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Hi all,

My Astrocap Dew Shield arrived today which I mainly wanted to block out stray light from security lights on and off. I am very pleased with it and it should shield the scope nicely. I ordered the "7" & 8" mak / SCT / CPC"  model and it fits very nicely around the 200p

Current modification's to the scope are as follow:-

Fully flocked

Right angle finderscope

rigel quick finder

secondary mirror collimating knobs.

Ikea white sofa legs which has raised the scope around an additional 2 - 3" in height.

 

Modifications I would like to make in the near future as follow:-

Moonlite focuser  (The most painful cost 🙂 )

primary mirror collimating knobs

Wixey for altitude

18mm BST Eye piece to complete my initial set - Before one day moving up to more refined eye pieces...

Solar film for the lens cover.

 

I would be interested to hear any feedback regarding the items i would like to purchase next from members with experience with them. Also any new suggestions to make the observing experience more enjoyable would be appreciated.

 

Pic of current set up attached.

 

Regards

 

Baz

 

 

 

 

 

 

DSC_0371.JPG

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Hi Baz,

 I can help with the collimating screws as I have the same scope. The primary mirror screws are M5 x 25mm knurled clamping knobs and the secondary screws are M4 x30mm computer case thumb screws. They are available on eBay and do not cost a lot and they are perfect for the job.

Maurice.

 

Edited by banjaxed
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20 minutes ago, banjaxed said:

Hi Baz,

 I can help with the collimating screws as I have the same scope. The primary mirror screws are M5 x 25mm knurled clamping knobs and the secondary screws are M4 x30mm computer case thumb screws. They are available on eBay and do not cost a lot and they are perfect for the job.

Maurice.

 

Hi Maurice

 

Thanks for the advice with the collimating screws. I will certainly check these out! I assume the M5 X 25 for the mirror adjustment?  What did you use for the locking knobs?

 

Regards

Baz

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11 minutes ago, banjaxed said:

No need to change the locking screws as they are only there to lock the collimating screws. By the way I needed to cut about 3/4 mm off the screws as they were a tad too long.

Excellent, I have had a look on Ebay and can get 3no Either 20mm or 25mm for about £4 - as you had to cut the 25mm do you think I would be better off with the 20mm

Thanks Maurice!

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If, I say if, as it is now 2020,  the primary-cell uses rubber-grommets for the springs, three of them at least, then you might want to replace those with heavy-duty, metal springs.  The rubber will fail over time, and then you'll have to replace them anyway...

1482314692_rubbertometalsprings.jpg.56a7d99098943057026542e5a3bfbf3d.jpg

1533590941_rubbertometalsprings2.jpg.0f2265a7b52447c0a56acd5dcf866929.jpg

The tension is then much improved, and makes collimating that much easier.  

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1 minute ago, Alan64 said:

If, I say if, as it is now 2020,  the primary-cell uses rubber-grommets for the springs, three of them at least, then you might want to replace those with heavy-duty, metal springs.  The rubber will fail over time, and then you'll have to replace them anyway...

1482314692_rubbertometalsprings.jpg.56a7d99098943057026542e5a3bfbf3d.jpg

1533590941_rubbertometalsprings2.jpg.0f2265a7b52447c0a56acd5dcf866929.jpg

The tension is then much improved, and makes collimating that much easier.  

Thanks Again Alan, You truly are the collimation king 🙂

I am not sure what type of set up the primary cell uses to be honest. I would have to check. This is something to consider doing though

Baz

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1 minute ago, Barry-W-Fenner said:

Thanks Again Alan, You truly are the collimation king 🙂

I am not sure what type of set up the primary cell uses to be honest. I would have to check. This is something to consider doing though

Baz

The grommets, and the springs, go over the adjustment-screws, not the locking-screws.  I had forgotten to mention that.  Just shine a light between the components of the cell...

primary2c.jpg.970713864e0fd3b90b7e9fd1d707f71d.jpg

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scope looks good

the only thing I do but I may be picky but its manilly for looks is paint the dewcap whatever colour the scope is. maybe its just me not sure anyone else does that

so its its white I spray paint it white/orange spray paint it orange/blue = blue etc

joejaguar

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29 minutes ago, joe aguiar said:

scope looks good

the only thing I do but I may be picky but its manilly for looks is paint the dewcap whatever colour the scope is. maybe its just me not sure anyone else does that

so its its white I spray paint it white/orange spray paint it orange/blue = blue etc

joejaguar

I see where you are coming from but the Astrozap dew shields are flexible (I use them on my refractors). Paint is likely to crack and flake off and could even fall onto the optics. I would stick with it the colour it is in all honesty.

