moonlite focuser upgrades

[alfi]

hi folks

today i recieved 2 moonlite focusers i had ordered.

one for a meade 80mm triplet i bought from a member here on the forum, and one for my SW pro 80mm ds.

ron at moonlite is quick to deliver, and gives exellent service.

the focusers have very good fit and finish.

the precision and feeling with these focusers is exellent, and really worth the money in my opinion.

here are som pictures:

here is the focusers for the meade triplet.

this is the focuser on the meade triplet.

this is the focusers for the SW pro.

and here are all the moonlite brothers, the meade triplet, the SW pro, and my SW 150mm f/8.

when i changed the focuser on the meade, i lost the built-in dovtail, so i have ordered some custom, handmade plywood rings and dovtailbar that fits the scope.

these focusers is a really great upgrade, that i would recommend to everyone that are looking to get a better focuser.

alfi

[merlinxlm]

How would you compare the SW pro 80mm ds focuser to the moonlite, is it worth the upgrade and what benefits are there?

Thank you.

[alfi]

hi

the moonlite is much more precice, it has a better "feel", and are capable of carrying more weight the the original one, nice if you are using dslr, etc.

it also is colliminable, something the standard is not.

another thing i like is that it is rotatable, and you dont end up with the focuser adjustments in all sorts of strange angles when you change from place to place while observing.

i think it is one of the best upgrades you can do personally, i have ordered moonlites for my refractors as fast as possible after getting the scopes home.

alfi

[Solar B]

Nice job on the upgrades Alfi,can i have my Meade back now

please, with the Moonlite

It has been a "Real" pleasure doing business with you.

Brian

[alfi]

hehe, i think ill keep it for now.

a pleasure doing business with you to brian.

hope you are satisfied with your new equipment to.

these moonlites really makes a difference on the performance of the scopes, specially when a dslr with batterygrip is hanging on the end of the drawtube, and pointing high up in the sky.

alfi

[Solar B]

Im a Moonlite convert to,their fluidity and smoothness,make them

a joy to use and they look quite good to

Brian

[alfi]

yes, they are silky smooth, and after using them, i feel good value for money.

they are not cheap, but quality costs money, thats just the way it is.

ron over at moonlite gives excellent service, and gets it in delivery fast.

when i got them they were packaged very well, and absolutely safe from transport damages.

they fit the OTA very well, easy to attach to the OTA.

they have two saddles for finder.

they are rotateble, so youll never end up in strange angles.

the focusers are collimitable, and that can mean a lot, though mine have been perfect right out of the box.

when i attatch a dslr on it, it dosnt slip, something that can be a problem with many focusers.

so i would absolutely recommend these focusers to everyone that are looking for a upgrade for their scope.

alfi

[Astro_Baby]

I have one on my Newtonian and its the business. Holds any EP even my super heavy ones with no problems, no slippage and the movement is always super smooth whatever EP is in.

Can I pass on a tip - keep the top rollers - the ones that press against the top of the focus tube - clean. Clean them down periodically with a cotton bud while you rack the focus in and out. The top rollers can become contaminated with general muck over time and they can eventually start to score the top of the focus tube.

Thats not a negative for Moonlite - its a flaw in the Crayford design (albeit not a big one). It doesnt affect operation but its nice to keep such a beatiful focuser looking its best.

[A McEwan]

Good tip, AB. I'll have to remember that one!

[Deneb]

I've just upgraded my focuser on my newt. to a moonlight, pure quality.