Re: ATM Ultra-Light Dobs mounts

["Chris Westland" <westland@uxmail.ust.hk>]

One more idea for the Ultra-light Dobs.

Mel has place an impressively large finder on the base of his (6" f/4 comet
catcher).  How about this alternative?

I like using Telrads ... if I need to work at finding something, a Telrad
with a 35mm Panoptic on the scope allows me to find what I want.

A giant Telrad could be made by mounting a desktop magnifier (US$ 5 in Hong
Kong for a 4" magnifying glass, with square mounting) on the mirror
cell/altitude bearings of the scope ... place an LED and reticle (made with
high contrast photo film, with personalized logo if you like) in the base at
the focal point of the magnifier (you might have to move the reticle
slightly further away from the lens to get a good image), and place a large
square of perspex or other light clear plastic on the upper ring of the
telescope.  You would have a giant, open, large aperture Telrad appropriate
for an Ultralight Dob ...

The ideal would be to just look up from the eyepiece and know exactly where
you are pointed ...

Chris Westland