Slipping Crayford focuser
- jazzin
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Slipping Crayford focuser
I've been having issues with my focuser slipping are not moving in or out when I turn the wheel. Makes it hard to fins the focus point.
Anybody know how to fix this?
Anybody know how to fix this?
Telescopes: Celestron 6" Newtonian, Orion 8" Astrograph
Guide scope: 50mm guidescope
Camera: modded Canon T7i, stock Canon T1i
Software: PixInsight
I hate cold and rainy weather!
Guide scope: 50mm guidescope
Camera: modded Canon T7i, stock Canon T1i
Software: PixInsight
I hate cold and rainy weather!
- StarBru
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Re: Slipping Crayford focuser
Is it the stock Crayford focuser and on which telescope? Since you've been a member here for awhile, I take it you know how to operate the adjustment screws on the focusers to get the correct tension and you know the difference between the locking and the adjustment screws, correct? Agena Astro has a good article on optimizing GSO Crayford focusers that might help in your situation, I don't know for sure of course. Hope this helps.
https://agenaastro.com/articles/guides/ ... cuser.html
https://agenaastro.com/articles/guides/ ... cuser.html
Bruce
Refractors: Meade AR-5 127mm f/9.3, Meade ST-80 f/5 and Meade 60mm f/12, Jason 60mm f/15 #313, Jason 60mm f/12 #306 S7, Bushnell Sky Chief III 60mm f/15.
Reflectors/Catadioptrics: Meade 10" F/4 Schmidt-Newtonian, Galileo 120mm f/8.3 Newtonian, Meade 2045D 4" f/10 SCT, Meade ETX-90EC f/13.8 & Sarblue 60mm f/12.5 Maksutov-Cassegrains.
Mounts: Skywatcher EQ6-R Pro & Meade LXD55 Equatorial mounts, ES Twilight II and Meade 2102 ALT/AZ mounts, a modified 10" SkyQuest Dobsonian mount, various 60mm EQ mounts.
Misc: Celestron 20x80mm binoculars, Revolution II Imager/accessories, & lots of optical accessories/eyepieces.
Projects: 8" f/2.9 and 65mm f/10 reflectors, Dobson-style binocular mirror mount.
Refractors: Meade AR-5 127mm f/9.3, Meade ST-80 f/5 and Meade 60mm f/12, Jason 60mm f/15 #313, Jason 60mm f/12 #306 S7, Bushnell Sky Chief III 60mm f/15.
Reflectors/Catadioptrics: Meade 10" F/4 Schmidt-Newtonian, Galileo 120mm f/8.3 Newtonian, Meade 2045D 4" f/10 SCT, Meade ETX-90EC f/13.8 & Sarblue 60mm f/12.5 Maksutov-Cassegrains.
Mounts: Skywatcher EQ6-R Pro & Meade LXD55 Equatorial mounts, ES Twilight II and Meade 2102 ALT/AZ mounts, a modified 10" SkyQuest Dobsonian mount, various 60mm EQ mounts.
Misc: Celestron 20x80mm binoculars, Revolution II Imager/accessories, & lots of optical accessories/eyepieces.
Projects: 8" f/2.9 and 65mm f/10 reflectors, Dobson-style binocular mirror mount.
- Bigzmey
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Re: Slipping Crayford focuser
Since crayford focusers are friction-based you need to find the right (and narrow) window where you tension is not too tight or too loose. I find it easiest to tighten the tension screw all they way and release in small increments until your focuser start to move. In my experience the right tension feels tighter than for R&P focuser, so you feel some resistance while focusing.
Scopes: Stellarvue: SV102ED; Celestron: 9.25" EdgeHD, 8" SCT, 150ST, Onyx 80ED; iOptron: Hankmeister 6" Mak; SW: 7" Mak; Meade: 80ST.
Mounts: SW: SkyTee2, AzGTi; iOptron: AZMP; ES: Twilight I; Bresser: EXOS2; UA: MicroStar.
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Diagonals: Baader: BBHS mirror, Zeiss Spec T2 prism, Clicklock dielectric; TeleVue: Evebrite dielectric; AltairAstro: 2" prism.
Filters: Lumicon: DeepSky, UHC, OIII, H-beta; Baader: Moon & SkyGlow, Contrast Booster, UHC-S, 6-color set; Astronomik: UHC.
Solar: HA: Lunt 50mm single stack, W/L: Meade Herschel wedge.
