Re: Old Viewer Pricing vs. Building New

[fj834@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Dr. George A. Themelis)]

OK, a more productive contribution:

Paul Milligan has built a home-made viewer based on surplus or Edmund
Scientific optics.  It uses an automotive bulb for illuination with
rheostat control and a bluish reflector for color-correction.  He has
published the plans in Stereoscopy and PSA Journal, I believe.  If you
write to him (508 La Cima Circle, Gallup NM 87301 USA), I am sure he will
respond and will answer any questions.  He has been very responsive and 
helpful in our communications.  He is proud of his viewer and brings it up
in every occassion, especially when an underexposed slides comes up in SSA
folio A ("I just turned the rheostat up and the picture looks greatt").

Colin Clay has built home-made viewers for Realist and 2x2 slides.  They
are based on plastic materials that he cuts and glues in place. 
Illumination is with a halogen bulb and Ni-Cd batteries.  He has published
the plans in Stereoscopy and the Stereoscopic Society Journal.  He too has
been extremely responsive and helpful. He can be reached at 26 Gladstone
Road, Dorridge, Solihull, West Midlands, B93 8BX, England (why are UK
addresses so long?)

The lenses in these viewer are not much different or better than those in a
Realist red-button viewer, IMO.  They are not sequential either.  Colin's
2x2 viewer is unique because it has internal illumination and good lenses
(features not found in most 2x2 viewers).  Milligan's viewer addresses the
illumination issue mainly.  But that could be worked out in an older viewer
too.  -- GAT


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