Feather Touch Focuser Appreciation

[John]

Thin cloud has masked the stars here this evening so I'm having a play with the focuser on my TMB/LZOS 130mm refractor. I've not paid too much attention to the focuser on this scope - it has just worked and worked very well. I don't know the Starlight Instruments Feather Touch focuser range too well but having consulted their website, I believe the model of focuser fitted to my scope is the FTF2025BCR:

Feather Touch Rotatable 2.0" Diameter Dual Speed 2.5" DTT, Brake, Compression Ring (starlightinstruments.com)

Looking at the focuser closely I can see why these things have the reputation that they do. I used to think that Moonlite focusers were pretty well put together but the Feather Touch takes things to another level of refinement. 

I was a bit shocked to see the model that I have listed at one UK dealer (not FLO) at over £900 though. I thought that they were around £500 - has there been a price rise recently ?

I know that some folks use the lightweight version of this focuser and also the 3 inch versions which are well over £1K on that basis, I would think.

A couple of months back I picked up a pre-owned, but mint condition, Feather Touch micro pinion assembly for my Tak FC100-DL. That scope uses a 2.5 inch diameter focuser rather than the 2.7 inch that a number of other Tak models use so finding the correct pinion assembly can be tricky. When one popped up on UK AB&S at a fair price I thought it was worth a punt. There was nothing wrong with the stock Tak single speed R&P focuser in all honesty but now I have the Feather Touch pinion fitted and adjusted (which took a few tries to get right I ought to say) and I've taken the opportunity this evening to fine tune it's action to emulate as closely as possible that of the full Feather Touch on the 130mm refractor, I'm pleased with the upgrade. The 10:1 reduction ratio of the dual speed does seem to make finding that "best spot" of focus when using high magnifications on targets such as tight double stars just that little bit easier I feel.

In the past I've not been too fussy about focusers and have taken the line that if it moves the eyepiece in and out smoothly and holds it steady at focus withough shifting then that is enough for me. That is still generally true I guess but I can now also appreciate why these Feather Touch units are sought out for use with fine telescopes - they are beautifully designed and made things 🙂

The Chinese made alternatives have come a long way as well though. I recently bought a nice little 70mm ED F/6 travel refractor and the 2 inch crayford fitted to that is really smooth and impressive - especially considering that the price of the whole scope was a little less than the Feather Touch micro pinion upgrade for my Tak !

 

Edited May 17, 2023 by John

[AstroKeith]

Yes, they are excellent products.

I have the version with an integrated Paraco coma corrector (SIPS) on my 18" Dob. It has been flawless and a pleasure to use for years.

[VNA]

Hello, sorry, that is a lot of money, I bought a GSO focuser, 2 speed that works great on my lowly CR6.
It is a 2" and rotable  focuser for about $200.00! It fits perfectly, yes it is Chinese, but in the dark you can't tell. ;- )

[Stu]

I’ve been a fully signed up member of the FT appreciation society for years 😉. I think this is another addiction I can thank @DirkSteele for after his adventures with small Taks and Feathertouches 🤣.

To me, they are the ultimate in design and build quality, although the most annoying thing on the smaller units is that they never consider finder shoes, you have to cobble together some other arrangement which is a little silly.

I love dual speed focusers generally actually; even if you use the single speed knob, the action of it spinning the 1:10 knob gives you a bit more control I think. Particularly for white light solar observing, the smallest tweak on the fine focuser can make granulation pop into view.

There are plenty of great and cheaper alternatives these days which feel almost as good. Moonlights are very nice, but over time they end up creating tracks in the top of the focus tube where the bearings run. Baader sort this with their Steeltrack/diamondtrack design which I enjoy too.

The FS-128 focuser on the scope I’ve just got is very good, but there is the tiniest bit of image shift and it just doesn’t quite work as I would like, so almost inevitably it will get replaced at some point when funds allow (plans already in place), sorry Mike! 🤣 To me, the focuser is the main way you interact with the scope, and if that doesn’t feel right then it affects my enjoyment of the whole thing.

