9844 replies to this topic

[harpo80]

An inductor inline with power could mean over-current and a short elsewhere. Sometimes intentionally undersized to act as a fuse.

Thank you - as any expertise I could claim ends with biological systems and does not extend to electronics whatsoever, I had an electronics guy troubleshoot with me as I replaced the board, and he said something very similar.  The fault appeared to end there, protecting everything downstream including the motors.  So far, so good with operations since.

[icomet]

Old JMI DX dual speed focusers don't accept newer low profile 1 1/4"

compression ring adapters well.

 

Clear Skies. 

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[icomet]

Fits.

 

Clear Skies. 

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[deSitter]

Fits.

 

Clear Skies. 

Collimate-able focuser - the little stainless hex screws. Nice unit.

 

-drl

[CHASLX200]

Moved the 826 OTA to slap up more card board on the walls.  Not used a scope in months.

[clamchip]

Mendy and I spent most of the morning working on a box of Belgian Chocolates and discussing my

Edmund/Jaegers focuser tube roll-out prevention tether.

It was decided to abandon my tether idea and adopt her idea of filling the last few teeth with RTV silicone

to prevent the focuser tube from rolling out of the focuser.

Robert 

 

[icomet]

Swayze  - Astrola    10" f/6

Finally used up my parts.

 

Clear Skies. 

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[icomet]

My last two builds. No more parts left. Have one bare Cave Cervit mirror

and one set of rotating rings left, and that's it.

 

Clear Skies. 

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[clamchip]

My Jaegers 4 inch back together with a new shorter lightweight dew shield, removed and cleaned the

lens, a new Vixen style finder shoe I received in the mail today, and a quick release Vixen 7 X 50mm finder.

Notice I turned the finder stalk around, I know it looks goofy but backwards it can't slide out of the shoe.

Robert

Before (top) after (bottom) and I sure do miss those red knobs but the changes have made the scope 

a little nicer to use. I should weigh it, I'll bet it's under 10 pounds, not bad for a 4 inch f/15.

 

Edited by clamchip, 12 December 2024 - 01:14 AM.

[John Huntley]

I have managed to find some suitable knobs for the axis locks on my 1985 Fullerscopes MkIII equatorial mount. The originals were lost long ago and the replacements were simple "T" top bolts which did not look quite right in my view. All the nuts and bolts on this mount are imperial threaded and some are getting hard to find over here now. I was pleased to come across these which were originally intended to hold the external panels on a Hustler ride-on mower ! They look just right I think 

 

 

 

 

[clamchip]

I disassembled and cleaned the porro prism erector that came with my new TeleVue Ranger.

Its the typical Japanese unit supplied with orange Celestron's etc. and I like these very much.

It has a clamchip on the prism cluster and I'm surprised the cement holding the prisms together

didn't fail in the impact. Nothing I can do about the clam, I just hope its out of the field. 

I spent a good amount of time analyzing this erector, and something that really helps is make

certain the prism assy. and the housing ports are aligned properly by eye, there's so much

room in the prism housing its easy to error when assembling and you end up looking thru a 'bent' erector.

The wiggle room can actually save the unit if it does collide with something, the prisms are able

to absorb the blow by moving a little, restrained by it's spring. Mine ran out of wiggle room

and the prism chipped when it came up against the prism case wall. 

All the other optical accessories in the kit are fine and with minimal dust specks I'm not going

to worry about.

Next I will get the focuser working with a cleaning and new grease. I will then do a optical test

of the telescope before I remove and clean the objective, so I'll know who to blame

when I'm finished!

This is actually the first time I thought maybe it would be better to send it back to the manufacturer

and let them clean the objective, I can do that, TeleVue is still alive!  But where's the fun in that!

Robert

 

 

Robert

 

[deSitter]

I disassembled and cleaned the porro prism erector that came with my new TeleVue Ranger.

Its the typical Japanese unit supplied with orange Celestron's etc. and I like these very much.

It has a clamchip on the prism cluster and I'm surprised the cement holding the prisms together

didn't fail in the impact. Nothing I can do about the clam, I just hope its out of the field. 

I spent a good amount of time analyzing this erector, and something that really helps is make

certain the prism assy. and the housing ports are aligned properly by eye, there's so much

room in the prism housing its easy to error when assembling and you end up looking thru a 'bent' erector.

The wiggle room can actually save the unit if it does collide with something, the prisms are able

to absorb the blow by moving a little, restrained by it's spring. Mine ran out of wiggle room

and the prism chipped when it came up against the prism case wall. 

All the other optical accessories in the kit are fine and with minimal dust specks I'm not going

to worry about.

Next I will get the focuser working with a cleaning and new grease. I will then do a optical test

of the telescope before I remove and clean the objective, so I'll know who to blame

when I'm finished!

This is actually the first time I thought maybe it would be better to send it back to the manufacturer

and let them clean the objective, I can do that, TeleVue is still alive!  But where's the fun in that!

