RE: Re: ATM

[cheatham@ionet.net]

What are "Wolanski ones" ? Is this a guy who sells parts?
Glad to hear your mirror is ok, I'll know about mine soon. My slide tube is so 
wobbly, that putting a collimating ep in, moves it way off center. I might try 
some teflon tape to stiffen it enough to get a good collimation on it. Actually 
I think it is collimated pretty well. I think it's the focuser that moves and 
causes the stars to smear. Even tho focuser center was careening halfway across 
the secondary, I got some very good nebula views of lagoon. Looked about 75% 
brighter than my 10"!

Did you have much trouble removing both mirrors from their Coulter holders?

Kent Cheatham
cheatham@ionet.net
-----------
On Thu, 05 Aug 1999 23:05:32 -0400 you wrote:

> 
> 
> Kent Cheatham wrote:
> > 
> > I have a 13" coulter (5 yr old)...
> 
> I also just got a used 13.1" coulter. Shipping weight was 110 pounds.
> This is a nice scope, folks. I foucault tested the mirror (it's 1/4 wave
> on the wavefront), built a 6 point flotation cell, which took 10 pounds
> off the back end (I had to move the bearings). I then cut out a bunch of
> holes in the sides of the rocker box, made a new, much lighter ground
> board (I can now lift the base with one hand - it used to be 50 pounds),
> replaced the azimuth bearings with magic sliders, replaced the spider,
> secondary holder, and focuser with Wolanski ones. I'm in the process of
> adding dew heaters, a big dew cap, and a counterweight system (to
> balance the big dew cap).
> 
> I'm eventually going to make it into a truss, I think, just to save
> space in the car (so maybe I can bring the family places too :^).
> 
> You can see my project (at least the parts I have scanned in so far),
> including a good description of how I made the mirror cell) at
> http://www.starastronomy.org/TelescopeMaking/index.html - hope this
> helps.
> 
> --
> Mike Lindner
>