Tag: focuser

A Simple Helical Crayford Focuser

How simple can a focuser be?

This has been a bit of a design challence for me… Just how small, how simple, can I make a focuser and yet still provide excellent usability. My latest Helix 1-14 design is my best yet.

A simple helical crayford telescope focuser
A simple helical crayford focuser

As my 3D printer design skills improve I applied lessons learned and the unique capabilities of an FDM printer to the problem of a focuser. After a bit of a journey I have arrived at a design I can consider finished. Is it the final design? I may tinker some more, but I am satified for the moment.

The design is based on a few ideas from here and there, products I have seen or used, internet postings from others faced with the same challenge. I am not one for just printing someone else’s design, I rarely do that, I want to do my own, and maybe make it better.

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The ScopeStuff 2″ Crayford Focuser

When shopping for a focuser you face a lot of choices. From the cheap eBay Chinese options to the top-of-the-line Moonlights and Feather Touch. I once again perused these options when buying a new focuser for the Cave Astrola.

ScopeStuff 2" Crayford Focuser
The ScopeStuff 2″ Crayford Focuser mounted to the 8″ Cave Astrola
It has been a while since I looked at what was out there. So I spent some time shopping and wandering website re-educating myself on what the options were.

I considered the cheapest end of the market, a few options found on eBay, and again at the top-of-the-line, machined works of art that cost as much as some telescopes. This time I was limiting the budget for restoring the Astrola, not wanting to spend much more than a hundred on the focuser to keep the cost of the whole effort down.

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