6870 replies to this topic

[xiando]

Still working on my Ruby on Rails app 1.8.7/2.3.5 to 1.9.3/3.2.21 conversion. Very tedious and obtuse, since many/most of the helpful links detailing changes have long since been removed by their authors and the RoR community isn't much more helpful. I will be very very glad when I get this done.

Edited by xiando, 05 January 2017 - 01:36 PM.

[macdonjh]

I installed a new spider in my driveway scope and am now waiting for a clear night to finish collimating it.  The old spider was purchased for a different OTA and I blamed it for messy diffraction artifacts.  My new spider was sized for the OTA I have and has reduced diffraction artifacts significantly.

 

Photos coming tonight when I'm home.

[moonwatching ferret]

 I finished my 12.5 f6  Parks mirror re build. I had a completely different scope . this mount is much lighter and stronger. pluss a lot less counterweights. I will post pics of the build later right now I just want to throw my 80 ed on it and colimate for imaging this evening  

[mariosi]

I have little extra time to change the face of my Light Bridge. I'm still working on it....

 

Marios 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by mariosi, 06 January 2017 - 03:06 PM.

[Pinbout]

 

I have little extra time to change the face of my Light Bridge. I'm still working on it....

dude that looks sweet.

[macdonjh]

I installed a new spider in my driveway scope and am now waiting for a clear night to finish collimating it.  The old spider was purchased for a different OTA and I blamed it for messy diffraction artifacts.  My new spider was sized for the OTA I have and has reduced diffraction artifacts significantly.
 
Photos coming tonight when I'm home.

Here is a photo of my Driveway Scope with the old, undersized spider:


A photo of the same scope with my new Astro Systems spider:


And a photo where you can see the secondary holder a little better:

[pbunn]

Built a few simple temperature controllers for some Bradley Smokers that I gave at Christmas. They also work great as Sous Vide  cookers with a cheap aquarium pump and an immersion heater..Plan to package it a little better when I get a hard plastic tub. Used a cheap Chinese PID controller and a 20 amp SSR.

 

Beef fillets for lunch. Came out just slightly past medium rare  but  MM good

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Edited by pbunn, 08 January 2017 - 02:42 PM.

[grtyvr]

Refurbished an old Velbon VB-3 tripod that I will probably use for my binoculars or even a small refractor.  If you run across any old Velbon tripods, they are sturdy.

 

https://www.youtube....h?v=0smWjuHQwXo

[mconnelley]

Hello:

 

  Been slowly working on the 1m build.  I epoxied the aluminum strips to the edge of the elevation bearing arcs.  They went on a little wide, so the mirror box is now a tight fit inside the flex rocker.  I'll clamp the elevation bearings to the mill and make the edges of the aluminum flush with the edges of the arcs.  Then I'll put it all back together for another fit check, and to make sure I still CAN put it all back together.  

 

  In other news, work on the finder is also progressing.  It'll be a 127 mm f/4.7 scope.  I just bought an eyepiece for it, which means I'll be able to cut the tube down to final length and make the baffles.  

Cheers

Mike

[Eikonal]

I built a Twyman/Green interferometer.

The Shack cube I'meter did not work at all. Cementing the reference element with oil to the beam splitter did not work: I'll have to polish the coating off that face of the beamsplitter, first.

 

In any case, here's what I built instead, and tried out on a 350 mm, f/4 mirror I am figuring at the moment.

 

Edited by Eikonal, 14 January 2017 - 01:43 PM.

[musicengin]

Drawing for my finder sights, optical fibre to fold down and be out of the way when I'm not using the scope.

 

[RAC]

I picked up a well weathered Orion Atlas EQ-G mount for $0. Internally it was perfect but it needed a sand blast and paint to bring it back to life.

 

[Jeff Dunn]

 

Playing around with a SS 35mm/125mm fl mounted Achromat.  Maybe a finderscope?  Maybe just tinker time with wifes leftover tea boxes?

