Crayford trivia

Merlin66 (Ken) · #1 03-09-2006, 07:32 PM

Just been re-reading some of my older mags......
Who invented the Crayford eyepiece focusser??
When was it invented????
Where was it invented????

Answers will be posted Monday night!!!

Jupiter · #2 03-09-2006, 07:52 PM

My knowledge is extremely limited but I think an Astronomical group in England invented it probably the Crayford group, back in the late 1900's.
Happy to be proved 100 percent wrong.

Astroman (Andrew Wall) · #3 03-09-2006, 08:09 PM

I know the guys name cos he is my Dad,well not really,but they share the same name

It is John Wall

The Crayford name was named after a British Astonomical club I think.

Merlin66 (Ken) · #4 04-09-2006, 01:16 PM

You're right..
It was John Wall, in 1968 who developed the Crayford focusser, named after the local Crayford Manor Society. First published notes were in 1972, Practical Mechanics.

So... it's only taken 35 odd years to become mainstream.......

ving (David) · #5 04-09-2006, 01:32 PM

it was named after captain allan crayford in 1852 while looking thru his telescope towards what is now known as lady jane beach (yes it was a nudist beach back then too). while munching on some lobster and oogling the sun worshippers said "this is a nice crayfish!". of course his mouth was full and he was completely misunderstood... man how i can relate to him