Come join the friendliest, most engaging and inclusive astronomy forum geared for beginners and advanced telescope users, astrophotography devotees, plus check out our "Astro" goods vendors.
Come join the friendliest, most engaging and inclusive astronomy forum geared for beginners and advanced telescope users, astrophotography devotees, plus check out our "Astro" goods vendors.
I am considering getting a replacement GSO 10:1 crayford focuser for my Celestron XLT 150mm f5 achromat, but one issue is that the stock focuser has a built-in attachment point for the shoe of the finder scope. The GSO replacement doesn't, and there is no other easy spot to attach the finder on the scope. I could make an attachment to sit it on the mount brackets, but this is a pain if I want to rotate the tube (eg: when I attach the scope by the side to my M2 or iOptron alt-az mounts).
So, I am just wondering if anyone out there has done something like this with a focuser replacement, and what you did for the finder? I am thinking of getting a red-dot finder of some sort instead of the 8x50 straight-through one that came with the scope.
All thoughts gratefully accepted!
Thanks,
Dean
Telescopes: 12" f5 dob, Celestron CPC800, 150mmf5 Celestron achro, Tak TSA102, TV76, ETX125...
Binos: Steiner Wildlife XP 10x26, Swarovski 8x30 Habicht, Zeiss SFL 8x40, Vanguard Endeavour 10.5x45, Fuji FMTR-SX 10x50, Tak 22x60, Orion Resolux 15x70
Eyepieces: way too many (is that possible?), but I do like my TV 32mm plossl, 13mm Nagler T6, 27mm Panoptic and 3-6mm Nagler zoom, plus Fujiyama 18mm and 25mm orthos and Tak 7.5mm LE
Hi Dean,
My f/5 came with an extra dovetail-bar. I put in some extra nuts so I could use it as a handle -bar. Furthermore I drilled and tapped two extra holes to install a Telrad base on it. The Telrad works fine, but any other RDF will do of course. Problem stays that it won't rotate.
For rotation one must attach a finder-base to the telescope itself or to the focusser. I am not in need of this, but lately I found out, while working on the further blackening of the inside-focusser, there is more than enough room for drilling and tapping two extra M5 or M6 holes. Or even a M5 nut on the inside, in case you have no M5 taps.
Last edited by John Baars on Wed Nov 06, 2019 8:17 am, edited 1 time in total.
Refractors in frequency of use : *SW Evostar 120ED F/7.5 (all round ), * Vixen 102ED F/9 (vintage), both on Vixen GPDX. GrabnGo on Alt/AZ : *SW Startravel 102 F/5 refractor( widefield, Sun, push-to), *OMC140 Maksutov F/14.3 ( planets). Most used Eyepieces: *Panoptic 24, *Morpheus 14, *Leica ASPH zoom, *Zeiss barlow, *Pentax XO5. Commonly used bino's : *Jena 10X50 , * Canon 10X30 IS,*Swarovski Habicht 7X42, * Celestron 15X70, *Kasai 2.3X40 Rijswijk Public Observatory: * Astro-Physics Starfire 130 f/8, * 6 inch Newton, * C9.25, * Meade 14 inch LX600 ACF, *Lunt. Amateur astronomer since 1970.
As well as John two examples there is also bolting it directly to the tube in front of the focuser flange.
Gabrielle See Far Sticks: Elita 103/1575, AOM FLT 105/1000, Bresser 127/1200 BV, Nočný stopár 152/1200, Vyrobené doma 70/700, Stellarvue NHNG DX 80/552, TAL RS 100/1000, Vixen SD115s/885 EQ: TAL MT-1, Vixen SXP, SXP2, AXJ, AXD Az/Alt: AYO Digi II, Stellarvue M2C, Argo Navis encoders on both Tripods: Berlebach Planet (2), Uni 28 Astro, Report 372, TAL factory maple, Vixen ASG-CB90, Vixen AXD-TR102 Diagonals: Astro-Physics, Baader Amici, Baader Herschel, iStar Blue, Stellarvue DX, Tak prism, TAL, Vixen Eyepieces: Antares to Zeiss (1011110) The only culture I have is from yogurt
DeanD wrote: ↑Wed Nov 06, 2019 4:54 amSo, I am just wondering if anyone out there has done something like this with a focuser replacement, and what you did for the finder? I am thinking of getting a red-dot finder of some sort instead of the 8x50 straight-through one that came with the scope.
I have replaced two focusers with GSO units. There is a finder shoe made for them:
No modifications required. Single screw to install and the "rails" on the bottom of the shoe make sure it is lined up in the right direction. I use RACI's on these, so a red dot should be no issue.
"The heavens themselves, the planets, and this center observe degree, priority, and place,
Insisture, course, proportion, season, form, office, and custom, in all line of order.”
Thanks to all for responding. It is always great to get other peoples' ideas: sometimes you just miss the obvious!
