Modified Lenses

[Tom Droege <tdroege2@earthlink.net>]

I just came up from the basement after putting flocked paper in two V and 
two I lenses.  This will let me upgrade TOM2 and TOM3.  Everything went OK, 
except one lens jammed coming out and I had to put the lens tube in the 
oven.  So it is stick you hand inside a 240F lens tube time and try to push 
out the stuck lens.  It came out.  Whew!  I will think long and hard before 
I volunteer to do this for the rest of you with systems.

The lens tubes have sharp edges and I have to keep sticking my hands in and 
out.  As a result my hands are full of cuts and the lenses have blood all 
over them.  A good thing, I think.  Everyone knows that the blood of a 
maiden makes the bell ring truer.  My blood does not qualify, but who knows 
what is important for lenses.

I think the flocked paper helps, but it is not earth shaking.  Mostly it 
lets you take data when the moon is out.  Not an insignificant fraction of 
the time.  It also lowers the background noise so this should allow going a 
little deeper.

Tom Droege