Re: ATM Telescoping truss tubes

[Michael Pankratz <papilio1@juno.com>]

Hi Kurt,

I did precisely this on a 12" a few years back.  Very stable, holds
collimation well.  I highly recommend it!  BTW, I used flared compression
nuts at the top end, also worked well.

Cheers,

Michael Pankratz
Tesuque, NM
papilio1@ juno.com
********************************
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On Thu, 15 Jul 1999 13:40:12 EDT NGC704@aol.com writes:
>
>In a message dated 7/15/99 10:32:21 AM Central Daylight Time, 
>donovan@bravoz.com writes:
>
>> This seems like an almost "too easy" solution for attaching truss 
>tubes.
>>  Has anyone used these tube connectors @ http://www.mcmaster.com  
>catalog
>>  page 2690, with success?
>>
>Greetings,
>       I am just launching the design phase for a 22" f/4.5 dob 
>project 
>(mirror in progress), which will follow the design of my 16" ie: 
>Tectron 
>style, but with Obsession type alt trunnions/rocker box.
>       I've thought about using the "steel daisy" tube connectors for 
>the 
>lower ends of the strut tubes, to thread onto studs placed in leiu of 
>
>clamping blocks at the mirror box. The more I think about it, the less 
>I can 
>think of why it wouldn't be a viable approach. You'd have to turn 
>knobs or 
>nuts with every other approach except cam locks anyway, so threading 
>them 
>into place shouldn't be any more hassle. And they'd be dirt simple to 
>
>fabricate and install to perfect alignment (read: in good position to 
>accept 
>the secondary cage), unlike the cam lever designs. Finally, they would 
>be 
>compact.
>       It isn't time for a decision yet, but like Donovan, I'd be 
>most 
>interested to hear if anyone has done this, and if so, what comments 
>might be 
>made.
>Cheers!
>Kurt Maurer
>League City, Texas
>http://members.aol.com/NGC704/NGs.html