GSO 2" Crayford Focuser for Reflectors - Dual Speed

5.0 Very Nice

Very nice focuser.. fit perfectly on a 12" Meade Light Bridge. No modifications needed to be made. I installed it in under 5 minutes. 303mm base plate was a direct fit.

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4.0 part was what was advertised.

part was what was advertised. It works and does what I want it to.

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5.0 Great product

This is a nice focused for the money.
Very smooth running.

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5.0 Awsome forcuser

This focuser is well made and very smooth. Unfortunately, none of the base plates will cover the original hole on the Celestron C10.

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5.0 Nice 2" Crayford Focuser

Very nice smooth movement. Well made solid focuser that's not to heavy. Reasonably priced for the quality.

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5.0 Low profile focuser

Haven’t had a chance to really use it yet, and I will need an extension tube, but Inam excited about the smoothness at which it operates.

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5.0 Best upgrade for my 200mm

Best upgrade for my 200mm Klevtsov!

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5.0 2 INCH FOCUSER

SOLID CONSTRUCTION, SMOOTH OPERATION AND REQUIRED ONLY SLIGHT MODIFICATION TO TELESCOPE TUBE.

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5.0 I haven't used it that

I haven't used it that much, I'm still trying to work out the kinks in my homemade dob mount.

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5.0 Very smooth

Very nice focuser. Installs well. Smooth mechanism. Seems solid and well built

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5.0 Excellent piece of machinery. I

Excellent piece of machinery. I am very pleased.

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4.0 GSO focuser for a reflector

I bought the focuser to replace the rack& pinion unit in my 130 mm reflector. It was a drop in for my SkyWatcher reflector. I had to drill new holes and of course align the focuser prior to drilling but other than that it was simple. The GSO focuser is rough compared to more expensive models but the difference in my reflector was a 100 percent improvement!

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5.0 A really nice focuser makes a difference

I replaced my Astroview 6 EQ 1.25" focuser with this GSO 2" Crayford Focuser in hopes of stabilizing "jitter" when focusing on highly magnified images. The first thing I noticed was how easier it was to obtain sharp focus with the GSO. The GSO smooth micro adjustment will be a perfect match for a remote focuser motor to fully address the jitter issue.

It was a little unnerving cutting out a larger hole in my telescope to receive the 2" GSO but it was not difficult, and was well worth a little stress. The 176mm base I purchased with the GSO makes a very nice (but not perfect) fit on the 6" OTA. Only someone looking closely would notice it does not exactly match the contour of the OTA. Certainly operation is in no way compromised.

The GSO provides very smooth operation for the slightest of micro focus tweaks. It feels and looks like a high quality focuser. I will purchase another GSO for my next telescope if it is in need of an affordable, quality focuser that performs very well.

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3.0 Good Deal

Lightweight,Accurate

Finicky

I've had this particular focuser for a year now on my homemade 12 1/2" Dobsonian and have put it through it's paces extensively. While I've not used any of the "premium" focusers on the market like Moonlight or Feathertouch to compare its operation with I would have to say, for the price paid, it's a pretty good deal, easily more than an $100 less than a Moonlight, for example. This focuser is solidly constructed and comes with the appropriate tube adapter, which in my case was 14", for no additional cost. The course and fine adjustments work very well, a big positive, BUT... you need to be very precise with the tension adjustment knobs to get it right and considering there are no instructions included, either for installation or usage, knowing which knob does what is a matter of trial and error. Here's the big negative I've found: If you have a lightweight eyepiece in and then replace it with a heavier one, more than likely the drawtube will collapse...pretty frustrating when it happens to you the first time in the dark. You can increase the tension to prevent this but if you do that it makes it more difficult, if not impossible, to focus. Again, since I don't have anything to compare it with I don't know if this is a design flaw inherent with Crayford focusers in general or if this problem is exclusive to this particular one. Since it's so sensitive to weight changes, I would have to also say that if you plan to attach any sort of astrophotography gear to it, you would be wiser to spend extra for a premium focuser. For casual visual observing, which is what I do, this is a nice economical focuser to use.

