I brought the scope up to Perkins this evening for her grand appearance. She still looks rough (i.e., no paint) but she provided some great views of the sky to the delight of the folks there. There are still some balancing issues. Top to bottom is balanced just right, but front to back is still off. There is too much weight on the back. I lashed some brass stock that I borrowed to the front of the mirror box and that balanced it out right.
Before I left, I wired up the fans to a battery and switch. The fans were on all evening and kept the mirror at ambient temperature. The fans do not introduce any vibrations at the eyepiece which is good. That way, I can leave the running all night to fight dew and temperature changes.
The motion is nice and smooth. Stiction is not an issue. It takes a little more force to move it than I would like (it is not bad or objectionable). It reminds me of my observing buddy's Teeter scope, which is a great scope. But it is still not my old Obsession's smoothness. I am going to put some SailKote on it to see if that brings that smoothness back.
I am really please at how this scope has turned out. It sure is a pleasure to use and I cannot wait to try it under a dark sky.
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