FEATHER TOUCH FOCUSER MODEL 3545
Care and use of the Feather Touch 3545
The Feather Touch 3545 was a collaboration design effort between Telescope Engineering Co.
and Starlight Instruments for TEC’s line of fine refractors. It was designed to provide the user
the with the best possible control while focusing using a 9:1 fine focus reduction assembly
along with other features that make the use of the telescope simple and functional. All efforts
were taken to design it with the best available materials and technology to achieve long-last-
ing functionality and reliability.
Part Description
6.1
OTA Focuser Mounting Flange
6.2
Focuser Locking Collar
6.3
Locking Collar Stems
6.5
Tension Adjustment Screw
6.6
Finder Base Screw Holes (Plugged
with (2), 8-32 Button Head Screws)
6.7
Focuser Housing
6.8
Coarse Focus Knobs
6.9
Fine Focus Knob
6.10 Draw Tube with mm scale
6.11 Stainless Steel Wear Strips
6.12 Draw Tube End Cap
6.13 Draw Tube End Cap Locking Screws
6.14 Eyepiece Collet Locking Nut
6.15 Eyepiece Collet Sleeve (not shown
being under the plug (fig. 7).
Description of Design Features
1. The Feather Touch 3545 achieves excel-
lent focusing capability using a 9:1
Planetary Reduction Assembly coupled to a
fine focus knob (fig. 6.9). The fine focus
knob should be used once the image is
close to focus and final tweaking is
required.
2. The two coarse focusing knobs (fig. 6.8)
on each side of the focuser allow quick
rough positioning of the eyepiece or imag-
ing equipment. They are coupled to the
rack and pinion set and the fine focus knob.
3. The assembly incorporating the focusing knobs, the pinion and it’s housing is called the
pinion assembly (not shown). This assembly is attached to the focuser housing using (2) 6-32
socket head cap screws. The position of the pinion assembly relative to the rack, is precisely
adjusted by Starlight Instruments using 4 flat bottom set screws (internal to the pinion
assembly) to provide the minimum amount of backlash between the rack and the pinion for
ease of operation. The other adjustment that is made is to align the pinion axis to be parallel
to the rack face.
NOTE: It is possible to reverse the pinion assembly for left handed preference but
Starlight Instruments does not recommend the user reversing this assembly because
of possible misalignment resulting in a loss of performance or possible damage.
Please contact Starlight Instruments or TEC if this change is desired.
6.1
6.2
6.6
6.7
6.8
6.10
6.11
6.12
6.13
6.14
6.15
7
6.3
6.5
6.8
6.9
3