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5.0 Well worth the money and makes fine focusing a breeze

Strong Construction,Easy to Use,Tight tolerances where its important

I installed this on my 10 year old Orion XT8 that came with an old 1.25" R&P. The focuser drawtube hole in my telescope is 2.37 inches, not the 3.7 inch hole found on the newer style Orion models. No modification was required to the OTA other than 4 new mounting holes. I removed the GSO focuser from the base using the 2 small allen head fasteners to use the base as a template to mark holes. After marking and drilling the holes, it was mounted with no problems at all. Assuming the person installing it has some technical know how, it is very straight forward. Things I like 1. The price. 2. The focus tube tolerances are tight and the focuser has no detectable image shift 3. The baseplate tolerances are perfect to the focuser body keeping it square to the OTA 4. The micro focus is extremely smooth, precise and very easy to use 5. The 2" to 1.25 adapter is a quality piece 6. Different base plate options Things I dislike 1. The 1.6 inches of travel could be better and would really benefit from another .5 inches of travel. This information was readily available on the site and i am not holding it against the product. This is just something that could be improved. The linear bearing version also give more travel but it also requires a slightly larger focus tube hole. I should note I didn't have any issues with my existing eyepieces 2. The lock tensioner thumb screw is pretty loose and can vibrate out while driving to a viewing location. I was able to resolve this by putting some teflon tape around the threads of the thumb screw. It didnt take much, maybe 2 or 3 wraps. 3. No mounting hardware or instructions included 4. Base mount holes are not angled so the nuts do not sit flat inside the OTA, This could be remedied by increasing the hole size in the back of the base. to allow for angled install. I plan on trying this soon. I would give this a 4.5 out of 5 but since i cant do half stars, it is getting round up to a 5.

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5.0 Gave New Life to an old telescope

Strong Construction,Awesome Craftsmanship,Accurate,Easy to Use

Short Barrel

I have a 10 years old Celestron Omni XLT 150 Newtonianwith CG-4 mount that I have not used for a while, because of focusing issue. Having the original rack and pinion that came with the telescope it is so difficult to colimate. As a result the image is blurry and aberrations every where. I was so frustrated that I was thinking of getting rid of it. A couple o f months ago I have got a 80mm Meade Doublet from Salvation Army store for $7.50 and that scope was a lot better than this Newt, I also got me a new Explore Scientific doublet achromatic last month since the 80mm has spark my astronomy passion again. I was looking only for new eyepiece which led me to Agena Astro store and got me a 8mm Baader Hyperion. While looking for the eyepiece I stumbled upon the focuser section and this item. I contacted Agena and have ask to see if it will fit my old Celestron XLT 150. The only info they can give me are what was written on the website which is a lot of info although it does not tell me anything about my scope. So for my eagerness to upgrade my scope I decided to buy it last Wednesday. I am pretty good at doing mods on things and have accumulated tools to used for modifying things. So 2 days later which I applaud the people from Agena for shipping the item for free and so quickly as it arrive today Friday. As soon as I got the focuser, I went and started dismantling my scope, of course the item does not fit due to the hole size on my scope barrel which is design for 1.25 eyepiece. What I did was I took off the base which fit nicely and accurately to the diameter of the barrel put a painters tape around the focusers opening on my scope and measure the holes for the screw. After I got the base center, I the drill the 4 holes for the screw and loosely fasten the base to my scope. I then traced the focuser's barrel opening from the base and used that for measuring of how much I have to cut on the barrel of my scope. I used a dremmel with a cut-off diamond saw to cut through the traced I have made which is roughly 30mm radius from the center of the foccusers hole. I cleaned the hole with sander attach to my rotary tool and a bur to make fine adjustment to the hole. I took me 2 hours all in all to finish the project. I took it out tonight after colimating the primary and secondary mirror, which only took me a couple of minutes to colimate. Got it set up on my backyard and started slewing towards Jupiter and all can tell everyone is "WOW" I have never thought that my old Newt was this good. I used the 8mm Baader Hyperion eyepiece and the set up matches perfectly. The only Con I can say about this focuser is I wish it would have come with the extension with the barrel being so short, you have to have an extension and make sure to measure your old focuser's travel and focus area so that you will know what size of extension you need to purchase. Lastly I want to thank the people of Agena Astro for the prompt reply and shipping of the item. You guys are awesome. Thank you Tom for the info you have provided me which helped me a lot on this mods. Clear Sky everyone.

This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

4.0 Excellent upgrade from a stock focuser

Strong Construction

Bought to upgrade my Celestron C10'S stock focuser. After some enginuity in building a base to fit the focuser to the optical tube(had no intentions of drilling new holes), has turned a great scope into an even better scope. Worth every penny and time spent into it.

