Repairing TSN-3? have I been scammed? (1 Viewer)

[jring]

Hi Robson,

in both cases please first test the EPs by holding them to your scope while trying to get to infinity focus (moon and/or stars) and ideally a bit beyond for other users which might have other eyes than you before making any permanent changes to the EPs.

PS: I also live in Frankfurt/Main and have a Baader Zoom Mk3 if you want to try that... this one has already worked on the 820 series

Joachim

 

[robson_h]

Hi Joachim,
i am still waiting for the Kowa. DPD has a problem with German Special Characters in the address. The Baader Zoom is probably the best eyepiece available for the 820 Scopes. Eyepiece availability is the real disadvantage of the 820 Kowas.

Robert

 

[robson_h]

Finaly DPD was able to deliver the TSN-824. The sticky paint was horrible and i removed it with Alkohol. Overall the scope is in good condition. The optics looks clean. The coating of the front glas element is mint.

Overall i am very pleased !!!!

Not so good is the Baader Adapter. It does not fit. The Kowa does not have 50,8mm SC Thread. It is more like 49,8mm.

I have taped an Leica B 20X (Televid Series) Eyepiece to the Kowa to test it. The Kowa performs very nice. It is bright and has lots of Detail.

I have tried to open the eyepiece side of the scope. Does anyone know how to open it?

Robert

 

[robson_h]

I was able to remove the plastic housing from the Nikon FEP-30W. I will convert it into an 2'' astronomy eyepiece. For the Kowa i plan to add an 2'' Mount directly attached to the Kowa. I will make some pictures!

Forgot to say i owe a 10'' Newton Teleskope and already have some experience with 2'' and 1 1/4'' Astronomy equipment.

Robert

 

[jring]

Hi,

nice you got your scope and already got it cleaned well - where did you get the info with the 2" or 50.8mm thread from?

I think mayoayo mentioned in some post that he got the 2" adapter of the Mk3 zoom to somehow work with infinity focus right at zje limit and later tested the Mk4 which fit out of the box and had plenty of travel beyond infinity... so if you want to check the view through your 824 and my Mk3 and meet for some birdwatching and optics tinkering around Frankfurt, send me a PM...

Joachim

 

[mayoayo]

I know how to open the kowa,.. A member posted a nice tutorial, but the links he used expired.. I am not sure if I posted some of the steps to take it apart..The bayonet is actually the last part to come apart, and it has to be from the inside.. To remove the bayonet,the prism housing has to come apart. AGain, all from the inside.
Very easy, very simple mechanics, but.. Is this worth it in a perfectly fine scope?.. Opening the scope you will loose the nitrogen charge that might be remaining inside. Also in the process You can get somethings to go wrong, although not likely, specially putting the scope back together.. Also the bayonet mount Glass sits directly on top of the erector prism, so removing the bayonet, you also remove the protection. Now dust will be getting inside, and you might hit the prism with the eyepieces you want to use. (I forgot your scope won't have the erecting prism, but I'm sure the bayonet vindow. Will be directly over the fixed prism.) Honestly, considering the superb performance of the Baader mkIV zoom and it's price, I won't compromise the integrity of the scope because I don't see much to gain and there are things to loose.. Just my advice, but if you want to proceed I will try to find some postings about the process, or make some sketches for you

 

[robson_h]

Hi Mayoayo,
thank you for your post. I will not open it. The Nikon is short and no need to remove the bayonett. Leica Televid is to long but the nikon is briliant.

@Joachim i want to adapt the nikon then we meet and Look for the Birds..

 

[gcole]

Tomorrow DPD will bring the TSN-824 to me. I don't have an eyepiece from 820 Series to test. It is planned more like a DIY-Project. I have some eyepieces which need an adapter to mount on the scope. I will see how all comes together. The most promising eyepiece i have is Nikon FEP-30W. I plan to buy a 50,8mm Adapter Ring from Baader and srew or glue it to the eyepiece. The second promising is a TSN-PZ. This one needs an adapterring glued into th M53 Mount of TSN-PZ. I will see..

@Petiso you still waiting for the Paypal refund? Baader does have adapter rings for your 41,5mm scope. They also have this nice zoom Okular to fit your Kowa.

For TSN-PZ -> 820 Kowa there is this Adapter available. No need to build this one.
https://www.ebay.de/itm/Baader-Hype...784362?hash=item5b5b5c116a:g:9LkAAOSwf5ddTPmi

Hi .. It sure would be interesting to see some pictures showing the steps you took if you decide to attach any of your eyepieces using some type of glue. On my last two eyepiece attachment projects I have used a synthetic adhesive called “ Liquid Nails Fuse*IT with excellent results.

 

[robson_h]

I am three days on holiday with the family. I will make pictures and Show the development when i am back.

What was the outer Thread made for? I have searched the Internet found nothing.

 

[mayoayo]

It was originally to fit an eyepiece cover.. It was a hard plastic hood that fit over the zoom for protection.I think I had one a few years ago

 

[mayoayo]

So to go back to track.. What happened with the ebay claim of the original post..? Did you get a satisfactory response from eBay or did the seller take any responsability?

