Typical Refractor user, comes to use a Vixen R200SS for the first time with a camera, and of course with the focuser off to the side, it introduces all sorts of balance issues.
For now I have resolved the issue by placing the focuser with camera attached on the bottom of the tube, but that's not really convenient for setup (unless I pre-infinity focus before alignment, and rotate the tube after focus is achieved). I have read of putting the focuser on TOP, but that ruins my setup as I have a guidescope on the top rings on a bar.
I have considered making a weight that mimics the focuser directly opposite it on the other side of the tube - should that eliminate the need to have the focuser top/bottom?
I have seen MANY Newts with the camera to the side as usual, so how in heck do you get away with it, or are they all opposite weight balanced?
What a pain in the you-know-where! I may be tempted to stay a Refractorian or at least Catadioptric astronomer forever
But man oh man, what a scope! This Vixen is EARLY production - probably 20 years old. Never been realuminised, and the image visually is SHARP - and I mean REALLY sharp - better than Chinese ED refractor sharp!!! If it is like that visually, I am guessing when I finally get a clear night it'll be as good as people have raved about since it first hit the market.
