Moonlite Question.....

[+Bino-viewer]

Hi Guys.

 

I've decided to upgrade the focuser on my Newtonian to a Moonlite CR2.....and i need a bit of advice please.

 

Here's the story.

 

My recently purchased Newt had a non-standard focuser fitted by the previous owner.

This had a motor fitted for imaging purposes.

Its a skywatcher dual speed low profile model as shown working below.

 

 

Its an ok focuser, but i'm not altogether happy with it for a number of reasons, so have decided to swap it for a Moonlite

 

1. It lacks sufficient out focus to reach focus with my 2" eyepiece, nor would it focus when i tested it with a 24Pan

2. I've tried unseating the 31mm Nagler (my only 2") and found it WILL focus if i pull it out be 10-15mm

 

 

The problem here is with the 1Kg weight of the N31, and with the focuser fully raked out, the is some sag visible in the drawtube.

Theres also only a single thumbscrew holding the N31, and i'm not happy about the security of my eyepiece.

This eyepiece alone cost nearly as much as the scope alone, and i'm expecting big things with it with this 10" Newt.

I rarely use it in my refractor anymore.

 

Now the logical thing here is to fit a 2" eyepiece extender on to the N31 to reach focus.

I've done this, it works but the problem of the mass of the N31 hanging off an almost fully racked out focuser causing noticable sag still remains.

 

3. There is no tailored curved mounting plate to attach the focuser to the tube.

    The somewhat crude design lets stray light and dust etc into the tube, as there are several visible gaps to the side of the bottom plate.

 

 

So, with all the above in mind, i've decided to retire the Skywatcher focuser, sell it, and upgrade to a Moonlite CR2, with has a very good reputation.

 

I've spoken with FLO. The focuser is in stock, but theres a 2 week wait on the 10" fitting kit.

 

Now here's my question......

 

The skywatcher fully racked out measured 117mm from the surface of the tube to the top of the extended drawtube.

And i was about 10-15mm short of travel, so lets say i require 130mm out travel for my N31 to focus.

 

FLO has told me that the standard 50mm drawtube fully racked out on the CR2, PLUS the mounting plate and BOTH spacers fitted

gives a total of 147mm above the height of the tube, more than enough for my needs i think.

 

Now the CR2 is also available in 60 & 70mm drawtube lengths.

 

Would i be better therefore ordering the slightly longer 60mm  drawtube, and using one less spacer with the focuser ?

Or is it better to use the extra spacer instead ?

And does the 60mm drawtube pertrude into to the scopes lightpath when fully racked in ?

 

So to summerise......do i order a standard 50mm drawtube and use all the spacers, or go with the longer 60 and use one less spacer ?

Any Moonlite Newtonain users out there ? What do you think ?

Thanks, Rob.

 

PS.....one last thing.

 

If anyone is interested in the skywatcher focuser + motor option pictured above please drop me a PM. 

I wil let it go cheap. 

Also i will shortly be selling 2x Televue Delos eyepieces 10mm 

Let me know if you are interested. 

 

 

 

 

 

[+RonC]

Check or PM Daz, he has a Moonlight on his Dob!

 

Cheers

Ron

[Tweedledee]

I'd say get the 10mm longer drawtube to cover for every eventuality. Both drawtubes will protrude slightly into the light path when fully racked in, but you will never notice any difference in the views. As you've already said, you normally use it racked out, so then it will not protrude at all.

Also, consider the Moonlite with 2" filter swing. I think they are brilliant and only about £30 more.

Why are you selling your Deloses, Deloi?

[+Bino-viewer]

Check or PM Daz, he has a Moonlight on his Dob!

 

Cheers

Ron

 

Yes, i remember now, he does Ron.

He mentioned he'd had similar issues with his focuser up at Belper a few weeks ago.

Maybe he'll chip in......

 

 

I'd say get the 10mm longer drawtube to cover for every eventuality. Both drawtubes will protrude slightly into the light path when fully racked in, but you will never notice any difference in the views. As you've already said, you normally use it racked out, so then it will not protrude at all.

Also, consider the Moonlite with 2" filter swing. I think they are brilliant and only about £30 more.

Why are you selling your Deloses, Deloi?

 

Thanks Pete.

I think i'll be ordering the 60mm.

FLO did suggest this too, however the 60mm drawtube is not a stock item for them, so it may take a few weeks to get one shipped in.

They are also waiting on the 10" fitting kits. I'm happy to wait though.

 

I've seen the Moonlite swing filter. Nice idea.

But with a solid tube not so straightforward. It would have to sit in the inside of the tube i think ???

I'd be worried about dropping the filter down the tube onto the primary.

Also the filter looks too exposed to dew to me.

I want to start using filters during my observing, but i have another idea in mind 

 

Re the Delos.

Lovely eyepieces they are, awesome quality and all...... but i've tried them in the bino, and they are simply too big for me, personally.

I much prefer the Panoptics. Now if they did Pans in the 10 - 15mm range i'd be a happy camper.

Its a 2Kg load as well with the Delos.

I've decided to keep the 13mm Naglers. I may look at 11mm Naglers.

I was interested in the new 14 or 10 Vixen SSV which have just debuted. But negative reviews of them have put me off a bit.

 

I know its a bit daft of me to buy the Delos just to try out, but i'd figured with Tele-vue, they hold their value well.

