Skymax 102 dovetail replacement

[badhex]

Hello all, 

I have a Skymax 102 which is about 10 years old and so does not have a standard dovetail fixed to the OTA, but a ¼" threaded block instead. I've attached a dovetail quite firmly, but still it's only with one bolt, and obviously having a dovetail fixed to the tube itself would be better. The other issue is that the usual way I mount scopes on the Scopetech Mount Zero means the finder bracket is at the bottom of the scope. Thanks to the zero's design, it's possible to mount it the other way, but it does mean the slowmo directions are the opposite way round which can be a touch confusing. 

I don't have a picture as I'm not currently with the scope but from looking into the OTA it seems like the block is simply screwed directly on with two screws, and not bolted with nuts on the inside. I think, if I have a dovetail with the appropriately spaced holes, I could just unscrew the existing block and replace it with reasonably little effort. 

The other option which is more intrusive but might be overall better is to drill and tap two holes for a dovetail, which would allow me to fix the dovetail on the other side and have the finder at the top. Obviously this would mean removing (at least) the mirror etc. 

Has anyone modified the skymax 102 in this way, or have any other thoughts on the matter that I may not have considered? 

[Cosmic Geoff]

If you can take the block off without anything dropping inside, do so and attach a dovetail with tube rings.  Then you can orient the OTA as you want.

[bosun21]

Why not just fit another finder shoe. I had to do this with my 150 Mak for when I swap between EQ and Alt/AZ.

[badhex]

6 minutes ago, Cosmic Geoff said:

If you can take the block off without anything dropping inside, do so and attach a dovetail with tube rings.  Then you can orient the OTA as you want.

This is true - however, I'm trying to keep the 102 as lightweight and compact, so though adding rings is most flexible, it will also add weight and bulk. 

[badhex]

3 minutes ago, bosun21 said:

Why not just fit another finder shoe. I had to do this with my 150 Mak for when I swap between EQ and Alt/AZ.

Well, that does solves the orientation problem, but would still require drilling/tapping the tube on the 102 - it doesn't have any additional mount points for a finder whereas I think the 150 possibly already does? 

If I'm going to go to the trouble of drilling, it would make more sense to remove the mounting block and drill holes for a dovetail.

[vlaiv]

Use L bracket to mount the scope to the mount?

I sometimes use that with my Mak102

[bosun21]

5 minutes ago, badhex said:

Well, that does solves the orientation problem, but would still require drilling/tapping the tube on the 102 - it doesn't have any additional mount points for a finder whereas I think the 150 possibly already does? 

If I'm going to go to the trouble of drilling, it would make more sense to remove the mounting block and drill holes for a dovetail.

I agree. However it all depends on whether there's an internal nut securing the existing block. The 150 has two internal nuts. This would require removing the meniscus plate to gain access. If however the 102 has no internal nut then changing to a dovetail sounds like the way forward.

[badhex]

12 minutes ago, vlaiv said:

Use L bracket to mount the scope to the mount?

I sometimes use that with my Mak102

Ah yes, I'd forgotten about these, that might be a good solution - no drilling or potentially dangerous unbolting required! The only issue I could see is whether there's enough clearance under the scope, with the added bracket, but the Zero's Hirsch joint does allow adjustment.

[badhex]

13 minutes ago, bosun21 said:

I agree. However it all depends on whether there's an internal nut securing the existing block. The 150 has two internal nuts. This would require removing the meniscus plate to gain access. If however the 102 has no internal nut then changing to a dovetail sounds like the way forward.

Yes, I'd have to check again to confirm once I have the scope in front of me but as I recall it does only seem to be screwed into the tube itself; not totally surprising I guess as the 102 is pretty light. I'm hoping someone has already taken the plunge and can confirm that it just unscrewed easily enough.