SW 127 MAk star diagonal

[PRG]

Managed to smash the star diagonal on my SkyWatcher SkyMax 127 supatrak auto , so need to get a new one. Should I just replace it with the standard 1.25 inch star diagonal for around £35? Iv'e seen some posts that some versions of this scope have a 2 inch. Can this be done, and would it need a different adaptor on the back plate of the scpoe? Also, is it worth getting the Deluxe Di-electric coated version for around twice the price?

If anyone has changed the star diagonal on this scope I'd appreciate your help and advice.

Thanks

[wpitcairn]

Sorry to hear of your accident Paul, sorry I can't give you any advice on the alternatives but could you share how you managed to smash this? So that others can avoid the same.

Rgs Will

[JamesF]

Mine has a 2" diagonal, but I bought it that way so I'm not entirely sure what's original and what isn't. However, I think you need an adapter that fits on the back of the Mak to take the threaded ring on the diagonal.

James

[A McEwan]

I've always replaced the standard diagonal with a higher spec one. My current "upgrade" model is the Astrotech 1.25" 99% dielectric coated one. It cost me about £50 a few years ago. I think (maybe incorrectly) that it's worth paying a little extra to get a good diagonal if there's even a chance it's going to improve the view on an otherwise good optical system. The quality of the view depends on the quality of the weakest link in the optical chain, after all, so why risk a weak link (cheap diagonal)?

There's a TeleVue 1.25 on AB&S at the moment for £50...

Ant

[PRG]

Thanks for the advice, yes, I think I will go for a better quality one.

Also having unscrewed the back, the aperture on the rear of the scope is only 1 inch wide, so a 2 inch star diagonal will probably not help.

Will, It happened when I put my scope outside to cool. I'm not quite sure what happened, except as I was walking away there was a loud crash! I can't have put all three legs of the tripod on the ground, so the whole thing fell over. The star diagonal was the first thing to hit the ground. Luckily the OTA is fine.

I did manage to put the diagonal back together with the help of some superglue, and have had a couple of night observing with no apparent difference. I think I will still upgrade it though.

It does seem that in some scope positions the centre of gravity is quite near to the legs of the tripod, rather than the middle i.e. quite easy to overbalance.

So now when I move my scope outside I am very careful to make sure all three legs are down!

[A McEwan]

Sorry to hear about that nasty crash! Good job the scope didn't suffer. Mind you, I've been lucky - I've never yet managed to set up a tripod without all three legs on the ground...

[wpitcairn]

Yes the SW127 does seem a little top heavy and when you have to re-level the scope I am always aware that the legs need to be re-tightened. My biggest worry are my three children, who don't seem to be able to look where they are going:-( I'm also worried that the mount only has a single screw into plastic to hold the scope onto the mount, I could see that give out at some point as well if you store the scope away from the mount.

[PRG]

I think I might get this William Optics 1.25" carbon fibre dielectric diagonal.

(The TeleVue one on AB&S has gone)