Evolux 62ed focuser

[alacant]

Hi everyone 

Symptom: wobbly focuser barrel which tilts when the locking screw is tightened, a camera is attached and can be moved by hand from side to side without applying much force.

I see three pairs of grub screws at 120° which could be a clue. I've tried taking the slack from the top pair, which were loose, but the wobble remains. Oh, and the focuser knobs become too stiff to turn comfortably.

Any hands on adjustment experience anyone?

Another triumph for SW QC!

TIA

 

[Stuart1971]

I owned one for all of 24 hours, it was a god awful scope, and one of Skywatchers lemons….☹️

[Vallantho]

Same problem here, and still struggling with it.

i 3D printed a cap to go over the front and used a laser collimator to make sure I kept the focus tube aligned and just went round and tightened them up as best I could while leaving the focus knob able to turn freely. But by the time you add back the weight of the reducer and a camera there’s still a little bit of wobble. Never been 100% happy.

If you got a 3D printer I’ll send you the file or PM me your address and I’ll send you one if you want it.

[Stuart1971]

11 hours ago, alacant said:

Hi everyone 

Symptom: wobbly focuser barrel which tilts when the locking screw is tightened, a camera is attached and can be moved by hand from side to side without applying much force.

I see three pairs of grub screws at 120° which could be a clue. I've tried taking the slack from the top pair, which were loose, but the wobble remains. Oh, and the focuser knobs become too stiff to turn comfortably.

Any hands on adjustment experience anyone?

Another triumph for SW QC!

TIA

 

TBH, if it’s new and still under warranty then get rid, it’s really not worth messing with and you won’t really improve it much, it’s a poor design, the optics are not great either..☹️

[alacant]

5 hours ago, Stuart1971 said:

Skywatchers lemons

Yeah. We get to see our fair share. This one was an 'investment' as carry-on airline baggage from one of our regulars who is famed for previously airlifting an 8" Newtonian, so this represents something of an upgrade.
Anyway, I shall pass on this thread and guage the reactions. I suspect however it shall be Hex-wrenches to the fore:(

Cheers and thanks everyone for your reply

Edited June 20 by alacant
airlifted airlifting

[alacant]

On 20/06/2024 at 09:24, Stuart1971 said:

a god awful scope

Yes, we'll wholeheartedly confirm that. First example was replaced. The replacement was worse. The focuser seems unfit for purpose. 

They're sending a 60/360 to evaluate. Here's hoping...

Cheers and cs.

Edited June 29 by alacant

[Stuart1971]

2 hours ago, alacant said:

Yes, we'll wholeheartedly confirm that. First example was replaced. The replacement was worse. The focuser seems unfit for purpose. 

They're sending a 60/360 to evaluate. Here's hoping...

Cheers and cs.

60/360….??

[alacant]

16 minutes ago, Stuart1971 said:

60/360

Until I see it, I'm not sure either. I'm guessing something around 60mm (carry on cabin bag size has been specified), hopefully better than the evolux. Not that that would be difficult! 

[Elp]

60/360 is the same dimension spec as a WO Z61 type scope, the Sharpstar is also a match.

Edited June 29 by Elp

[alacant]

It's this. Never heard of it.

Look at that ridiculous focus position. But hey, the focuser is aligned, stays so both along its travel and with a camera attached. Not a hint of wobble.

But who knows what the darkness shall bring. 

Edited July 3 by alacant
it's its

[Elp]

9 minutes ago, alacant said:

Look at that ridiculous focus position

That's got to be one of the longest dovetail bars for one of the shortest scopes ever seen...

[Elp]

The TS photolines are supposed to be good anyhow.

[Stuart1971]

46 minutes ago, alacant said:

It's this. Never heard of it.

Look at that ridiculous focus position. But hey, the focuser is aligned, stays so both along its travel and with a camera attached. Not a hint of wobble.

But who knows what the darkness shall bring. 

That is a long way back…well if you don’t get any focuser sag from that, it must be a superb focuser at least…..👍🏻

[alacant]

Update:
The tsflat2 -the only ff I had to hand- just doesn't work with this telescope.
They sent the proper ff. Had a monumental struggle with it. How DO you adjust the tilt if everything is screwed in place? On a reflector you simply adjust the collimation, but with this thing it seems you screw, unscrew, try different tubes, tension the focuser... Trial and -lots of- error got it down to this which at least doesn't notice at normal viewing sizes.

 

Conclusion.I can't do refractors, but this one, a TS60, is in a different league to the the SW62. OK, it too was a nightmare to setup, balance and mount, but that was due to total-lack-of-experience-with-refractors operator error rather than unfit for human consumption engineering. I must say though that that fov could get quite addictive.

So, happy ending. I shall be sorry to have to hand this one back.

 

 

[Elp]

25 minutes ago, alacant said:

How DO you adjust the tilt if everything is screwed in place?

You use a tilt adjuster plate. Or just ignore it.

Edited July 12 by Elp

[Stuart1971]

31 minutes ago, Elp said:

You use a tilt adjuster plate. Or just ignore it.

Like the one I have for sale in the classifieds….😂😂

[alacant]

Thanks @Elp. Never knew they existed. Can you recommend one? 

@Stuart1971 Can't find it. Sorry. Could you post a link?

TIA

 

[Elp]

5 minutes ago, alacant said:

Can you recommend one? 

A bit like this one, there's a few on the website, just search for tilt:

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/adapters/astro-essentials-m48-female-to-m42t-male-tilt-adjuster.html

Also consider which side the screws are on as you may have accessibility issues.

Teleskop Express may be better for you.

Edited July 12 by Elp

[Stuart1971]

1 hour ago, alacant said:

Thanks @Elp. Never knew they existed. Can you recommend one? 

@Stuart1971 Can't find it. Sorry. Could you post a link?

TIA

 

This one, they are superb and so easy to get great adjustment, not like the useless push pull screw system ones….

 

[Stuart1971]

2 hours ago, alacant said:

Thanks @Elp. Never knew they existed. Can you recommend one? 

@Stuart1971 Can't find it. Sorry. Could you post a link?

TIA

 

This may also help, which I made a while ago now…

 

[alacant]

18 hours ago, Stuart1971 said:

easy to get great adjustment

Dunno...

Presumably, this works for only one orientation of the camera (?). I would need to remove the rotator and set camera angle by rotating the whole train (telescope-flattener-tilt device-camera) to achieve the desired angle.

Oh how I hate refractors!

[Stuart1971]

3 minutes ago, alacant said:

Dunno...

Presumably, this works for only one orientation of the camera (?). I would need to remove the rotator and set camera angle by rotating the whole train (telescope-flattener-tilt device-camera) to achieve the desired angle.

Oh how I hate refractors!

No, it works for any rotation of the camera, once set you can put the imaging train back on the camera in any orientation, if you still have tilt then it’s from the focus tube and not from the imaging train you tested, or from a tilted sensor in the camera…

[alacant]

Thanks.

Where does it fit? Do you have a photo of it in place? 

TIA

[Stuart1971]

58 minutes ago, alacant said:

Thanks.

Where does it fit? Do you have a photo of it in place? 

TIA

What, the tilt adjuster…? In front of the camera and associated imaging train…like In front of the filter wheel or filter drawer…

[Elp]

Probably best to put it at the end, in front of the camera. Some higher end cameras have a tilt adjuster plate fitted onto the front of the camera, similar principle.