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Pages: 1 | 2 | (show all) Gastrol scholastic sledgehammer Reged: 11/04/11 Loc: los angeles Beer as counterweight?       #5225920 - 05/16/12 09:17 PM Attachment (72 downloads) Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Just curious, has anyone ever used beer as counterweight? I found that the stock 50mm finderscope bracket holds the bottle securely. Only problem is is that it's just not heavy enough so I plan on replacing the Dos Equis bottle with a short iron pipe of the same diameter and fill it ballast. Post Extras:       Monadnock super member Reged: 04/24/12 Loc: SW NH Re: Beer as counterweight? [Re: Gastrol]       #5225942 - 05/16/12 10:14 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   I don't always use beer as a counterweight, but when I do, I prefer Dos Equis. Stay balanced, my friends. Post Extras:       Pegdragger member Reged: 05/01/10 Loc: Johnson City, TN Re: Beer as counterweight? [Re: Monadnock]       #5225956 - 05/16/12 10:24 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Quote: I don't always use beer as a counterweight, but when I do, I prefer Dos Equis. Stay balanced, my friends. Post Extras:       KDizzle professor emeritus Reged: 09/12/08 Loc: Woodinville, WA Re: Beer as counterweight? [Re: Pegdragger]       #5225961 - 05/16/12 10:27 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   I'm KDizzle and I approve this message. Post Extras:       Darren Bly sage Reged: 07/24/06 Loc: Bakersfield, Ca Re: Beer as counterweight? [Re: KDizzle]       #5225974 - 05/16/12 10:35 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   For me it would a "variable" counterweight. Post Extras:       Brian A super member Reged: 03/16/06 Re: Beer as counterweight? [Re: Darren Bly]       #5226287 - 05/17/12 06:19 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   I tried it with Miller Lite but it wasn't heavy enough. Yeah I know, bad... Post Extras:       JoeR Pooh-Bah Reged: 03/07/10 Loc: Columbus, OH Re: Beer as counterweight? [Re: Brian A]       #5226322 - 05/17/12 07:21 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   No, considering beer usually causes me to lose my equilibrium it's probably not good for the scope too. Post Extras:       Larry F Carpal Tunnel Reged: 05/24/04 Loc: Westchester, NY Re: Beer as counterweight? [Re: JoeR]       #5226477 - 05/17/12 09:52 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   The Large Binocular Telescope on Mt. Graham, the largest single instrument in the world, has a system of conduits that flow ethylene glycol to various parts of the scope to dynamically balance it. That allows the 570-metric-ton scope to be moved with four 3-hp motors and always remain in exquisite balance, with fantastic pointing and tracking accuracy. This suggests a similar dynamical balancing scheme with the CPC. The on-scope beer reservoir is connected on one end to a keg which feeds the reservoir via a motorized impeller and valve that are actuated by signals from a balance sensor on the scope. On the back end of the reservoir there's a flexible tube. When you switch eyepieces or other equipment and need to lighten the front end, the balance sensor sets off an alarm that tells you to suck some beer out of the tube and swallow it. Perhaps the alarm can be in the form of a digital .wav file that says "Chug! Chug! Chug!" until you reach the desired balance. When you put back the heavier eyepiece, the sensor/motor combination senses the imbalance and refills the reservoir with just the right amount of liquid. This tends to be self-correcting. The more times you switch equipment, the more chugging you will do, the more blotto you will get and therefore the less capable you will be to change anything, so the number of refill cycles will decrease. You will maintain both scope balance and a substantial but hopefully pleasant beer-infused state. Post Extras:       James Cunningham Carpal Tunnel Reged: 08/07/10 Loc: Maryland Re: Beer as counterweight? [Re: Gastrol]       #5226481 - 05/17/12 09:56 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Why not drink the beer and then put lead shotgun shell pellets in the empty bottle to get the right weight? Post Extras:       astrovienna Pooh-Bah Reged: 12/04/06 Loc: The NoVa White Zone Re: Beer as counterweight? [Re: James Cunningham]       #5226527 - 05/17/12 10:25 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   No, but I hear that Uncle Rod occasionally uses Rebel Yell to keep himself balanced. (Come on, Rod, you're going to pass up this thread? ) Kevin Post Extras:       jrbarnett Eyepiece Hooligan Reged: 02/28/06 Loc: Petaluma, CA Re: Beer as counterweight? [Re: Gastrol]       #5226554 - 05/17/12 10:42 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Stay thirsty, my friend! - Jim Post Extras:       rboe Reged: 03/16/02 Loc: Phx, AZ Re: Beer as counterweight? [Re: jrbarnett]       #5226560 - 05/17/12 10:45 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   