Re: [ATM] Designing a simple fork with desirable flexurecharacteristics

["Virgil.Johnson" <virgilaj@charter.net>]

If you are not going to do polar sequence stars, why not build an English 
Yoke?
Both ends of the polar axis are supported. The mount is is not near the 
"tuning fork" as some are.
I built one for latitude when we went to Baja for the 1991 eclipse. It was 
left at the house we rented as part rent payment.

It wasn't really a portable mount, but it was rock steady.

Virgil Johnson
Raider of the Lost Dark



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tom Krajci" <tom_krajci@tularosa.net>
To: <atm@atmlist.net>
Sent: Monday, December 05, 2005 5:12 PM
Subject: [ATM] Designing a simple fork with desirable flexure 
characteristics


>I plan to change my German equatorial mount to a fork.  It will be used for
> time-series photometry runs that can last all night.  Accurate pointing 
> and
> polar alignment are highly desirable.  I want the scope/mount to flex in
> small, but predictable ways so that I do not need a complex software
> solution to improve pointing.
>
> The fork will deflect under the load of its own weight, and that of the
> telescope/CCD.  This will make the effective polar axis lower, which has 
> an
> impact on polar alignment and pointing accuracy.

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