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Derivious
21-11-2015, 11:58 AM
Hey there everyone my name is derivious. I hope to have a good time with everyone here eventually.
So I have really just started this hobby but have always loved the skies. I recently got an old tasco 11t for $20. I really love this scope as I saw jupiter and its moons plus saturn for the first time with it. ( ps I was more breathtaken with jupiter than saturn personally.)
I am doing astronomy on a super budget as I'm far from rich but I'm happy to invest I bit of cash into this scope.
I bought a nice plossle eyepiece but when I got home I quickly found out my scope is the old 0.965 diameter. After getting an adapter to 1.25, I found I could not get the plossle to focus on the moon at all. My assumption is because of the adapter I cant travel the extra inch or so down the focuser to get focus. The eyepiece is a sw uwa 58deg 9mm.
I have ordered a new 1.25 focuser but i am worried there is more to conversion then just changing the focuser like the secondary mirror etc.
Am I stupid to attempt changing it as I really like the scope, but obviously the 0.965 will become an issue.
Has anyone ever done this before here?
My scope is a tasco 11t 4.5" 900mm.
Any info would be greatly appreciated

mental4astro
21-11-2015, 01:17 PM
Hi Tyrone,

Changing the focuser is a great way to recondition an old scope, :thumbsup:

No need to change th. secondary. The system will work just fine with the new 1.25" focuser. Install the focuser and start observing.

You may like to look at improving the mount though. The mount the old 11T came with is on the shaky side, but nothing some TLC and a clever mind can't over come :)

There is one long term member here on IIS whose scope is just like yours, and he does amazing things with it. You certainly are not out-gunned here, mate :)

You might like to look at getting a couple more eyepieces, nothing outlandish, a couple of modest plossls, and you will have the old girl humming. You can also ask for a couple of these too - many folks have them lying around, and will welcome the chance to find a good home for them. Something like a 32mm or 25mm, and a 15mm. Maybe a 5mm too for some high power stuff. And you'l be kitted out for years to come.

:welcome: to IIS too :hi:

Mental.

Derivious
21-11-2015, 01:24 PM
Thanks alex you have given me great confidence. Yeah mount is a little funny but all the gearing works great after some tlc. I may do something about the legs one day.