ATM Balance and Dec drives

[paterson@ucalgary.ca]

Thanks to all those who responded about the flock paper and rings, I
think I've got a better handle on it than before.
In the meantime, a couple of more puzzles have arisen.  Since I will
eventually apply one of my old Nikon F/F2's to the focuser of this
device, and have read a bit about the problems of "balance", I was
wondering if radial balance on the tube of a GEM mounted scope is of
any concern?  Shifting the tube up and down in the cradle is easy to
accomplish, though it would undoubtedly be easier with a sliding
counterweight near the mirror end, but is it of concern about where
things are mounted on the tube?  The original tube has the finder
mounted on the right side of the focusing mount - rather inconvenient
I thought - and I will place it on the left side on the replacement.
If I do a sliding counterweight at the other end of the tube is it
better to place it on the same side or opposite the focuser/finder?
Secondly, I'd like to add a slo-mo gear/adjuster to the dec axis.
Could y'all direct me to a source?  This is an old Edmund mount with
1" shafts, grey cast iron, and 4" plastic setting circles.  Would I be
looking for a gear to go between the saddle and the dec housing, or
place it on the counterweight side before the retaining collar?  Any
info appreciated.

Cheers --- jim

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No! I don't "own" any of "those bloody baboons"
Jim Paterson
paterson@acs.ucalgary.ca