Personalising a plain Chinese scope

[LewisM]

I have had an Esprit 80ED for a good while now, and like it very much, but the mundane aesthetic appearance of it was always making me think. That honking big dewshield devoid of any decal or colour just stood out to me like a glaring omission (the original Esprit's had the decal on the dewshield, not the tube).

I decided it needed the Southern Cross, so I had one custom made (both sides) in silver vinyl decals, as this would NOT stand out garishly and compliment the silver anodised trim. I applied that, then thought it needed a LITTLE more, kind of like the old Tak FC blue stripe, so I cut some auto-trim striping in deep blue (I may make a new one, rounding the ends instead of joining up), which matches the blue anodising on my flattener adaptor too.

It adds a personal touch to me to an otherwise mass produced, visually unappealing OTA. I am usually not a huge fan of dewshield decals, but I feel this is minimal, unobtrusive and complimentary (the Crux is DELIBERATELY not centred on the dewshield so as to respect the Rule of Thirds).

Before and after shots:

[brian nordstrom]

:thumbsup: Looks good Lewis .
Brian.

[RobF]

Nice.

You'll have to go into business Lewis. "Lewis' Custom Scope Mods" :)

[ZeroID]

Does it make it any faster ..? :lol:

[Atmos]

Giving it a Tak blue stripe doesn't make it a Tak! :thumbsup:

[LewisM]

:eyepop:Are you sure, party pooper?

[RobF]

Stripe suits the blue nosepiece.

From what I've seen of these Espirits in the field, they produce B nice images actually. Definitely gives a Tak a run for its money in the right hands.

[raymo]

Top notch job Lewis. How about a miniature version for the finder, so it
doesn't feel left out.
raymo

[Camelopardalis]

Geez Lewis, praising an Esprit :eyepop: must be love :lol:

What happened to the "once you go Tak..." :P

[Slawomir]

Customised Esprit looks very nice Lewis :thumbsup:

[RB]

..... making it your best astro shot to date.
Do you want me to move this to the Deep Space Forum?

:poke: :lol:

[LewisM]

Μια ευλογιά στις μαλάκες του κοτόπουλου σου :rofl:

[RB]

Oh, so now it's the Running Chicken Nebula huh?

:lol:

[LewisM]

I'm gonna drop some frozen chooks on you from 40.000 ft...

[issdaol]

Maybe makes it Tacky ...... :lol:

[LewisM]

ED209 dispatched to your house...

[issdaol]

You know Robo wins :P

[Visionary]

Within Auto circles there is a type of enthusiast called a "Ricer", the term Ricer is a term of derision. Ricer's add supercilious bits of nasty plastic to the exteriors of their cars, a favourite, rear spoilers on front wheel drive vehicles!
To my enduring shame, I am an Astro Ricer! Just as this scope has a Tac "speed stripe" fitted I have been known to modify scopes so that screws match. I spend hours planning ridiculous and unnecessary alterations to perfectly serviceable OTA's.
In truth, I don't think I am alone in being an Astro Ricer.

[Wavytone]

Seen at a popular observing site that should remain anonymous... "riced up" bog standard 8" SCT, with "Bobs Knobs", motorised focusser, heated dewcap, heaters to stop the corrector fogging, eyepieces with eyepiece heaters, heated eyepiece box, cooling fans, a 2" back on a scope that only has a 30mm rear port, deforked it (tossed a perfectly good fork) and instead plonked on an EQ5, added a Telrad, auto guider, camera, filter wheel, laptop, no less than five handsets to operate that lot and a gazillion cables to trip over... about the only thing missing is a Byers Drive but you can't put one of those on an EQ5 - at least I don't think it has been done.

And a switchboard to supply the juice and surrounded with enough red LED lights to bring a few UFOs in to land.

Needs those cooling fans alright as with all the heat being dissipated that lot creates its own thermals. And the user wonders why the seeing is bad :rofl:

[Camelopardalis]

Phew, glad that wasn't my C8 :P

The R-word is an American term, back in Blighty they're called "boy racers", although now that seems somehow sexist.

The bling in Blighty would be called "go faster stripes"...and naturally red is the fastest colour :lol:

[LewisM]

Ricer is a very appropriate description for this Chinese scope :) :lol:

[acropolite]

All scopes look the same the dark Lewis, perhaps you should have used glow in the dark stars.... :P

[issdaol]

Good way for him to tell which end to look through as well :lol:

[LewisM]

Well, looking through the MOOOOOOLON, it doesn't seem to make any difference WHICH end you look into :P :) :D

[Visionary]

I am an Astro Ricer, I am working towards eliminating my Ricer behaviour within all my Astro activities, it's not easy. Unfortunately for me and thousands of other Astro Ricers, the nature of Astronomy beckons Ricers like a libation, the desire to add just "One more red LED" is almost uncontrollable. The heady mix of Tech and Art that is Astronomy awakens the latent Ricer in almost all of us, with only the more sage & sober being immune.
I have many more red LED's than anyone has a right too, maybe there should be a Ricer Tax on red LED's? Equally, a Velcro surcharge of excessive use of Velcro either on the mount or OTA itself. There are sundry other unnecessary and unwelcome additions to otherwise innocent OTA's and Mounts that constitute Astro Ricer Abuse (ARA) and of all the horrors... articulated arms on OTA's, the horror!
With the revenue raised from the Ricer Taxes & surcharges, we could fund Ricer Intervention Teams (RIT) that would function much like SWAT squads. At the first sign of Ricer OTA activity, the RIT's could swoop down from on high and lead interventions thereby preventing the proliferation of Ricer behaviour within the wider Astro community and the public humiliation of otherwise proud and noble OTA's and mounts.
Ricer Intervention Teams (RIT) would be particularly useful at Star Parties, serving as a prophylactic hindering the spread of the Ricer cotangent within the Amateur Astro community.
We must be mindful of the fact that there are thousands of otherwise noble & proud OTA's and Mounts that have suffered abuse and humiliation at the hands of Ricers. It is beholden upon use all to prevent Astro Ricer Abuse (ARA).
Think for just one moment if the Amateur community does not take action... what if the Ricer contagion spread to the ESO? Hideous broad red stripes would appear on the Ob itself, the dull glow of the massed red LED's would wipe out the entire spectrums. Acre's of velcro on the mount would permanently impede the mount making simple RA tracking impossible. The opening of the Ob rather than being the dignified thing it is could be met with a rendition of La Cucaracha
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yfka9m6NhzE
The consequences of Ricer activities spreading within the professional Astronomic community are so dire that the merest contemplation results in a fevered brow. It's up to all of us to our bit, for me it's one-day-at-a-time, I have blocked Ebay from my Internet searches, I have done what I can do, we all need to do more.

Remeber.... "Only you can prevent Astro Ricer Abuse (ARA)"!