Telescope Reviews: what do you think of the C130-MGT?

*Warning: This post contains violent acts against a telescope and may not be suitable for all readers. This post tells how I removed the "weird clear lens" that "seals" the OTA of Chinese made C130 Maksutovs, and in my opinion handicaps and diminishes the view through the scope.

Tools needed: Eye protection, hammer, chisel, Dremel Tool w/cutoff disk, philips screwdriver, generic replacement focus knob or flexible focus cable. You also need a "Gonzo" "nothing risked, nothing gained" attitude. Additionally, you may damage your scope and void your warranty by doing this, so think about it carefully before proceeding. The Celestron C130 now comes with a "No Fault, No Questions Asked, Warranty" but I don't know if it would cover this... The reason I did it was that I was convinced I could get more out of this scope, and the fact that I only paid $175 new/demo, from a local camera shop that was desperate to get rid of it. The owner hated the scope, so I gave it a home. One of the few bargains I can remember in my life.

The first and hardest step for me was removing the focus knob. You can't just pry it off, it won't budge! If you remove the rubber knurling, you'll find a tiny hole that you think has a set screw. I tried every small allen wrench and micro screwdriver I had with no luck. The Dremel tool was then used to cut off the focus knob, without cutting the shaft, or your fingers. Now remove the three philips screws that hold the rear assembly to the OTA. You will now see...Collimation Screws!

But we won't talk too much about those screws in this post, the goal here is to remove the window pane glass that you now see Epoxy glued to the back of the housing. Too bad they didn't just put in a retaining ring, mine was glued solid. After contemplating what you are about to do, bring hammer and chisel to bear on the lens. WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! The glass is as thick as an old Coke bottle! Remove and be careful of broken shards of glass. If you want to, you can also unscrew the vertical eyepiece tube and remove the other "weird clear lens" that is hiding in there. Now is also the time to adjust flip mirror if necessary and fiddle with collimation, (but I don't know how you would do it accurately with the rear assembly off). To finish, put cover back on, tighten the three screws, attach new knob or flexi focus cable and you are done!

You now have a clear and unobstructed view straight into the OTA, the way it should have come from the factory. IMO. My first light with my "improved" C130 produced a remarkably noticeable improvement in light throughput and increased sharpness. I am still waiting on a new visual back, (so I can use a high quality diagonal) that will improve it even further. Final comments in a later post.

*Note to moderator, this post should probably be in the DIY Forum. I posted it here because this thread was still alive, and I was kind of embarrassed to start a new topic with the above information, i.e., (Hammer, chisel, etc...) Please move if necessary.

marty

Edited by marty (02/25/06 03:59 AM)