How tough is a Mak

[Bigwings]

A while ago I confessed to having dropped my Skymax 150 with this result. 

Today I gave it a bandage to it poorly eye😢

in

 

In an optimistic fit of madness I mounted it and had a look. Focused on the most distant tree. It focused but not perfect. That could be because the trees are not that far away. 

Tonight will try a star test. Perhaps I have lost a great scope. Perhaps I have just lost some apature. 

Time will tell. 

Clear Skies

Mike

Edited July 16, 2022 by Bigwings
Typo

[Mr Magoo]

Ouch, that looks quite scary. But not lost. The corrector plate at the front of your Mak can be replaced. I doubt that it will be of much use as it is. I would be contacting Sky-Watcher to see about a replacement. You certainly won't be the first.

I have two Maks, I've dismantled the front end, removed the corrector plate and carried out a few cosmetic changes to the tube. It's not  a difficult task. Collimation takes place at the other end, that can be quite tricky, so you've broken the easy end.

Edited July 16, 2022 by Mr Magoo

[DaveL59]

Can't say how that'll perform but I have a vintage 3-inch with a spalled lens which I used black paint to cover the damaged area. Still a very usable scope tho its lost a little aperture so fingers crossed for you that it all works 🙂 

Edited July 16, 2022 by DaveL59

[CraigT82]

I’d be tempted to try black paint with a curved edge… that straight edge of the tape is going to give you a  whopping diff spike I think 

[Roy Challen]

Oh, I thought this was going to be a thread about how a mak would cope with being thrown in a suitcase for foreign travel. To which the answer would be 'very well'.

But in this case, I would go with Mr.Magoo's suggestion of replacing the corrector.

[Louis D]

Worst case if this doesn't work out and replacement parts aren't available from SW, try putting an off-axis aperture mask on the other side (or wherever the remaining optics are best) and you'll have an unobstructed system.  Sure, it will be heavy and bulky for the aperture, but still usable.

[NGC 1502]

Good call from Louis D.

[Peter Drew]

I'm betting that you will be pleasantly surprised by the remaining result.     🙂

[dweller25]

As @DaveL59 said, and as @Peter Drew said 👍🙂

[catburglar]

Is anybody still eager /intrigued to find out how this turned out? Or is it just me😁?

[NGC 1502]

4 minutes ago, catburglar said:

Is anybody still eager /intrigued to find out how this turned out? Or is it just me😁?

Yep, I’d like to know too🤔

[Alan White]

29 minutes ago, catburglar said:

Is anybody still eager /intrigued to find out how this turned out? Or is it just me😁?

22 minutes ago, NGC 1502 said:

Yep, I’d like to know too🤔

Yes me too.

[Marvin Jenkins]

Longest 18 minutes of my life and still no answer🤣

[Paul M]

Wowzer! Now that's a ding 🥴

Maybe you'll just get interesting diffration spikes on bright objects? If you see a degredation of peformance you could try 🤪 :

 

[Bigwings]

Still waiting for a clear sky but think It's likely that it's beond economical repair unless I can find someone with a damaged scope with an intact corrector plate. 

Getting a replacement at the moment doesn't look good. 

😭😭

[Steve Ward]

Probably a silly question , but is it not covered on your house/contents insurance ... ?

[Bigwings]

Not a silly question. If you take the excess of £250 and consider the increase in premium its getting close to the price of a second hand one. Still we don't know what other problems may be present 

 The focuser sometimes feels a little rough. 

[DaveL59]

9 hours ago, Bigwings said:

Not a silly question. If you take the excess of £250 and consider the increase in premium its getting close to the price of a second hand one. Still we don't know what other problems may be present 

 The focuser sometimes feels a little rough. 

That's the thing many forget or don't realise when they make a claim, you're also then stymied if you look for an alternative quote at renewal time as you have to declare prior claims and that'll afflict the price offered. Sometimes its better to swallow the bitter pill and bear the cost yourself rather than be paying forward for several years and come out about even or worse at the end.

[Louis D]

I save homeowners insurance claims mostly for storm or water damage from sewer backups (dang neighbor tree roots).  These claims often exceed $5000 each.

[SthBohemia]

On 25/07/2022 at 11:33, DaveL59 said:

and come out about even or worse at the end.

Never been bothered with optional insurance as it is a scheme to make insurers rich 😞 Simply not worth it when the mongrels simply don't pay up...

[DaveL59]

14 minutes ago, SthBohemia said:

Never been bothered with optional insurance as it is a scheme to make insurers rich 😞 Simply not worth it when the mongrels simply don't pay up...

Having been burgled twice I'll always insure and will list high risk items like camera, lenses etc but it'll usually fall below individual item limits, well to be determined if I ever need to claim the camera body plus lens(es) if they get robbed while out and about. You can almost bet the insurer will try and say single item... hopefully will never need to test that out 🙂

Wonder how many actually take out these optional phone insurances tho, mine is covered by the home insurance so I don't see the point of paying again for it. Given the replacement cost I'd likely just get another on contract or outright purchase before an insurer would pay out anyway.

[SthBohemia]

14 minutes ago, DaveL59 said:

Having been burgled twice

^ that's not pleasant.... Thought UK transported all crooks to Oz-trail-iya. Maybe I look 2 poor (I am)and the place 2 much of a dump (it is) to bother robbing 🙂 Plus don't have much worth pinching!!

[DaveL59]

7 minutes ago, SthBohemia said:

^ that's not pleasant.... Thought UK transported all crooks to Oz-trail-iya. Maybe I look 2 poor (I am)and the place 2 much of a dump (it is) to bother robbing 🙂 Plus don't have much worth pinching!!

we've grown a lot more since those days 😉 

[Louis D]

1 hour ago, DaveL59 said:

Having been burgled twice

Despite living in a relatively higher crime area (not awful, just not super low), home break-ins seem rather rare.  Cars, yes; sheds, yes; homes, no.  I sometimes wonder if its because burglars know that about 30% of the homeowners/renters are armed to the teeth and are not afraid to shoot first and ask questions later since our Castle Doctrine totally backs them up on home break-ins.