Hi all , as the title suggests here is my ' FrankenSaxon'
I got this standard 102mm f10 black tube Saxon refractor here in the IIS classifieds for a steal and upon using it realised although the optics are first rate , very good actually and the focuser while Ok was the weak link here .
I was going to grab a LP 10-1 focuser from Andrews for $70 like I have on my 90mm f10 Saxon but a GSO Linear that came up here for only $100 so I grabbed it .
Fast forward to yesterday and the focuser arrived and being off a SCT but was not compatible with the 102 ( I knew this before buying )
and it is rotatable so it was easy to machine up an adaptor and this morning so this adaptor was machined up to mount it on the 102mm Refractor OTA .
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I had to move the finder to the side of the tube , easy as I have a few bases in my junk draw , drill 2 holes and bolt it on .
The adaptor was measured up to replicate the length of the standard R&P focuser so all my eyepieces will reach focus .
The screws are M4 x 14 CS stainless steel that hold the focuser to the adaptor and M4 threads to attach the adaptor to the OTA .
I must have done something right
as a quick test with a laser colimator had the red dot dead centre of the lens
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I like the feel of this focuser , nice and smooth with just the right ' Weight ' and is very well made , typical good GSO quality .
I also made a carry handle for the rings at work the other day .
FrankenSaxon you may wonder why
, well the OTA is Saxon ( Synta ) , the 8x50 finder is Celestron , the focuser is GSO , the mount is a sweet Vixen SP , the SloMo controls Mizar and tripod is a Meade HD field model , a bitsa for sure but it all works well as a unit and has become the scope of choice for those quick look sessions we all enjoy .
On that I hope you all enjoy my journey with this scope as much as I have and I had forgotten how well these 4 inch refractors perform , brilliantly .
Brian. .