Posts Made By: David Martin

Hi there. I am building a telescope and am likely to use a Feathertouch. I have a couple questions about them.

I’m thinking of designing my next telescope in a way that requires that the focuser be removed during travel. Do Newtonian Feathertouch focusers unscrew from the mounting base in the same way that they can unscrew from refractors or SCTs? If so, is it feasible to believe that I could easily install the focuser every time I set up the telescope? Or would it involve unscrewing multiple little mounting screws and risking messing up the “squareness” of the focuser to the focal plane?

My second question is if the angle at which the focuser is mounted can be modified? In other words, (let’s visualize a little) let’s say I install the base so that when the telescope is pointed towards the zenith, the mounting plate is square to the telescope (i.e., the bottom of the plate is parallel to the ground). Can the focuser be oriented so that the knobs are, say, at a 45 degree angle?

For what it’s worth, the model I’m planning to get is the 2” Newtonian version with either a curved or flat mounting base with leveling screws, in case this makes a difference.

Thanks!

I'm building a new telescope and don't yet have a Paracorr. But since it's a 12/5"f/5, I want to be sure that I'm buidling it to be "Paracorr-ready" in case I feel the need for one.

So, my question is whether I need to compensate for additional in-travel or out-travel when a Paracorr is used. In other words, if you are using a particular eyepiece by itself, then take it out, insert the Paracorr and put the EP back in, do you need to adjust your focus? If so, how much and in what direction?

Thanks.

Last night I successfully fiberglassed the inside of a rolled sheet of laminate that will eventually become make a 15" OD upper cage for a truss tube.

I had good adhesion - the epoxy fully penetrated the fiberglass cloth. It cured well with no bubbles in the cloth and the cage seems to be pretty stiff.

Question: Do I need to add a second coat of epoxy? Does it add any additional structural benefits, or would that just add more weight? In other words, assuming I got a good bond with the first coat of glass/epoxy, do I gain anything with a second coat?

For what it's worth, I plan on flocking the inside of the cage, so there would be no aesthetic reasons to add a second coat.

Thanks.

Maybe I missed the rollout of this, but it appears that Televue has redesigned the Paracorr.

http://www.buytelescopes.com/product.asp?t=&pid=12984&m=

According to the Anacortes writeup, model PVL-2008:

Replaces Visual Paracorr #PCV-2000. This model of the visual Paracorr has been refined to offer smoother, more solid operation of the tunable top. You will also note the new model also features laser engraving for ultimate durability.

Sounds good, but does anyone have experience with this model? I'm in the market for a Paracorr and wonder if anyone has any comments on this model.

Also, does anyone notice that Paracorrs don't often show up in the used market that often?

David

I'm not familiar with Gatorboard, but Albert Highe has a telescope that uses a lightweight structural composite panel to build a 40-pound 12 1/2 inch dob. It's a good read:

http://ultralightscopes.com/MarkIV.htm

How about a router with a circle jig (assuming you have a router)?

The commercially-available gigs are very nice (I've got a couple sizes I bought from Woodcraft - do a search for them at www.woodcraft.com).

Just drill a 1/8" hole in the center, insert a pin (comes with the jig) and use a 1/4" router bit to cut the disk. You may need to make a few passes and depending on how big the plate is, you may need to be creative in finding a way to hold the plate in place while routing.

But it should work well. Carbide bits cut through aluminum easily.

Great subjects.

Do you have a date set aside for the workshop? Glad to see the workshop is coming back.