mattyfatz
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 12/27/06
Posts: 1441
Loc: Boise Idaho
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If you have done this conversion please share the details. I am going to make one or two of these.
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**Matty**
Stimulating the economy, one piece of equipment at a time.   
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jgraham
Postmaster
Reged: 12/02/04
Posts: 7074
Loc: Dayton, Ohio
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I've built quite a few of these. This just happens to be one I have a picture of. The lens is from a photocopier. The tube is fabricated from black foam core art board water proofed with clear shipping tape. I used this little telescope for many years to watch satellites fly overhead. If you look close you can see my crude alt/az marks on the camera tripod.
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-John
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Homebuilt scopes from 4.25-16.5"
Meade LXD75-N6/SN6/SC8, DSX-90, ETX-60BB, ETX-125PE, DS-2130
Orion StarBlast, BinoViewers, Coronado PST
Rebel XT/XTi, DSI Pro (I, II, & III), DSI, LPI, Electronic Eyepiece, Phillips SPC900NC
Tasco 60mm Refractors
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Owen
professor emeritus
Reged: 06/21/07
Posts: 519
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I warned you, she's not pretty, but does feel good in the hand 
Owen
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mattyfatz
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 12/27/06
Posts: 1441
Loc: Boise Idaho
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I think its great owen, what type of lense is that?
Same question for you John.
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**Matty**
Stimulating the economy, one piece of equipment at a time.
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rwiederrich
Goldfinger
Reged: 11/17/05
Posts: 8688
Loc: Bremerton Washington
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Quote:
If you have done this conversion please share the details. I am going to make one or two of these.
This is my first version with using a 6" projection screan lens. It is an f/4. The focuser slides in the end of the OTA.
The blue part slides in and out for focus. I use 32, and 40mm EP's with it. for rich field sweeps. I machined the aluminum EP holder.
Rob
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www.goldmtobservingcenter.com
A great place for amateur astronomers, and ATM's to come and enjoy their hobby.
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/HomemadeRefractorTelescopes/ My homemade refractor group.
www.vimeo.com/6014031
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jgraham
Postmaster
Reged: 12/02/04
Posts: 7074
Loc: Dayton, Ohio
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It's an old photocopier lens from back in the days when I built my own sheet film cameras.
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-John
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Homebuilt scopes from 4.25-16.5"
Meade LXD75-N6/SN6/SC8, DSX-90, ETX-60BB, ETX-125PE, DS-2130
Orion StarBlast, BinoViewers, Coronado PST
Rebel XT/XTi, DSI Pro (I, II, & III), DSI, LPI, Electronic Eyepiece, Phillips SPC900NC
Tasco 60mm Refractors
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Chris T
super member
Reged: 01/05/05
Posts: 153
Loc: Florida
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This is off topic, but can you post some pics of that blue fork mount in the picture by your name?
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Chris Tackett
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TONGKW
professor emeritus
Reged: 01/16/07
Posts: 614
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I have converted a few of my old camera lens into a spotting scope or a telescope.
The easiest is to purchase a “Scope Eyepiece” giving magnification of 1/10 that of the focal length (mm) of the camera lens on it. A Kenko Scope Eyepiece is shown with a Tokina 100-300 f/4 zoom lens giving 10 x – 30 x magnification.
K W TONG
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C8 + CG-5GT, TSA102 + HEQ5 PRO, MK67 + Kenko NES, WO ZS 80FD + Mizar K mount, NexStar 6SE, C5, Maxvision ED80, Mini Borg 50, PST
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TONGKW
professor emeritus
Reged: 01/16/07
Posts: 614
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If the common 1.25” eyepieces are to be used, then an eyepiece holder can be made from an old extension tube at one end connected to a tube with a 1.25” hole.
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TONGKW
professor emeritus
Reged: 01/16/07
Posts: 614
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If a diagonal is to be used, then it would be necessary to add a Barlow lens in order to reach infinity focus due to the increased light path. The set up shown with a 400 mm f/5.6 lens, a 18 mm eyepiece and a 2x Barlow lens giving about 44x magnification.
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mattyfatz
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 12/27/06
Posts: 1441
Loc: Boise Idaho
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These scopes look great!
TONGKW
What sort of extention tube are you talking about? Did you use one intended for telescopes or a camera part?
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**Matty**
Stimulating the economy, one piece of equipment at a time.
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TONGKW
professor emeritus
Reged: 01/16/07
Posts: 614
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The extension that I use is a Nikon BR3 which has internal 52 mm screw thread in it. Together with a stepping down ring an 1.25” eyepiece holder from an old diagonal I join them together with some epoxy glue.
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ccs_hello
Post Laureate
Reged: 07/03/04
Posts: 3484
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TONGKW,
Nice!