Robert

 

IMG_2930.JPG

 

Robert

My 1.25" Porro was very difficult to properly collimate because of all the wiggle room. And collimation is super-crtical, even with forgiving refractors. I have a method which is so physically complex that I have trouble describing it in words.

 

-drl

[clamchip]

I've been thinking about TeleVue still in business, maybe I should send it back for lens cleaning. 

If there is any warranty I might void it disassembling. 

It's sealed up to prevent tampering so they will know if I've had my greasy paws in there.

I'm not exactly sure why it's foggy and I probably won't be able to find out why without taking

it apart. 

 

Robert 

Edited by clamchip, 13 December 2024 - 12:27 PM.

[deSitter]

I've been thinking about TeleVue still in business, maybe I should send it back for lens cleaning. 

If there is any warranty I might void it disassembling. 

It's sealed up to prevent tampering so they will know if I've had my greasy paws in there.

I'm not exactly sure why it's foggy and I probably won't be able to find out why without taking

it apart. 

 

Robert 

If you can afford it I would do that. Those TV scopes have excellent resale value.

 

-drl

[clamchip]

Now that I have the Ranger outside in the daylight I'm not so sure it needs cleaning.

I think what I'm seeing is the multi-coatings in the camera flash.

There's some dust but not the foggy film I was worried I might have, just a reflection

from the coatings when viewed head on with a flash.

Robert 

 

Edited by clamchip, 13 December 2024 - 04:12 PM.

[deSitter]

Now that I have the Ranger outside in the daylight I'm not so sure it needs cleaning.

I think what I'm seeing is the multi-coatings in the camera flash.

There's some dust but not the foggy film I was worried I might have, just a reflection

from the coatings when viewed head on with a flash.

Robert 

 

IMG_2936.JPG

IMG_2937.JPG

That does look filmy. Use a laser and check scatter vs. known good TV eyepiece.

 

-drl

[CHASLX200]

I've been thinking about TeleVue still in business, maybe I should send it back for lens cleaning. 

If there is any warranty I might void it disassembling. 

It's sealed up to prevent tampering so they will know if I've had my greasy paws in there.

I'm not exactly sure why it's foggy and I probably won't be able to find out why without taking

it apart. 

 

Robert 

No warranty this late in it's life.

[norvegicus]

Robert you should call them on the phone.  They are very personable and helpful and knowledgeable about their products.  They are old school and communicate best by phone.  They cleaned an old Panoptic for me for a reasonable price, and helped me decide that one I damaged wasn't worth repairing.  They would give you good advice.

Edited by norvegicus, 13 December 2024 - 09:05 PM.

[clamchip]

Today it was up to me to cut a notch in a new Vixen style finder shoe I bought.

It did not come with the notch, that's what happens when you buy the $6 dollar one and not the $20 one.

It took me a while to decide on using my mill or hand filing. With the set up time etc. for milling I decided on a file.

Once I started in on the filing I wished I picked the milling machine! but that's ok, hand filing is an art and I like

to do it whenever possible, its challenging.

I'm satisfied now, this will do it for my Jaegers/Carton 4 inch f/15. In the spring I will paint the new dew shield

black, maybe even wrinkle black! that would be pure Jaegers. I might even put the red knobs back on.

I just love a 4 inch f/15. Anymore though they sure are looking like a dinosaur out there in the field, you don't see'm

like you used too. First came the f/10's, and then the even shorter apo's, Just look at how long this thing is!

Robert 

 

Edited by clamchip, 14 December 2024 - 05:17 PM.

[CHASLX200]

Tried to break free the frozen bolts from salt water on my Losmandy weights.

[CHASLX200]

Now trying to free up the stuck allens in my Meade 826 weights that got salt water in them. A scrapper took the mount and pier.  Never know when ya need a extra weight.

[Cavs56]

We’re you able to keep the eyepieces above the water?

[CHASLX200]

We’re you able to keep the eyepieces above the water?

Lost around 20 of them but they were cheap stuff. I kept all the good stuff up and dry. But did forget some stuff. I never dreamed the water would come up that fast and high. Lucky i started getting stuff up a day before.  Just so much room to get all the speakers and subs and scopes and stuff up high. Lost my ball i had for 13 years.  That vac never missed a beat.

 

Never dreamed a cane that far offshore would pull up a bowl of water that high from 90 miles away.  Just think if we had 150 to 200mph winds on top of that. Wind was never over 65mph. here.

[jragsdale]

Got a brass turn-of-the-century drawtube spyglass with a 54mm objective and 4-draws off of Shopgoodwill for a song (and 1 cent shipping)!

 

Very "Leslie Peltier Strawberry Spyglass".

 

Took it apart for a full cleaning, all 21 pieces in all. Just a light wipe down with a microfiber and wd-40 to remove any dust and residue, preventing further corrosion. This was well polished from the previous owner so it doesn't need too much elbow grease. Views are decent, about what you would expect from one of these. I'll add some fresh leather grip at the base section where it's currently missing.

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[jragsdale]

All finished!

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