Scary moment! Live and learn.

Eggmoon (Geoff) · #1 17-01-2013, 03:08 PM

Ouch!!!

This definately belongs in "Beginners Equipment Discussion"... as is shows how a beginner, me, can almost destroy his equipment!!!

I was having my second crack at a drift alignment with my wedge on my LX90 last night... lovely warm evening to be outdoors, and a nice viryaully cloudless night.

Well, I have to say, the drift alignment went really well... huge improvement on my first effort. Had that sucker of a star sitting so still you would have thought is was a spec of paint on my lens! Was feeling awfully pleased with myself.

I had been doing the drift alignment via my Canon EOS 60D, and the Backyard EOS software package that brings up the nice double cross hairs to help out on this respect. Happy as Larry with my alignment, thought I'd prove to myself how good it was by going back to Polar Home and re-doing the easy alignment.

Note to self. You MUST close the swivel LCD screen on the back of the 60D BEFORE going back to the Polar Home position. The camera normally can fit between the scope and the base of the unit. But NOT with the LCD screen folded out.

Camera Clash!!!!!

Oh the noise was damn awful!!! The stress on the poor little LCD screen... not sure how it didnt snap! The gears crunching and jumping!!! The panic on my face!

Stopped the scope once I realised what was going on... which never having happened to me before took a moment... and then slowly, slowly backed the scope up a bit... and turned on my bat-light to survey the damage, expecting to see thing being beyond repair.

To my imense relief, things appear to be undamaged. Camera... scope... both appear ok. HUGE sigh of relief.

Totally screwed up all my hard work on my drift alignment mind... was back to square one on that front....

I am guessing it is a lesson most people learn once.

I can be pretty sure it is never going to happen to me again... the horrid noises still echo in my ears....

Geoff.

Larryp (Laurie) · #2 17-01-2013, 03:10 PM

Lucky everything is still ok!

leon · #3 17-01-2013, 04:44 PM

Yes Geoff, I think we all experience some, "Oh No" moments,

I'm sure there are many untold stories out there in the IIS community.

I have experienced similar disasters in my time, but we do learn from them i expect.

Leon

MrB (Simon) · #4 17-01-2013, 05:09 PM

Close call!
I thought the little flip out screen looked pretty rugged, but I had no idea it could be that tough!

brian nordstrom (As avatar) · #5 17-01-2013, 07:03 PM

Thanks for shareing Geof , glad all is ok , as Leon said we have all done it .

.
Brian.

Miaplacidus (Brian) · #6 17-01-2013, 09:46 PM

"Good judgement comes from experience.
Experience comes from bad judgement."

RobF (Rob) · #7 17-01-2013, 11:10 PM

Disconcerting how quickly things can go pear-shaped isn't it Geoff

I still often shine a torch on my rig especially during meridian flips, just in case. Glad your screen is still in one piece though!

LewisM · #8 17-01-2013, 11:48 PM

Had a couple Far Canal moments with the camera.

First was with the Skywatcher 150mm achromat. If you don't know it, it is a DINOSAUR of a scope - LONG! Anyway, was slewing to a target, didn't think, as was watching laptop. CRCRCRCRCRCRCRCRCCRC. Yup, camera headbutting tripod legs. No damage except to pride.

Next was using GSO extension tubes on a Vixen (with the correct step down compression ring), which is a BAD idea, because GSO undercuts are NOT in the right place for Vixen (nor any Skywatcher I used either!). The Camera, attached to the tube, slid out.... luckily I had my rubber mat on the pebblecrete driveway (saves my knees doing alignments).

Third time was similar to above. Scope slewed to near zenith. Camera decided gravity was winning, especially with that crappy GSO extension tube. This time I CAUGHT it.

So, lessons learnt, using all Vixen adaptors etc. Impossible to come out/off, as they screw in.

Eggmoon (Geoff) · #9 18-01-2013, 08:18 AM

Lewis...

Nice catch! I can hear Richie Benaud now... "He got the horrible misjudgment just right, and had to fling himself horizontally to take MARVELLOUS one handed catch..."

Mr B...

Yes, the fold out LCD held up remarkably well. To the extend that it was undamaged, but I had a heck of a time unscrewing my T-Adapter from the back of the scope as the clash forced the camera in the direction of tightening the thread well beyond the "firm" that we all use. It was damn tight! Took a lot of effort to unscrew it.

I'm thinking of going up the my Lake Mountain dark site hideaway on Saturday evening... at least if anything goes wrong up there it is away from anyone else. "In (open) space, no one can hear you scream."

AstralTraveller (David) · #10 18-01-2013, 09:39 AM

Yes Geoff, as Leon said there have been many flock ups and most of us have a story or two to tell. Over the years there have been at least a couple of cases of broken toes from counterweights. Most of us have dropped eyepieces and I've nearly lost the OTA once or twice. Some inventive souls have even tried to burn their big dobs down.

Lewis, I've got a 15cm f/8 acromat on a goto GC5. It drives the eyepiece into the tripod legs so readily that I now do all long slews manually and just finish off with the goto. Calibrating the goto 3-4 times a night gets tedious.

Eggmoon (Geoff) · #11 18-01-2013, 10:06 AM

Starting to sound to me like there should almost be annual awards here at IceInSpace.

Best Picture

Most original Picture

Biggest Equipment destruction/failure/drop/crash

AstralTraveller (David) · #12 18-01-2013, 10:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eggmoon

Starting to sound to me like there should almost be annual awards here at IceInSpace.

Best Picture

Most original Picture

Biggest Equipment destruction/failure/drop/crash

Well, you would nominate yourself for the first award but I'm sure your 'friends' would have to nominate you for the third

. For the second award, it probably depends on the manner in which your picture was original. (I managed to get some pretty 'original' eclipse shots which no one is getting to see

.)

TechnoViking (James) · #13 18-01-2013, 10:48 AM

eeekk, I would have been a blubbering mess if that happened to me, but then again I almost destroyed my OTA because i tightened the clamp whilst the telesope and mount were horizontal position, which meant the clamp was not tightening onto the dovetail properly, then slewed to a target and i hear a hiss, then a thud as the OTA slid down the clamp hitting the "Safety Lug"... if you have the safety lug USE THEM!!!

Rooky mistakes i keep making, but thankfully nothing broken yet! except my pride

MrB (Simon) · #14 19-01-2013, 02:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AstralTraveller

Over the years there have been at least a couple of cases of broken toes from counterweights.

brian nordstrom (As avatar) · #15 19-01-2013, 06:09 PM

Or removing the said counter weights before the OTA at 3am .
Brian.

RobF (Rob) · #16 19-01-2013, 11:03 PM

Yeah, its amazing how simple tasks go pear-shaped when your sleep deprived Brian. Been lucky the clutches have held in that situation a couple of times too

LewisM · #17 20-01-2013, 09:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AstralTraveller

Over the years there have been at least a couple of cases of broken toes from counterweights.

Was selling my HEQ5 to a guy here on IIS. He bought it, so we stat transferring things from my boot... I get out the counterweight box, which was upside down.... slid out, hit the ground mere mm from the tips of my toes (only protected by a pair of crocs!). Lesson learnt without pain!

Only optical item dropped so far was a Skyglow filter. Didn't smash, but chipped the corner and the tightening ring won't tighten (threads jumped probably). I have since put Loctite on it

The puck design on the NEQ6 is so crappy, you really have to make SURE it is secured properly!You almost MUST tighten both knobs up simultaneously, else one will bind and SEEM like all is tight (which it isn't). SW SHOULD have put 2 guide pins/posts so that the tensioner bar does not asymmetrically tighten.