jwseifer
member
Reged: 07/22/08
Posts: 32
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I am looking to buy an XT10i from a guy and he doesn't know if it has a Crayford-style focuser on it. He says it's a few years old and has the software "The Sky" with it for a good price. Can anyone shed some light on this for me?
Thanks,
Jack 
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garyc11
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 11/20/04
Posts: 2779
Loc: Niagara Falls,NY
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i think they started using the crayford focuser in 2007. my orion 2006 catalog shows them with a rack and pinion the 2007 shows them with a crayford. if it's a few years old it probably has the rack and pinion.
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CGE 1400
CPC 1100
MallinCam Hyper Plus Color
Celestron 100 ED
CG5-GT
Celestron C-8 Newtonion
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KWB
Postmaster
Reged: 09/30/06
Posts: 7635
Loc: Westminster,Co Elev.1646Meters
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Ask him if he has a digital camera,if so take an image of the focuser and email it to you.
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Kenny
"When dealing with a mystery,choose the most unlikely of the likely possibilities"-Sherlock Holmes
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jwseifer
member
Reged: 07/22/08
Posts: 32
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Hopefully you can tell from this pic. what type of focuser it has (if I can do this right).
http://onlinetrain.com/ebay/WholeScope.jpg
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jwseifer
member
Reged: 07/22/08
Posts: 32
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Oops, almost forgot to ask, is there a big difference between these 2 focusers?
Thanks,
Jack
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Jason D
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 10/21/06
Posts: 1962
Loc: California
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Looks like an R&P focuser to me
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XT10 classic with premium optics
Tri-knob CR2 with compression rings
Round Table Platform
4.5" StarBlast
6" StarBlast6
TV EPs
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sixela
Postmaster
Reged: 12/23/04
Posts: 9499
Loc: Boechout, Belgium
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R&P, from the photo.
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400mm f/4.46 David Lukehurst truss Dobsonian on Tom Osypowski equatorial platform
Orion Starblast (114mm f/4 reflector, Alt/Az)
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FirstSight
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/26/05
Posts: 2517
Loc: Raleigh, NC
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I'd build the cost of a crayford-style focuser upgrade into your calculations. The old Orion R&P focuser was absolutely wretched for anything more than low power. The reason Orion changed to a crayford-style focuser was not merely that competitors were beginning to offer them stock, but they got lots of feedback from the astro community (particularly here on CN) to the effect: your intelliscope dobs are good scopes, except for two glaring flaws: the R&P focuser, and the straight-through rather than RACI finderscope.
WHICH BRINGS UP A SECOND IMPORTANT QUESTION YOU SHOULD ASK: Does his "older" XTi have a straight-through finderscope, or a RACI (right-angle correct image) format finderscope? To a large majority of users, on dobs in the size range intelliscopes were offered in, using a straight-through finderscope too often required painful contortions of the sort to make users feel they needed chiropractic therapy after a night of observing. THINK: some really uncomfortble Yoga positions, without any redeeming qualities for the body.
Both the finderscope and focuser issues are fixable with readily available upgrades, but you should build that into your "is this deal worth it" calculations.
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Chris M., aka "First Sight"
Orion XT12i Dob with Moonlite CR-2 focuser
WO Megrez 90 refractor on UniStar Light mount
Nikon 10x50 Binoculars
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jwseifer
member
Reged: 07/22/08
Posts: 32
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Thanks, From the pics, it looks like a straight through finderscope. How much more would it be approximately for these two upgrades?
Thanks,
Jack
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KWB
Postmaster
Reged: 09/30/06
Posts: 7635
Loc: Westminster,Co Elev.1646Meters
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If your going to change the focuser and looking to minimise costs I would consider going to a 2 speed version of the Crayford such as this unit from GSO. It costs $139.00 new. A new 8 X 50 RACI finder from GSO as well costs about $60.00 new. 2 speed crayford
Consider getting a fan if the scope doesn't have one. I would then very much like and be impressed with your setup.
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Kenny
"When dealing with a mystery,choose the most unlikely of the likely possibilities"-Sherlock Holmes
Edited by KWB (09/05/08 08:13 PM)
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jwseifer
member
Reged: 07/22/08
Posts: 32
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So basically, I could buy a new XT10i for about the same cost, and get a new scope huh?
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Scott Regener
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 03/31/06
Posts: 843
Loc: SE Minnesota
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I have an "older" XT10i. It had a few things done to it and there are a lot more I'd like to do. A RACI is pretty far down my list. As others have said, there are some contortions to do when looking pretty high in the sky, but a RACI without a Telrad or other unit finder is practically useless. So you're talking not one, but two finders. The R&P focuser isn't great. It is one of the first upgrades on my list. If you buy new, though, you're getting a single-speed Crayford, which only runs about $60.
The fan is a must for higher-power viewing. The mirror simply cannot cool fast enough on its own to keep up with dropping temperatures.
Flocking the tube is highly recommended. Mine was very reflective and I had a "washed out sky" feel before I flocked behind the secondary and the bottom 1' of the tube around the mirror. Much, much darker. Scopestuff has nice, easy-to-work-with paper.
Thumbscrews for the secondary is nice - makes collimation toolless.
If you're at the edge of your budget with the used one, you can always do upgrades later. I'm planning on getting a Moonlite focuser, a more expensive upgrade. The "classic" XT10i is a very serviceable telescope with no modifications. With a few simple changes, though, it becomes a great telescope, and you can always do those as time and budget allow. If money is no object, get new, but don't forget to factor in shipping - Orion charges a lot.
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Orion SkyQuest 4.5XT
Orion SkyQuest XT10i w/COL
Urban (red) skies
Limiting Mag 3.5-4.0 Average
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