|
Users viewing this topic: none
|
|
Login  | |
|
A bit of a story! - 8/2/2010 9:53:17 AM
|
|
|
drechana
Posts: 172
Score: 0
Joined: 5/1/2009
Status: offline
|
Hi
Just thought I would share my happiness with you all at getting my new 200P. I didnt realise how massive the tihng is! I managed to get the OTA, polar scope, motorised EQ5 mount, EP's, tripod and the tracking motor for £375. I was a bit worried at first because I thought that was too good a price. But all was good. Took it out in the garden and even with the sun still in the sky I could see Mars as a pink disc....I was totally blown away!
Bit of a scare later though. Me and my brother, who was just as excited about looking through it as I, went up to clanfield just by the obsy to get a decent look in the dark before the clouds rolled in, we got up, set it up, i had hold of the tub, he was doing up the bolts on the dovetail.
So all up and good I have tilted the tub so I could get a look and Mars and the unthinkable happened. It fell straight off the mount, hit my hand and leg on the way down and crashed into the floor. Well, suffice to say I was a little bit done in and we up ended it to have a look at the mirror.....sure enough a great big sear in the mirror from the edge to just off the middle. Well, my brother went white and nearly puked. I told him not to worry and that I would just get a new mirror but he was really upset with himself, poor lad. He had done the main bolt up but not that little one that goes in at an angle....so it was ok when upright but as soon as it was tilted, nothing was holding it in.
So we hoiked it back up to test it, looked through it and it was fine. So I thought, well its ok, it works, no rush for a new mirror but he was still kicking himself and really upset seein as I had just got it that day. Well the clouds rolled in and we decided to call it a night with him constantly apologising and me trying to tell him it dont matter. I decided to have one last look down the tube. So i go put my phone, shone it down and guess what I saw...the crack had moved! I then looked and I saw that the crack now had two ends to it.....it was a sodding blade of grass and was refelected in the mirror because it had come away from the mirror a bit and it had slid down as well once we had picked it up and put it back on the mount.!!!
I could not believe it. As it has hit the round a blde of grass must have been sittin on the lip and then when I upended it fallen to the bottom to make it look like a crack. Unreal I tell you. Well even in the dark I could see the colour come back in his face....relief all round I tell you!
So, looks like I will still be able to take my new scope down to cornwall. I will try and get some pics taken too if I eve figure out registax!!
Moral of the story......dont rush!
Drec
_____________________________
Skywatcher 200P 8"
EQ5 Motorised Mount
Celestron Plossl 9mm, 15mm, 32mm, 2xBarlow
25mm, 10mm, 4mm Bog Standard
IRC Chat Channel Tutorial
|
|
|
|
|
RE: A bit of a story! - 8/2/2010 1:30:38 PM
|
|
|
pmwright
Posts: 206
Score: 0
Joined: 11/2/2008
Status: offline
|
The moral of the story is don't allow your brother to tighten bolts
Peter
|
|
|
|
|
RE: A bit of a story! - 8/2/2010 1:34:08 PM
|
|
|
drechana
Posts: 172
Score: 0
Joined: 5/1/2009
Status: offline
|
Nah it wasnt just his fault, we were in a rush and he forgot to tighten one. It was both of us rushing.
_____________________________
Skywatcher 200P 8"
EQ5 Motorised Mount
Celestron Plossl 9mm, 15mm, 32mm, 2xBarlow
25mm, 10mm, 4mm Bog Standard
IRC Chat Channel Tutorial
|
|
|
|
|
RE: A bit of a story! - 8/2/2010 5:45:42 PM
|
|
|
Spartacus
Posts: 1961
Score: 4
Joined: 26/8/2006
From: French France
Status: offline
|
 best laugh I've had today !
Keef
|
|
|
|
|
RE: A bit of a story! - 9/2/2010 12:40:22 PM
|
|
|
drechana
Posts: 172
Score: 0
Joined: 5/1/2009
Status: offline
|
Hahah, yeah I bet. Still, slowing down and double checking will now be the order of the day (well, night) when we go out in future :O)
_____________________________
Skywatcher 200P 8"
EQ5 Motorised Mount
Celestron Plossl 9mm, 15mm, 32mm, 2xBarlow
25mm, 10mm, 4mm Bog Standard
IRC Chat Channel Tutorial
|
|
|
|
|
RE: A bit of a story! - 9/2/2010 2:25:25 PM
|
|
|
pwalsh61
Posts: 202
Score: 0
Joined: 13/8/2006
Status: offline
|
Phew!
I'm glad it all worked out OK in the end. I've no experience of such things, so others will no doubt correct me, but it might be worth checking the collimation in case the optics got knocked out of kilter by the drop.
Sounds like mount/dovetail manufacturers could do with coming up with some form of quick-locking mechanism too!
|
|
|
|
|
RE: A bit of a story! - 9/2/2010 3:07:35 PM
|
|
|
brianb
Posts: 4778
Score: 0
Joined: 27/5/2008
From: 55.215N 6.554W
Status: offline
|
quote:
Sounds like mount/dovetail manufacturers could do with coming up with some form of quick-locking mechanism too!
Skyhook?
The type that need to be threaded in from the end **** me off, they're hard to engage & take far more effort than the "lift in & clamp" type ... but the latter type are easier to have an accident with. Swings & roundabouts, as usual.
|
|
|
|
|
RE: A bit of a story! - 9/2/2010 4:58:06 PM
|
|
|
drechana
Posts: 172
Score: 0
Joined: 5/1/2009
Status: offline
|
Yeah I know it will need some serious collimation done now. Will be doing that tonight when I get home cause it looks like it is going to be clear tonight.
_____________________________
Skywatcher 200P 8"
EQ5 Motorised Mount
Celestron Plossl 9mm, 15mm, 32mm, 2xBarlow
25mm, 10mm, 4mm Bog Standard
IRC Chat Channel Tutorial
|
|
|
|
 New Messages |
 No New Messages |
 Hot Topic w/ New Messages |
 Hot Topic w/o New Messages |
 Locked w/ New Messages |
 Locked w/o New Messages |
|
 Post New Thread
Reply to Message
Post New Poll
Submit Vote
Delete My Own Post
Delete My Own Thread
Rate Posts |
|
|
|
Printable Version