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5.0 Great focuser

Easy to Use,Strong Construction,Lightweight

Can't beat this focuser for the price. The ability to change bases is also a plus if you ever decide to switch the focuser to another scope. Once again, Agena comes through with exactly what I needed!

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4.0 Worked real fine for my needs

Easy to Use,Strong Construction

A very good focuser in it's price range

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5.0 Excellent focusser

Strong Construction,Easy to Use

Because the range of focus is only about 1.5", to use this with a camera and visually, you should consider an eyepiece extension tube.

This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

5.0 2" Crayford focuser is a best buy.

Compact,Easy to Use,Lightweight,Strong Construction,Accurate

Precision machining, tight tolerances, meticulously finished in black, compression ring eyepiece holders for both 2" and 1/14" size eyepieces or extension tubes.
Mechanism has enough strength and metal to hold largest and heaviest eyepieces including 2" Explore Scientific 120 degree and Tele Vue Ethos and Panoptic series.
Mounting plate has curved surface to fit a round tube and is 15/32 thick at the 4 mounting bolt holes.
All interior surfaces are finished in flat black except for the small crayford pressure drive surfaces which are unfinished Aluminum.

This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

5.0 Couldn't be happier

Strong Construction,Accurate,Perfect Fit

I Didn't Buy It Sooner

The Crayford was a perfect fit; drop in replacement for the rack and pinion focuser on my older C8N. Turned a good scope into a great scope. I could not recommend this more highly.

This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

5.0 Excellent focuser for the price

Strong Construction

The base plate fit my Meade SN6 perfectly and I also tried it on my Orion 6" F5 and it was a perfect fit. Required re-drilling the mount holes on both scopes and opening up the draw tube holes. Not a big deal for someone with the right tools.

This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

5.0 Good quality for the price

Easy to Use,Strong Construction

This is a good quality focuser. Once you figure out which bolt does what, it's easy to use. One of the bottom bolt is the friction, other is the lock.
It just works.
In comparision with road bicycle (world I came from), it's not a top-of-the-line Shimano Dura-Ace; it's more like the mid-level Shimano 105, with all the features of the higher Dura-Ace, but without the frills (no carbon fiber or titanium bits). This is not a Feathertouch, but it works just fine.
It may be not the indicated focuser for the advanced observer/astrophotographer, but for me (casual user) it's more than enough in a excellent cost-benefit.
It's beautifully machined and has all the features in a high quality package.
There's no manual included.

This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

4.0 Fits the Bill

Strong Construction,Precision Fit

Needs A Mounting Template

This unit is precision made and works smoothly. I purchased it as a retrofit for a 6" newtonian scope. The supplied adaptor plate fit the radius of the optical tube perfectly. This is a low rise focuser and a 2" extension tube may be required to bring some eyepieces inot focus. A mounting template would be a helpful addtion to the package for a more precise drilling of the required oles and optical aperture.

This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

5.0 A very impressive piece of equipment

Accurate,Lightweight,Strong Construction

This beautiful, well-made, but not too heavy focuser was used to replace the very heavy 2", single speed focuser that was on my 1972 vintage 10" Cave Newtonian scope. The slower 10:1 speed is what's needed for critical focusing. The price was also a deciding factor in choosing this item. Very, very pleased!

This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

5.0 Third Crayford

Easy to Use,Accurate,Strong Construction

This is my third GSO Crayford. One came on my 10" Dob, I put one on a ST80 refractor and this one went onto a 130mm f5 reflector. Now I can use heavy widefield eyepieces without collimation shift!!! In addition, the GREATLY improved function, over the stock plastic focuser, is now a joy to experience.

This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

5.0 Incredible Service & Item!!

Compact,Strong Construction,Accurate,Easy to Use

None

This is my first time ordering from Agena! I am very happy with their, speed and service on top of this super quality focuser I just got. Seeing the price I didn't expect much but this unit is of equal quality to the ones on my much more expensive refractors! I will be using Agena for all of my future needs!!

This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

4.0 Super focuser especially for the price

Strong Construction,Easy to Use

The fine tunng reference provided makes a difference. I've machined two previous Crayford focusers which were time consuming to do properly. For the price of the GSO and the time saved it was well worth the price.

All of my dealings with Agena have been more than satisfactory - highly recommended.

