Zenithstar 105 Triplet

Just picked up a used one for a great price...have some dumb questions:

Why does this scope have a threaded split in the middle of the OTA? For easy of packing?

Why is the foam so thick in the inside? Does this help or hurt? Wouldn't rings have been better for baffling?

I had one, great scope. So good I was suprised the 110 was replacing it.

There was speculation the split was because a shorter, bino- tube section was going to be offered. Personally I think it has to do with anodizing limits on length, the bino theory could have been taken care of as shipped, but wasn't.

The foam rings are the baffles. Actually the edges are the baffles, the bulk allows them to be slid around unlike regular baffles. Good thing, too. The set in one half of my tube was going the wrong way, vignetting the aperture, easily removed, replaced and pushed to the right position. Do not point at the sun!

I had one and it was less then perfect to say the least. Had sever coma due to being out of alignment. WO tried unsuccessfully - as well as myself - to collimate it several times. We got it so it could handle maybe 200+/- power, but that was it. I worked very closely with William and the WO USA folks - and I must say WO was as perplexed as myself (great Customer Service BTW...). Eventually WO ordered and "hand picked" (whatever that means) a zs110 lens for me. I swapped it out and all I can say is this is visually the best 4" scope I've ever owned. Interestingly they started offering the zs110 lens assembly as an "upgrade" shortly after - gave me the feeling the 105 was having "issues".