[Alan White]

Focusers make or break a scope in my experience.
I too see the point in enjoying the interface.
Do I own a FT, well no I don't, but await one for my Ha scope, its taking its time, been months so far.

I also happily use a single speed focuser, but its how that focuser works that to me counts.
China, Taiwan, German, Japan or where ever made is no fuss, as long as it works well.

One day my Vixen will be decked out with a nice rotatable focuser, but the stock R&P single speed actually work very well,
its far more rigid than the Tak ones I have used in the past. 
The Altair 152 5.9 has a very nice, smooth and rotatable focuser, stock with the scope made in China I presume.

I do think the upgrade path in this hobby can become a hobby in itself and adding bling becomes part of that as well,
however if that upgrade improves the experience, then why not.

I understand that FT had a cahnge of ownership due to i think I recal a death, this has intereupted supply,
hence why I an d I expect other have a long wait.

My incoming FT is single speed.

 

Edited May 18, 2023 by Alan White

[Saganite]

The APM 152 ED came with a 3" FT and from that time I became acquainted with the superb quality of such focusers, so when the chance came to fit a 2.5" FT to my Vixen at 50% of the new price, it was a no-brainer.  

 

 

Edited May 18, 2023 by Saganite

[John]

7 hours ago, VNA said:

Hello, sorry, that is a lot of money, I bought a GSO focuser, 2 speed that works great on my lowly CR6.
It is a 2" and rotable  focuser for about $200.00! It fits perfectly, yes it is Chinese, but in the dark you can't tell. ;- )

I have used those GSO units as well and they do work just fine 🙂

[John]

1 hour ago, Alan White said:

Focusers make or break a scope in my experience.
I too see the point in enjoying the interface.
Do I own a FT, well no I don't, but await one for my Ha scope, its taking its time, been months so far.

I also happily use a single speed focuser, but its how that focuser works that to me counts.
China, Taiwan, German, Japan or where ever made is no fuss, as long as it works well.

One day my Vixen will be decked out with a nice rotatable focuser, but the stock R&P single speed actually work very well,
its far more rigid than the Tak ones I have used in the past. 
The Altair 152 5.9 has a very nice, smooth and rotatable focuser, stock with the scope made in China I presume.

I do think the upgrade path in this hobby can become a hobby in itself and adding bling becomes part of that as well,
however if that upgrade improves the experience, then why not.

I understand that FT had a cahnge of ownership due to i think I recal a death, this has intereupted supply,
hence why I an d I expect other have a long wait.

My incoming FT is single speed.

 

I had the Lunt 50mm HA scope with the single speed FT focuser on it a few years back. Bought from the late, great johninderby. A very nice combination.

It is interesting that the quality of focuser comes one step higher in Richard Suiter's "wobbly stack" than the eyepiece.

[Mr Spock]

I tried to get one for my Tak but they are unobtanium. I have a MEF3 fitted instead and it is 'bouncy'. It would work, I'm sure, if the focuser was a free running as the one on my FS60. I'm hoping it will free up with use.

The GSO on my Dob works perfectly. Similarly the focuser on the Starfield was excellent. The focuser does make a huge difference to the observing experience!

[DirkSteele]

2 hours ago, Stu said:

I’ve been a fully signed up member of the FT appreciation society for years 😉. I think this is another addiction I can thank @DirkSteele for after his adventures with small Taks and Feathertouches 🤣.

To me, they are the ultimate in design and build quality, although the most annoying thing on the smaller units is that they never consider finder shoes, you have to cobble together some other arrangement which is a little silly.

I love dual speed focusers generally actually; even if you use the single speed knob, the action of it spinning the 1:10 knob gives you a bit more control I think. Particularly for white light solar observing, the smallest tweak on the fine focuser can make granulation pop into view.

There are plenty of great and cheaper alternatives these days which feel almost as good. Moonlights are very nice, but over time they end up creating tracks in the top of the focus tube where the bearings run. Baader sort this with their Steeltrack/diamondtrack design which I enjoy too.

