Moonlite Focuser Upgrade!

[iceman]

I've added a new projects page for the Moonlite focuser upgrade I did on the weekend!

Check it out, feedback appreciated!

Moonlite CR2 Focuser (http://www.iceinspace.com/?moonlite)

Thanks!

[ving]

sweet!
thnx mr ice! :)

[rumples riot]

Nice looking, what makes it better than your previous focusor aside from the really cool colour?

[Striker]

Thats obvious...its RED meaning its faster.

[Vermin]

Read the second and third paragraphs RR.

[Starkler]

I think dobsonians scopes are some kind of lifeform as so many of them seem to evolve :D

[janoskiss]

I don't understand the deal with the red focuser. :confused: What's wrong with the focusers on these dobs; specifically what's wrong with the focuser on my new 8" dob? :P I'm very happy with it, even though I don't know what some of the things sticking out of it are for, and I dare not touch them till I find out. :lol: Seriously though, thanks to icemans description, I now know what that mystery screw on top of my focuser is for. I still won't touch it though. :)

[iceman]

I was quite happy with my focuser for a long time, and you may be happy with it forever.

But as you undoubtedly gain knowledge and experience there's things that you used to be able to live with, that now you want to fix. And the focuser was one of them for mine.

At high magnifications, turning the knobs wobbled the scope because of the pressure I had to apply, because I tightened the screws to get rid of the slop in the barrel.
Visually I could live with this, but now that i'm webcam imaging with my dob, trying to get focus when the image is moving around on the screen each time you touch the knob, is very hard.

Now with the moonlite, the fine focus knob as a 1:8 ratio, so it takes 8 turns of the fine focus to be equivalent to 1 turn of the course focus. Needless to say, that allows very micro adjustments to get that sharp focus, and the focus knobs are smooth so turning them doesn't wobble the scope.

That's what the deal is with the shiny red focuser :)

If you ever get a chance to use one, you'll know why they're so good.