I find this thread very amusing although somewhat distressing. That sound is exactly what I heard when I first took my 8x SLC HD out of the box. After a first few days of use the squeaky sound disappeared altogether and the tactile sensation became very smooth. Overall, I find it a magnificent focuser with just enough stiction to stay put, but never putting up turn resistance.
Have faith and a little patience. Take a little joy in your new toy. :smoke:
Ed
What I find distressing is that you sat back being amused while reading this thread and waited for 14 posts to share your experience with the OPer!
Hopefully, his experience will match yours and both issues will resolve themselves. As you know, if you've been carefully reading the many reports about Swaro focuser issues on BF over the years, they usually do not resolve by themselves, particularly with the ELs, where even after being sent in for repairs, the focuser might still be stiff, coarse, or harder to turn in one direction, though perhaps not as bad as before, and sometimes the issue is resolved to the owner's satisfaction.
My own take on all this has been that since Swaro started serving hunters and still does most of its business with hunters, it never addressed the issue because there were few complaints and few returns.
But now that more and more birders are buying Swaros, it's time to consider what birders find desirable, your smooth turning, non-farting SLC-HD aside.
As surely as night follows day, here he comes again..... Didn't want Ed to join the deniers club, but gave him the benefit of the doubt and deleted that last sentence, but apparently not soon enough!
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