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New focuser / bearings for Orion ED80
I've got two OTAs, an Orion ED80 and a Skywatcher 8" f/5 reflector. ED80 focuser is broken; reflector focuser is old and crappy.
The ED80 has a broken bearing in the focuser, ie one of the four rollers that pushes against the focuser tube. It appears to be the same size as those in the Skywatcher.
The Skywatcher's focuser is old, a single speed Crayford. It struggles with the weight of a full-frame DSLR, coma corrector and spacer.
What options are there for replacing the Skywatcher? I've heard that GSO and Moonlites are interchangable but Skywatchers aren't in that group. Ideally I'd get a new one for the Skywatcher and fix the ED80 with one of its bearings as they're the same size.
Again, trying to do this on the cheap where possible - bearing in mind I'm still in need of a guiding system. I'm thinking that if I get the ED80 working I could use it as a guidescope and all I'd then need is a new dovetail and a guiding camera; it would be a heavy rig, but shouldn't be beyond the NEQ6.
What brands are interchangeable with the Skywatchers, if any, and what difference does price make? I've used the standard GSO 10:1 2" Crayford and thought it was brilliant, so my bar is set pretty low...! What do you get if you pay a lot more?
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