Re: ATM Alice-like idea used!

[Aki Pursiainen <kepa@st.jyu.fi>]

On Mon, 29 Mar 1999, Asaf Shtull-Trauring wrote:

> this? simple. I used to 35mm film boxes to hold my
> truss tubes. I just cut the bottom of the film box, and
> then I could freely move up and down the focuser
> board.

Do you hava a mechanism for moving the board or do you just push it by hand?
I'm thinking of having a roller pressed against one of the tubes, and its
axle would go through the focuser board and have a knob at the end. How is
the friction between the (aluminum?) tubes and the film cans? Would some
kind of a friction adjustment be neccessary? The tubes I have are 25 mm in
diameter and too small for film cans but I'm sure there's a plastic pipe of
appropriate diameter waiting at the local hardware store.

Do you have spokes between the two tubes or are they fastened only at the
lower end? Is your scope rigid enough?

> A long time ago a disscusion went on the lsit, about
> innovating the Alice-like telescope. Someone asked me
> if I'm changing the main design of the Alice
> telescope.

It seems that I don't have much to add to the design.

> The first design of the Alice telescope, made by Ron
> Ravenberg (Thanks RoN!)

Yes, thanks Ron. I have read the original Alice webpage too.

> of observing. Even though in my scope I have the same
> problem, I decided to forget the tripod.

I haven't planned on building a tripod, either.

> I have a few problems I'm trying to solve now on my
> scope. I had so many problems, and with some
> imagination (and a couple of pieces from childhood
> games of mine), I solved em'.

I think I have most of the tricky parts figured out, but then there's always
a surprise waiting, isn't there?

Oh, one more question: Is 8 mm plywood too thin for the mirror box?

-- 
Aki Pursiainen                e-mail: kepa@st.jyu.fi