£60 guide scope konus 80mm

[msinclairinork]

Just came across this cheap guide scope if anyones interested, Konus vista 80T

£60 from scopes'n'skies.

Says it has a small crack in the dew shieled which has been repaired.

Second User Bargains - Scopes'n'skies

Michael

[russ]

Hmm i'm not sure about that scope. I've had a look a couple of times and it doesn't look the same build as the Skywatcher. Mainly around the focuser end. And by the sounds of it, with the cracked dew shield, other bits too. A lot more plastic used. Although the optics could be comparable.

[msinclairinork]

yea you are probably right Russ, i went for the skywatcher in the end, although i wasn't all that impressed with the build quility at the focuser end on that TBH.

I have just seen a few peoples signature on here using this scope, so it must be used to some sucess? i'm not sure.

Michael

[russ]

There are things you can do to improve the stock focuser on the ST80. De-gunk and regrease with white lithium is one. Adding some teflon strips to the focuser barrel is another.

Or you can change the focuser entirely and replace with a nice GSO Crayford:

GSO Single Speed 86mm Crayford Focuser for Refractors on eBay (end time 11-Dec-10 05:01:16 GMT)

That is a straight fit for the ST80, no flaffing.

[msinclairinork]

Sweet! thanks for that heads up russ!

Thanks,

Michael

[jgs001]

It's the same optics as the ST80. The finder was very iffy. In fact I replaced it soon after getting it. I've used mine for viewing the moon, widefields, imaging etc, and now use it as my guidescope. I've modded the focuser, replacing the gunk and adding strips of teflon tape to the drawtube. That made an enormous difference to the handling of the focuser, to the point, that even with a 5x barlow, there was very little slop, not as good as a crayford, but at £6 for 30m of tape...

Park Camera's occasionally sell them, new and very cheap.