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Old 22-05-2005, 02:15 PM
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wavelandscott (Scott)
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Busy weekend...now for the clouds!

Okay, an update on things since I received my Moonlite focuser...I am going to ramble and recap in this post...be warned, this is a long one...

Since my wife will be stuck with the kids all next week while I am in Japan for meetings, I suggested that she go off and do some "girl things" during the day while I took care of our two boys (7 and 4)...

After watching the Roseville under 8's rugby squad (my son plays) win in decisive fashion in a match over the squad from East Lindfield, the boys and I headed over to Lincraft to get some adhesive backed felt...just enough to "flock" opposite where the new focuser was going to go..(earlier, last wekend I had trouped off to Clark Rubber for the makings of a black light shield)

After consuming 2 Chicken Nugget Happy Meals at MCDs and collecting the Ron Stoppable action figures (a character from Disney's Kim Possible cartoon), we were able to return home to get to work.

I've never claimed to be the "handiest" person around the house and with my two "special helpers" I was a bit concerned about the tasks at hand...they were as follows:

Remove primary and secondary mirrors (just for safety...little hands handling tools)
Remove old R&P focuser
Drill new holes
Flock around focuser area
check the secondary and primary clips (loosen as needed)
Install new Moonlite CR2 focuser
reinstall secondary and primary mirrors
compete the lightshield
make sure no one was hurt or in tears and had a chance to "help"...
lastly, not make too much of a mess doing all of this...

Well, I am proud to report that with no tears and no major dramas, we did complete all of the projects on the lists!

I was able to "create" enough tasks to keep everyone busy...

Hopefully, tonight we can get the scope out for a quick peak at the sky...

A couple of key learnings:

Have a plan...don't be afraid to go to Plan B...the projet will never go exactly as planned...

Velcro alone is not sufficient to hold the foam rubber in a circle, I had to "top up" velcro with glue...

To ensure that all of the old focuser holes were covered, I flocked a complete strip around the OTA at the focuser end...I painted the new screws too after the focuser install just to keep it from being shiny

The metal tube (OTA) is easy to push out of shape...getting the primary mirror back in was a bit touger than I expected...this problem was probably compounded by the fact that my youngest son was "rolling" the OTA around on the floor!

Taking apart your telescope, while a scary task, is something that you should do...I was scared stiff about drilling the OTA to install the new focuser...remember, it is only some bits of metal and glass...poorly trained peasants are putting them together in factories in China, a resonably educated capable person can do this...

I now have a much better understanding and appreciation of how the whole thing works...I did get it all back together and I did not have any spare parts!

My understanding of how things work increased a lot and I improved my collimation skills because of it...I am sure that my collimation could still be better but, I feel I understand what it is that I am doing and therefore am getting better results...

I was really able to get my older son involved in collimation for the first time...because I knew better how to tell him what to look for and why it looked the way it did! He really enjoyed the "responsibility" of telling me when things weren't quite circle shaped or centered!

While I have not had it under the stars yet, the lightshield and/or flocking (mostly lightshield I think) will make a dramatic difference...the OTA is much much darker...hopefully I'll have less stray light and better contrast here in my light polluted backyard.

Just in the daylight it seems to make a big difference...I was especially proud that when it was all finished that the lightshield fit properly and when finally installed measured out to exactly 1.5X the mirror diameter from the secondary mirror!...better to be a little lucky than good...

The Moonlite focuser feels like a dream!

I don't know if I will ever be able to measure the improvement (or lack of improvement) that these changes make to the scope or my use of it...however, the satisfaction and pride I feel right at this moment from successfully completing a project I was not sure at the start I was capabe of finishing is brilliant. Having my two boys share the excitement is well...just like they say in the Mastercard ad...priceless!

Okay, now the clouds can roll in because I am ready to look at the sky (with my two boys of course)!

Cheers!

Last edited by wavelandscott; 22-05-2005 at 02:19 PM.
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Old 22-05-2005, 03:03 PM
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Starkler (Geoff)
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Nice report Scott and you'll enjoy using the new focuser.

Just a suggestion, its also well worthwhile flocking the bottom part of the tube around and up from the primary mirror cell.
As a rule, flock the parts of the inside of the tube that can be seen by looking into the focuser, and anything more is just for show
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Old 22-05-2005, 07:45 PM
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wavelandscott (Scott)
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Quick update...

I did get a chance to get the scope out for a few minutes with the boys ...

We had a quick look at Jupitor and spent a lot of time on the moon...as usual, the boys had a blast and I enjoyed watching them look at the sky...

There was much more contrast for both objects so the shield and flocking are doing some good...

The Moonlite focuser is absolutely "buttery smooth"...

Only one thing is of concern...I think I need to get the longer focuser tube...I use a lot more out focus than in the old R&P focuser...probably due to the lower profile of the Moonlite...I need to pull the eyepieces out just a "smidge" (technical term) to get to focus...all eyepieces are effected (Bintel plossl and Nagler as well)...I take a look at it later in the week when I get back from Japan.

Clear Skies All!
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Old 22-05-2005, 07:55 PM
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[1ponders] (Paul)
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Good onya Scott. We'll make an ATMer out of you yet. I know the scary feeling you get when you finally decide Your going to try your hand at "improving" your precision implement. "What if I stuff it up?" Even when it's only sticking a bit of velcro to the legs to hold the hand controller (in my case ). Glad it all worked out for you. Kids do make great helpers if they know what they have to do and feel they are definately contributing.
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Old 22-05-2005, 08:27 PM
stringscope (Ian)
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Great report Scott.

You realise there is no turning back now.........mirror fan.........dew heaters........DSC's......aperture fever....... second scope for you as the kids have taken over yours.......and on it goes.

Yes. it is great to get your kids involved at that age. Our 2 started to look through telescopes at about that same age as yours. Our younger one (now 17) sets the scope up on his own when I am away and then hauls his mum out into the dark and cold to look at all sorts of faint objects.


Cheers,
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Old 22-05-2005, 10:16 PM
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wavelandscott (Scott)
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While not planning one yet...I actually have myself convinced for the moment at least that I could become an ATM kind of guy...at a far future date...

For the time being...I'll enjoy what I got...

Thanks All!
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Old 22-05-2005, 10:34 PM
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ballaratdragons (Ken)
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Scott,

Just a suggestion of mine. If you have to pull the EP's out just a smidge try what I do with my Huygenians when I rarely use them. I placed a rubber 'O' ring around the barrel. This 'O' ring can be moved up and down the barrel as required. Make sure the 'O' ring is a good tight fit and it will stay put!

Isn't it Grand to have our kids 'into' telescopes and astronomy!!!

Both my boys have tried to make their own telescopes by pulling their toy binoculars apart for the lenses and using cardboard tubes. You are right . . . priceless.
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Old 23-05-2005, 06:48 AM
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wavelandscott (Scott)
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BD,

Thanks for the idea...that is one of the short term solutions I was thinking of too...

Anyway, it is one of my "plane time" problems...the few benefits of a long trip...no phone, no one coming into the office...just time sit and to think...something I don't get too often anymore...

Cheers!
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