Problems sourcing Celestron accessories

[Geoffw]

Does anyone know when this log jam in supplying some Celestron accessories in the UK will ease.  

I have had a Celestron Motor focuser on order since the beginning of November last year. What has annoyed me it that Astroshop.eu, across the channel, appears able to source them but nowhere in the UK has them in stock.

https://www.astroshop.eu/motors-controls/celestron-focus-motor-for-sc-and-edgehd-telescopes/p,61748

Are other manufacturers having supply issues?

Edited January 21, 2023 by Geoffw

[Shimrod]

9 hours ago, Geoffw said:

Does anyone know when this log jam in supplying some Celestron accessories in the UK will ease.  

I have had a Celestron Motor focuser on order since the beginning of November last year. What has annoyed me it that Astroshop.eu, across the channel, appears able to source them but nowhere in the UK has them in stock.

https://www.astroshop.eu/motors-controls/celestron-focus-motor-for-sc-and-edgehd-telescopes/p,61748

Are other manufacturers having supply issues?

£224 from Amazon.co.uk (but shipped from Amazon US. I've ordered a few hard to get bits recently in the last year using this method without problem. The £224 includes all shipping, import duties and taxes.

[newbie alert]

Does it need to be a Celestron? Feedback suggests that they have large numbers of the same problem.... I'd buy a zwo EAF personally 

 

[bosun21]

1 hour ago, newbie alert said:

Does it need to be a Celestron? Feedback suggests that they have large numbers of the same problem.... I'd buy a zwo EAF personally 

 

Do they fit on a Celestron 8” SCT? And the new EAF only works with USB 2 cables now (5V) which will entail needing a laptop outside. I just want one for visual.

Edited January 22, 2023 by bosun21
Typo

[newbie alert]

53 minutes ago, bosun21 said:

Do they fit on a Celestron 8” SCT? And the new EAF only works with USB 2 cables now (5V) which will entail needing a laptop outside. I just want one for visual.

You can buy different bracket to fit different focusers

I just want one for visual....

What do you need a autofocuser for visual, just use a bahtinov mask 

[Geoffw]

3 hours ago, newbie alert said:

Does it need to be a Celestron? Feedback suggests that they have large numbers of the same problem.... I'd buy a zwo EAF personally 

 

My problem is I ordered from Wex who were, and still are quoting 3 to 7 days fulfilment..  but traded in a couple of lenses and accepted credit to purchase the focuser.  I am now stuck with them as I am having difficulty getting the credit back so I can go elsewhere.  

[Shimrod]

39 minutes ago, newbie alert said:

You can buy different bracket to fit different focusers

I just want one for visual....

What do you need a autofocuser for visual, just use a bahtinov mask 

I use the Celestron focuser on my Edge 8" - it means I don't have to touch the OTA while focussing and reduces any wobble I would otherwise introduce. 

I haven't read of any particular issues with them though, so I would be interested to know what you have seen. There were reports on here of the ZWO focuser not going full range with some Celestron equipment(software?) but I that has been fixed.

[newbie alert]

17 minutes ago, Shimrod said:

I use the Celestron focuser on my Edge 8" - it means I don't have to touch the OTA while focussing and reduces any wobble I would otherwise introduce. 

I haven't read of any particular issues with them though, so I would be interested to know what you have seen. There were reports on here of the ZWO focuser not going full range with some Celestron equipment(software?) but I that has been fixed.

So your using a  8 inch tube on a wobbly mount then

You can find theses issues if you look/ research on u tube/ Google... If you don't then you won't find them

[newbie alert]

25 minutes ago, Geoffw said:

My problem is I ordered from Wex who were, and still are quoting 3 to 7 days fulfilment..  but traded in a couple of lenses and accepted credit to purchase the focuser.  I am now stuck with them as I am having difficulty getting the credit back so I can go elsewhere.  

FLO have 19 in stock atm

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/zwo-accessories/zwo-electronic-automatic-focuser-eaf-5v.html

[bosun21]

1 hour ago, newbie alert said:

You can buy different bracket to fit different focusers

I just want one for visual....

What do you need a autofocuser for visual, just use a bahtinov mask 

Because it’s the Nexstar SE single fork mount and shakes like a tumble dryer when manually focusing. I fitted the Skywatcher electric focuser on my 127 Maksutov and that was as smooth as butter focusing with no shake/vibration 

[newbie alert]

1 hour ago, bosun21 said:

Because it’s the Nexstar SE single fork mount and shakes like a tumble dryer when manually focusing. I fitted the Skywatcher electric focuser on my 127 Maksutov and that was as smooth as butter focusing with no shake/vibration 

I'd save my money towards something that doesn't shake like a jelly on a plate 

[bosun21]

6 hours ago, newbie alert said:

I'd save my money towards something that doesn't shake like a jelly on a plate 

That’s your choice, the mount tracks great and the go to hits the target every time. An electric focuser would solve the problem. I think your jelly reference is way out there as it’s merely an irritation to me that focusing takes longer. Plus I don’t have the spare £1000 plus at the moment.

