| tim53 |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 06/23/09 11:19 PM |
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Does this count?
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All the talk of long focus achromats got me to thinking. I still have that Jaegers 6" f/15 in a drawer waiting to be OTA'd, so I thought I'd get the 6" f/10 OTA out, put it on the EM-10 (a bit underkill, I know), and see how it does on Saturn, since it's been a couple years since I had it out.
It's sitting on the mount now, so I shot this pic of it while I wait 'till I can see Polaris...
Birdseye maple tube with mahogany rings and dewshield. The birdseye was some old flooring that was on a shelf in my workshop when we bought our house. I ripped it into thinner strips and laid it up around plywood baffles/bulkheads. It always did pretty well, even though the coatings are sort of discolored.
If it inspires me even more, I'll make a wood tube for the f/15 this weekend!
-Tim.
| mustgobigger |
| (Carpal Tunnel) |
| 06/23/09 11:31 PM |
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Re: Does this count?
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thats a beauty tim,
if i say that does not count will you build the f/15
| tim53 |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 06/23/09 11:57 PM |
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Re: Does this count?
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hehe!
Yeah, I'll build it!
The thing I like about this f/10 is that the detail is so amazing. What I don't like about it is that Saturn is green, and there's all this purple stuff around it. Faint, but it's there.
And I just know that if I try to image in color with it, it'll look like it's floating in a fish tank that hasn't been cleaned in a while and is sitting in a sunny window sill!
-Tim.
| woodsman |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 06/23/09 11:59 PM |
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Re: Does this count?
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I love the wood tube. What species of wood is it? It kind of looks like white oak. Really nice, Rich
| tim53 |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 06/24/09 12:21 AM |
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Re: Does this count?
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Birdseye maple.
I just found the "sweet" combination of eyepieces/barlows for saturn.
I couldn't use my 2" star diagonal, because I made the tube too long. So I'm using a lumicon 1 1/4", which has always been a good performer for me. but in front of it, I've got a William 2" 2.5X apo barlow. After it, the good ol RKE 28mm.
I tried a baader contrast booster filter, but it dims the image too much and doesn't really improve it to my taste.
Also tried a 1 1/4" 2x shorty barlow in place of the 2.5X, and it's just not as clean or contrasty (but the thing might be dirty, I suppose.)
-Tim.
| tim53 |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 06/24/09 12:25 AM |
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Re: Does this count?
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My EM-10 has acted up periodically since I got it back from TN to have the RA spur gears replaced (on the dime of the person who inadvertently ground the teeth off). TN didn't even tighten any of the set screws, so I had to do it myself when I got it back (I wasn't going to take a chance that it'd get damaged being shipped 2 more times).
But now sometimes the slews don't work. It seems to be a bad connection in the Temma 2 plug where the hand control cable goes in. For now, I'm just pushing the thing around by hand, as I somehow managed pretty fine polar alignment without trying, and it's tracking very well.
Saturn is getting low, though, so I may switch to the C-8 before packing up for the night.
-Tim.
| tim53 |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 06/24/09 12:39 AM |
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Re: Does this count?
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Well, I gotta 'fess out. The C-8, while a tad softer (same barlow/eyepiece, so it's a larger image) is nicely free of false color. And when things steady out, I can definitely make out more detail.
The rings are crisper in the refractor, though.
-Tim.
| Muffin Research |
| (scholastic sledgehammer) |
| 06/24/09 02:49 AM |
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Re: Does this count?
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Birdseye Maple and Mahogany ! do you build guitars as well?
very nice scope!
| clintwhitman |
| (Caveman) |
| 06/24/09 09:17 AM |
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Re: Does this count?
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Nice work Tim I like the Rings!!
I personaly think the F15 Jaegers would deserve a alum or Carbon tube so the weight stays as low as possible!! 8' of wood 7" tube is going to be a monster!!
Talk about an over sized scope / mount!!! This guy lives on the Byers drive now but i needed a photo of it.
| clintwhitman |
| (Caveman) |
| 06/24/09 09:26 AM |
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Re: Does this count?
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Tim try finding one of these some time.. The scope was built around this 6" Unitron Tail piece with its classic lines. The knobs are turned stailess replicas on the originals. Jon Pons designed it and we built it together, one to keep forever!! I learned alot about scopes hanging out with Pons.
| tim53 |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 06/24/09 01:30 PM |
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Re: Does this count?
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Caveman:
I doubt I'll live long enough or have enough cash to find/afford one of those!
I'm going to make this one out of wood. Probably plywood, but my choices of species are pretty limited if I go that route (but it'll save me a lot of work over solid stock).
If I use epoxy as a consolidant with thin wood, can I call it a "cellulose composite tube?"
Of course I can!
-Tim.
| tim53 |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 06/24/09 01:34 PM |
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Re: Does this count?
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Quote:
Nice work Tim I like the Rings!!
I personaly think the F15 Jaegers would deserve a alum or Carbon tube so the weight stays as low as possible!! 8' of wood 7" tube is going to be a monster!!
Talk about an over sized scope / mount!!! This guy lives on the Byers drive now but i needed a photo of it.
I plan on putting the OTA on my EM-500. And maybe make rings to mount the f/10 and a 3" f/15 or two piggyback!
-Tim.
| tim53 |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 06/24/09 01:39 PM |
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Re: Does this count?
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If it turns out to be a jaw-dropper performance-wise, I may fold it and put it on a Springfield mount, like Mike Spooner did with a 9" 9" folded refractor
-Tim.
| plyscope |
| (sage) |
| 06/24/09 05:56 PM |
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Re: Does this count?
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Go for it Tim!
I would like to see more wooden refractors out there. I made my 6" f15 from thin marine ply and it came out at around 30 pounds. My 90mm f16.7 is around 10 pounds.
Having said that I do have the greatest respect for the Unipons Clint. That is a beautiful scope.
| Dr Morbius |
| (scholastic sledgehammer) |
| 06/24/09 11:03 PM |
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Re: Does this count?
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Absolutely fantastic scopes all!!!! Let's all hail refractors as the best scopes anywhere! (just don't let the other types of scope owners hear you!).
| tim53 |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 06/27/09 09:58 PM |
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Re: Does this count?
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All:
I had to go to work today to try to get a paper finished that's kind of late, but before I did, I went to Arroyo Hardwoods and picked up a beautiful 4x8 sheet of Walnut plywood (1/4") and a couple 4x4 sheets of Finnish Birch plywood to make rings and stuff out of. Hopefully I can get started on making the OTA next weekend (which starts Thursday, yippee!, and I may take a day or two off before that, more yippee!).
Wish I knew how to use Sketchup. Maybe I will by the time I make the first cut!
-Tim.
| tim53 |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 07/02/09 10:22 AM |
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Re: Does this count?
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Okay!
today's the day I start construction!
I should probably start a new thread and post pics as I go.
ATM forum?
Refractor forum?
This forum?
All three forums? (all 3 4ums?)
-Tim
| RLTYS |
| (Carpal Tunnel) |
| 07/03/09 09:00 AM |
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Re: Does this count?
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tim53
Definitely this forum.
Rich (RLTYS)
| tim53 |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 07/03/09 09:39 AM |
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Re: Does this count?
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Oh shoot!
I already started a thread for it on ATM/DIY! Here's the Earl!
When I finish it, I'll post pics here and on the Refractor forum, of course!
-Tim.
| TimD |
| (scholastic sledgehammer) |
| 08/28/09 03:04 AM |
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Re: Does this count?
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I love the wood tube!