HELP PLEASE!!

[Mr Spock]

Mine arrived in perfect condition - other than the secondary being miscollimated. Even though my focuser works just fine, I am tempted by the Baader - apart from the 90-120 days wait for delivery FLO is suggesting

I should add the focuser needed collimating. A shim the thickness of a credit card was fitted to the top of the focuser to align it with the secondary. Not difficult when you have the right collimation tools.

[bosun21]

2 hours ago, Mr Spock said:

Mine arrived in perfect condition - other than the secondary being miscollimated. Even though my focuser works just fine, I am tempted by the Baader - apart from the 90-120 days wait for delivery FLO is suggesting

I should add the focuser needed collimating. A shim the thickness of a credit card was fitted to the top of the focuser to align it with the secondary. Not difficult when you have the right collimation tools.

Yes I intend to check my focuser for any unwanted tilt and shim it if required. You have to be careful shimming the focuser as any small gaps created can let in stray light. I need to get it working properly first. I really hope that FLO can just send me a replacement focuser from one of the 10 left in stock. I am not sending the entire telescope and base back. Regards  

      Ian 

[Mr Spock]

Yeah, it's a heck of a thing to pack and send 

[FLO]

Hi @bosun21

Sorry to hear your focuser wasn't correctly set up. 

Our office is closed over the weekend, but if you email us, we will send a new focuser and arrange a collection for the offending one when we reopen Monday. Nice and easy 🙂 

HTH, 

Steve 

PS: I am visiting family this weekend, so I might not see your response here at SGL until Monday. 

[bosun21]

1 minute ago, FLO said:

Hi @bosun21

Sorry to hear your focuser wasn't correctly set up. 

Our office is closed over the weekend, but if you email us, we will send a new focuser and arrange a collection for the offending one when we reopen Monday. Nice and easy 🙂 

HTH, 

Steve 

PS: I am visiting family this weekend, so I might not see your response here at SGL until Monday. 

Thanks ever so much Steve. I have already sent an email to FLO with the video showing the offending focuser. I will remove it from the tube and package it then await the Return code etc. That’s put my mind at rest.

    Regards  

         Ian 

[ollypenrice]

On 13/01/2023 at 23:02, bosun21 said:

I know but I really can’t be doing with the hassle. If I can’t fix it I’ll just buy a new R&P Baader Steeltrack.

The Steeltrack isn't an R and P, it's another Crayford. I dislike Crayfords, including Baader and Moonlite, both of which I have here.

Olly

[Mr Spock]

55 minutes ago, ollypenrice said:

I dislike Crayfords, including Baader and Moonlite, both of which I have here.

Visual observers prefer Crayfords as they are smoother in use 

[bosun21]

59 minutes ago, ollypenrice said:

The Steeltrack isn't an R and P, it's another Crayford. I dislike Crayfords, including Baader and Moonlite, both of which I have here.

Olly

I always thought they were hybrids. But they work well compared to mine ATM.

[ollypenrice]

2 hours ago, Mr Spock said:

Visual observers prefer Crayfords as they are smoother in use 

They are smooth, but some visual observers I know have had trouble with Crayfords being unable to support the weight of very heavy EPs. I think they're OK on Dobs, though, since they remain horizontal on an alt-az Newt.

2 hours ago, bosun21 said:

I always thought they were hybrids. But they work well compared to mine ATM.

They just have a more abrasive strip on the drawtube which grips the drive roller more reliably. The diamond one is the best. The idea of driving a smooth anodized drawtube with a steel roller strikes me as nuts, plain and simple.

Olly

[bosun21]

3 hours ago, ollypenrice said:

The Steeltrack isn't an R and P, it's another Crayford. I dislike Crayfords, including Baader and Moonlite, both of which I have here.

Olly

If you don’t mind me asking Olly, why do you still keep the Crayfords you have? I agree and only like them on dobsonians due to them having no vertical load. Thanks.

[Mr Spock]

If you hate the Moonlite just send it to me, I'll bin it for you 😜

[ollypenrice]

1 hour ago, bosun21 said:

If you don’t mind me asking Olly, why do you still keep the Crayfords you have? I agree and only like them on dobsonians due to them having no vertical load. Thanks.

Some of them aren't mine, I simply host them in our robotic observatory. I've had some struggles with them, for sure. The only one I use myself is a Moonlite, on my own 14 inch SCT which is used only for visual. It came with a scope I bought second hand and, although it didn't hold a heavy CCD reliably, it's OK with my eyepieces, the largest of which is a 26 Nagler.  For a long time it sat in a drawer because, when the SCT was fork-mounted, it was too long to pass through the fork. The scope is now mounted on a GEM so I dusted off the Moonlite and it's OK. I don't think a focuser at that price should have any trouble with a CCD rig, though. I also have a Feathertouch on our TEC 140. Now that's a focuser.

Olly

[markse68]

5 hours ago, ollypenrice said:

The idea of driving a smooth anodized drawtube with a steel roller strikes me as nuts, plain and simple.

agree about the anodising- you need to apply enough pressure that the anodising invariably breaks down- the ones with steel inserts are a much better idea. But surely you’re not against friction drives in principal Ollie? 🤔

Mark

[ollypenrice]

32 minutes ago, markse68 said:

agree about the anodising- you need to apply enough pressure that the anodising invariably breaks down- the ones with steel inserts are a much better idea. But surely you’re not against friction drives in principal Ollie? 🤔

Mark

Steve Richards had me with that one about ten years ago!   If Lucas Mesu made a friction drive focuser I'd buy it.

Olly

[bosun21]

New replacement focuser arrived today from FLO. Now to get everything fitted as it’s supposed to be clear tonight.