- Messages
- 579
- Reaction score
- 104
I purchased some TPO extenders from OPT for use with my camera backspace for both the Celestron and the Williams Optics.
I knew the price was too good to be true. I have now basically lost the use of 2 ZWO M42-M42 21mm extenders after the TPO ones cannot be removed. And they were not tightened down that much.
Tried to separate them, including putting them in the freezer since the metal thickness was different, thinking that the thinner would contract faster... nope they stayed bound.
Channel locks you say?
Nope, didn't work. In fact, the first one I tried (StellarVue brand) was as bad... tried loosening them the same way... but the channel locks ended up bending the thin walled StellarVue so much force was applied.
Even placing in a vice and then using channel locks did not work... so I decided to see if I could slowly bend the sides of the StellarVue and get it loose... nope, this is what it looked like when it finally came out
It ended up scoring the female threads on my ZWO M42-M42 extender, and after this I'll be darned if I'm threading ANYTHING to the two that are still together nor to the 30mm one I have in my case.
TIme to buy 4 more ZWO 21mm extensions. Five will give me the 105mm backspace recommended for the NexStar 8se.
I knew the price was too good to be true. I have now basically lost the use of 2 ZWO M42-M42 21mm extenders after the TPO ones cannot be removed. And they were not tightened down that much.
Tried to separate them, including putting them in the freezer since the metal thickness was different, thinking that the thinner would contract faster... nope they stayed bound.
Channel locks you say?
Nope, didn't work. In fact, the first one I tried (StellarVue brand) was as bad... tried loosening them the same way... but the channel locks ended up bending the thin walled StellarVue so much force was applied.
Even placing in a vice and then using channel locks did not work... so I decided to see if I could slowly bend the sides of the StellarVue and get it loose... nope, this is what it looked like when it finally came out
It ended up scoring the female threads on my ZWO M42-M42 extender, and after this I'll be darned if I'm threading ANYTHING to the two that are still together nor to the 30mm one I have in my case.
TIme to buy 4 more ZWO 21mm extensions. Five will give me the 105mm backspace recommended for the NexStar 8se.