I took Molly out with her new rocker box last night. The azimuth was smooth as the proverbial butter but altitude was rough. Something was rubbing and at about 27 degrees above the horizon something was catching. I was looking for something at 26 degrees so this was really annoying.
This morning I sanded down the sides of the bearings and applied turtle wax to the laminate. It didn’t really help much. As I moved Molly up and down it was still rubbing against something and there was still that rough spot. Up and down, up and down, then suddenly rougher noise and one of the furniture glides on the side popped out. For clarification, the bearings ride on four teflon pads and I have three furniture glides on each side to help keep things true. One of those popped out. Well crap. Or at least that is what I thought until I realized that Molly was moving up and down with ease now. From straight up to almost horizontal smooth. Yay! I think will leave the one glide out.
She stays where you put her now without the elastic counterweight and that was the whole point of the exercise.
11/25/2018 Black Scoters Lake Monticello
Following up on a tip from a confidential informant, I drove to Lake Monticello Sunday. I’ve never been there before but Google Maps indicated at least three vantage points around the not very large lake. An undeveloped “campground” to the north, a small park to the southeast, and the dam. For efficiency, I started at the top and went clockwise. I saw assorted “regular” birds at the first two sites but it was at the dam that I hit pay dirt. Eight male and five female Black Scoters where just out from the dam as I drove over. They were very cooperative. This is a life bird for me and Arkansas state bird #349 for me.
11/22/2018 New Rocker Box for Molly
I built a new rocker box for Molly the 16 inch Dobsonian telescope today. She has been top heavy and required a counterweight (an elastic cord) since I built her about 20 months ago. The new rocker box is 4.5 inches taller which allowed me to raise the bearings up and shift the 24 pound mirror back by the same amount. Obviously I’m not done, there is stain and poly to do not to mention attaching laminate and the ground board but I think the problem is solved. The picture shows her tilted nearly horizontal with an eyepiece and everything with no kind of counterweight and she handles it just fine.
