AN OBSERVATORY FOR THE GARDEN

I must admit to feeling a huge sense of relief, Sheal. It was recommended that two people should do the job as the Telescope and the Fork Mount is so big, cumbersome and heavy, but I thought I'd give it a shot by myself. There were a few heart stopping moments and places where I thought it wasn't going to work. But once I got the feel of the job and realised exactly what needed slackening etc it went more easily. I have to send off for now for the proper dovetail plate to fix onto the underneath of the telescope so that I can put it onto the tripod I use for my other Telescopes.

 

Hi, Jiffy, well, taking a 12 inch aperture Telescope weighing around 55lbs off a big metal fork weighing around 30lbs is something I only want to do once, and in fact you only have to do it once. De-forking a telescope is not a normal run of things in Astronomy as most astronomers use the computerised mount and fork that the telescope comes with. I don't want to use that mount but want to use the NEQ6 mount that I already have......so, as I said, it's a only once job!!

GOOD NEWS AT LAST

Here's an e-mail I received today from the Dome manufacturers.

"Hi Eddy,
Gary tells me your dome is the next one due in, which should be around a week. Given the nature of such things, (and I realize we are on week 14) I'll call you to arrange a suitable delivery time when it actually arrives. Hope that's O.K

KR
Steve"

Apart from the fact that it is now the 16th week and not the 14th week it's the news I wanted to hear. I have a sneaky feeling though that if I hadn't e-mailed them today "expressing" my "dissatisfaction", then things might not have got moving with a delivery date in sight.

 

.........don't be, Hannah, it's a most frustrating hobby as the UK weather seems to have more clouds in it, at any time of the year, than blue skies.

 

All done, Trogre, this afternoon!! Actually, I had to do it twice as after I gently but thoroughly cleaned the inside of the Corrector Plate, and put it back, I discovered that there was a hair lying on the inside......so I had to do it all again!!

 

Well, here's a few pics of the job of taking the 12 inch Telescope off the big heavy mount forks. Once I'd understood what needed and where it needed unbolting it was fairly straight forward. There were 8 large bolts under the base of the mount in the most awkward places that needed to be loosened and taken out. The telescope needed placing on end and the fork and mount kept level by supporting it with tool cases to keep it level........try doing that on your own when it all weighs 75lbs.





Ready for loosening and freeing the bolts in the base




The bolts taken out and the Telescope taken out of the Fork




The 12 inch Telescope freed




And now it's resting in it's own case on a bed of 2 inch thick foam rubber while it waits for a device called a Losmandy Dovetail to arrive and be fitted so that it can be mounted on the tripod.l

 

Well, this is how the telescope looked before the conversion


And this is how it looks now fully converted to use on my tripod

 

Clear skies, Sheal, what are those??

 

Well, it is just a week since they sent:

"Hi Eddy,
Gary tells me your dome is the next one due in, which should be around a week. Given the nature of such things, (and I realize we are on week 14) I'll call you to arrange a suitable delivery time when it actually arrives. Hope that's O.K

So, even though we are now in week 17, Sheal, I'll give them until Thursday and then send another stinky e-mail. The Observatory is a quality product, but I've got to say that the customer service and care of the firm seems to be almost non existent. Customers should not have to constantly chivvy a company to find out even the small bit of information. If any other amateur astronomer were to ask me if they should buy from this firm I would have to tell them to buy the Observatory else where.

 

I doubt that it will be this week, Sheal, as Steve is saying in his e-mail that it would be a week before it arrived at the Unit, then they have to check it, fit various bits and pieces, and then he's going to ring me with a delivery date. So that could be another week at least before it's delivered and installed.........which, due to the lack of customer service, is making me think it won't be delivered until after Christmas, or am I being too cynical and suspicious??.