[Shimrod]

11 hours ago, newbie alert said:

So your using a  8 inch tube on a wobbly mount then

You can find theses issues if you look/ research on u tube/ Google... If you don't then you won't find them

I'm using it on an AVX - it doesn't take too much to cause a bit of vibration which can be a hassle when trying to fine focus. 

As for problems, you implied that there were some common issues with the focuser - I can see that people occasionally have issues with them, but no more or less than you can find for any other. 

 

[newbie alert]

17 hours ago, Shimrod said:

I'm using it on an AVX - it doesn't take too much to cause a bit of vibration which can be a hassle when trying to fine focus. 

As for problems, you implied that there were some common issues with the focuser - I can see that people occasionally have issues with them, but no more or less than you can find for any other. 

 

I've used a Avx, can't say that I remember having any problems focusing with a eyepiece, planetary cam, CCD or a DSLR.. 

Common issues, or do you mean design faults?

[Geoffw]

On 22/01/2023 at 10:53, Geoffw said:

My problem is I ordered from Wex who were, and still are quoting 3 to 7 days fulfilment..  but traded in a couple of lenses and accepted credit to purchase the focuser.  I am now stuck with them as I am having difficulty getting the credit back so I can go elsewhere.  

Credit where it's due!  Pardon the pun.......

Wex have just got back to me with apologies.  They will change their website details to remove "5-7 days" to "Special Order" and have refunded me the full part exchange credit on my account!

So is it

1: Wait for UK supply 
2: Astroshop (Germany) £281 +p&p
3: Amazon International (US) £224.65 inc. Import fees & p&p

 

[Shimrod]

3 hours ago, Geoffw said:

Credit where it's due!  Pardon the pun.......

Wex have just got back to me with apologies.  They will change their website details to remove "5-7 days" to "Special Order" and have refunded me the full part exchange credit on my account!

So is it

1: Wait for UK supply 
2: Astroshop (Germany) £281 +p&p
3: Amazon International (US) £224.65 inc. Import fees & p&p

 

As noted above, I would go Amazon - if they say they have stock you know it's really there, no surprise import charges and nearly always delivery on time. Most of the US stuff I have ordered has turned up earlier. Just make sure the supplier is Amazon US and not a third party.

Edited January 24, 2023 by Shimrod

[Geoffw]

3 minutes ago, Shimrod said:

As noted above, I would go Amazon - if they say they have stock you know it's really there, no surprise import charges and nearly always delivery on time. Most of the US stuff I have ordered has turned up earlier. Just make sure the supplier is Amazon US and not a third party.

Dispatches from
Amazon US
Sold by
Amazon US

[Shimrod]

Just now, Geoffw said:

Dispatches from
Amazon US
Sold by
Amazon US

Just place the order! Looks like 3 months wait time on the FLO website

[Geoffw]

1 hour ago, Shimrod said:

Just place the order! Looks like 3 months wait time on the FLO website

Just placed the order.

Edited January 24, 2023 by Geoffw

[Shimrod]

52 minutes ago, Geoffw said:

Just placed the order.

It's so much easier spending someone else's money instead of my own! It's straight forward to fit and after that it does a short calibration to work out the start and end points of the focuser travel.

[Geoffw]

Well it arrived safely and complete 4 days early.  £224.47 in total cheaper than anywhere in the UK or Europe - even if they could source it!

Now for the fitting…..

Edited February 3, 2023 by Geoffw

[Geoffw]

>……… and it works a treat!

Edited February 4, 2023 by Geoffw

[Shimrod]

9 hours ago, Geoffw said:

>……… and it works a treat!

Great to hear it's all set up and working.

Another place worth looking for accessories is picstop.co.uk. the focuser is out of stock there but is listed at £208. I've bought a celestron powertank pro (£50 cheaper) and a few other bits from them.

Back in the early days of digital cameras they used to offer the best prices on memory cards (back when 256mb would cost £100)

[Geoffw]

To round off this topic!

Fitted the Motor Focuser on to my newish Celestron NexStar 8SE.  As it is controlled via the aux port I thought I should reset the the handset.

Having done this the motor focuser worked really well and everything seem fine, till a rare night of clear skies and the possibility of seeing the tail end of the comet had me running the align routine, I was all over the place.  It would not align.  It told me the moon wasn't there in the sky when it most certainly was!

I went over all the settings time and time again, but couldn't see the problem..... AND THEN THE PENNY DROPPED.  I had entered the Latitude and Longitude the wrong way round.  My scope thought I was somewhere around the Caribbean! 

 A lesson truly learned!

Edited February 7, 2023 by Geoffw