Celestron 127 20mm erect eyepiece wobbles in focuser/no way to secure

[FatDragonDaddy]

Hello,

This is my first post. 

I bought a used Celestron 127. It's in great shape, and included all the accessories.

The telescope was put together already.

My only problem is erecting 20mm eyepiece wobbles/there's no way to secure the eyepiece inside the focuser.

I've looked through the manual and checked online, however I can't tell if this is normal or not.

Photos of what I mean

I only found one post on another site where someone was looking for a part. I took a screenshot. I have all the pieces in the picture.

The second picture I took of the inside of the focuser.

The knobs on the focuser do not seem to do anything.

Am I missing a part?

I thought maybe someone here might know. I haven't had much luck.

Thank You!

 

[Zermelo]

Hello, and welcome to SGL.

It looks like you have the same problem as in that other post you found - it's missing the draw tube (which has the rack attached, onto which the pinion locates).

You don't say where you got the scope, but I would go back to the vendor - it's not usable. If there's no luck there, and you want to keep the scope, I'm not sure you could source just the draw tube; you'd probably need to replace the whole focuser. If you get a like-for-like that's not a difficult job. Or you could upgrade to a better version - more money, and also you'd need to be careful about the fit - yours has three mounting screws, and most replacements I've seen have four, which would require some DIY.

[FatDragonDaddy]

Omgosh, this is incredibly helpful.

I only paid $75 on FB Marketplace. I don't mind buying a new focuser piece, if that's what it takes.

Do you happen to know where to look?

I feel much better knowing I wasn't doing something wrong.

[Pixies]

If it's a 127, it's likely a Bird-Jones design. There should be a corrector lens at the bottom of the draw tube. You can see it in one of the pictures you  sent:

 

That silver/chrome tube is the draw-tube. The threaded EP clamp you are holding should be attached to it:

 

 

You are going to have to get the draw tube back up and out of the focuser body. Can you get to it from inside the scope tube? If not, unscrew the focuser from the tube, lift you whole thing out, then push the draw-tube back out, until it engages with the rack and then use the knobs to bring it fully out. The eyepiece clamp should then screw back on.

[DaveL59]

I may be misreading the pic but is it possible that the inner drawtube had been cranked in way too far and is now past the point where the pinion drive can pick it up. Indicated in red is what I'm seeing from your pic

If that is the drawtube then you might be able to encourage it up the focuser tube and gently turn the focuser wheel to get it back to the top. How it could have found its way that far tho is another issue as I thought there was a stop to prevent this happening. If that's broken away then you may want to obtain a replacement in any case.

[Pixies]

3 minutes ago, DaveL59 said:

I may be misreading the pic but is it possible that the inner drawtube had been cranked in way too far and is now past the point where the pinion drive can pick it up. Indicated in red is what I'm seeing from your pic

If that is the drawtube then you might be able to encourage it up the focuser tube and gently turn the focuser wheel to get it back to the top. How it could have found its way that far tho is another issue as I thought there was a stop to prevent this happening. If that's broken away then you may want to obtain a replacement in any case.

Yep. That's how I interpreted the picture. The EP eyepiece clamp should then screw onto the end of the draw tube.

[Zermelo]

I'm a few minutes behind you, @Pixies, I've just seen the Powerseeker on the label and yes, it's a Jones-Bird. So that internal lens is of course critical, and it wouldn't work with a different focuser. But if the draw tube has slipped inside and can be retrieved, no problem.

Was this the thread where you found that picture? Seems to be a useful write-up:

https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/502410-celestron-powerseeker-127eq-rebuild/

 

[Louis D]

16 minutes ago, DaveL59 said:

How it could have found its way that far tho is another issue as I thought there was a stop to prevent this happening.

Probably the job of the thread-on eyepiece holder that was removed.  Why someone would have unscrewed it all the way off is the real question.  Maybe the previous owner's kid did it?

[FatDragonDaddy]

2 hours ago, Zermelo said:

I'm a few minutes behind you, @Pixies, I've just seen the Powerseeker on the label and yes, it's a Jones-Bird. So that internal lens is of course critical, and it wouldn't work with a different focuser. But if the draw tube has slipped inside and can be retrieved, no problem.