This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

4.0 Nice Dual speed Focuser by GSO

Easy to Use,Accurate,Strong Construction,Silky Smooth,Lightweight

No Install Instructions

I bought this as a replacement for an Old 1.25" focuser & I am sooo glad I did! Works great even in low temps!! This is a precision tool that anyone who wants the Best at a reasonable price should consider. PS: Agena AstroProducts is the BEST! They stand out in
today's marketplace above the rest!! Thank YOU 1 & all.

This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

5.0 Price, Quality, and Service

Accurate

Focuser is high quality. Price is competitive. Great service and fast shipping.

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4.0 Quality on a budget!

Lightweight,Strong Construction,Easy to Use,Accurate

Very happy with the performance/price ratio. Good quality focuser that doesn't break the bank.

This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

5.0 High quality focuser, upgraded my Meade!

Easy to Use,Strong Construction,Accurate

I have been upgrading my Meade 8 inch Dob Starfinder.
This means replacing or refinishing everything but the tube, as the telescope was apparently made from the cheapest low quality stuff available.
After having my primary mirror professionally re-coated by NOVA and replacing the finder with a new 2" GSO finder bought at Agena I decided my focuser needed an upgrade. I found this one here at Agena and made the purchase.
On removing my old focuser I found it to be a thing made mainly of plastic and very low quality. The new GSO focuser was such a contrast in material and workmanship I had to show my children as a way of comparing good versus poor.
Installing the new focuser was easy, the base fit perfectly and I only had to drill a few new small holes for the mounting hardware to fit.
The focuser is a dream to use in comparison to my old plastic 'focuser'. The fine focus capability is absolutely the best choice ever, it really does help bring things into clear view.
The only thing I've had any trouble with at all is that it stands out from the tube an extra half inch when compared with the original focuser on this telescope. This means it is more difficult to get my DSLR to focus without using any lenses, something I am still working on to find a good work around.
This GSO dual speed focuser was definitely a great purchase and I'd wholeheartedly recommend it!

This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

4.0 Got a new telescope!

Accurate

Bought to upgrade a Meade LXD75 6" Newton. Had to cut the tube to fit. Focuser is excellent, smooth and steady, no image shift. The tub optics has got what it deserves, not the original that was made of plastic . I have got a new telescope.

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5.0 Solid and buttery smooth

Strong Construction,Accurate,Very smooth

I bought this to replace the stock focuser on a Meade SN6. I was familiar with the focuser because the Zhumell dob that I briefly owned had one as standard equipment.

Though this is not a drop in replacement, the installation is very straight forward. Agena now offers the 6" base as an option when ordering. In the past you were limited to the 8-12" bases. Using the 8" base required some shimming to work with a 6" scope.

That is not a problem now because the 6" base that Agena offers fits the curvature of a 6" scope perfectly. As I said, this is not a drop in replacement. I had to drill new holes for the screws that secure the focuser to the tube. I also had to use a dremel tool to slightly enlarge the opening for the drawtube. Although the stock Meade focuser is a 2" unit, the O.D. of the drawtube on the GSO focuser is a just a few millimeters larger.

Having said that, installation took 20 minutes at the most, including drilling the holes and enlarging the hole. Again though, the 6" mounting base makes the installation look professional. No gaps at all, just a seamless execution.

As for the focuser itself, the difference is night and day over the stock rack and pinion that Meade supplies with the scope. The dual speed is very smooth and very handy when imaging. Focuser holds my Canon DSLR with ease and doesn't slip.

This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

5.0 You could spend more, But Why?

Smooth and accurate,Strong Construction,Nicely machined

If you are building your own reflector from scratch or as in my case, rebuilding and upgrading an older scope, you can't do any better than this. The GSO 2 inch focuser is not just a cheap replacement, it is a precise high quality component ready for use on any reflector and can handle the weight of any 2 inch eyepiece made. Mine carries a binoviewer and optical corrector with two eyepieces just fine. In rebuilding a ca 1980 Gebelein 8 inch f/2.9 relfector I chose this focuser and am glad I did. You could spend more, a lot more, and not get any better performance. If you have an old Criterion, Parks, Coulter etc. and want to broing it up to date with a precise 2 inch focuser, which will not mar your eyepieces with the old captive screws, look no further than this focuser.

