Re: [ATM] Interesting New Commercial Telescope Design

[fundo@bellsouth.net]

> After I responded on this I realized it wasn't an ATM topic; but then recalled 
> that what had interested me in this particular scope - and I think what prompted 
> me, perhaps subconsciously, to put in a good word for it and risk, however 
> unwittingly, veering off-topic - was it's construction. Especially the economy 
> and strength of the design, particularly the way the poles were joined. 
> 
> I wonder how much of the rigidity depends on carbon fiber and how much larger 
> say aluminum tubing would need to be for the same stiffness? 
> 
> I don't know if their methods are original but I picked up some ideas from the 
> exposed design.

ORIGINAL???  Ha!!!  I saw something identical to this at Stellafane 30 years ago!!!
Its far from and original design.  That Cass didn't us CF, but was nicely made from aluminum and stainless.  It was a 10", IIRC

As for rigidity, CF is nice, but the savings in weight over aluminum at this size are going to be minimal.  When you get up to something the size that Ross built (18") you save a few pounds.  This is great if you are shipping the thing commercially, but personally, I'd rather have something that was meatier and could take a bit of abuse.  

If you are serious about photography, the worst place to get cheap is on the mounting; although, with digital photography, you can take a thousand 1 second images then pick out the best 300 for a 5 minute exposure!!!  From my days of astrophotography, that's cheating!!!  <<VBG>>
 
> (Incidentally, their ordering procedures and methods of payment looked pretty 
> standard to me and lot's of companies use PO boxes for one reason or another.)

Agreed, but I would still like to see a permanent address in an industrial neighborhood!!!

*****-----
Dan F.
Memphis, TN
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