Re: ATM why the Daisy gun Mod?

[Michael Stephan <mstephan@kconline.com>]

My first project was a copy scope. I used a lens from a $13,000 copier machine used to
print proofs for the JCpenny Catalog. I have had many compair it to a Pronto!

My next scope is my 6"f/7 that is half complete with the tube done. Just need to mount
it. I didn't make the secondary, cell, spider and only worked on the mirror about 20
minutes. I won it at a mirror grinding secession at our regional convention. Yea I could
have made the above items but the project has sat since 1996 so this was the best way to
get light on the mirror giving my available time.

The Daisy mod is a nice quick project for my available time.

Baby steps! Baby steps!

Mike

mike coslo wrote:

> Michael Stephan wrote:
> >
> > Why make a telescope when you can buy one for the same or less price considering
> > time involved.....Because of the experience, the thrill, challenge, etc..  Not
> > sure if I will like the Daisy conversion or not but it will be neat to try. I
> > plan on converting the electronics first, trying it out and then consider
> > whether I need to remove the coating or not.
>
>         It really is a nice little conversion, and only takes an afternoon or
> less to do. Why some people dislike them so much, I'm not sure. I have
> done two units now.
>
>         My method:
>
>         U need
>                 Daisy bb gun sight (Wal-Mart, around $12.00
>                 White toothpaste
>                 10k mini potentiometer (got mine at Radio Shack, around $1.00)
>                 Soldering iron I'm not adding this to the cost, cuz I assume that you
> already have one (but if not, I bought one at Wal-Mart recently for $5.00)
>
>         The potentiometer is only needed if you are going to use the adjustable
> method of controlling LED output. Another very satisfactory method of
> lowering the LED output is to substitute a 1.5 volt battery for the
> standard 3 volt battery that comes with the unit.
>
>         Remove the battery and then the mounting peice on the sight.
>
>         Use an Exacto type knife to break the seal around the front ring that
> holds the lens in
>         Push the lens out
>         Polish lens with toothpaste - this takes around ten minutes
>         Reassemble the unit in reverse order of the way you took it out.
>
> If you opt to add the potentiometer
>
>         Remove the wiring as needed
>         using a drill, open three holes on the left side of the pointer body
> for the potentiometer Alternatively, you could use the soldering iron
> tip to quickly put the holes in. A quick tip for hole location is to
> place the potentiometer against the finder body, and quickly touch the
> iron to the terminals, one by one. This will melt an accurate mark for
> drilling. After the holes are in, push the potentiometer in and secure
> to the body. I used a really small drop of cyanoacrylate glue. Of
> course, be careful that you don't glue the rotary part of the
> potentiometer shut.
>
> Rewiring the unit is simply a matter of wiring battery to switch, to end
> of potentiometer, center tap of potentiometer to current limiting
> resistor (this should already be in finder wiring) to LED, other end of
> LED to battery.
>
> Describing it is harder than doig it.
>
>         My total cost was a little over thirteen dollars, and time was around 2
> hours, 3 if you count the trips to Wal-Mart and Radio Shack. This is a
> wonderful ATM project, and I highly reccomend it to the person just
> getting invplved in the hobby.
>
>         It shows how one item can be modified to produce a product useful to
> the hobby. This is a basic tenet of ATM'ing
>
>         After you are done, you have polished your first optic piece.
>
>         No nasty chemicals, the most dangerous thing is the Exacto knife or the
>  soldering iron. If a person is afraid of these, they should take up a
> new hobby!
>
>
> > Considering the fact that I do not know of any active scope makers in my area
> > tells me alot about the direction of this hobby. Considering time, cost, etc.
> > most in our hobby have gone the instant gratification way by paying for the
> > manufactured finished product. Sad but I see amatuer telescope making going the
> > way of the ham radio hobby.
>
>         ATM'ing has always been a small subset of amateur astronomy. I kind of
> like it like that. We should never fall victim to the idea that the
> popularity of the hobby determines the worth of the hobby. When you
> become an atm'er, you really do join (dare I say it) an elite group. It
> takes a special person to WANT to make their own.
>
>         - Mike -
>
>
> > I want to try the conversion because it looks simple to convert and a nice
> > little project that cost very little. If I wanted a better product I would just
> > buy a second mounting plate for my new scope for the telrad I already own on my
> > other scope.
>
> > Bob May wrote:
> >
> > > There are those who will always insist on doing it for themselves instead of
> > > buying the right stuff in the first place.  To those, I say, why not really
> > > do a good job and make a homemade version rather than fighting the losing
> > > battle with something that really isn't the best like the Daisy Sight - that
> > > sight has a huge ring around a small FOV aperture and really isn't too good
> > > for the zero power finder to begin with.  It would be a lot better to just
> > > make your own with the appropiate lenses and thus you can apply it to your
> > > scope in a nice clean fashion rather than the mess that the Daisy Sight ends
> > > up with.
> > > Ken, I agree with you completely!