How does one keep the scope from slowly settling to the ground or rising upright during use when you change the finders? I reject anything that degrades the buttery smooth motion that my Telekit exhibits, so no springs et al. I figured if the scope balance point is variable, then the solution would be a variable weight system. as a person that tends to solve things with home-brewed, aka cheap fixes, I brainstormed a way to keep the scope balanced whether I was using only the Telrad, the Telrad and 50mm finder scope and rings, the laser pointer, the smallest 1-1/4 inch eyepiece, the holy hand grenades (2" Panoptics), or any combination of the above. I hate not having flexibility.
Ever heard of Plano boxes? I found my solution by using fishing gear. A small Plano box with lead fishing weights to add or remove has worked really well. Simply adjust the weight to yield the right amount of stiction and problem solved. Painted black and it blends in nicely with the aesthetically beautiful classic dob profile. No weights dangling off the end of the collar, no nasty motion side effects, and placement is easy. Adding the box opposite the focuser even helps prevent the typical dob problems of falling when low and rising when high.
So how to keep the box from opening at random times and having a cascade of lead weights raining down onto the mirror? I used a rubber band. Purple adds a touch of low tech class.
How do I keep the weights from shifting inside the box as the scope gets moved? I added Velcro to the weights and the box interior - this also keeps the contents from spilling out when the box is opened to remove or add weights. Pull out or add what you want and close it back up. No surprises. Of course I tend to keep the scope horizontal when the box is open to prevent mirror accidents. You can't balance with the mirror cover on.
I used 4 oz. bank sinkers because they are cheap, have the right shape (can fit two in a slot), and have enough to provide 20 oz. of weight. It requires much less weight at the top end of the scope than the the bottom to influence balance due to the location of the pivot point.
This solution has worked really well for me. Most people don't notice the box since it is low profile. There are not any metal parts for magnetic solutions on the collar area. Adding weight to the mirror box is easy since there is a lot of space there to hide it, but I don't have to deal with that based on my situation - the top end of the scope is much lighter than the mirror box. If I had a thin, lightweight mirror it would be a different story.
So now I can go out with no batteries in the bottom, all my heaviest finders mounted, or any other combination of attachments and am confident I can adjust balance in the field in seconds. Just remember though, this solution is so low-tech that high brow astro nerds will regard you with much lower esteem. Besides, having scope solutions that cost less than $15 goes against the grain, kind of like petting a dog's hair backwards. In order to keep my standing with the custom dob community I might have to find a much more expensive solution. I just don't know if I will find one as cheap, simple, and elegant, much less one that works as well.
So if you are tearing your hair out balancing your scope, you might want to try the cave-man solution before spending a bunch of money on the latest weights and sliding dovetail adapters from ADM. I think this solution is going to make its way over into my AP stuff soon. Let me know if you try this out or if you have a superior solution. I figure there has got to be a few more cave man style, low-tech recipes for balance out there.