Something small I can work on at my desk during the cold weather. 

[moonwatching ferret]

I mounted sean cunneens 16f7 reflector on ed weisses gem. And wouldn't you know it the thengs almost perfectly colimated and balanced and its cloudy. it almost reminds me of when I got my first planetary imaging cam and it rained out for a week. sean this cradel I built is rock solid but very heavy I was wondering if I made a 8 " wide x30 inch cradle and just bolted the mirror box to it ? you did a nice build its colimated well

 

[mariosi]

I have little extra time to change the face of my Light Bridge. I'm still working on it....

 

 

 

 

 

I have little extra time to change the face of my Light Bridge. I'm still working on it....

dude that looks sweet.

 

 

Thanks Danny  . My new Light Bridge!

 

Regards 

Marios 

 

[moonwatching ferret]

heres some pics from seans 16 inch with just the asi290 no barows. I want to make sure its colimated before also i need motor focus

[moonwatching ferret]

 

I have little extra time to change the face of my Light Bridge. I'm still working on it....

 

 

 

 

 

I have little extra time to change the face of my Light Bridge. I'm still working on it....

dude that looks sweet.

 

 

Thanks Danny  . My new Light Bridge!

 

Regards 

Marios 

 

Meade.jpg

 

Those are some nice scopes.

[musicengin]

Starting to make final cut drawings off the main drawing for my 4.5 inch telescope.

[member010719]

musicengin

 

I just visted your gallery , congratulations for the build of the 3'' Newtonian.

Looking forward to read about your builds of the 4.5 inch and 8 inch telescopes.

 

Ziridava

[Eikonal]

I feel I have to share this: I had made a new pitch lap in the lab, and there was some aerosol in the air. This is what the interferometer looked like under these conditions. (I am aware, I'll have to clean everything, anyway...)

Edited by Eikonal, 17 January 2017 - 02:44 AM.

[musicengin]

Putting corner holes in the corners of corner after corner after corner, so the pieces will fit together.

Hoping to get cutting things out this coming weekend.

[drneilmb]

First cuts for my first scope!

 

I cut out the tube sides and the various squares that go inside, front/back covers, one baffle, and a mirror holder and mirror cell. Those are some precision scope-making tools right there!!

 

My mirror arrived in the mail today and it measured right at D = 4.5 inches and FL = 35.75 inches (f = 7.94). Taking those numbers to Newt-web got me 37.5 for the tube length and I cut the pieces to 39. I think I'll keep them at the longer length for now.

 

Tonight I'm hoping to cut the circles in the baffles and notch the corners. I've got lots of shopping to do at the hardware store, but after that I can wrap up the tube and the mount the mirror and build the cell.

 

-Neil

 

[pbunn]

Spent 6 hours in a cold crawl space running two 120 volt 20 amp circuits to my new Observatory. Had to add two breakers to the outside panel and bring a 3/4 inch conduit with 6 #12 conductors through the foundation into a junction box in the crawl space and then 110 more feet of Romex (2) to a box where conduits go underground to the observatory.

 

All belly crawling around ducts and pipes. I'm too old for this crap!

 

But  - it's done and the ROR is almost ready to test.

Edited by pbunn, 17 January 2017 - 08:05 PM.

[jtsenghas]

...Taking those numbers to Newt-web got me 37.5 for the tube length and I cut the pieces to 39. I think I'll keep them at the longer length for now....

-Neil

It wouldn't hurt at all to leave that extra 1 1/2" inches at the top of the tube for a bit more stray light baffling and dew control on the secondary. At 39" that tube is plenty portable still. 

[jtsenghas]

Had to add two breakers to the outside panel and bring a 3/4 inch conduit with 6 #12 conductors through the foundation into a junction box in the crawl space.... 

If you have a remote panel be sure that the neutral wire is not connected to ground in it.  Neutral should connect to ground only in the main panel to ensure no remote panels become hot in the event of a wire failure.