The FS-128 focuser on the scope I’ve just got is very good, but there is the tiniest bit of image shift and it just doesn’t quite work as I would like, so almost inevitably it will get replaced at some point when funds allow (plans already in place), sorry Mike! 🤣 To me, the focuser is the main way you interact with the scope, and if that doesn’t feel right then it affects my enjoyment of the whole thing.

It’s fun to spend your money! 😉

 

Love them myself. I installed a feather touch on my C11 not long after I bought it back in 2003 and have not looked back since. Now all my scopes (apart from one and that still makes me a little sad) have a FT.

The version on my 180mm LZOS is a work of art. It’s the 3.5” model and it is fab. Only photo I have to hand.

[Highburymark]

I love them too - but as reflected above they are not easy to find new these days, and there’s a big backlog at the factory. Then there’s the cost - it’s really worth shopping around, as at some outlets even the 2” Crayfords are almost £1k, as John pointed out. A ridiculous price. The two I bought 4-5 years ago for a Lunt 60 and an FC-100DC were about £400 each, so they have shot up. It’s often the adapters that hike the price. But they turn refractors into Rolls-Royces. The rack and pinions are just as smooth - the FT3035 fitted to my TSA-120 is superb, carrying heavy binoviewers without breaking sweat. But now that Moonlite has stopped making manual focusers, we could do with another top class source. The Baader Steeltrack I had was disappointing in comparison.

[Alan White]

15 minutes ago, Highburymark said:

The Baader Steeltrack I had was disappointing in comparison.

That last line just made me go OH no.
That was a possibity for the Vixen/s going forwards based on availability, but probably parked for me for a while anyhow.

 

[Captain Scarlet]

I have an FT on my 105mm LZOS, and of course it’s very good. I also have an FT micro focuser on my Skymax 180, very good too, it seems to eliminate mirror-shift.

But I have 4 Diamond Steeltracks, one on each of the 8” and 12” newts, one on the back of my Intes Mak, and one in reserve for my 20” dob build. I find they are very good indeed, to my mind nearly at the standard of my FT. My Stellarvue has a native SV focuser and it feels very like the Steeltracks, which is good.

I’ve had other makes of Crayford which have been horrid: “bouncy” is a good term.

Magnus

[Highburymark]

1 hour ago, Alan White said:

That last line just made me go OH no.
That was a possibity for the Vixen/s going forwards based on availability, but probably parked for me for a while anyhow.

 

I should add Alan that it was the old model Steeltrack I had, built for Newtonians but it also fitted a Lunt solar scope I had, and I got it at a very cheap price when the new one was launched. I am sure the new ones are very good. I should have made that clear.

[niallk]

I've an FT on my 15" dob, and it just works - solidly takes my Paracorr + Ethos EPs, and on occasion a PMx2.  Tight tolerances, smooth operation, no discernable 'waggle' or sag.

Ive a Moonlight on my Lunt LS50, and it too is great.

Tbh, i had a stock focusser on my SW 250px, and i bought the €60 Lacerta dual speed upgrade, and then it became a pleasure to use!  Obviously the FT on the 15" is a big step up in quality, but the dual speed upgrade really transformed the stock SW focusser.

Edited May 18, 2023 by niallk

[Louis D]

12 hours ago, VNA said:

Hello, sorry, that is a lot of money, I bought a GSO focuser, 2 speed that works great on my lowly CR6.
It is a 2" and rotable  focuser for about $200.00! It fits perfectly, yes it is Chinese, but in the dark you can't tell. ;- )

 

5 hours ago, John said:

I have used those GSO units as well and they do work just fine 🙂

 

4 hours ago, Mr Spock said:

The GSO on my Dob works perfectly.

I have the GSO Linear Bearing focuser on my GSO 6" f/5 Newtonian.  It barely works depending on the tension setting.  Too little, and the focuser tube just drops into the focuser under heavy eyepiece loads.  Too much, and the action is heavy and sluggish.  It's difficult to find the Goldilocks setting in between.  It shouldn't be that hard.

