2019-08-01_Sky_and_Telescope

SHARE YOUR INNOVATION
º Do you have a telescope or
observing accessory that S&T
readers would enjoy knowing about?
Email your projects to Jerry Oltion at
[email protected].

skyandtelescope.com • AUGUST 2019 75

used for his truss weights, separated by
a wooden crossbar. He purposely pro-
portioned the stock to make the weight
naturally balance in the upside-down
position when draped over the focuser’s
drawtube, but since rapid meridian
reversal when slewing could make the
weight fall off, he added a small rotat-

pA U-shaped drawtube weight works well for
balancing refractors.

ing tab on the bottom of one bar to lock
it in place until it rights itself.
This weight isn’t as adjustable as the
truss weights, but it doesn’t need to
be. If it weighs the difference between
a high- and low-power eyepiece, you
simply take it off when using the heavy
eyepiece and put it on when using the
light one. Your scope remains balanced
in either case.
Joe says, “Now I can swap eyepieces
with much more confi dence on the
refractor, too.”
Attention to small details can add
up to a big difference in a successful
night out observing. Joe’s eyepiece
compensating weights are a great step
in that direction.
For more information, contact Joe at
[email protected].

■ Contributing Editor JERRY OLTION
hangs fi shing weights from some of his
scopes. He likes Joe’s idea better.

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