Absolute Beginner With Confusing “Stuff”.

[Mikel56]

Fitting Finder Scope to Swift

A photograph below shows how the finder scope is attached to the telescope body. There’s what could be best described as a “wrap around” fitting securing the bracket and finder scope to the body.  I don’t have the finder scope or any part of the unit. There are no threaded holes on the tube to secure any fittings. 
 

1 - is it possible to source a similar wrap around unit ?

2 - maybe I have to replace the brackets that hold the telescope to the mount with other brackets that have an additional fitting for a finder scope ?

 

I’ve also attached a photograph of my Swift (the one with the screwdrivers) showing the existing brackets as in 2. That photograph also shows a fitting which appears to be held in place by an adhesive. My intention would be to remove that fitting.

 

 

Edited August 4, 2023 by Mikel56
Photo problem

[Mikel56]

Firstly many thanks Neil H and Rustang. Apologies for not getting back to you but been busyish. I also had on order the SkyTee.

I managed to fit the Swift and Celestron to the SkyTee. The mount is solid and the gears seem to have no play, quite impressed. The stand that supports the mount is also “tight” with little movement, if any. 
The Celestron plus the counter weight is about 14kg. (9 and 5). The opposite side has the 831 at about 5kg. I didn’t like the idea of the Celestron (large diameter) hanging off the dovetail along the centre line. It would have been better weight / distance balance wise in that position but the weight of the Celestron could have put a fair twisting load on the Vixen rail and body of the telescope, I think!
Anyway with the telescopes in the position as in the photo there’s no movement and no inclination to fall over (touched wood). Let me know if I’m wrong or there’s a better way !

The only thing that I may change are the clamps that secure the telescopes to the mount. Not a lot of failsafe in the existing design.
Managed to set up the Swift with the finderscope however need a findersope for the Celestron. The existing finderscope on the Swift is held to the tube by an adhesive bracket plus the dovetail. The original Swift finderscope had a full circumference bracket which unfortunately I do not have. I added a clip to tighten the finderscope to the tube however only a temporary solution.

The view through the Swift is stunning although only had a look in daylight so far. Not bad for 60 years.

Hopefully the sky is clear tonight and I may get the end cap off the 9.25. Won’t have a clue what I’m looking at but fingers crossed for a clear sky.

Many thanks again for your help,

Regards,

Mike

 

 

Edited August 10, 2023 by Mikel56
Wrong photograph

[Naughty Neal]

The 9.25 will be better mounted on the side mount rather the top mount, someone had a nice scope fall to the groud as the top mount sheared . The puck isn't very large or secured a well as the pair of side ones, most use the top for a sighting/finder scope.

Edited August 10, 2023 by Naughty Neal

[Cosmic Geoff]

The C925 will not be balanced once you move it away from the horizontal, unless there is a balance weight not visible in the photos.  Also note that the Celestron OTA is designed to be mounted via a dovetail bar on the side.  My 8" Celestron SCT is mounted that way.

[Mikel56]

I’m new to this and only had the Swift and Celestron for a couple of weeks. Due to the overcast weather the most I have seen is the odd pigeon sitting on rooftops - but I’ve done a lot of reading but not up to speed on the jargon !

I’m new to this and only had the Swift and Celestron for a couple of weeks. Due to the overcast weather the most I have seen is the odd pigeon sitting on rooftops - but I’ve done a lot of reading but not up to speed on the jargon !

 

Clear sky last night and much aided by Stellarium Jupiter appeared low on the horizon. I wasn’t prepared. I fitted the Swift 831 with no cool down. First eyepiece I used was the 32 mm. which is about 30x magnification. The view was sharp with four moons clearly visible but Jupiter a bit fuzzy. I then used a 19mm. eyepiece with similar results, still sharp. Next up was a 3x Barlow with the 19mm. This results in about 150x and from what I’ve read would be at the maximum theoretical of a 77mm diameter lens. The view was still sharp and I could see two faint lines running the length of the planet about 20 degrees from the horizontal. The colours associated with  Jupiter were slightly noticeable. For all three conditions I focussed on the moons until they were dots which I think put Jupiter in best possible focus. With the 19mm and the Barlow I could see four moons.