There's a dedicated thread on CN detailing why this is so.  It's clear it was designed to a meet a certain price point.

[Mr Spock]

2 hours ago, Louis D said:

There's a dedicated thread on CN detailing why this is so.  It's clear it was designed to a meet a certain price point.

Whatever that is, it doesn't look anything like mine 

I'll say again. the action on mine is perfect. Really smooth and easy - holds a 42mm LVW perfectly.

[Highburymark]

Unlike some other American astro products, which are significantly more expensive in the UK/Europe than the States, I notice that Feathertouch prices over the pond are almost as high as here. $600-$650 for a basic 2” Crayford and then another $150 for an adapter, direct from the factory. So maybe $200 less than here, but in the same ballpark. Doesn’t make the price any more digestible, but at least they’re reasonably consistent.
Nevertheless, with FT crayfords on sale here for £950, you can buy an excellent 4”, FPL-53 apo refractor (with a great focuser according to Mr Spock above) for less than an FT focuser - that’s just bonkers.

[Louis D]

2 hours ago, Mr Spock said:

Whatever that is, it doesn't look anything like mine 

I'll say again. the action on mine is perfect. Really smooth and easy - holds a 42mm LVW perfectly.

There seem to be several GSO 2 speed focuser models.  Mine has to be the worst.  It does work once adjusted properly, but I have to remind myself not to touch the tension knob despite the tension being a bit on the high side for lighter eyepieces.  It's set as low as I can go without having the focuser tube drop under the weight of heavy eyepieces (e.g., ES-92 17mm).

[Stu]

2 hours ago, Highburymark said:

Nevertheless, with FT crayfords on sale here for £950, you can buy an excellent 4”, FPL-53 apo refractor (with a great focuser according to Mr Spock above) for less than an FT focuser - that’s just bonkers.

Agreed, that is crazy pricing. I think I bought most of my used ones for about £300 plus the adaptor, and the new ones were around £450 I think? The LightWeight on the FS60C was probably more like £550, crazy really but there is a lot of machining involved so I guess more work.

I wouldn’t touch a 2” one at those prices, so need to hang onto the ones I’ve got!

[pipnina]

19 hours ago, VNA said:

Hello, sorry, that is a lot of money, I bought a GSO focuser, 2 speed that works great on my lowly CR6.
It is a 2" and rotable  focuser for about $200.00! It fits perfectly, yes it is Chinese, but in the dark you can't tell. ;- )

I picked up a £400 3" R&P by TS. I figured for visual I might like a super-smooth and high quality focuser, but for imaging I could cut the corner a bit as smooth feeling when focusing wouldn't matter when it's only moved by stepper motor!

Unfortunately the 3" TS R&P is a little floppy, and unless the brass screws are done up TOO tightly to allow it to rotate, it flops position in an optically detrimental way as the telescope slews... Maybe there's a middle ground here but it's very frustrating!

I have thought since, if the extra spend on the FT equivalent would have been worth it...

[200pman]

My 200p has a lecerta 2 speed really nice bit of kit.

[Littleguy80]

I have the MEF3 micro focuser upgrade on the my wish list for my Tak FC100DF. I’ve gotten on well with the Tak standard focuser though would like the dual speed for fine focusing. There is still a bit of me that wonders whether it would be worth the wait and extra pennies for a feather touch though. 

[garryblueboy]

50 minutes ago, Littleguy80 said:

I have the MEF3 micro focuser upgrade on the my wish list for my Tak FC100DF. I’ve gotten on well with the Tak standard focuser though would like the dual speed for fine focusing. There is still a bit of me that wonders whether it would be worth the wait and extra pennies for a feather touch though. 

The More blue versions FLO sell are just as good in my opinion I had both at same time on different scopes and found them equally as good as each other and the more blue is a bit cheaper .

[Littleguy80]

8 hours ago, garryblueboy said:

The More blue versions FLO sell are just as good in my opinion I had both at same time on different scopes and found them equally as good as each other and the more blue is a bit cheaper .

Nice one. Thanks Garry!