Re: ATM 5" Bino Assembly questions

["John D. Gwinner" <gwinner@northnet.org>]

George:


>  I was given a set of lenses from a projection TV, which are housed
> in plastic tubes. 

Well, I don't know about your lenses, but I recently constructed a 'copy
scope'.  I haven't done a 'first light' yet, but will soon; I want to get a
chance to see through another (real) scope I'm building now before
commenting critically on the performance of the IBM / Tominon 80mm lens.

What I'd say, as it's free, go ahead and build a 'copy scope'.  Depending
on how much in the way of plumbing parts you have lying around, it might be
pretty cheap.  I built a decent focuser out of a toilet bowl flange and
some 'mole hair'.  It works!   When I get some lapping compound, it'll work
even better.

As I only have one eyepiece, and I think I've got colimation problems, I'm
not sure about the performance.  But if worse comes to worse, you can
always use the thing for a low power wide angle 'super finder'.  A bit
heavy, but it's cheap!

Heck, a reticule eyepiece will cost more than I've got in the thing so far.
 You can't go wrong this way.

                == John ==