 

[Petiso]

So to go back to track.. What happened with the ebay claim of the original post..? Did you get a satisfactory response from eBay or did the seller take any responsability?

Hola mayomayo, thank you for asking.

I hope this experience can be useful to all of us, since , with this hobby, we are all very likely to buy second-hand items ocasionally.

There's an active dispute right now on Paypal, it all started on Paypal so i cannot make a second dispute on Ebay since they are exclusive.

They follow a protocol, first they ask information about the item to the seller, they examine the info, and then, they ask information to the buyer, i'm right know on that stage, i have just sent the form with the photos and the claim, so they will make an assesment of that and in a week or so they will take a decission.

The case is so flagrant that i have hopes... but i'm still not 100% sure, i do not want to advance events but if i finally have my money back, i am determined to buy a good quality legacy scope and i will make some updates on this thread with the scopes i have been considering these days.

 

[Petiso]

Hi guys, its been a long time since my last post, anyway, i have not forgotten the fellow birders who advised me in the hard times.
I hope someone here is interested in the outcome of this case, and what a i did to (kinda) fix the eyepiece.

First of all, i obviously won the case on paypal... however, somehow, paypal was not able to claim the money from the seller, so paypal just compensated me, but they never ask me to return the item, it was kinda unespected, i was very excited to buy a (really) like new gorgeous Legacy Optolyth, with very good price, and from a very reliable source, just waiting to have the money back from the Kowa...

But... as i kept the kowa i just decided to just settle with the deteriorated scope, "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth."

So i waited several months just in case someone claimed the scope and i just decided to try to restore the SO scratched eyepiece, since it was almost unusable i did some research and i decided to just buy a glass polish and try to give it a very agressive and risky treatment.

The polishing product is some kind of clay called Cerium Oxide, you need to mix it with water, i used a dremmel and its polishing tools to make the job.

I just espected to destroy the eyepiece but was not very afraid of that, im planning to buy the HDF T opticron zoom eyepiece anyway to upgrade this scope... and this old eyepiece was almost trashed... So nothing to loose.

BUT, again unespected outcome, i was shocked how well it worked!!!
The result is not perfect, you can notice the surface of the glass is somewhat altered, but the light profusse scratching is gone, only the heaviest scratches barely remains.
The uncomfortable fog effect it had when looking throw, is almost gone too

Find the photos attached.

 

[PYRTLE]

I'm pleased to hear that you received your money back.

 

[jring]

Hi,

congratulations, it seems that you nicely removed the scratched multicoatings - cerox is the usual agent for polishing optics, very common in the diy astro community.

The best thing that could be done in that case - you will have a bit of light loss due to more reflection on that surface, but that's 2.5%.

Enjoy your free scope!

PS: I have only looked through one Optolyth - fluorite lens too - and that example was quite lackluster.

Joachim

 

[Petiso]

Hi,

congratulations, it seems that you nicely removed the scratched multicoatings - cerox is the usual agent for polishing optics, very common in the diy astro community.

The best thing that could be done in that case - you will have a bit of light loss due to more reflection on that surface, but that's 2.5%.

Enjoy your free scope!

PS: I have only looked through one Optolyth - fluorite lens too - and that example was quite lackluster.

Joachim

Thank you Joaquim, i guess i will learn to love this scope, dont forget this one have a dented hood and kinda scrartched front lens (i hope that scratching doesnt cause any noticeable degradation).

The scratched coating (if any left) and glass of the eyepiece was probably stoping a huge amount of light, so yes, i had no option.
I would totally recommend the glass polishing in case you have a heavily scratched eyepiece. if you need to restore a bigger lens you should probably make a rounded polishing disc that is molded to the shape of the lens, and use it on your drill, otherwise you could distort the shape of the lens.

I still have great espectations on the ugrading the opticron eyepiece i think this one will fit on the outer threat
https://www.opticron.co.uk/our-products/eyepieces/hdf-eyepieces/40862-hdf-t-zoom-eyepiece

I Specially spect more light, magnification , a zoom and a decent eye relief...

 

[jring]

Hi,

don't do anything to the front element! You would not believe what amount of damage is invisible that far from the focal plane. There are images of main mirrors on CN which have huge chips of a few centimeters size and they were just blackened and no difference was visible.

Both the SDLv2 and HDF-T zooms are compatible as long as you don't have the rare new version of the TSN-3 with the protective glass in front of the prisms. You can recognize this my shining a flashlight into the EP bayonet and check if you have a block of glass in there which does not reach to the case (normal version, you see the prism) or a glass pane which goes to the case (new version with the protective glass).

You need a 4-5mm thick o-ring as a spacer. The diameter is not that important, just larger than the bayonet outer diameter as you'll cut it to size so it fits snugly into the union nut of the EP.

Joachim, who still loves the TSN-3 and SDLv2 combo.