Re: Geared Dobsonian question

HOFFMAN@wmich.edu
Wed, 08 Mar 1995 09:57:05 -0400 (EDT)

IMHO, NEVER HEARD OF TRYING THAT. Sorry for caps. IMHO it wouldn't work very well, because of hysteresis in the deformations (even tho invisible to the eye) in the "race" or track that the rollers ride on. This would probably cause the motion to be hard to start -- ie - "stick-slip", which is just what the Teflon on Formica bearing manage to avoid. As to a handle on a roller for motion, in tracking it would be too coarse, in slewing, too slow. Richard Hoffman