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OO Europa 6" F5


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Not bad for 40 quid... but i really need to stop buying toys lol

Mirrors are in excellent condition after a good clean, just need to centre dot it for collimation. The mount is a bit naff but fortunately I've got a Vixen GP i can plonk it on that i use with my Tal 100R.

Anyway,  has anyone ever replaced the focuser on one of these? not really sure if I need to as this is just for messing about while my 10" is imaging but a better one would be somewhat desirable...

 

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Edited by Dave_D
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Bargain @ the price.

 

Don't write the mount off..... Hopefully someone else will chip in, but i believe this was the Vixen version of Skywatcher 3/2. (strictly that should be the other way round)

Much as i like the  eq5 & eq3/2, comparing  eq5  against the Vixen Gp.... kinda Asda smart price vs  Morrisons 'the best'. 😉

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Great buy for little money👍
 

What’s wrong with the focuser?   Up to you of course but a bit of fettling may sort it, strip and clean, small amounts of lubricant, reassemble and adjust, could be all it needs, worth a try.

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On 25/06/2022 at 23:55, Dave_D said:

Not bad for 40 quid... but i really need to stop buying toys lol

Mirrors are in excellent condition after a good clean, just need to centre dot it for collimation. The mount is a bit naff but fortunately I've got a Vixen GP i can plonk it on that i use with my Tal 100R.

Anyway,  has anyone ever replaced the focuser on one of these? not really sure if I need to as this is just for messing about while my 10" is imaging but a better one would be somewhat desirable...

 

DSC_0881.JPG

I recently bought the Europa 250, amazingly sold on the same mount. LOL  The 250 has the same 1.25" focuser, which works okay but I really want to replace it. I have the replacement focuser, a 2" Skywatcher crayford but haven't plucked up the courage to cut the tube. Especially as the new focuser would also require cutting the strengthening plate that the finder sits on. A friend with a Dremel has said he will do it but not happened yet.

I also need to centre spot the primary. 

How have you found the optics?  Mine are superb. A real surprise. I guess the Europa was only their 1/4 wave optics but views are stunning. If only it wasn't such a pain to use on the EQ. 

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19 hours ago, russ said:

How have you found the optics?  Mine are superb. A real surprise. I guess the Europa was only their 1/4 wave optics but views are stunning. If only it wasn't such a pain to use on the EQ. 

 

Generally they're good after a good cleaning, dotting and collimation. I'd say slightly inferior than my OO GX250 which is 1/6 wave i think, but as i have a bit of astigmatism, bright stars are a bit 'spikey'

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On 26/06/2022 at 21:29, SiriusB said:

Don't write the mount off..... Hopefully someone else will chip in, but i believe this was the Vixen version of Skywatcher 3/2. (strictly that should be the other way round)

Yeah it's tolerable but i've got the OTA on my 'frankenstein mount' now. Vixen GP head on the wooden tripod from my Tal 100R. It's miles better than that alu tripod so it's win-win

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2 minutes ago, Dave_D said:

 

Generally they're good after a good cleaning, dotting and collimation. I'd say slightly inferior than my OO GX250 which is 1/6 wave i think, but as i have a bit of astigmatism, bright stars are a bit 'spikey'

I have an astigmatism too. Replacing my eyepieces with a TV DeLites so I can add a Dioptrix Adaptor to correct the astigmatism.

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2 minutes ago, russ said:

I have an astigmatism too. Replacing my eyepieces with a TV DeLites so I can add a Dioptrix Adaptor to correct the astigmatism.

interesting... is that astigmatism in the optics or your eyes? mine's my eyes

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2 minutes ago, Dave_D said:

interesting... is that astigmatism in the optics or your eyes? mine's my eyes

In my eyes. I just need to visit Spec Savers again so i know what strength dioptrix to order.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Got bored with the naff 1.25" focuser, making my own 2"... couple of hours in sketchup and openscad and it's looking quite good so far if i say so myself  😆

nearly done...

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Picking up on previous comments om Astigmatism in your eyes,
Only at a certain exit pupil does the astigmatism show in the view, the bigger the exit pupil the worse it looks.
TeleVue have a chart to show this.

Tele Vue DIOPTRX™ Astigmatism Corrector - Widescreen Centre

I have astigmatism at 0.75 in one eye and 1.00 in the other,
so 2mm and above exit pupil and I get funky off shaped stars,
doubles cannot be seen at some exit pupils without corrective lenses.
I wear my glasses, have an observing pair for the job.

 

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Ended up with a 3D printed spider as well lololol  the original single vane spider was way off centre. Old Orion Optics scopes tend to be as 'agricultural' as old Tal scopes 😆

Anyways, collimation is now a doddle and the focuser, even though not finished, works surprisingly well. Until I can machine a flat on the drawtube and made the focus knobs, I've added some strips cut from the feet you put on the bottom of furniture so it doesn't scratch laminate floor. This also works way better than I expected. 

At some point, I'll take the focuser off and use the inner hole of the mounting plate as a guide with my nibbler to increase the hole in the tube as it's 'a bit wonky' but for the moment, the scope is quite useable.

Also been pondering doing away with the original tube and going for a fully 3D printed OTA, only problem is some parts may be slightly too big for my Ender3, which is a shame as it's dialled in very accurately, may have to invest in a new printer for that...

Odd that the pic of the spider makes the vanes look 'off square'... they certainly aren't, it's cause they taper in towards the centre.

 

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Edited by Dave_D
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