Rattling noise inside my SW Esprit 80ED!

[Viktiste]

Whoa....

It looks like a clear night ahead, so I am preparing to test my new 2" 2x TeleVue Powermate on my Esprit 80 ED. The Powermate pushes the camera assembly back quite a bit, so I had to balance the scope on the mount again. While moving from side to side on the DEC axis I noticed a disturbing sound, kind of like a small rock or piece of metal moving up and down! After an initial small panic (imagining a destroyed lens), I calmed down and  removed the camera, flattener and the focuser assembly.

This little plastic/teflon piece drops out of the focuser asssembly:

It becomes clear it is a spacer that has become loose, luckily it could not hit the lens. It was supposed to sit where the arrow indicates:

 

Teflon piece securely back in place:

 

Fastened with these grub screws:

 

 

Phew.... I was worried for a bit there !!

 

 

 

[Viktiste]

While the focuser assembly was detached I took the opportunity to have a closer look at the lens in the scope:

 

 

It is pretty dusty. Should I attempt to do something about that and if so what? or just leave it?

 

 

 

 

[scotty38]

Enough trauma for one day so I'd leave it be for now 🙂