RE: ATM Berry equatorial

[Callum Potter <CallumP@selectst.com>]

rutherfordt@ten-nash.ten.k12.tn.us wrote:

>> Has anyone tried to construct the wooden equatorial mount described in
>> Richard Berry's book for a six inch Newtonian?  If so, any comments?

I thought about building one like this (but without the tube rotation
mechanism) 
I still think the design looks sound, but i did not actually build it in
the end due
problems sourcing the pipe fittings.

>> I currently have an 8-inch f/6 on an ugly (but functional) Dobsonian mount 
>> and am wondering if Berry's mount would be adequate for it.  Could setting
>> circles be added easily?  How about a drive?

You might want to increase the size of the 'bearings'. Simple setting
circles could
be added without a problem. I thought about a drive using a wire looped
around an
additional circle of ply. Berry's suggested timing belt adjuster is
unlikely to have
fine enough control.

>> On a related note, has anyone tried to run the BASIC program which
>> appeared in Sky&Tel a few years back which printed setting circle scales
>> on a laser printer?  I have downloaded this program from their website and
>> cannot get it to function properly.  I am trying to print the scales on an
>> inkjet printer and all that I get seems to be the results of the
>> calculations-- not the scale itself!

I i remember right, this program is PostScript, so your printer must be
able to
print PostScript (PostScript is like a printer graphics control
language). If your
printer does not mention PostScript at all, then it is unlikely that it
does. And
most inkjet printers don't. There are some utilities that do the support
the printing
of PostScript onto non-PostScript printers (one is known as GhostScript)
- which
may solve your problem, but probably you wont get as good resolution as
a real
PostScript printer.

Clear skies,

Callum


Callum Potter

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