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Re: [ATM] mounts and portability

I have it pretty good here in Iowa.

Though my backyard (someone else's backyard they don't
mind me using) isn't perfectly light-free, I do have
the advantage of a sky that's about 160 degrees wide.

It's a grassy field with a railroad on one side and
mobile home parks on the other quarters, and the
backlighting is from Cedar Falls and Waterloo.  Though
I have two cities, I have some fairly dark skies (+5
mag) when it's not cloudy and foggy.

There are disadvantages, but these are easier to
overcome than it is to find a better site.

Kevin of Eastern Iowa
Seeker of the Darkness

--- Ina Ron Lippard Renaissance Reproductions
<renrepro@surfglobal.net> wrote:

> 
> So it's a
> 20+ mile trip to darkest 
> where ever,set-up takes maybe an hour and then you
> get down to the task at 
> hand.Moving a 200lb plus mount is in the truss
> category.Ideally you get 
> some friends together and buy a plot somewhere that
> isn't prone to 
> vandals,and pour some concrete.At the very least you
> have 1 less piece of 
> hardware to lug.Having a mount there so all you need
> is the OTA plus acc. 
> is even better.Most of us aren't that flush.So it's
> back to having it both 
> ways.As described in another letter,large and heavy
> dampens out 
> vibration.Accuracy keeps your efforts on
> schedule.Since I'm a first 
> generation machinist stuck in the last century I
> always think in terms of 
> heavy  metal.But I have finally come around to the
> idea of light mounts 
> with heavy properties.A GEM built from alum pipe say
> 3" in dia. for both 
> axis.Then use  alum pipe welded at the 'T'.And then
> slipped into a polar 
> housing of the same material.The bearings of course
> lightly pressed onto 
> the shafts,(I'd use split collars as keepers).To
> simulate mass a large 
> auger is screwed into the ground before the field
> tripod is anchored to it 
> via a large turnbuckle.The idea being able to
> satisfy the need for low 
> vibration and high rigidity.If there was a way to
> fill all the empty spaces 
> with 10wt.synthetic oil,this could further dampen
> any vibration.Now this is 
> a very sketchy idea I must admit.From long
> experience,I know massiveness 
> and good design can do almost anything but
> move.Which can be a 
> problem.Especially if your trying to stuff this
> Palamor in the back of a 
> Tracker :-)!I would approach any design problem by
> asking what it is you 
> really need rather then free-climb such obstacles as
> weight,size and 
> expense.What you need is something that is reliable
> and doesn't shake.When 
> I build my own photo-grade mount,it will be on a
> permanent site.Then use my 
> friends 16"X60"CC South Bend lathe to make the
> mount.Probably from 3" 
> bushing stock.After seeing David Britz's rig, size
> of mount does 
> matter.Until I re-read the thread on this subject,it
> occurred to me how 
> important mass and accuracy is.Computers are great
> for tracking,but still 
> need something to work with.David's mount does just
> that.Check it out at:
> http://home.att.net/~starastronomy/DavidB/index.html
>  The BC photos show 
> good design and basic machining done well.I just
> wonder what kind of work I 
> could do if I took my Cave optics,and installed them
> into a real first 
> class OTA and battleship-grade mount.
> regards,Ron
> 
> _______________________________________________
> ATM mailing list http://www.atmlist.net/
> 


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