I think due to the extra long optical path behind the Barlow (diagnol etc.), the magnification is (much) greater than 2x.
Clear Skies!
ccs_hello
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Sky Captain
Metal Whisperer
Reged: 11/07/04
Posts: 7771
Loc: Issaquah, WA.
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The camera lenses I like to use are the telephoto T-Thread versions. The best one so far, is my current 66mm CA and a FL of F6.5. These fit in a 50mm finder bracket pretty good. In fact better than pretty good, it fits perfectly.
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12" Lightbridge : SC 8" f4 : 12.5" f2.35 Astrograph : TAL RS 4" f10 : WO EZT : Atlas EQ6
35 & 22 Panoptic : 14 & 8.8 Meade UWA : 8 to 12 Speers Variable : Antares 1.6x Barlow
Kerry
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Sky Captain
Metal Whisperer
Reged: 11/07/04
Posts: 7771
Loc: Issaquah, WA.
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I just cut down the tube so it will focus with a diagonal and many 1.25" EP's without any barlows. The optics are very flat and color free, and the front focuser is easy to use and very smooth. I like the T-Thread lenses because I can use a T-Thread to 1.25" adapter for the diag. and EP.
It also makes an incredible daytime spotting scope too.
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12" Lightbridge : SC 8" f4 : 12.5" f2.35 Astrograph : TAL RS 4" f10 : WO EZT : Atlas EQ6
35 & 22 Panoptic : 14 & 8.8 Meade UWA : 8 to 12 Speers Variable : Antares 1.6x Barlow
Kerry
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Owen
professor emeritus
Reged: 06/21/07
Posts: 519
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The lens is a Soligor doublet objective from a 28 - 210 telephoto. For a 66mm objective, thats roughly F4.
The things that are holding the 'scope back at the moment are the eyepieces, and the little shielding from stray light. The plan, once a better eyepiece has been procured, and the 'focus' mechanism has been finalised, it is planned that the shield will be a fabric 'sock' (maybe literally).
For the £3 invested, it's been some fun  and I dont mind the kids using it.
Have fun
Owen
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Bob Myler
sage
Reged: 05/18/06
Posts: 300
Loc: St Louis, MO
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I would think that with all those unused 35mm film-based ED camera lenses laying around out there, a profitable cottage industry could be started converting them into high quality spotting scopes...has anyone successfully adapted the Canon FD mount to accommodate an 1 1/4" diagonal or eyepiece?
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5" AP StarFire on Dobbins mount
10" Custom Dynascope on HD Criterion mount
12" LightBridge - extensively moded
Meade ETX90EC w/Autostar
Fujinon 6X30 FMTR-SX
8' Exploradome w/Bay Extension
18 various eyepieces/barlows
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mattyfatz
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 12/27/06
Posts: 1441
Loc: Boise Idaho
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Kerry, that looks great!
Where does one obtainan a T-Thread to 1.25" adapter?
Maaty
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**Matty**
Stimulating the economy, one piece of equipment at a time.
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Sky Captain
Metal Whisperer
Reged: 11/07/04
Posts: 7771
Loc: Issaquah, WA.
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Quote:
Kerry, that looks great!
Where does one obtainan a T-Thread to 1.25" adapter?
Maaty
Thanks Matt, you can get the adapter at ScopeStuff here.
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12" Lightbridge : SC 8" f4 : 12.5" f2.35 Astrograph : TAL RS 4" f10 : WO EZT : Atlas EQ6
35 & 22 Panoptic : 14 & 8.8 Meade UWA : 8 to 12 Speers Variable : Antares 1.6x Barlow
Kerry
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mattyfatz
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 12/27/06
Posts: 1441
Loc: Boise Idaho
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Amazing
Ive been to that site a million times and I've never seen that before.
Thanks
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**Matty**
Stimulating the economy, one piece of equipment at a time.
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TONGKW
professor emeritus
Reged: 01/16/07
Posts: 614
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Dear ccs
You are quite right. With the Barlow lens in front of the diagonal, the magnification factor must now be over 4x as compared with the specified 2x. The good thing is that I can use long focal length eyepieces with lots of eye relief.
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Preston Smith
Military Observer
Reged: 04/24/05
Posts: 3893
Loc: Eureka, Pa
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72mm/400mm Camera lens from the 1970s purchased on Ebay for about $13. Removed the lenses and the iris. Installed a 68mm/360mm doublet from Surplus Shed (no longer available).
Made the adapter for the diagonal out of Corian.
Works great. Uses the original focuser.
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Preston
Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of His great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing. Isaiah 40:26
SV115T,NHII,SV70,SV50 and Tele Vue Ranger
Vintage Refractors: Asahi-Pentax, Edmund Scientific, Tasco, Unitron
60mm Telescope Club
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