From: "Bob May" 
To: "atmlist" 
Reply-To: "Bob May" 


I'd keep the masks close to the mirror, no putting them half way towards
the KE!  A half inch or so shouldn't affect the location of the zones any.
FWIW, I've used everything from printer paper to corregated cardboard for
masks and the best that I have found has been the poster board which is
about 10x thicker than printer paper for the masks. Another thing is to
leave the top a little higher than the mirror (put a tab on if you want)
and you will be able to flick the mask away from the mirror with no
problems.
I'll also note that if you are really moving the mirror about as you remove
a mask, you should probably look at the support that the mirror is getting
from the mirror stand.  For one, I tilt the pins up and in a little so that
the front of the mirror is actually what is touching the pins and thus, the
mirror is in a nice 3 point support with the top of the mirror being the
third point where the mirror is supported.  I've considered putting 3
points on the vertical surface of the support but have never done that as
the mirror is already well supported so that it doesn't move about by
itself. You can put a few turns of tape on the front part of the pins and
gain that advantage on your tester with no problems. Bob May
http://nav.to/bobmay
bobmay{at}nethere.com
NEW! http://bobmay.astronomy.net

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