Observing: DSOs: 3106 (Completed: Messier, Herschel 1, 2, 3. In progress: H2,500: 2180, S110: 77). Doubles: 2461, Comets: 34, Asteroids: 261
Mounts: SW: SkyTee2, AzGTi; iOptron: AZMP; ES: Twilight I; Bresser: EXOS2; UA: MicroStar.
Binos: APM: 100-90 APO; Canon: IS 15x50; Orion: Binoviewer, LG II 15x70, WV 10x50, Nikon: AE 16x50, 10x50, 8x40.
EPs: Pentax: XWs & XFs; TeleVue: Delites, Delos, Panoptic & Plossls; ES: 68, 62; Vixen: SLVs; Baader: BCOs, Aspherics, Mark IV.
Diagonals: Baader: BBHS mirror, Zeiss Spec T2 prism, Clicklock dielectric; TeleVue: Evebrite dielectric; AltairAstro: 2" prism.
Filters: Lumicon: DeepSky, UHC, OIII, H-beta; Baader: Moon & SkyGlow, Contrast Booster, UHC-S, 6-color set; Astronomik: UHC.
Solar: HA: Lunt 50mm single stack, W/L: Meade Herschel wedge.
Observing: DSOs: 3106 (Completed: Messier, Herschel 1, 2, 3. In progress: H2,500: 2180, S110: 77). Doubles: 2461, Comets: 34, Asteroids: 261
- yobbo89
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Re: Slipping Crayford focuser
you might want to look into lapping the surface where the roller pin meets the draw tube if adjusting the tension dosn't work, i just wrap some fine grit sand paper over a file .
scopes :gso/bintel f4 12"truss tube, bresser messier ar127s /skywatcher 10'' dob,meade 12'' f10 lx200 sct
cameras : asi 1600mm-c/asi1600mm-c,asi120mc,prostar lp guidecam, nikkon d60, sony a7,asi 290 mm
mounts : eq6 pro/eq8/mesu 200 v2
filters : 2'' astronomik lp/badder lrgb h-a,sII,oIII,h-b,Baader Solar Continuum, chroma 3nm ha,sii,oiii,nii,rgb,lowglow,uv/ir,Thousand Oaks Solar Filter,1.25'' #47 violet,pro planet 742 ir,pro planet 807 ir,pro planet 642 bp ir.
extras : skywatcher f4 aplanatic cc, Baader MPCC MKIII Coma Corrector,Orion Field Flattener,zwo 1.25''adc.starlight maxi 2" 9x filter wheel,tele vue 2x barlow .
cameras : asi 1600mm-c/asi1600mm-c,asi120mc,prostar lp guidecam, nikkon d60, sony a7,asi 290 mm
mounts : eq6 pro/eq8/mesu 200 v2
filters : 2'' astronomik lp/badder lrgb h-a,sII,oIII,h-b,Baader Solar Continuum, chroma 3nm ha,sii,oiii,nii,rgb,lowglow,uv/ir,Thousand Oaks Solar Filter,1.25'' #47 violet,pro planet 742 ir,pro planet 807 ir,pro planet 642 bp ir.
extras : skywatcher f4 aplanatic cc, Baader MPCC MKIII Coma Corrector,Orion Field Flattener,zwo 1.25''adc.starlight maxi 2" 9x filter wheel,tele vue 2x barlow .
- helicon
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Re: Slipping Crayford focuser
When I first got my GSO Dob with a Crayford focuser I had a problem with slop in its operation, to the point where it slipped continually until I locked it down every time I tried to focus. Kind of a pain. Later I learned to find a balance between the tension screws so it moved smoothly yet stayed pat after twisting the big focuser knobs. Lot's better. The operation is a bit more complicated than it seems at first. Good luck with it.
-Michael
Refractors: ES AR152 f/6.5 Achromat on Twilight II, Celestron 102mm XLT f/9.8 on Celestron Heavy Duty Alt Az mount, KOWA 90mm spotting scope
Binoculars: Celestron SkyMaster 15x70, Bushnell 10x50
Eyepieces: Various, GSO Superview, 9mm Plossl, Celestron 25mm Plossl
Camera: ZWO ASI 120
Naked Eye: Two Eyeballs
Latitude: 48.7229° N
Refractors: ES AR152 f/6.5 Achromat on Twilight II, Celestron 102mm XLT f/9.8 on Celestron Heavy Duty Alt Az mount, KOWA 90mm spotting scope
Binoculars: Celestron SkyMaster 15x70, Bushnell 10x50
Eyepieces: Various, GSO Superview, 9mm Plossl, Celestron 25mm Plossl
Camera: ZWO ASI 120
Naked Eye: Two Eyeballs
Latitude: 48.7229° N
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Re: Slipping Crayford focuser
All the information above is great! It will work well with most eyepieces. With that being said, I notice you are listing a Canon DSLR as part of your equipment. I found that the extra weight of the camera just didn't work well with a crayford focuser, so I changed to a "rack and pinion" focuser on both of my imaging scopes.
