A Quick Test and Some Additional Tweeks
When I looked outside this morning, it was sunny and clear. That's a rarity around these parts! I also noticed that the moon was still in the sky. It was getting close to the horizon and setting fast but, if I was quick about it, I could pull the small telescope outside and do a quick test by observing the moon.
I quickly set the little telescope on our stone walkway and pointed it toward the moon... I turned the focusing knobs... the moon came into crisp focus! So that means that all the upgrading and rebuilding I did in recent weeks produced a far better telescope. This was good news.
As I mentioned above, the moon was setting quickly so I was attempting to use my slow motion knobs to constantly adjust the mount to keep the telescope pointed at the moon... it would track slightly and then when I let go it would spring back toward where I started from when I first started turning these knobs. This would happen over and over until the moon was too low in the sky.
My first thought was that maybe the telescope wasn't properly balanced on the mount. I checked the balance and it wasn't too far off... certainly not far off enough to cause a major problem like this. This was a featherweight telescope!
I thought about it a little bit longer and then decided to disassemble the mount. When I was checking the balance of the telescope on the mount, I noticed that both axes were very stiff... too stiff... this could definitely cause the difficulty I was experiencing this morning.
I was thinking that maybe it simply needed to be lubricated. When I disassembled the first axis, the grease was all gummed up. It was so gummy that when I attempted to wipe the old lube off with a paper towel, it caused the paper towel to stick to the parts like glue! I cleaned all this old gunk off, re-lubed it, and then reassembled it. Now it was turning freely on that axis. This was the problem.
I disassembled the second axis... cleaned it all up... re-lubed it... and then reassembled it. Now it was turning freely on this axis as well! What a difference!
I'd love to test this little telescope again but I'll have to wait until there is something to see in the sky but I'm fairly certain that this little telescope is good to go now! Although, I'm still waiting on some better quality eyepieces to arrive in the mail. That should be the last little improvement this cheapo telescope needs.
I quickly set the little telescope on our stone walkway and pointed it toward the moon... I turned the focusing knobs... the moon came into crisp focus! So that means that all the upgrading and rebuilding I did in recent weeks produced a far better telescope. This was good news.
My first thought was that maybe the telescope wasn't properly balanced on the mount. I checked the balance and it wasn't too far off... certainly not far off enough to cause a major problem like this. This was a featherweight telescope!
I thought about it a little bit longer and then decided to disassemble the mount. When I was checking the balance of the telescope on the mount, I noticed that both axes were very stiff... too stiff... this could definitely cause the difficulty I was experiencing this morning.
I disassembled the second axis... cleaned it all up... re-lubed it... and then reassembled it. Now it was turning freely on this axis as well! What a difference!
I'd love to test this little telescope again but I'll have to wait until there is something to see in the sky but I'm fairly certain that this little telescope is good to go now! Although, I'm still waiting on some better quality eyepieces to arrive in the mail. That should be the last little improvement this cheapo telescope needs.
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