Got a few hours of viewing in tonight - brought the scope in - and
wanted to share a few thoughts on the subject.

Alignment is a simple 3 step process:

1) Point the scope vertical (until the bottom of the OTA hits the
vertical stop) and press enter.
2) Align to a known star at medium power and press enter.
3) Align to another known star (at least 60 deg separation) at medium
power and press enter.

DONE.

Takes all of about a minute.

Switched to low power and the object locator placed every target
square in the FOV first try every time. And I didn't even have the
recommended 60 deg separation; more like 45 deg.

Encoders are fast and hi-res. I whipped the scope through 180 deg
azimuth in a couple of seconds and the encoders kept pace. Never had
to re-align.

Oh, and the scope got it's first ding (just a little nick in the paint
- nothing really). Oh well, that's what happens when you mix a
fumbling idiot and darkness.

Errol
pasnola.org

"Starboard" <errol_w...@yahoo.com> wrote in message

news:1171260108.424782.240710@s48g2000cws.googlegroups.com...





Got a few hours of viewing in tonight - brought the scope in - and
wanted to share a few thoughts on the subject.

Alignment is a simple 3 step process:

1) Point the scope vertical (until the bottom of the OTA hits the
vertical stop) and press enter.
2) Align to a known star at medium power and press enter.
3) Align to another known star (at least 60 deg separation) at medium
power and press enter.

DONE.

Takes all of about a minute.

Switched to low power and the object locator placed every target
square in the FOV first try every time. And I didn't even have the
recommended 60 deg separation; more like 45 deg.

Encoders are fast and hi-res. I whipped the scope through 180 deg
azimuth in a couple of seconds and the encoders kept pace. Never had
to re-align.

Oh, and the scope got it's first ding (just a little nick in the paint
- nothing really). Oh well, that's what happens when you mix a
fumbling idiot and darkness.

Errol
pasnola.org

Nice. I have an XT-12 Intelliscope and I'll second your vote. I use my
Intelliscope about half the time -- often when I drag out my scope all I'm
doing is checking out a planet, etc., and don't need the Intelliscope -- but
when I use it, it's always spot on.

A trick I use -- the finder scope has crosshairs -- I center the alignment
stars in the finder scope crosshairs, not in the eyepiece FOV -- this gives
me a good center position for the alignment stars. By doing this, the
object I am looking for will be in or close to the center of the eyepiece
FOV, depending on how closely the finder scope and scope are aligned.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Eroll, [sic]
Glad you finally got a workout with it.
You know a scope won't collimate well unless it
has a couple of dings on the tube.
Ben

Eroll, [sic]
Glad you finally got a workout with it.
You know a scope won't collimate well unless it
has a couple of dings on the tube.
Ben

Ever heard of dent tuning (in the waveguide business)? 8^)

Hehee..

Errol

Ever heard of dent tuning (in the waveguide business)? 8^)

You know a scope won't collimate well unless it
has a couple of dings on the tube.
Ben

Ever heard of dent tuning (in the waveguide business)? Hehee.
Errol

No. I've never heard of "dent tuning". What's it refer to?
Ben

You know a scope won't collimate well unless it
has a couple of dings on the tube.
Ben
Ever heard of dent tuning (in the waveguide business)? Hehee.
Errol
No. I've never heard of "dent tuning". What's it refer to?
Ben

Ben,

Whenever a system requires the transmission of high power (e.g. radar,
comm, etc.) high frequency RF radiation , a more effective/more
efficient means of transmission can be accomplished over the standard
transmissions line - coax, heliax... A waveguide can be employed.

A waveguide is essentially a hollow pipe, RF bandpass filter. A hollow
pipe that's diameter is manufactured to exacting dimensions depending
on the wavelength of the system's operating frequency.

The waveguide does not at as a conductor sort of speak, but acts to
create boundary conditions, to duct, or guide, the RF waves to their
destination, be it an antenna, receiver, whatever, from a transmiter,
whatever.

Like any transmission line, it can/will, when the waves encounter
imperfections in the waveguide (manufacturing defects, e.g. diameter
not consistent) develop impedance problems; take on capacitate or
inductive characteristics.

Since these characteristics were caused by a dimension imperfection at
a certain spot in the waveguide, it has been long joked by the old-
timers that they could find the exact spot where said error was
occurring, hit it with a hammer, and save the day. Wha-la, dent
tuning.

Recall that you said that the scope wouldn't collimate correctly until
it had a dent. Recall also that light is RF.

I know, it was pretty dry huh?

Errol

Ever heard of dent tuning (in the waveguide business)? 8^)

Is that the same as John Dobsons kicking the mirror cell to collimate?
I almost fell out of my astro chair when I saw him do that one