For all those LX200 (and other SCT) owners out there, I would appreciate your comments.
I have been fairly non-plussed with the image shift problem with the coarse focus knob, and I find that the microfocuser is too slow and cumbersome for visual work. I don't do any imaging yet....just enjoying getting to know the sky and exhausting (NOT) the GOTO catalogue.
Non-SCT peers (especially Mike) are always commenting on how crappy the coarse focuser is on my scope - too abrupt, hard to get a sharp focus, and prone to heavy mirror shift. I also have noticed the huge difference when comparing with some Dobs with a crayford focuser which are so much easier to focus, much more subtle, etc.
Last night I had a turn with Louie's new Williams Optics crayford style focuser in my LX200. No more mirror shift! It was fantastic. You just screw it on in place of the microfocuser. Sometimes you need to use the coarse focuser to move the image to a point where you can then have enough travel to use the crayford focuser, but that is easy to master. One other issue that arises is that the attachments are so long that the OTA cannot point to the zenith without hitting the bottom of the fork. I am aware that I can program my scope not to do that...so no need for any advice on that (yet).
I am just interested to know if anyone else has come to the same conclusion as me, and is using a crayford style focuser on their scope? If so, I'd be interested to know what type of crayford focuser you use, and how you have found it for pinpoint focusing. What did you pay?
