Fitting a Moonlite Focuser to a Celestron C80ED

[Deneb]

Hi

I have bought myself a Celestron C80ED. I also have ordered a Moonlite Focuser for it. Does anyone know how you would install it on a C80ED. As I am trying to google some guides, but failed so far to find one.

The pic shows the stock focuser housing, does this come off ?

There 3 grub screw sockets what are they for ?

Your help would be appreciated.

Cheers

Nadeem.

[George]

Just undo the grub screws fully and the focuser slides out of the tube, I should imagine fitting the moonlight would just be a reversal:)

[johninderby]

The whole focuser on the C80 ED screws onto the end of the tube. They can be very tight and hard to unscrew, but one of the Rubber Strap Wrenches from a diy store will give you enough grip to unscrew it. Then it's just a matter of screwing the Moonlite onto the tube. The grub screw sockets you are referring to are for adjusting inner workings of the focuser

John

[oceanheadted]

Nadeem,

the R&P focuser on the C80-ED is pretty basic isn't it? It's a shame because the rest of the telescope is pretty good. I should imagine with a moon lite on it will be the dog's danglies. Hope everything goes OK. There's a reference be people being unable to undo the treads here:

Agena AstroProducts Crayford Focuser Adapter for Celestron C80ED Refractor

Post up a piccie when you get the new focuser on.

cheers

Alan

[Deneb]

Thanks John

I have found the diy store which sells them, I'll pop down tomorrow & buy one.

[Rusty Strings]

I'd be keen to see how this progresses as I've been thinking about swapping my C80ED focuser for a moonlite.

John

[Deneb]

Nadeem,

the R&P focuser on the C80-ED is pretty basic isn't it? It's a shame because the rest of the telescope is pretty good. I should imagine with a moon lite on it will be the dog's danglies. Hope everything goes OK. There's a reference be people being unable to undo the treads here:

Agena AstroProducts Crayford Focuser Adapter for Celestron C80ED Refractor

Post up a piccie when you get the new focuser on.

cheers

Alan

Thanks for the reference Alan, Actually after reading John's post I decided to give it some brute force, I have managed to unscrew the stock focuser:hello2:.

Now just to have to wait to receive the Moonlite.

Cheers

Nadeem.

[johninderby]

Great !

They do vary a bit from just hard to unscrew to virtually impossible as the threads on the tube aren't always properly done. Pity they didn't just use the standard SkyWatcher fitting. But at least now you've just got the long wait until the focuser arrives.

John

[jgs001]

Sounds interesting Nadeem. Be good to hear how that comes off in the end. I'm opting for the poor mans version for now, and going to apply some teflon tape to the sides of the drawtube to pack it out and stop it wobbling about.

[Rusty Strings]

Just given mine a twist and the focuser looks like it will come off ok. Knowing what sytnas grease is like from when I stipped my EQ5 down, I took the R+P apart this morning and quite honestly you could build a Blue Peter Tracy island with the grease it's that sticky. Will re-grease later and see what difference that makes.

John

[arad85]

Which moonlite have you ordered? I was under the impression that the C80 has a non-standard screw thread. Have you also ordered the Agena Astro adaptor too?

[johninderby]

Moonlite does a screw on version just for the C80 ED.

John

[Telescope40]

I have been looking at upgrades for my Ed80. Will look to follow progress with this Nadeem. Sounds like it will turn out NICE. Picture of the scope with no R&P focuser and the finished item would be most enlightening. Hope delivery is pdq for you. Look forward to a cracking result, John

[Deneb]

Well the Moonlite arrived this afternoon, Now - Where do I begin ?

I spent 3 Hours installing this focuser onto the scope, you ask yourself why 3 hours, let me explain.

Taken the initial stock focuser was no problem, then I realised why people have so many problems replacing the focuser on this scope.

I was not too bothered with having a dual rate focuser, but interested in it's build quality & it's smooth operation for imaging. Well initially I had accounted the problems screwing the Moonlite to the scope tube, only to find out what John had previously mentioned that the threads on the OTA are not properly done.

Another thought I had was maybe the threads on the Stock focuser were more deeply threaded on the housing, so it would nicely cover the threads on the tube (see pics), the moonlite has a less spacing for this.

Anyway so I decided get the WD40 out & start cleaning the threads from the old residue of any substances which are preventing any movement. Once cleaned, re mounted the moonlite, it screwed in a little easier, but not perfect (see pics), to get the focuser flush as possible I had to use a Rubber Strap Wrench - but still not perfect (see pic). i was still left with 2 threads still showing bare & it would not screw in anymore.

Installing it was bit of a pain. So am I happy - Well Yes & No !

The Yes - I have a wonderful focuser, which oozes quality, feels a lot more stable - even with some weight on it, has a very nice smoothness & it looks the part, you will not have to worry that it will wobble when you have a reducer+DSLR hanging on the back of it. It comes with 2x Finderscope brackets & the best things I like about it is, it comes collimated from the factory, 1.25" eyepiece adaptor & you can rotate the focuser to your desired angle of viewing, certainly when imaging or viewing in a difficult position.

The No - With the problems I had, the Moonlite is not at fault here, Celestron have made a beautiful scope, but the scope focuser threads suck, i think for me thats the most dissapointing thing about it, so much so that as mentioned before, a couple of the threads show bare on the OTA. Well I suppose I could wrap the bare threads with some Black Insulating Tape if it makes it look better.

Just to wait for a clear night to test the focuser, Excuse the pics as they were taken with a mobile phone:

Cheers

Nadeem

[johninderby]

One solution might be to trim the threaded end of the tube by a few mm so that the focuser could screw on further. I think there would still be plenty of screw thread left to hold the focuser securely.

John