This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

5.0 Thrilled

Strong Construction,Bang for the buck,Focusing is easy,A pleasure to use

Bolt pattern didn't match

I have an older Orion 12" Dob. The original rack and pinion focuser was so bad, I couldn't accurately collimate the scope. And when observing, finding the best focus was a tiresome chore. The GSO focuser is an absolute pleasure to use. I generally use a bino-viewer and it handles the weight beautifully. I am 100% satisfied.

Mounting it was a bit of a chore. The mounting hole pattern did not match that of the original focuser and the curve of the base did not match the curve of the Orion's tube. So I used the adapted plate from the old focuser and I drilled new holes. This wasn't a major problem for me, but I expected it to match up. Even though I had to use the old adapter plate and drill new holes, now that it's mounted, I love it and I'm giving 5 stars.

This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

5.0 Big things come in small packages

Compact,Easy to use,Gives precise focus,Strong Construction,Accurate

None

Extremely valuable for any serious Astrophotographer! Able to achieve exact focus. Won't ever go back to the old focuser! Able to handle any CCD camera, even with the filter wheel. It paid for itself many time over! Truly a great value for the price!

This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

5.0 A Pleasure to Use

Strong Construction,Accurate

Strong Construction,Accurate

This precision focuser is a pleasure to use. I can fine tune the focus at high power with moving or jittering the scope.

I can now get a better collimation because there isn't any slop in the focuser and the collimation tools fit precisely in the holders. I really like how the brass ring clamp centers the eyepiece.

I installed the focuser on an Orion 12" dob. The radius of the base plate didn't exactly match my tube, so I used the adapter from my original focuser. I also had to drill new mounting holes. It took a few hours to get it mounted, but it looks good.

This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

5.0 Great Focuser for the Price

Strong Construction,Accurate

Heavy

I bought this focuser as an upgrade to a home made dobsonian.

Out of the box this focuser was much larger than I had anticipated. It is also very heavy compared to the typical rack and pinion focuser it was replacing.

Once I got the telescope put together and the tube balanced correctly for the extra weight, the focuser worked liked a champ.

Smooth focusing and the dual speed was very useful at higher powers. The brass compression ring is a nice feature as it doesn't mark your expensive eye pieces.

Overall a very good product for the price.

This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

4.0 Great upgrade

Accurate,Strong Construction

It fit my 12" Dob with no modifications. it works (insert Carl Sagen) a million, billion times better than the stock unit. Spend the extra for the dual speed. You'll thank yourself later.

This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

5.0 Great product at any price

Strong Construction,Accurate

This is a great product at any price and you would be hard pressed to find a better price.

This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

5.0 "Great focuser" I'd like 3 more!!

Strong Construction,Accurate,Smooth and Precise

Great focuser, smooth, well made, has features usually costing hundreds more. I'd replace all my rack and pinion focusers with one of these!!

This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

3.0 Good but no Moonlite

I bought it for an Orion XT8. Nice unit for the price but I wound up selling it to a fellow club member and got a Moonlite instead that was better for my purposes, but admittedly more expensive. The Moonlite was smoother, and had a linger drawtube which enabled more of my eyepieces to come to focus without needing an extension tube.

This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

4.0 Great replacement focuser, good value

Solid build,Smooth action,Compression rings,Easy installation

Single set screw on adapt

I recently ordered the GSO replacement focuser for my 10" GS (Antares) dob. The original R&P focuser was getting progressively worse over the last year or so - and I needed to do something. I had fitted the original focuser with Mercury Systems fine-focuser (FF-1) and had become very attached to that capability, so I ordered the dual-speed GSO model with the 10:1 fine focus option.I ordered it from Agena Astro. Due in large part to the scope being a GS - installation was a snap. No drilling. Screwdriver only. It literally took me longer to collimate following the installation than it did for me to install it. Anyone that is being put off by this because they are not *handy* need not worry. Seems to have a very solid, very smooth action. The fine-focus in particular is positively silky. Travel (in/out focus) seems to be identical to the original focuser - based on side by side eyeballing. It is a good bit heavier than the original - much more solidly built. Both 1.25 and 2" setscrews have compression rings. I may get a set screw with a larger head - easier to use with gloves on, but that is a pet peeve of mine. Tension is adjustable. I loaded it up with a set of Burgess binoviewers, Siebert OCA, and twin 32mm eyepieces and there is no slippage. This is pretty much the heaviest load I'll put on it. I've not yet had it under the sky (see aforementioned freezing rain), but anticipation is part of this hobby. A large part lately. So far been focusing down the hall and out the window, checking various orientations and loads. No issues.So far, this looks *very* promising.

