Bill, thanks for the comments. Those are just what I'm looking for!
The sub-leg compartment is trying to stay separated from the eyepiece area (of the scope, not the storage of 5 spares) for structural reasons, and to avoid stored stuff spilling into the eyepiece area. I could:
- shorten the eyepiece area (so it might not let you leave a 24mm in the scope) - I just had to do this anyway so there's no woggle room any more here.
- extend the cargo area in an L shape so it has a flag portion extending under the farther two leg slots.
- Shift the leg section down the the far end and bring the camera coupling to the base end (duh, thanks for inspiring this no brainer!)
Let me know where you think finger access look missing - it's important. The Seven case above has two critical hand-sized holes at the lens cap center knob and the axial port knob - ideal handholds. The scope is lifted out by the upper fork (about at the foam surface) above the finder mirror. Legs by the cargo aperture, coupling by the small nose end, stored eyepieces and solar filter by finger cutouts.
Not sure what you mean about the offset solar. The solar pocket is 1/2" wide so fits either the offset of the full, plus the close focus ring.
I like the lid/plug idea - I'll check if that's possible from this source. Maybe a finger hole in the center. I could also look for a standard plastic case from MTM or Plano to fit the area.
Question: If there's only maybe 20% of scopes in Duplex form, am I trying too hard to have only one SKU for this and make it fully versatile? Will that space forward of the finder mirror irritate? (It isn't needed for support)
I see that I omitted a space for the large Duplex thumbscrew as well.
Some details will await a first prototype to be sure that the final spacings are right, such as some interference in the leg channels to hold them, and to determine whether differences in barrel lengths over the years (short in the early years) and the PGII base plate (1/4" extra thick) can be accommodated in one design.
Edited by Optics Patent, 30 December 2018 - 08:28 AM.