PART 2 - GIANT Telescope Restoration! - Orion XX14g GoTo Dobsonian

PART 2 - GIANT Telescope Restoration! - Orion XX14g GoTo Dobsonian - Focus Head Telrad Updates

Рет қаралды 3,122

Жыл бұрын

EPISODE 2: In this video about restoring an Orion XX14g, we fix the Telrad, add a red-dot finder, and fix the Crayford Focuser. Fixing telescopes is my hobby, but this one might be just too big!
#telescope #repair #restoration
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KZfaq NOTES:
1) This video complies with the KZfaq Community Guidelines and Terms of Service.
2) Soundtracks used with permission from my video editing suite, Camtasia, and KZfaq's AudioLibrary.
3) All products shown were purchased by me with my own money.
4) This video does not contain any controversial subject matter, children, offensive material or language.
Questions answered in this video:
1) How do I fix a broken telescope?
2) How do I fix a computer telescope?
3) How do I fix a broken Synscan hand controller?
4) How do I build a telescope cart dolly?
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#orion #xx14g #reflector #goto
#synscan #astronomy
Telescope restoration 14 inch telescope

Пікірлер: 43

@robertsonsid Жыл бұрын

22 Celsius is a nice day...22 Fahrenheit is chilly. Greetings from Canada where we jump back and forth from Metric to English measurements.

@dantoti657 5 ай бұрын

So I’m new to the channel which is why I’m replying late. Being Canadian you have to understand metric and english measurements? Shouldn’t you have also replied in both French and English 😅

@DanWipper 7 күн бұрын

Until it hits forty below where bouncing does nothing. We bounce around here a lot too by Chicago we see a lot more metric now.

@LesDempseySoloLesta 26 күн бұрын

Telrad velcro is probably to attach a dew shield. I used to do that with mine.

@reflactor 26 күн бұрын

That sounds like the most plausible answer.

@DanWipper 7 күн бұрын

For fine cuts by hand use hack saw blades of various tooth sizes, over 20 teeth per inch become manageable 24 resists hang ups. You'll also find various handles including one sided screw driver type handles for what you just cut. Cheep and easy.

@reflactor 7 күн бұрын

I learned the value of fine-tooth hacksaws during the next restoration series (had to remake a threaded lug for the spider support).

@mycarolinaskies Жыл бұрын

The velcro on the Telerad was probably for a light shroud to help see the background when arched over the top in light polluted skies. The dimmer on the Telerad is your friend for bright skies too. I believe the 2 side screws to the center adjuster allow fine-tuning the pressure point higher for heavier eyepieces/camera? If they are too tight it probably removes the plate ability to put good even pressure on the drawtube.

@reflactor Жыл бұрын

Thank you. That makes sense.

@johngiromini5745 Жыл бұрын

John, I found a dovetail rail for my Telrad and now almost any scope I acquire has a dovetail tray on the OTA and Telrad fits right in there. Tada! my garage is very much like yours: cold as all get out.

@reflactor Жыл бұрын

That's a nice solution! I saw some printable adapters that would allow the Telrad to sit in a dovetail shoe, but I figured I would try the easy route first.

@trsnomis6471 2 ай бұрын

I use both finders but not on the same telescope at the same time. Now that I’m getting older I prefer the telrad due to ease of use.

@reflactor 2 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching. Our light pollution has gotten so bad the past two years that I can't really use the Telrad fully. It works best in dark skies where you can starhop.

@k.h.1587 Ай бұрын

Yeah a red dot and a telrad are redundant. An optical finder and telrad or red dot makes more sense.

@jackieblank4249 Жыл бұрын

Too dam cold and nasty to be shedding on that today John.I would be in the kitchen doing that.Telrad with the red circles is all you need. Me personally wouldn't drill extra holes in such a pristine scope. I wedged a little wooden coffee stirrer between the base shoe an Z mount to take up the slack. Waiting for the next video.Keep all that icy weather in Texas.We don't like cold down here in the Bayou s sha.

@reflactor Жыл бұрын

Yah, I don't like to drill more than I have to, but... this one had already been defrocked by a previous owner. We're on day four of the ice storm. Clear skies!