I was procrastinating about getting the focuser, but you have encouraged me (don't tell the finance department though! )
Thanks again, and all the best,
Dean
Telescopes: 12" f5 dob, Celestron CPC800, 150mmf5 Celestron achro, Tak TSA102, TV76, ETX125...
Binos: Steiner Wildlife XP 10x26, Swarovski 8x30 Habicht, Zeiss SFL 8x40, Vanguard Endeavour 10.5x45, Fuji FMTR-SX 10x50, Tak 22x60, Orion Resolux 15x70
Eyepieces: way too many (is that possible?), but I do like my TV 32mm plossl, 13mm Nagler T6, 27mm Panoptic and 3-6mm Nagler zoom, plus Fujiyama 18mm and 25mm orthos and Tak 7.5mm LE
DeanD wrote: ↑Wed Nov 06, 2019 10:15 pm
Thanks to all for responding. It is always great to get other peoples' ideas: sometimes you just miss the obvious!
I was procrastinating about getting the focuser, but you have encouraged me (don't tell the finance department though! )
Thanks again, and all the best,
Dean
It is a good upgrade to do. The GSO focuser is muuuuuuch nicer than factory rack and pinion ones.
I might actually prefer the shoe that Bigz linked. The slots will let you center the screw better than the GSO shoe.
"The heavens themselves, the planets, and this center observe degree, priority, and place,
Insisture, course, proportion, season, form, office, and custom, in all line of order.”
DeanD wrote: ↑Wed Nov 06, 2019 10:15 pm
Thanks to all for responding. It is always great to get other peoples' ideas: sometimes you just miss the obvious!
I was procrastinating about getting the focuser, but you have encouraged me (don't tell the finance department though! )
Thanks again, and all the best,
Dean
It is a good upgrade to do. The GSO focuser is muuuuuuch nicer than factory rack and pinion ones.
I might actually prefer the shoe that Bigz linked. The slots will let you center the screw better than the GSO shoe.
I prefer this cross slot shoe design over the others. It fits all my scopes from 8" SCT and 150ST to 127mm Mak and 80mm ED perfectly.
DeanD wrote: ↑Wed Nov 06, 2019 10:15 pm
Thanks to all for responding. It is always great to get other peoples' ideas: sometimes you just miss the obvious!
I was procrastinating about getting the focuser, but you have encouraged me (don't tell the finance department though! )
Thanks again, and all the best,
Dean
It is a good upgrade to do. The GSO focuser is muuuuuuch nicer than factory rack and pinion ones.
I might actually prefer the shoe that Bigz linked. The slots will let you center the screw better than the GSO shoe.
I prefer this cross slot shoe design over the others. It fits all my scopes from 8" SCT and 150ST to 127mm Mak and 80mm ED perfectly.
I have ordered one, thanks! Hopefully it will arrive quicker than my last order from China. I am still waiting on that one from February!
I am undecided about the finder itself. I will wait until I have attached the new focuser: which should arrive on Monday.
Thanks again folks.
Telescopes: 12" f5 dob, Celestron CPC800, 150mmf5 Celestron achro, Tak TSA102, TV76, ETX125...
Binos: Steiner Wildlife XP 10x26, Swarovski 8x30 Habicht, Zeiss SFL 8x40, Vanguard Endeavour 10.5x45, Fuji FMTR-SX 10x50, Tak 22x60, Orion Resolux 15x70
Eyepieces: way too many (is that possible?), but I do like my TV 32mm plossl, 13mm Nagler T6, 27mm Panoptic and 3-6mm Nagler zoom, plus Fujiyama 18mm and 25mm orthos and Tak 7.5mm LE
DeanD wrote: ↑Fri Nov 08, 2019 12:24 am
I have ordered one, thanks! Hopefully it will arrive quicker than my last order from China. I am still waiting on that one from February!
I ordered some large format film from Teds Camera store in October. Still waiting. Have since sold the large format camera. Converted to digital cameras. So hoping they don't call up to say my order has arrived. I'm not worried.
..........it wasn't October 2019, it was October 1997
Joe
Amateur astronomer since 1978...................Web site :http://joe-cali.com/ Scopes: ATM 18" Dob, Vixen VC200L, ATM 6"f7, Stellarvue 102ED, Saxon ED80, WO M70 ED, Orion 102 Maksutov, ST80. Mounts: Takahashi EM-200, iOptron iEQ45, Push dobsonian with Nexus DSC, three homemade EQ's. Eyepieces: TV Naglers 31, 17, 12, 7; Denkmeier D21 & D14; Pentax XW10, XW5, Unitron 40mm Kellner, Meade Or 25,12 Cameras : Pentax K1, K5, K01, K10D / VIDEO CAMS : TacosBD, Lihmsec. Cam/guider/controllers: Lacerta MGEN 3, SW Synguider, Simulation Curriculum SkyFi 3+Sky safari Memberships Astronomical Association of Queensland; RASNZ Occultations Section; Single Exposure Milky Way Facebook Group (Moderator) (12k members), The Sky Searchers (moderator)