I've seen this used quite a bit in the field but only to the viewer/astronomer. Many lament the fact that they now have this counter weight and can't remove it. Applying it to the scope would seem to be a better idea; until it got cold. Post Extras:       HeyJP sage Reged: 12/11/10 Loc: Boulder, CO Re: Beer as counterweight? [Re: rboe]       #5227027 - 05/17/12 03:33 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   That would work perfect as a progression through the night. As you drink your counterweight you move from Panoptics thru Naglers to the Plossl eyepieces. Keeps the balance in play. Jim Post Extras:       Digital Don Carpal Tunnel Reged: 01/20/04 Loc: Manteno, IL Re: Beer as counterweight? [Re: Gastrol]       #5227356 - 05/17/12 08:06 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   If you believe their commercials, with Dos Equis, the stars will be watching YOU! Don Post Extras:       Gastrol scholastic sledgehammer Reged: 11/04/11 Loc: los angeles Re: Beer as counterweight? [Re: Digital Don]       #5264662 - 06/10/12 12:23 PM Attachment (40 downloads) Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   I needed something heavier than beer so replaced it with a 2" drain pipe filled with sand. Post Extras:       yonkrz scholastic sledgehammer Reged: 11/16/06 Loc: SW Minnesota Re: Beer as counterweight? [Re: Gastrol]       #5265128 - 06/10/12 06:12 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Clever idea,although i do like the beer idea. Post Extras:       Rich56 member Reged: 06/02/12 Re: Beer as counterweight? [Re: yonkrz]       #5266062 - 06/11/12 10:38 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   This post inspired me to add a few thoughts of my own here... http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/5266057/page/0/view/collapsed/sb/5/o/all/fpart/1 I do hope the moderators don't mind a bit of humor on these Forums. Rich Post Extras:       GeneT Ely Kid Reged: 11/07/08 Loc: South Texas Re: Beer as counterweight? [Re: Gastrol]       #5266852 - 06/11/12 06:11 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   I balance with Jameson. Post Extras:       Greg K. Reged: 12/11/03 Loc: Clifton Park, NY Re: Beer as counterweight? [Re: Monadnock]       #5266855 - 06/11/12 06:12 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Quote: I don't always use beer as a counterweight, but when I do, I prefer Dos Equis. Stay balanced, my friends. Post Extras:       Gastrol scholastic sledgehammer Reged: 11/04/11 Loc: los angeles Re: Beer as counterweight? UPDATE [Re: Greg K.]       #5297772 - 07/01/12 11:56 AM Attachment (15 downloads) Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   No more finderscope bracket, beer, and sand filled drain pipe. I needed a bit more adjustability. I've seen a couple people use T-tracks so I decided to do the same. I used a pair of Losmandy radius blocks to center mount the T-track. And that's a 3 lb dumbbell plate. Balance at zenith is a little off.....I can use a lighter plate and move it further up the track to achieve better balance at zenith. Post Extras:       Gastrol scholastic sledgehammer Reged: 11/04/11 Loc: los angeles Re: Beer as counterweight? UPDATE [Re: Gastrol]       #5297774 - 07/01/12 11:57 AM Attachment (47 downloads) Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   another view Post Extras:       Astroegg journeyman Reged: 01/21/11 Re: Beer as counterweight? UPDATE [Re: Gastrol]       #5379819 - 08/21/12 05:58 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Honestly, when I first saw your beer bottle counter weight I just assumed you had created a very expensive beer pouring device - I wouldn't be able to resist lying under the scope whilst using the hand controller to pour beer down my throat! Post Extras:       herrointment Carpal Tunnel Reged: 03/12/11 Loc: North of Hwy. 64 Re: Beer as counterweight? UPDATE [Re: Astroegg]       #5379878 - 08/21/12 06:54 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Ahhh.....the good old days! Post Extras:       tomnjulie member Reged: 12/04/12 Loc: Texas Re: Beer as counterweight? UPDATE [Re: Gastrol]       #5620162 - 01/13/13 03:26 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   I'm gonna do the lead shot and seal the bottle with candle wax. Post Extras:       barbarosa professor emeritus Reged: 04/11/10 Loc: "lamorinda", CA Re: Beer as counterweight? UPDATE [Re: Astroegg]       #5628925 - 01/17/13 09:32 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Quote: Honestly, when I first saw your beer bottle counter weight I just assumed you had created a very expensive beer pouring device - I wouldn't be able to resist lying under the scope whilst using the hand controller to pour beer down my throat! Cloudy weather or clear, pale ale or bock beer, A CPC pours us good cheer. Indoors or out, Porter or stout, Its a fine mount, you can't do without. Post Extras:       Pages: 1 | 2 | (show all)

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