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Feathertouch 3.5" focuser for Askar 130PHQ

Askar 130PHQ Focuser Troubleshooting
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Jerry Gerber avatar
Jerry Gerber avatar
Does anyone have this combination? 

My Askar stock focuser keeps getting stuck (drawtube gets stiff) and I am sick of losing sky time, my scope is at a dark sky site.   I am trying to find adapters for this combination but Askar's tech support is very unhelpful, they really give the impression they don't want to offer any kind of support at all. 

If you have had any luck finding a top notch focuser for this scope, please let me know ASAP! 

Thanks!
Jerry
Engaging
AstroShed avatar
AstroShed avatar
Maybe ask the guys at the remote site to sort it out for you, take it apart, re adjust and re lube it, then see how it goes, just a thought…as it’s probably down to the crap Chinese grease and how it solidifies when it gets too cold, it happened all the time with my Askar scope, as soon as I cleaned out all the crap grease and re lubed the inside of the drawtube, all was great.
Jerry Gerber avatar
Jerry Gerber avatar
AstroShed:
Maybe ask the guys at the remote site to sort it out for you, take it apart, re adjust and re lube it, then see how it goes, just a thought…as it’s probably down to the crap Chinese grease and how it solidifies when it gets too cold, it happened all the time with my Askar scope, as soon as I cleaned out all the crap grease and re lubed the inside of the drawtube, all was great.

Yeah, we've already done that. It worked for a week or so, and but then got stuck again..I'm replacing it.  It does seem to fail when the temperature gets below 30F, which it has lately. 

Interesting insight, if it is the grease solidifying when it gets cold that makes sense.
Jeffery Richards avatar
Jeffery Richards avatar
Have you contacted Moonlight? They have just about any adapter you could think of (or could probably make one).
Well Written Concise
Jerry Gerber avatar
Jerry Gerber avatar
Jeffery Richards:
Have you contacted Moonlight? They have just about any adapter you could think of (or could probably make one).

Yes, but Moonlight wants $2900 for the focuser/reducer plus the cost of adapters.   They have the adapters for my scope so if it really becomes impossible to get the Feathertouch to fit I may have to go that route.
Jeffery Richards avatar
Jeffery Richards avatar
Jerry Gerber:
Jeffery Richards:
Have you contacted Moonlight? They have just about any adapter you could think of (or could probably make one).

Yes, but Moonlight wants $2900 for the focuser/reducer plus the cost of adapters.   They have the adapters for my scope so if it really becomes impossible to get the Feathertouch to fit I may have to go that route.

I'm assuming that's for a Nitecrawler? In which case you are getting a rotator as well. They are top quality.
Jerry Gerber avatar
Jerry Gerber avatar
Jeffery Richards:
Jerry Gerber:
Jeffery Richards:
Have you contacted Moonlight? They have just about any adapter you could think of (or could probably make one).

Yes, but Moonlight wants $2900 for the focuser/reducer plus the cost of adapters.   They have the adapters for my scope so if it really becomes impossible to get the Feathertouch to fit I may have to go that route.

I'm assuming that's for a Nitecrawler? In which case you are getting a rotator as well. They are top quality.

Yes, true.  I may end up with the Moonlight Nitecrawler, we'll see.
Jeffery Richards avatar
Jeffery Richards avatar
Obviously you could go with whatever you want by using a PreciseParts adapter as well.