Swarovski Spotting Scope (1 Viewer)

[Kidcharlemagne]

Hello, I am new to the group so I hope I’m not posting this in the wrong thread.

Today there was a field full of Snow Geese across the street from me, so I got my Swarovski Spotting Scope out to take a closer look. I have not used the scope for a while but I always store it carefully.

When I tried to pull off the cap to the eyepiece it wouldn’t come off. I tried twisting and pulling it but no luck. It just won’t come off. I even called Swarovski and they weren’t sure why it wouldn’t pull off. Does anyone have any ideas? Thanks in advance!

 

[Will K]

Welcome!

What model of Swarovski scope is that?

 

[Kidcharlemagne]

It is the habicht st80. The gray one which they no longer make. I’ve never had a problem with it that’s why this is so frustrating.

 

[Will K]

That's quite a rare scope, I think. I've not heard anyone mention it recently on the forums.

I hope someone here can make a suggestion. Good luck!

 

[ibramr]

Greetings. At the risk of sounding silly, I suggest leaving the scope in a warm room temperature overnight and try again in the morning. What you describe happens often to me during winter photo walks and I want to remove some metal lens’ caps from the lens. Good luck.

 

[Kidcharlemagne]

Greetings. At the risk of sounding silly, I suggest leaving the scope in a warm room temperature overnight and try again in the morning. What you describe happens often to me during winter photo walks and I want to remove some metal lens’ caps from the lens. Good luck.

That’s a good idea - thank you! I’ll try it!

 

[vergan]

That's quite a rare scope, I think. I've not heard anyone mention it recently on the forums.

I hope someone here can make a suggestion. Good luck!

It use to be the top notch scope back in the old days, what means before 2002-3....
Well known for people birding in those ancient times, but actually quite unknown for current/ recent joiners.

 

[Kidcharlemagne]

It use to be the top notch scope back in the old days, what means before 2002-3....
Well known for people birding in those ancient times, but actually quite unknown for current/ recent joiners.

I believe I bought my Habicht st80 in the mid-90’s. It’s been very reliable and there are always a few for sale on EBay and they have held their value very well.

 

[Bill Atwood]

I had one of those years ago, but it didn't have that full eyepiece cap. Is that a 20-60 eyepiece?

Also, the newer ATS/STS eyepieces fit the AT/ST scopes and should be a nice upgrade. Try one out if you get the chance.

 

[Kidcharlemagne]

I had one of those years ago, but it didn't have that full eyepiece cap. Is that a 20-60 eyepiece?

Also, the newer ATS/STS eyepieces fit the AT/ST scopes and should be a nice upgrade. Try one out if you get the chance.

Yes, it’s a 20-60 eyepiece. Thank you, I’ll try one of the newer eyepieces.

 

[tenex]

I suggest leaving the scope in a warm room temperature overnight and try again in the morning.

A hair dryer (not too hot) may be quicker and more effective as it will warm/expand the cap before what's under it.

 

[Woen]

Yes gently warm it up might do the trick. Hopefully it isn't some plastic degradation combining with rubber armor or the likes. Let us know if it worked!
These were the top scopes when I was younger, always wanted to have one. Now I'm finally looking for a first scope.

 

[Gijs van Ginkel]

kidcharlemagne,
Does it have a screw mount or a bayonet mount? I
Gijs van Ginkelf so that could explain why you can not take it of.

 

[geastrum]

Yup, at least here in Sweden I see lots and lots of 1990's AT80 HDs still in frequent use. Definately not a rare scope. I have a 1997 AT80HD as my main scope, with a recent 25-50x eyepiece, and I really don't see an urgent need to change it for anything. I guess it's a scope that you don't need to talk about, you just use it.

 

[Bill Atwood]

Yes, it’s a 20-60 eyepiece. Thank you, I’ll try one of the newer eyepieces.

Be aware that it doesn't lock, but it will fight very tightly, no danger of it falling out.

 

[Tringa45]

Unscrew the cap! They don't make them like that anymore.
A friend of mine has just confirmed that it's threaded. He was given a NOS AT80 HD complete with Swarovski branded tripod and head just a few months ago by his girlfriend.
The scope is still very good by today's standards although the AFoV of the 20-60x zoom eyepiece is a bit narrow. It accepted the 30x W from my ATM65 HD and also the astro adapter. The scope also has a bayonet locking device, which I think was not so common in the early 2000s.

John

 

[Kidcharlemagne]

Unscrew the cap! They don't make them like that anymore.
A friend of mine has just confirmed that it's threaded. He was given a NOS AT80 HD complete with Swarovski branded tripod and head just a few months ago by his girlfriend.
The scope is still very good by today's standards although the AFoV of the 20-60x zoom eyepiece is a bit narrow. It accepted the 30x W from my ATM65 HD and also the astro adapter. The scope also has a bayonet locking device, which I think was not so common in the early 2000s.

John

Thank you! I’ve been trying to turn the cap to free it up but it just won’t budge. I’ve always kept it in excellent condition and I’ve stored it safely, but lately I’ve just been using my Swarovski binoculars when hiking. I don’t want to start forcing anything so I may just send it to Swarovski to get it fixed. But their repair department is difficult to get a hold of. I was in a queue for over an hour and when it was my turn a message said they couldn’t help me now and my call was dropped. But thank you so much for your help. I appreciate it!

 

[Tringa45]

Thank you! I’ve been trying to turn the cap to free it up but it just won’t budge. I’ve always kept it in excellent condition and I’ve stored it safely, but lately I’ve just been using my Swarovski binoculars when hiking. I don’t want to start forcing anything so I may just send it to Swarovski to get it fixed. But their repair department is difficult to get a hold of. I was in a queue for over an hour and when it was my turn a message said they couldn’t help me now and my call was dropped. But thank you so much for your help. I appreciate it!

Well, it's got to come off somehow. That it is cross-threaded is a possibility but it's more likely that there is some surface corrosion of the thread.
Try warming the cap gently and briefly with a hairdryer. The differential expansion could free it. If that doesn't work you could apply a minute amount of penetrating lubricant to the base of the cap, leave for a few hours and try again with the hairdryer.
I have a decades-old draw tube scope I used to use for target pistol shooting. It has very fine threaded aluminium objective and eyepiece covers and great care was needed to avoid cros-threading. The application of a minute amount of Ballistol made fitting and removal a lot lighter.

John

 

[jring]

Hi,

first of all, welcome to birdforum!

Unfortunately the famous Swaro service seems a bit sluggish lately due to computer problems in Absam... even if you get through, if it needs to go to Austria, be prepared for a few months turnaround.

Regarding the stuck eyepiece cap - is it plastic or metal?

With plastic I'd probably go for some gentle force as in putting the prism housing of the scope into a vise with some plastic or wood pads to avoid scratches and tighten gently. Then grab the cap with a strap wrench - maybe with a bit of rubber (bicycle inner tube cut to size) in between - and apply some force counterclockwise. As a worst case scenario, the cap wil break... which would be a sacrifice I would be willing to make if it was my scope...

With two different metal for cap and eyepiece thread, contact corrosion might indeed have welded the threads together in a way that too much force will damage the eyepiece or bayonet mount. One can try some gentle force as described above, but before getting a piece of tube for a longer lever, I'd probably take a Dremel, cut the cap close to the threads and then gnaw very carefully through the remaining metal ring on two opposing sides without damaging the thread on the eyepiece or bayonet mount and hope that one can then get with a screwdriver between the two halves and lever them apart.

Joachim

 

[Tringa45]

No violence please!
Unless you suceed beforehand I'll try to get another look at my friend's AT80 at the weekend.

John