Was this the thread where you found that picture? Seems to be a useful write-up:

https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/502410-celestron-powerseeker-127eq-rebuild/

 

It was on cloudynights.com, but I didn't see this article! This is fantastic, tysm!

[FatDragonDaddy]

2 hours ago, Louis D said:

Probably the job of the thread-on eyepiece holder that was removed.  Why someone would have unscrewed it all the way off is the real question.  Maybe the previous owner's kid did it?

It might be the case. I don't know them personally. I just bought it through FB Marketplace. I am perfectly okay with the idea of fixing it though. For $75, I won't complain. The article above had a great guideline I am going to try :- D

ty again to everyone. I was legit baffled what I was doing wrong. I couldn't find anything in the manual or on YouTube or through searches. I even asked on Reddit. So glad I could find help here!

[Pixies]

Oh - and welcome to SGL!

Whereabouts are you?

[FatDragonDaddy]

5 hours ago, Pixies said:

Oh - and welcome to SGL!

Whereabouts are you?

Ty! I'm in Cincinnati, OH, USA.

Also, I was able to gently pull the draw tube back into place. I still ordered the supplies in the cloudynights.com article just in case it starts to slip. 

I can't thank you guys enough. I know the Celestron 127 doesn't have the best track record, but it's all I can afford at the moment. I was thrilled at the $75 price, even if that meant me doing some MacGyvering on it.

[DaveL59]

7 hours ago, FatDragonDaddy said:

Ty! I'm in Cincinnati, OH, USA.

Also, I was able to gently pull the draw tube back into place. I still ordered the supplies in the cloudynights.com article just in case it starts to slip. 

I can't thank you guys enough. I know the Celestron 127 doesn't have the best track record, but it's all I can afford at the moment. I was thrilled at the $75 price, even if that meant me doing some MacGyvering on it.

Glad you got it sorted 🙂

If you do find the focuser slips with an eyepiece (esp if you go buy new heavier ones) then you can adjust the tension with the 2 screws on the plate circled in green

You can also slacken if they are currently too tight and causing the focuser to be hard to turn. The metal spring plate behind that U bracket is what those screws are acting against to determine the tension.

If you find the drawtube rocks to/fro you can improve this also with either a thin felt tape or teflon tape as used in heat sealing on commercial production lines like this one
PTFE Teflon Tape Self Adhesive High Temperature + 260 ℃ Low Friction for Vacuum Hand and Impulse Sealers 13mm x 10m 2 Rolls : Amazon.co.uk: DIY & Tools

You'd need to withdraw the drawtube completely, remove any grease on the inside of the focuser body and then apply the tape to close up the gap and reduce free play. Best to apply 2 strips opposite the rack/pinion say 30-40 degrees either side of centre.

 

Edited June 30, 2022 by DaveL59

[Pixies]

One thing to note. These types of scope get a lot of bad reviews, as you have already alluded too. Indeed, there are some real turkeys around, as their quality control can be a bit erratic. However, in their role as an accessible starter-level scope, they are OK and at the price you paid, a reasonable bargain. It'll be great for targets like the moon. If you get the bug (and you probably will), you'll be upgrading after a little while. And then it'll have done it's job and you can pass it one to someone else.

I assume it is the EQ mounted version of the Powerseeker 127. Here's a useful video that covers all the required starter info about setting up and aligning the scope. Bear in mind, around 9minutes in, when discussing polar alignment, he says 'longitude' but means 'lattitude' - i.e., your position North-South. For Cincinnati, that's 39° North.

 

However, as you have already mentioned, one of your eyepieces is the Celestron 20mm erect image eyepiece. This is an abomination! It might be one of the worst eyepieces available to mankind. I can think of a few uses it might have, but none involve being near a telescope. You won't have to spend much to get a simple eyepiece that will be vastly superior. @Louis D can recommend a suitable eyepiece available in the US. This new eyepiece can then be transferred to any other scope you get in the future.

 

 

Edited June 30, 2022 by Pixies