Here's the one I use on my newtonian: https://agenaastro.com/antares-low-prof ... speed.html NOTE: the antares attachment holes do not match up with every newtonian (skywatcher is what I have and the scope needed to have new mounting holes drilled for the antares).
and here's the one I use on my ES80ed refractor. https://agenaastro.com/catalog/product/ ... d_source=1.
Just make sure to double check for fit.
Here's the one I use on my newtonian: https://agenaastro.com/antares-low-prof ... speed.html NOTE: the antares attachment holes do not match up with every newtonian (skywatcher is what I have and the scope needed to have new mounting holes drilled for the antares).
and here's the one I use on my ES80ed refractor. https://agenaastro.com/catalog/product/ ... d_source=1.
Just make sure to double check for fit.
Gordon
Scopes: Explore Scientific ED80CF, Skywatcher 200 Quattro Imaging Newt, SeeStar S50 for EAA.
Mounts: Orion Atlas EQ-g mount & Skywatcher EQ5 Pro.
ZWO mini guider.
Image cameras: ZWO ASI1600 MM Cool, ZWO ASI533mc-Pro, ZWO ASI174mm-C (for use with my Quark chromosphere), ZWO ASI120MC
Filters: LRGB, Ha 7nm, O-III 7nm, S-II 7nm
Eyepieces: a few.
Primary software: Cartes du Ciel, N.I.N.A, StarTools V1.4.
Scopes: Explore Scientific ED80CF, Skywatcher 200 Quattro Imaging Newt, SeeStar S50 for EAA.
Mounts: Orion Atlas EQ-g mount & Skywatcher EQ5 Pro.
ZWO mini guider.
Image cameras: ZWO ASI1600 MM Cool, ZWO ASI533mc-Pro, ZWO ASI174mm-C (for use with my Quark chromosphere), ZWO ASI120MC
Filters: LRGB, Ha 7nm, O-III 7nm, S-II 7nm
Eyepieces: a few.
Primary software: Cartes du Ciel, N.I.N.A, StarTools V1.4.
- jazzin
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Re: Slipping Crayford focuser
I took the focuser down today and tried sanding the dar tube a little with a sanding stone. Put it back together and got it to work while the focuser isn't facing down. Because I image with a dslr , I always orient the OTA on the mount with the focuser facing down for balance reasons. And it still slips when I loosen the locking thumb screw when in that orientation. Works fine when it's not in that orientation.
Thanks for the suggestions!
Thanks for the suggestions!
Telescopes: Celestron 6" Newtonian, Orion 8" Astrograph
Guide scope: 50mm guidescope
Camera: modded Canon T7i, stock Canon T1i
Software: PixInsight
I hate cold and rainy weather!
Guide scope: 50mm guidescope
Camera: modded Canon T7i, stock Canon T1i
Software: PixInsight
I hate cold and rainy weather!
- jazzin
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Re: Slipping Crayford focuser
After a lot of trial and error and taking the focuser apart and the drawrube out, I've finally figured out how to fix the darn thing.
Thanks to this youtube video where the author thoroughly explains how to do what I needed to do.
Thanks to this youtube video where the author thoroughly explains how to do what I needed to do.
Telescopes: Celestron 6" Newtonian, Orion 8" Astrograph
Guide scope: 50mm guidescope
Camera: modded Canon T7i, stock Canon T1i
Software: PixInsight
I hate cold and rainy weather!
Guide scope: 50mm guidescope
Camera: modded Canon T7i, stock Canon T1i
Software: PixInsight
I hate cold and rainy weather!
- Richard
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Re: Slipping Crayford focuser
I am not a fan of these toothless wonders , had quite a few and there are some that work well and other not so unless one' fixes' them, on the cheaper units like Skywatcher, GSO , etc , they give problems , one gets dust etc while using it and then you have to clean and adjust
A proper Rack and pinion works well for ever
A proper Rack and pinion works well for ever
Reflectors GSO 200 Dobs
Refractors None
SCT C5 on a SLT mount
Mak 150 Bosma on a EQ5
Refractors None
SCT C5 on a SLT mount
Mak 150 Bosma on a EQ5
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