This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

4.0 Good Budget Focuser With Some Quirks

Dual speed is great,Smoother than RP focuser,Excellent value

Can't handle heavy loads,Restricted out-travel

I remember the first night after I got this focuser, I was so amazed at the improvement over the standard rack and pinion. The movement was so much smoother and the fine control of the dual speed was a delight. I was very happy until the day I got my 20mm Nagler Type 2 eyepiece. Wanting to quickly test out my new eyepiece, I plopped it into the dual speed focuser and watched in disbelief as the focuser tube collapsed down from the sheer weight. I attempted to tighten down the focuser, but this caused the focuser tube to completely lock up and not move with the fine knob (coarse knob still worked). Over the next few weeks, I discovered the functional weight limit of my focuser to be about two pounds - more than enough for 95% of the eyepieces out there, but not quite enough for the big boys. For those eyepieces, I could tighten down and use only the course knob. There are solutions to this which I've found on various sites around the web, but I have yet to get around to "doctoring" up my focuser. I am content to simply know my limits since, with the exception of this one problem, the focuser works like a charm. Overall, I would recommend this focuser to others provided they are not using huge eyepieces or a binoviewer. It has a very smooth action, the dual speed is great for high power viewing, and the price is about half that of the competition.

This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

4.0 Great replacement focuser, good value, easy installation

Smooth action, solid build, easy installation, compression rings.

Single compression ring set-screw on 2" holder. Many 2" holders have 2 or more.

I recently ordered the GSO replacement focuser for my 10" GSO (Antares) dob. The original R&P focuser was getting progressively worse over the last year or so - and I needed to do something. I had fitted the original focuser with Mercury Systems fine-focuser (FF-1) and had become very attached to that capability, so I ordered the dual-speed GSO model with the 10:1 fine focus option.

It arrived today. I want to go on record as pointing out that there were clouds and freezing rain before it arrived. I **am not** responsible for those.

Due in large part to the scope being a GSO - installation was a snap. No drilling. Screwdriver only. It literally took me longer to collimate following the installation than it did for me to install it. Anyone that is being put off by this because they are not *handy* need not worry.

Seems to have a very solid, very smooth action. The fine-foucs in particular is positively silky. Travel (in/out focus) seems to be identical to the original focuser - based on side by side eyeballing. It is a good bit heavier than the original - much more solidly built. Both 1.25 and 2" setscrews have compression rings. I may get a set screw with a larger head - easier to use with gloves on, but that is a pet peeve of mine. Tension is adjustable. I loaded it up with a set of Burgess binoviewers, Siebert OCA, and twin 32mm eyepieces and there is no slippage. This is pretty much the heaviest load I'll put on it. I've not yet had it under the sky (see aforementioned freezing rain), but anticipation is part of this hobby. A large part lately. So far been focusing down the hall and out the window, checking various orientations and loads. No issues.

So far, this looks *very* promising.

4.0 Good Budget Focuser With Some Quirks

Excellent value, dual speed is great for high powers, smoother than rack and pinion focusers.

Can't handle heavy equipment, locking bolt restricts out-travel (remove if you need more extension).

I remember the first night after I got this focuser, I was so amazed at the improvement over the standard rack and pinion. The movement was so much smoother and the fine control of the dual speed was a delight. I was very happy until the day I got my 20mm Nagler Type 2 eyepiece. Wanting to quickly test out my new eyepiece, I plopped it into the dual speed focuser and watched in disbelief as the focuser tube collapsed down from the sheer weight. I attempted to tighten down the focuser, but this caused the focuser tube to completely lock up and not move with the fine knob (coarse knob still worked). Over the next few weeks, I discovered the functional weight limit of my focuser to be about two pounds - more than enough for 95% of the eyepieces out there, but not quite enough for the big boys. For those eyepieces, I could tighten down and use only the course knob. There are solutions to this which I've found on various sites around the web, but I have yet to get around to "doctoring" up my focuser. I am content to simply know my limits since, with the exception of this one problem, the focuser works like a charm.

Overall, I would recommend this focuser to others provided they are not using huge eyepieces or a binoviewer. It has a very smooth action, the dual speed is great for high power viewing, and the price is about half that of the competition.