is.

If you dont have the programme then email me a single unprocessed sub and I will run it through the programme and send you the results. My email address is on the 'Contact Me' page of my website.

[Adam J]

3 hours ago, Skipper Billy said:

Es Reid is the guru in the UK but I dont know how to contact him sorry. Try FLO - they offer an Es Reid collimation checking service with Es so they must know how to contact him.

I think https://www.rothervalleyoptics.co.uk/ also offer a similar service (I havent used them but I am sure I read somewhere that they can do this.)

Good Luck!

A friend tried that but FLO declined to forward his contact details. I think that either they have an exclusive deal or he is not doing work for private individuals. 

[nonlinear]

Telescopehouse used to offer scope alignment before they were taken over. Might be worth a call. Have you tried Teleskop-Service themselves?

[nonlinear]

Can you post an example? Preferably without the flattener or filter wheel. 

[Skyline]

Can you not go back to TS, I am sure they could offer a service?

[pete_l]

6 hours ago, David Crane said:

I have a TS PHOTOLINE Triplet FPL-53 80mm and we have a strong suspicion that the optics are the long standing cause of elongated stars of varying severity across the FOV.

Get in touch with TS. Send them some sample images and annotate them with your observations.
Presumably the scope is still under warranty. I have found them to be helpful and knowledgeable in the past.

Edited November 24, 2019 by pete_l

[David Crane]

Thanks everyone for the replies which I will follow up with my experienced colleague.

The problem is that I can't be sure the fits files I have are not taken with filters or the flattener so I'm waiting for a clearish night to be sure. I will probably take some with the camera rotated and the scope vertical as well.

I sent emails to TS about a year ago and they just tried to sell me a flattener.  I will try them again though.

I'll keep this post open for a while in case the clouds clear before christmas.

David

[David Crane]

Thanks Brown Dwarf.

I have had the scope more than two years. I too live in Spain but I'm in the UK at the moment but when I get back I will check the purchase date.

I'll contact them again as soon as I have some fresh data

Thanks

David

[Oldfort]

You could try Steve Colliningwood at https://sctelescopes.com/

 

I have used his services a couple of times and was happy with the results.

[nonlinear]

I spoke to Steve a couple of weeks ago due to a problem I had with mould and he said he wasn't working on scopes at the moment because he was too busy. 

[Davey-T]

2 hours ago, Oldfort said:

You could try Steve Colliningwood at https://sctelescopes.com/

 

I have used his services a couple of times and was happy with the results.

Spoke to Steve at the IAS and he's pretty much given up scope repairs and concentrating on suppling Pulsar domes with Gary.

Dave

[Oldfort]

7 hours ago, Davey-T said:

Spoke to Steve at the IAS and he's pretty much given up scope repairs and concentrating on suppling Pulsar domes with Gary.

 

That's a shame.  His website needs an update.

[FLO]

13 hours ago, Adam J said:

A friend tried that but FLO declined to forward his contact details. I think that either they have an exclusive deal or he is not doing work for private individuals. 

It was only that Es' has asked us to not share his contact details. 

18 hours ago, David Crane said:

I have a TS PHOTOLINE Triplet FPL-53 80mm and we have a strong suspicion that the optics are the long standing cause of elongated stars of varying severity across the FOV. Please can you help , we need to get this checked out and if need be adjusted. We are over in Spain and desperately need advise/support , we have introduced a field flattener , ensured optictics are tight , filterwheels removed but keep coming back to the primary cell !. Can you advise/offer a service to check/repair ?? Regards David Crane

 

Skyline and Pete_l are right, if you suspect your telescope's optics are faulty then you need to first discuss this with your supplier. 

Steve 

[newbie alert]

Maybe not the optics.i had been chasing flex in my William optics 80ed for years until the focuser broke..then the  only way to use it was to find focus, lock it up by wedging the draw tube then I had pinpoint stars.. so the draw tube had flex in it..

[joe aguiar]

ya I agree u should sent it back to TS who makes it and have them re align the lens if its a triplet that's not so easy to do perfect.

even if you have to pay for this service then I think u should

one time my meade lx6 drive base stopped working after 2 years, but I got it used and by then it was at least 10 years old. I had to pay meade to fix it they just replaced the whole drive base cost was $550

joejaguar