To my untrained eye the Swift is a good telescope and I believe I could have pushed it more. All levels of magnification were impressive.

The low level of Jupiter meant I was having to navigate “volumes of atmosphere” which I think indicates the Swift has more in reserve.

I learned the mount/stand is more important than the telescope. I need a goto.

 

Next up was the Celestron 9.25. With the 32mm (about80x) the view was crisp with two lines and colour present, four moons as well on a near horizontal plane as for the Swift. I next used the 19mm and the 3x Barlow (350ish x). The view field was by Jupiter and four moons to the edge of the circumference. There was also a fifth moon towards the bottom of the view but intermittent as I had a lot of knob twirling. The two Jupiter lines were more pronounced as was the colour and I convinced myself I could see the “eye” storm shape on one of the lines (interfaces) towards the centre right. The view of Jupiter was not so clear as in the numerous photos on the Internet. Maybe those photos have been processed ?

I checked the collimation at the high magnification and had, to my untrained eye, a perfect black hole in the centre of an out of focus disc. Bearing this in mind I noticed at the high magnification an extremely thin blue crescent shape at the top left quadrant on the circumference of Jupiter. Correspondingly I had a similar thin orangeish crescent shape at the bottom right quadrant circumference. Is there something wrong ? Cool down was only about 15 to 30 minutes (set up and viewing time ) for the Swift and Celestron. Enthusiasm was the problem !

 

This was my first time however I conclude the Swift is very good, the 9.25 is also very good but I need more practice. I also need a goto mount.

Clear sky last night and much aided by Stellarium Jupiter appeared low on the horizon. I wasn’t prepared. I fitted the Swift 831 with no cool down. First eyepiece I used was the 32 mm. which is about 30x magnification. The view was sharp with four moons clearly visible but Jupiter a bit fuzzy. I then used a 19mm. eyepiece with similar results, still sharp. Next up was a 3x Barlow with the 19mm. This results in about 150x and from what I’ve read would be at the maximum theoretical of a 77mm diameter lens. The view was still sharp and I could see two faint lines running the length of the planet about 20 degrees from the horizontal. The colours associated with  Jupiter were slightly noticeable. For all three conditions I focussed on the moons until they were dots which I think put Jupiter in best possible focus. With the 19mm and the Barlow I could see four moons.

To my untrained eye the Swift is a good telescope and I believe I could have pushed it more. All levels of magnification were impressive.

The low level of Jupiter meant I was having to navigate “volumes of atmosphere” which I think indicates the Swift has more in reserve.

I learned the mount/stand is more important than the telescope. I need a goto.

 

Next up was the Celestron 9.25. With the 32mm (about80x) the view was crisp with two lines and colour present, four moons as well on a near horizontal plane as for the Swift. I next used the 19mm and the 3x Barlow (350ish x). The view field was by Jupiter and four moons to the edge of the circumference. There was also a fifth moon towards the bottom of the view but intermittent as I had a lot of knob twirling. The two Jupiter lines were more pronounced as was the colour and I convinced myself I could see the “eye” storm shape on one of the lines (interfaces) towards the centre right. The view of Jupiter was not so clear as in the numerous photos on the Internet. Maybe those photos have been processed ?

I checked the collimation at the high magnification and had, to my untrained eye, a perfect black hole in the centre of an out of focus disc. Bearing this in mind I noticed at the high magnification an extremely thin blue crescent shape at the top left quadrant on the circumference of Jupiter. Correspondingly I had a similar thin orangeish crescent shape at the bottom right quadrant circumference. Is there something wrong ? Cool down was only about 15 to 30 minutes (set up and viewing time ) for the Swift and Celestron. Enthusiasm was the problem !

 

This was my first time however I conclude the Swift is very good, the 9.25 is also very good but I need more practice. I also need a goto mount.