One of these Deloi was second hand too. The other was discounted a little at the IAS. Hopefully i can reclaim most of my initial outlay.

(and then spend it all on something else..... )

[Tweedledee]

 

Thanks Pete.

I think i'll be ordering the 60mm.

FLO did suggest this too, however the 60mm drawtube is not a stock item for them, so it may take a few weeks to get one shipped in.

They are also waiting on the 10" fitting kits. I'm happy to wait though.

 

I've seen the Moonlite swing filter. Nice idea.

But with a solid tube not so straightforward. It would have to sit in the inside of the tube i think ???

I'd be worried about dropping the filter down the tube onto the primary.

Also the filter looks too exposed to dew to me.

I want to start using filters during my observing, but i have another idea in mind 

 

Re the Delos.

Lovely eyepieces they are, awesome quality and all...... but i've tried them in the bino, and they are simply too big for me, personally.

I much prefer the Panoptics. Now if they did Pans in the 10 - 15mm range i'd be a happy camper.

Its a 2Kg load as well with the Delos.

I've decided to keep the 13mm Naglers. I may look at 11mm Naglers.

I was interested in the new 14 or 10 Vixen SSV which have just debuted. But negative reviews of them have put me off a bit.

 

I know its a bit daft of me to buy the Delos just to try out, but i'd figured with Tele-vue, they hold their value well.

One of these Deloi was second hand too. The other was discounted a little at the IAS. Hopefully i can reclaim most of my initial outlay.

(and then spend it all on something else..... )

 

The Moonlite filter swing needs a little 12mm square cutout in the tube on one side of the original focuser hole. The filter is screwed in to the swing on the inside of the tube and is swung in and out using a lever on the focuser side of the tube. So you'd need to screw in the filter with the tube horizontal. I just had a closer look at this CS3 filter swing and it does have the problem that when swung out you can't rack out the focuser all the way, as the filter swing fouls on the inside of the tube preventing further racking out. Therefore you could not use a UHC or OIII to blink a planetary nebula if the eyepiece needed to focus further out than the side of the tube, which is mostly the case. For me this would render it useless. A more versatile idea has to be a filter wheel or better still a slider inside the tube, which also allows multiple filters to be used.

 

I see what you mean about the size and weight of the Delos, in the bino. If it's daft buying a Delos just to try out, then I'm daft too (but some may have thought that about me for other reasons   ). That is exactly what I did with my 17.3 Delos and sold it again as it was a bit superfluous having the 17 Ethos as well. But you did go and buy two of them     .

Edited November 7, 2015 by Tweedledee

[Perkil8r]

Just be aware that FLO told me 2 weeks for a Moonlite and 2 months later they still hadn't even placed the order with Moonlite! Took a little under 4 months for me to get it and then they sent the wrong colour. Telescope house price match so may be worth checking with them too.

[Daz Type-R]

Yeah i`m still having focusing issues...  

 

The focuser is fantastic, with it fully raked out, with a 2" power mate in and a 35mm Tele Vue Panoptic, there was no sag at all!!!

 

I went for the standard 50mm draw tube option, ive tried 1 and a quarter inch base plates, 1" plates, 1/4" plates and no plates and still I have issues when flicking between eps alone and ep's with powermates.

 

Im slowing getting my focusing issues sorted (with the aid of a 50mm extension tube) I just need a clear night, early enough to start faffing with base plates and risers and different combinations to find what works.

 

At Kelling this year I thought I had it sussed, its the best it has ever been but still not perfect.

 

In fact, the scope has not been used since EMS4 so I cant remember what my issues are now, hoping for a clear night one weekend soon so i can spend time on it.

[+Bino-viewer]

Thanks for your help chaps 

 

Mike : thanks for the advice regarding FLO. I've always found FLO to be excellent.

But, i found it frustrating when i tried to contact them the other day.

I wanted to telephone them for a chat about Moonlite etc, but they have no contact number ?

No telephones since July they said. A bit odd. Unprofessional even.

Email only. So i had to write them an essay to get my points across.

But fair play to them, they did get back to me within the hour.

I'm not sure if i want the aggro of email to get in touch with them if there's a delay.

 

I looked at Telescope House Mike, but it seems they don't stock them.

Are you sure you don't mean Rother Valley ? But, Sods law, they don't stock the red ones....

[Perkil8r]

I'm not 100% but I am sure they can get them. They get me all sorts of stuff they don't list for work What I have found with them is that they always under promise and over deliver. They have never yet been as long as they say they will be and have always been good on keeping me updated. FLO on the other hand only replied when I got somebody with influence to have a word with them. They just kept ignoring my emails until then.

[Smithysteve]

Hi Rob, I hope you sort the focusser!

I could be interested in one of the 10 mm Delos

I have a slot for a 10mm eyepiece, which is quite high power for my setup (254 X)

Please PM me with a price if you decide to sell.

Cheers!

[+Bino-viewer]

I have PM'd you Steve 

 

Mike, i think i will stick with FLO. 

As i said they have given me great service over the last few years.

But they do need to get hold of a telephone.    I'm not really in any hurry for it, they can take a few weeks.

 

I'm not wanting to turn this into a dealer- bashing thread, but i can immediately think of 3 dealers in the UK that i personally wouldn't use again.

 

I've had a look around for Moonlite stockists ; there's actually not that many dealers out there....

TS in Germany stock them, but they're alot more pricey than FLO.