Re: Geared Dobsonian question

Mel Bartels (mbartels@efn.org)
Wed, 8 Mar 95 00:05:09 PST

>> For manual dobs, I let 2/3 of the contact pts
>> be roller bearings and the other contact pts the standard
>> formica/teflon. This cuts the friction down on very large
>> dobs to a more managable level.
>
>Mel,
>
>How do you make the bearing surface in this configuration? An aluminium
>disc with a formica anulas(?) at the very edge for the teflon pad to run
>on ?

Basically, yes.

My handpad has slow and fast buttons - slow for microstepping (best used at high power) and fast for slewing (best used when standing away from the scope) - all speeds are adjustable at any rate. A single slightly more powerful motor on one side of the altitude bearings would be my recommendation for computer driven scopes of a heavier nature.