Patrick wrote:
Since I'm not sure if your regular email account is working just now, and since there are probably a few on this list who would like to know, I'll ask here how the tube for the Big Scope is coming and when we might expect to see it out at SPOC 2.
Well, first off, chuckhards@yahoo.com is a dead address. I cannot delete old messages, the account has filled to it's max, and new messages simply bounce back to their senders. Yahoo has no avenue for human contact, and none of the on-line help links are appropriate. Delete it from your address books. If it comes back to life, I may keep it only for contact from S & T readers. I've been in contact with Vaughn, and we have resolved some of the engineering issues related to optical support. He is now mulling over my last concern, and once I get a reply on that subject, there will be no remaining design issues. Even this matter is small, but as it concerns the exact position of the primary mirror in the tube, it must be addressed. Since this is a Cassegrain, with a 2X secondary, moving the primary only 1" forward or backward will move the final focus 2". The big tube needs only some detail work, and the final finish. As we are getting somewhat busy now with paying jobs, the work must be done as time permits, so I cannot pin down a precise completion date. I'm hoping to complete it this month, but as I said, I can't make that promise as of now. It will definitely be post-Olympics. When it's done, I'm not in charge of transportation, so exactly how and when it will be moved is up to Bruce. We'll need a flatbed trailer with tie-downs. Stay tuned. C.