From: "Tom Krajci" 
To: 
Reply-To: "Tom Krajci" 


>From: AMaroney{at}sptimes.com

>What are some good options for blackening the standard aluminum truss
>poles?  AC Insulation?  Heat shrink tubing?  Anodizing or painting?

First, the need to blacken your truss tubes seems to have developed into
something of an urban legend in some ATM circles.  If you draw up a diagram
of your truss tube scope and potential reflection paths...and you find that
light reflecting off your truss tubes can then reflect off your optics and
to your eyepiece field of view...you have two potential problems to solve:

A.  You have poor baffling arrangements.  (Most common problem) B.  Your
truss tubes are in the way of the optical path.  (Relatively rare problem)

See:  http://overton.tamu.edu/aset/krajci Specifically the page that talks
about baffling and vibration issues in dobsonian scopes.

I put a baggy cloth jacket around my truss tubes...not to darken them...but
to help absorb wind induced vibration.

I hope this helps,
Tom Krajci
Tashkent, Uzbekistan

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