Crayford focuser upgrade

[beren]

Gday saw this (http://http://www.kirkscameras.com.au//component/page,shop.product_details/flypage,shop.flypage/product_id,718/category_id,68/option,com_virtuemart/Itemid,26/) today .....good news for owners of synta refractors , be a good upgrade over the usual rack and pinion types :thumbsup:

[mick pinner]

bad link l think

[beren]

:P http://www.kirkscameras.com.au//component/page,shop.product_details/flypage,shop.flypage/product_id,718/category_id,68/option,com_virtuemart/Itemid,26/

[Doug]

There be a double http in capt'n.

try http://www.kirkscameras.com.au//component/page,shop.product_details/flypage,shop.flypage/product_id,718/category_id,68/option,com_virtuemart/Itemid,26/
watch out for line wrap.

[janoskiss]

I saw that at Splendour Trading (aka Saxon) and they will bolt onto their Newts as a replacement for the r&p, but no fine focuser. :( Great price though.

[[1ponders]]

Same focuser as on the Orion ED80s by the look. If so it will bolt straight onto a synta np. I recently upgraded my ED80 to a WO 10:1 focuser and put the old 80 one on my old celestron 102. Best two upgrades I've made :P

[beren]

:) and even a better option from Jim and crew at scopestuff {plus a motorized option}

http://www.scopestuff.com/ss_frc2.htm

[janoskiss]

Yes, I was browsing scopestuff pages last night and spotted those, including the ones with 10:1 fine focus. And they have proper fitting ones for 10 and 12" OTAs as well, not just 8" like we have here. But look at the prices! Some of them are close to double what we pay here for the same thing!

here are the ones that would bolt onto skywatcher/saxon newts/dobs: http://www.scopestuff.com/ss_fnc4.htm

[beren]

Not sure about the ones for newtonians but for my orion80ed a quick price check conveted to AU including the unit , finder shoe and adapter ring for the tube plus the usual postage cost by my estimate works out to 288AU. Andrews communications has the Williams optics type {would the Scopetsuff type be a clone ? not sure} for 309Au including a finder bracket {but the add doesnt say if a adaptor is included?}

[janoskiss]

The scopestuff Crayfords look exactly like the GSO units on sale from Bintel, Andrews etc. for around $AU100. The WO ones would be higher quality and better finished presumably (if they are anything like their scopes and other accessories I've seen).

[anj026]

I own the WO Synta replacement focuser and like it a lot. I use it on my 6" f15 and can recommend it as great value for just over $300. Today I ordered the GSO 10:1 crayford for refractors from Andrews for $109. I'll report more when I receive it.

[beren]

That would be great Andy.....:)

[Mr. Subatomic]

Speaking of focusser upgrades,

I am about to buy an 8" Dob from Bintel and it comes with a standard crayford focusser. The 10:1 Crayford focusser of the same brand (GSO) is only $20 more. Does anyone think that Bintel would switch the two for me for around that cost?

[Ambermile]

And speaking of Synta focusers in general, the cheapest upgrade to get rid of any backlash in the rack is to blueprint it. In essence, the design is simple and it works - in reality they are mass-produced and don't work that well. The spring-loaded focus shaft is seldom (if ever) actually spring-loaded because the cradle (5mm) that it sits in is too shallow. Either get a small round file - or better get someone with a mill and a 5mm cutter - to deepen this cradle by about 1mm. Just enough so that when the shaft is sat on the rack it rocks a little. Now just assemble again and there you go - zero backlash that is actually adjustable as designed by varying the pressure on the four screws on the clamp plate!

Arthur

[anj026]

I received the new focuser today, it looks great. It is really good quality, only very slightly short of the William optics standard but well under half the price. The WO synta focuser does come with a great finder bracket though. The GSO draw tube is not anodised like the WO one but otherwise the design and construction are very similar. The WO has the rotating collar mount that the GSO one does not. Also the GSO mounting spigot is 86mm diameter whereas the WO one is 96mm.

[grl570810]

Here's another variant - these are apparently built by Baader of solar film and Hyperion eyepiece fame so should be of good quality....

http://www.telescope-service.com/ATM/focusers.html#syntafoc

[anj026]

Thanks for the link grl,
The TS one is just like the GSO and the Baader one is just like the WO one though with shorter travel. The GSO one and The WO one that I have both have 75mm drawtube travel.