Gregg Lobdell
sage
Reged: 01/20/06
Posts: 373
Loc: Covington, WA
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Ryan,
Can you post a picture of your scope taken apart, and packed for travel? I'm also interested in your UTA, focuser/spider arrangement, it's hard to see in your first picture. I'm working on a travel scope myself.
Thanks,
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Clear skies,
Gregg
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Galaxyhunter
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 01/02/06
Posts: 931
Loc: Northern Illinois
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Nice job Biff,  That a different way of focusing.
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Carl
Hawkeye Observatory
Observatory - "Hawkeye"
Scope - 18"f4.5 on a GEM
Drive - Sitech Technology
DSC - Sky Commander
Planetarium - MegaStar
Camera - ST2000XM - AO-8
Desire - comes & goes
Talent - ZERO, NONE, NADA (But I can Wish)
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rwiederrich
Goldfinger
Reged: 11/17/05
Posts: 6190
Loc: Bremerton Washington
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Carl....
Sweet scope. I remember when you first posted it.. 
Now you have build a most wonderful OB for it..
You have my respect. Good job.
I have recently bought 7 acres adjacent to my place and am building my dream center.
I will be housing my 6"f/15 in a nice 45x30 building, with a 15x30 meeting/library/warm room with high speed internet service. I never thought owning my own Observing Center would be so much fun. I can host up to 50 people, on a large pad, and grassy fields.
Again, great OB and scope..
Rob
Gold Mtn Observing Center
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www.goldmtobservingcenter.com
Providing a great place for amateur astronomers, and ATM's to come and enjoy their hobby.
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Galaxyhunter
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 01/02/06
Posts: 931
Loc: Northern Illinois
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Thank's Rob, I've work real hard on this project over the years.
I have been following your thread in the Observatory forum. Your doing pretty much what I allways dreamed of doing. If I ever get out to the Pacific NW, I'll look you up. Keep up the great work. 
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Carl
Hawkeye Observatory
Observatory - "Hawkeye"
Scope - 18"f4.5 on a GEM
Drive - Sitech Technology
DSC - Sky Commander
Planetarium - MegaStar
Camera - ST2000XM - AO-8
Desire - comes & goes
Talent - ZERO, NONE, NADA (But I can Wish)
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Biff
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 09/04/05
Posts: 2276
Loc: Courtice, Ontario
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Gregg,
Here's a thread I kept during the construction incase there's anything you can use there. I didn't take too many pics in the latter stages as I was under a time crunch. I'll take it apart and show you how it packs up though, I'll post the picks in the thread I linked to so I don't hijack this one.
If you need any extra details, just ask.
Ryan
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Ryan
Antares 200mm f/6 Dob & 130mm f/5 Travel Dob.
Projects on the go...
- a couple 80mm SS refractors on the back burner.
- a few small mirrors awaiting polishing
- 260mm f/7.15 mirror... still polishing
Member of DRAA
 My house.
 DRAACO
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NHRob
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 08/27/04
Posts: 2617
Loc: New Hampshire
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6" f/6 with Harry mirror ... almost done.
On EZTouch mount.
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Canon 12x36 IS binos
AP130EDT f/8 (for sale)
new 12.5" f/6 Royce conical mirror (for sale)
no free time ... lots of clouds !
" Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans" !!
Edited by NHRob (02/27/07 07:59 AM)
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rwiederrich
Goldfinger
Reged: 11/17/05
Posts: 6190
Loc: Bremerton Washington
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Quote:
Thank's Rob, I've work real hard on this project over the years.
I have been following your thread in the Observatory forum. Your doing pretty much what I allways dreamed of doing. If I ever get out to the Pacific NW, I'll look you up. Keep up the great work.
Your OB is an inspiration.
Since the main scope of the Center is my 6"f/15, and hopfully a large DOB. I have no need of an observatory set aside for that single purpose. I roll out of the storage building to the site. And fellow astro visitors simply bring their own gear, and set up.
It is the library/meeting/warm room that will be a great asset. Plus the machine shop, which will be used, (IN part)as a telescope making shop, and scope mod shop. (I'll work on my cars, and tractors in there too)
Secure Storage for gear, and all that is provided.
Everyone who has worked on their own OB's has been an inspiration to me as well.
Thanks for contributing to my dream....
Rob
Gold Mtn Observing Center
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www.goldmtobservingcenter.com
Providing a great place for amateur astronomers, and ATM's to come and enjoy their hobby.
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rnabholz
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 07/25/04
Posts: 765
Loc: Iowa
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Hey Rob,
Looks like a very nice, low hassle rig. It is sure to perform too with a Harry mirror.
I see a JMI crayford - what else ya got under the hood?
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Rod Nabholz
Home Built Astronomy Projects
Wild Bird Photography
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NHRob
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 08/27/04
Posts: 2617
Loc: New Hampshire
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Hi Rod,
Well, it has a 3-vane Protostar spider, 1.30" secondary. The 1.25" crayford JMI focuser has been lying around, left over from an older project. This is really my evaluation platform ... an apo-killer project. I plan to push the optics and try different fan-forced ventilation schemes.
If I feel like this is a winner, I may just rebuild it into an aluminum tube with a better focuser, like a CR2 or a FT.
I flocked the sonotube interior by first scuffing up the inside surface with a wire wheel from a hand drill. I then painted this with Krylon Ultra Flat black. Very nice!
What I don't like is how there is residual flex in the sonotube ... seen when tightening the spider and the mirror cell. I think an aluminum tube would be more robust and hold collimation better. I plan to really take a close look at how well the collimation is held.
Cheers,
Rob
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Canon 12x36 IS binos
AP130EDT f/8 (for sale)
new 12.5" f/6 Royce conical mirror (for sale)
no free time ... lots of clouds !
" Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans" !!
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rnabholz
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 07/25/04
Posts: 765
Loc: Iowa
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Rob,
Interesting idea with the Electric drill/ wire wheel flocking scheme - that's a new one on me.
I did use the same paint and it is good stuff.
Regarding the sonotube - you may be able to overcome some of the flex with endrings - I see that done often and think that would firm things up nicely. I do think that I would give something like that a try because stability advantage in the thermal qualities of sonotube vs aluminum. Especially in a planet killer.
Please report your findings once you have a chance to evaluate.
Good Luck
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Rod Nabholz
Home Built Astronomy Projects
Wild Bird Photography
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NHRob
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 08/27/04
Posts: 2617
Loc: New Hampshire
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Rod,
Good point on the endrings. I'll let you know. Tonight might be first light,
although with no fans yet .... needed here in NH.
Rob
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Canon 12x36 IS binos
AP130EDT f/8 (for sale)
new 12.5" f/6 Royce conical mirror (for sale)
no free time ... lots of clouds !
" Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans" !!
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SGT500
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 10/03/06
Posts: 1956
Loc: Ny
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Great Looking scopes Everyone!
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-Sal
Meade 16" Lightbridge
Williams Optics Zenithstar 80
Orion Atlas Eq-G
Canon Eos Xs (1000D)
My Sketch Gallery
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kingjamez
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 10/03/06
Posts: 939
Loc: Washington D.C.
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Here is a couple pics of my latest project. It uses my old Meade 8" F/6 mirror. It's got carbon fiber rods that so far seem to be sag free as the collimation holds from vertical to horizontal.
It's also got Art's flush valve focuser that while it's certainly nothing compared to my CR2, it does a surprisingly good job.
It's still a work in progress (as evidenced by the taped on shroud and fan wire sticking out), but I got first light tonight and it worked very very well.
 
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C8 on Atlas with EQMOD, BO 91mm Triplet, ETX125 UHTC
Celestron Onyx 80mm
Canon Xsi Modified w/IDAS
Gen 3 NightVision Eyepiece
8mm, 13mm Ethos
Aspiring Optician
Watch my Wiimote control Atlas:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnmkygmGNiM
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Brian Reed
Vendor (Round Table Platforms)
Reged: 10/29/04
Posts: 378
Loc: North East Illinois
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Cool scope! 
What is the ball made out of?
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rcg
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 04/27/05
Posts: 1409
Loc: Saint Charles, Missouri
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Put together this scope over two years, assembling parts as finances allowed, lens and feather touch focuser were major investments, then assembling some eyepieces and diagonals took a while. Once all the parts were ready took about a week to paint and assemble the parts, had the tube painted by others. And had an ATM machinist produce parts from my schematics. Designed the tripod and built the AltAz mount out of 3" pipe fittings with stainless counterweight shaft. Except for the painted pipe fittings everything is either stainless, brass, or aluminum, except for the poplar tripod. Here's the business end:
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Bob G.
8" F/6 Achromat home assembled on home made AltAz w/Pearl Nighthawk finder; currently parting out since return shipping fees for bad APM 8" Achro lenses are killing me  who would have thought you wouldn't get reimbursed for return shipping for optical junk? Live and learn!
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rcg
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 04/27/05
Posts: 1409
Loc: Saint Charles, Missouri
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Here's another shot lookin at ya
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Bob G.
8" F/6 Achromat home assembled on home made AltAz w/Pearl Nighthawk finder; currently parting out since return shipping fees for bad APM 8" Achro lenses are killing me who would have thought you wouldn't get reimbursed for return shipping for optical junk? Live and learn!
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rcg
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 04/27/05
Posts: 1409
Loc: Saint Charles, Missouri
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Ready for viewing
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Bob G.
8" F/6 Achromat home assembled on home made AltAz w/Pearl Nighthawk finder; currently parting out since return shipping fees for bad APM 8" Achro lenses are killing me who would have thought you wouldn't get reimbursed for return shipping for optical junk? Live and learn!
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Art Bianconi
Post Laureate
Reged: 03/06/06
Posts: 4659
Loc: Delaware River Valley, New Jer...
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Ron Ravnebergs photo of 4.1" f/4.2
Ron can you tellme where you got that nice speckled paint? It's brand name?
There are stone paints by Rustleum that look similar to that but they are heavilt textured not at all glossy like yours.
I love small aperture scopes and hope to finish a 4.25" F.5 and a 100mm F.10 soon
thanks
Art
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NHRob
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 08/27/04
Posts: 2617
Loc: New Hampshire
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Quote:
Ready for viewing
rcg ... could you show us closer shots of your mount? I am very interested.
Looks nice !
Rob
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Canon 12x36 IS binos
AP130EDT f/8 (for sale)
new 12.5" f/6 Royce conical mirror (for sale)
no free time ... lots of clouds !
" Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans" !!
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NHRob
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 08/27/04
Posts: 2617
Loc: New Hampshire
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First light report on my 6" Harry newt ...
I took it out for a quick spin last night. Night was clear but not too steady.
Not good enough to push the optics or test them but it looks great so far. The moon was wicked sharp and contrasty. Very good control of off-axis light and light scatter !
The mount attachment needs work. This was put together temporarily. The strap idea for the rings allows too much wiggle. I also need a bigger dovetail bar arrangement. All the wiggle was in the rings/dovetail/tube .... not the mount itself. I'm going to fix this and then it should be a killer scope !!!
Harry mirror seems great so far!!
Cheers,
Rob
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Canon 12x36 IS binos
AP130EDT f/8 (for sale)
new 12.5" f/6 Royce conical mirror (for sale)
no free time ... lots of clouds !
" Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans" !!
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