Personally I think Baz's scope is ready to roll. I'd be getting out under the stars as often as possible with it :smiley:

 

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Just now, John said:

I see where you are coming from but the Astrozap dew shields are flexible (I use them on my refractors). Paint is likely to crack and flake off and could even fall onto the optics. I would stick with it the colour it is in all honesty.

Personally I think Baz's scope is ready to roll. I'd be getting out under the stars as often as possible with it :smiley:

 

sorry I didn't say I spray paint not paint with regular paint and paint brush or roller so it has never flacked off even years later. 

also never the inside BUT only the outside

joejaguar

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20 minutes ago, joe aguiar said:

sorry I didn't say I spray paint not paint with regular paint and paint brush or roller so it has never flacked off even years later. 

also never the inside BUT only the outside

joejaguar

But why even bother ?

The scope is used in the dark so the colours don't show. The dew shield will be devalued if Baz ever wants to sell it on. The Astrozap dew shield works great just as it is and a colour change won't make any difference at all.

I guess I just dont see it as any sort of priority :dontknow:

 

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8 minutes ago, John said:

But why even bother ?

The scope is used in the dark so the colours don't show. The dew shield will be devalued if Baz even wants to sell it. The dew shield works great just as it is and a colour change won't make any difference at all.

I guess I just dont see it as any sort of priority :dontknow:

 

cause it matches the scope it like matching clothes.

do you remember when compamies like meade had those hard dewcaps they matched the ota

also I keep almost all my scopes in side living or bedroom so they are like show pieces too. Since it clear only average 1 to 2 days a week most of our gear just sits may as well make it look good least to me.

I cant see it loseing money a plastic dewcap is 30 to 50, how does having a white dewcap lose money being white. From what I see when u sell the scope u either sell the accessiors separlly anyway or raise the price abit and just include them.

I have seen where people have re painted the refractor OTA then I agree I probally ask for a discount in that case cause I don't want a purple refractor. This is more perm

I guess its same way some people like me like to have whole sets of eps, where some have 1 ep from a name brand, then another ep from another (bascailly none matching ep set) and that's ok if they like it that way too. Me on the other hand I like my dewcap to look like the hard dewcaps that were the same colour

joejaguar

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Hello

If you have not already got a copy then " Turn left at Orion" a great book to get you going on observing

But best of all and free, apart from petrol. Get yourself to a nice true dark site location. Those faint fuzzies will pop and open up the Sky's to another level compared to light polluted Sky's

Good luck

 

 

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Baz

First of all welcome from Land Down Under

The trick with solar viewing

The hard plastic cover has a removable cap, and the cap fits over the other non-removable detent for storage

On the underside of the hard cover, just sticky tape some baader visual solar film

I have also made up a cap for the finderscope, using plastic cap off an aerosol can, and cardboard tubing

John

 

Baader cover finderscope.jpg

Baader cover finderscope 2.jpg

Lid Dob Baader Film.jpg

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7 hours ago, joe aguiar said:

cause it matches the scope it like matching clothes.

Refractors have always, usually, been the only telescopes with rigid dew-shields pre-installed...

1351435868_dewshield.jpg.bffcae03cb8ec9f6f3e07dd2d6335689.jpg

...but then, the colour is not always matched to that of the telescope's tube...

092316c.jpg.e2250c7f792e1b5a49c6b023a0dd5a57.jpg

Then, you have the rigid dew-shields provided with this iOptron Maksutov-Cassegrain, and this Explore Scientific Maksutov-Newtonian...

https://i.imgur.com/aRJPoIj.jpg

Those match the tube.

You rarely if ever remove a dew-shield from a refractor however.  Then, Astrozap offers rigid dew-shields in Meade and Celestron colours...

 alum-group_400x280.jpg?v=1522481071

A rigid dew-shield can be made easily enough, with aluminum-sheet and pop-rivets, lined with a black absorptive material, then painted whatever and whichever colour or colours you'd like.

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