@k.h.1587 Ай бұрын

I never drill holes for a telrad, the adhesive works just fine and extra bases for other scopes are cheap enough to not be an issue

@Jay_J Жыл бұрын

I agree with DeepSkyMike, that Bob's knobs should work. I have an Orion XT8i and they were a terrific "upgrade" for collimating! As for which will work best, the Telerad vs the Red Dot, neither, I'd replace them with a 9x50 RACI finder scope, or perhaps leave the RedDot and add the finder. Ps I see you now have this up for sale, i'll be in touch, thanks! Jay in Allen

@reflactor Жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching! I have Bob's Knobs on my 8 inch Dob, but this one only has a gap of about 0.25 inches between the secondary block and the dustcover. I could probably grind down the threaded portion to get it just right, but it has held collimation surprisingly well, so not too annoying to get out the allen wrench. I do have it up for sale unfortunately, mainly because I'm just out of room and I'm at a point in my life (work/life balance) where getting out to a dark site is very challenging. Time for somebody else to enjoy it!

@kamilmoucka6811 Жыл бұрын

I noticed that the focuser has collimating screws. So good luck collimating the focuser itself. And you might want to replace that Teflon plate too, it might be too squeezed out.🙂

@reflactor Жыл бұрын

I was hoping that all things being equal, I wouldn't have to tinker with the focuser collimation screws (three tiny sets of set screw/cap head combos). I'll have to figure it out once I get it all built up. By Teflon plate, do you mean the part that rubs against the axle? Clear skies!

@kamilmoucka6811 Жыл бұрын

@@reflactor Yes, that's exactly what I mean. I'd change it anyway.

@JoeJaguar Жыл бұрын

personally i like the rigel as its much smaller but either one there will work in a 8 zone, you probably just need 1 but tell us what you like and use.

@reflactor Жыл бұрын

Do you think I should add a Rigel to the mix? I could put all three on it for the ultimate test!

@JoeJaguar Жыл бұрын

@@reflactor no one is fine

@Loopy01 Жыл бұрын

I might be mistaken, but it looks to me that the two little screws in the middle of the focuser plate are used to adjust the travel length of the middle tension adjusting screw. If the little plate they're pushing on is far from the barrel of the focuser, then the middle adjustment screw will reach the end of its travel at full tightness and still not clamp down on the barrel. I'm assuming that's the function they serve, in addition to balancing the little plate inside.

@kamilmoucka6811 Жыл бұрын

Well, you're not wrong, it's exactly as you write. I was going to make the same point in my post.

@reflactor Жыл бұрын

I think you're right - if those two side screws were removed, then the pressure plate mechanism would just be floating except for the set screw.

@deepskymike767 Жыл бұрын

Hey John, even though I own the push to version of this scope I’m pretty sure the actual optical system itself will be identical to yours so I’m quite surprised that you can’t install ‘bobs knobs’ collimating screws for the secondary mirror. That was the first add on I got for my scope and there isn’t an issue with them catching on the upper cage cover. By the way I had a little chuckle at your mishap @10:40 because I did exactly the same thing 😂

@reflactor Жыл бұрын

The distance between the spider hub and the dust cover is only about 0.2 inches, so that doesn't leave enough room.

@c.x.a.6577 Жыл бұрын

If you plan on putting real weight on the focuser it won’t last long. My ES92s with coma corrector rendered it useless after a handful of observing sessions. Feathertouch is worth the price used.

@reflactor Жыл бұрын

Fortunately I don't have any heavy eyepieces except for my ES 30mm. Other than that, they are pretty light. I'll keep the Feathertouch in mind though. Thanks for watching!

@davehen4289 Жыл бұрын

I saw telrad on a video, with a lot of what looked like soft foam dew covers, layed out beside it. So maybe that's what the velcro pads were for.

@reflactor Жыл бұрын

That could be it! Thanks!

@strat1960s Жыл бұрын

Maybe 3D print 2-inch to 1.25 adapter.

@reflactor Жыл бұрын

For the 2-to-1.25 adapter, that's actually a good idea. In fact (after looking), the files exist on Thingiverse. However, the part I need has an M54 thread and is what actually holds the 2-to-1.25 adapter.

@strat1960s Жыл бұрын

@@reflactor Thats a great reason to buy a tap and die set.

@strat1960s Жыл бұрын

Help me understand. Isn't the telrad a form of a red dot? It seems to be serving the same purpose as a red dot. If that is the case, is there an advantage to having a red dot and a telrad?

@reflactor Жыл бұрын

Yes, they are both focused red-light targeting systemds. Both are focused-to-infinity (it's like magic). The difference is that the Telrad's rings are actually useful measurement tools. I'm only using both just to see which one I find more useful. I'll likely remove the one that I don't use.

@strat1960s Жыл бұрын

@@reflactor I plan to get a green laser for my Dob. In my mind, a green laser will be more useful than a red dot.

@k.h.1587 Ай бұрын

Or just put an optical finder on the shoe