More rain this week so no new observations to report. I spent a few hours (took longer than it should have!) installing a new focuser on the 6" f5. I chose a relatively inexpensive Newtonian focuser since it seemed short enough and had a flat mounting plate. Unfortunately, the drawtube diameter is larger than the opening in the tail plate, but I decided to install the focuser anyway to see if it would reach focus. It took me a while to find the center on the aluminum tail plate and to find the correct sized hardware to mount it with, but eventually, I succeeded. It was pretty well centered according to a laser I put in the focuser and shined on the objective. Pointing to a ridgeline a couple miles distant, I was, fortunately, able to reach focus with the 31mm -- but just barely, bottoming out the focus! The 22mm focussed no problem, but with the 13mm I need to screw it into the diagonal halfway up the eyepiece mounting area.
So it works, if barely. A problem I did not anticipate is that the field illumination is poor, maybe 50%, if that. This is due to the tube length. I realize now to optimize the scope for 2" eyepieces I need to shorten the tube and add a larger focuser, as I read others have done with similar scopes. Oh well, I'll use it as is for now; after all the goal is to make a binoscope out of it. Now onto the mount, for which I need to find the correct sized bearings....
I should mention: while using the 22mm I noticed a bird zip into view and then hover -- a hummingbird. I refocused and was able to get a sharp outline of the shape of its body. Then, it pirouetted and I saw the brief bright ruby red flash of its neck feathers before it zipped out of sight.
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