rwiederrich
Goldfinger
Reged: 11/17/05
Posts: 6190
Loc: Bremerton Washington
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Well everyone else has this topic in their thread list.
Sooo.....
Post-em. Yep the pictures you have of the scopes you built.
Dobs, Refractors, Newts, Cass/Schmitz..any kind.
Even Scheifspieglers.
Let us marvel at your handywork, and skill. 
Rob
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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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RRavneberg
professor emeritus
Reged: 12/02/05
Posts: 634
Loc: Columbus, OH
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10" f/5
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Ron Ravneberg
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RRavneberg
professor emeritus
Reged: 12/02/05
Posts: 634
Loc: Columbus, OH
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8" f/4.3
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Ron Ravneberg
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RRavneberg
professor emeritus
Reged: 12/02/05
Posts: 634
Loc: Columbus, OH
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6" f/6.8
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Ron Ravneberg
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RRavneberg
professor emeritus
Reged: 12/02/05
Posts: 634
Loc: Columbus, OH
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8" f/4.5
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Ron Ravneberg
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RRavneberg
professor emeritus
Reged: 12/02/05
Posts: 634
Loc: Columbus, OH
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10" f/5.6
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Ron Ravneberg
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RRavneberg
professor emeritus
Reged: 12/02/05
Posts: 634
Loc: Columbus, OH
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17.5" f/4.4
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Ron Ravneberg
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RRavneberg
professor emeritus
Reged: 12/02/05
Posts: 634
Loc: Columbus, OH
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4.1" f/4.2
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Ron Ravneberg
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RRavneberg
professor emeritus
Reged: 12/02/05
Posts: 634
Loc: Columbus, OH
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4.1" f/4.2 (on Dobsonian Mount)
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Ron Ravneberg
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rwiederrich
Goldfinger
Reged: 11/17/05
Posts: 6190
Loc: Bremerton Washington
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Quote:
10" f/5
My oh my!
Only two truss tubes???? Cool.
What is the stability of this design?
I love the wood working you have wonderfully done... 
Great scope  Can you explain the design?
Rob 
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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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rwiederrich
Goldfinger
Reged: 11/17/05
Posts: 6190
Loc: Bremerton Washington
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Quote:
4.1" f/4.2 (on Dobsonian Mount)
Good Lord!
You have surely been busy making some very awesome scopes.
Did you make the mirrors as well?
Still, the craftsmanship is superior, and the overall look and clean lines of each scope is wonderful to say the least.
I take my hat(Nasa,Table Mtn, Anacortes),off to you sir.
Very nice, very nice.
Rob
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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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Art Bianconi
Post Laureate
Reged: 03/06/06
Posts: 4659
Loc: Delaware River Valley, New Jer...
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My very first was the 6" Dobsonian made entirely from PVC and copper plumbing parts, most of them purchased from the local Home Center. Even the cell is a toilet seat riser.
The focuser, a chrome plated brass downpipe from a bathroom sink. The black rubber covers are for capping PVC with hoseclamps.
In retrospect, not much of a telescope (6" f/8 from Newport) but it worked well enough to infect me with ATM fever. I still have it but haven't used it in years.
It's affectionately called the DObsonian Crapper after John and combined, of course, with the man who invented the toilet seat.
Art
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“Everything is on its way to somewhere. . . . . everything!"
____________________ George Malley (John Travolta)
________________________ "Phenomenon"
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rwiederrich
Goldfinger
Reged: 11/17/05
Posts: 6190
Loc: Bremerton Washington
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Quote:
My very first was the 6" Dobsonian made entirely from PVC and copper plumbing parts, most of them purchased from the local Home Center. Even the cell is a toilet seat riser.
The focuser, a chrome plated brass downpipe from a bathroom sink. The black rubber covers are for capping PVC with hoseclamps.
In retrospect, not much of a telescope (6" f/8 from Newport) but it worked well enough to infect me with ATM fever. I still have it but haven't used it in years.
It's affectionately called the DObsonian Crapper after John and combined, of course, with the man who invented the toilet seat.
Art
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Art....What you have here is exactly the thing the ambitious ATM'r can do. The common materials you used shows that you flexed your imagination muscle, and made it work. Very nice work by the way.
Clean.
Rob
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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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Art Bianconi
Post Laureate
Reged: 03/06/06
Posts: 4659
Loc: Delaware River Valley, New Jer...
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The next scope I made was an H-Alpha using the same award winning formula that won Dave Groski a first place in optics at Stellafane. I went with gimballed filters to increase sensitivity.
The filters were clouded accidentally from fumes from the adhesive and with the loss of most sun spot activity, it sits in the corner, waiting to be refiltered and resurrected.
Art
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“Everything is on its way to somewhere. . . . . everything!"
____________________ George Malley (John Travolta)
________________________ "Phenomenon"
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rwiederrich
Goldfinger
Reged: 11/17/05
Posts: 6190
Loc: Bremerton Washington
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Quote:
The next scope I made was an H-Alpha using the same award winning formula that won Dave Groski a first place in optics at Stellafane. I went with gimballed filters to increase sensitivity.
The filters were clouded accidentally from fumes from the adhesive and with the loss of most sun spot activity, it sits in the corner, waiting to be refiltered and resurrected.
Art
Ingenious. I like it.
Where are the filters placed??
Rob
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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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Art Bianconi
Post Laureate
Reged: 03/06/06
Posts: 4659
Loc: Delaware River Valley, New Jer...
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The next scope was again a Dave Groski design. Only this one had no precidence. His first Schief, a 4.25", again took top honors at Stellafane and when he acknowleged that he'd designed a six inch version, I jumped at the chance to build it. Weather concerns, problems with the car and some family concerns forced cancellation of the trip to Stellafane. It will be there next year, all F-23, 4810mm worth!
It sits on a custom Truss Type Tripod I designed using three aluminum crutches, mounted to a triangular shaped head. This was done to correct a serious lack of mechanical stiffness in the original CG-4 mount. The only thing used from the CG is the twin drive head. The scopes primary cradle has been redesinged and will be rebuilt from advanced composites over a foam core.
Art
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“Everything is on its way to somewhere. . . . . everything!"
____________________ George Malley (John Travolta)
________________________ "Phenomenon"
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Art Bianconi
Post Laureate
Reged: 03/06/06
Posts: 4659
Loc: Delaware River Valley, New Jer...
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With a 12.5" f/8 Newtonian, two 6 inch Criterions and the scopes referenced above, I really had no need for yet another telescope much less one with a relatively tiny 4.25" mirror. However, when I spotted a good Jaeger mirror, figured and ready for coating for only $15 plus S&H, I got one.
It tested just slighty oblate but good enough to design a scope around. Some nice people here at CN pointed out the Windcheater and next thing I know. I'm building another scope!
I eventually did away with the Windcheater's OTA, used a box section instead, but kept that novel mount made from 1 Inch pipe fittings!
Last night we parabolized the mirror and took it to some obscene wave length, far better than any of my existing telescopes.
What started out as an attempt to build a good tiny scope, has turned into a community project for youngsters in the area who will be given the opportunity to assemble the components, complete it and then, weather permitting, use it the same evening of the Community Day here in Alexandria, New Jersey on September 30.
There's an 8" F/6.25 mirror coated and ready to go into an Airline legal, carry on, dual drive "Porta Scope".
That's next!
There's a 15" F/4.4 waiting to be figured for a fork mounted open truss. It's anyone's guess when I can get back to THAT puppy!
Art
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Art
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“Everything is on its way to somewhere. . . . . everything!"
____________________ George Malley (John Travolta)
________________________ "Phenomenon"
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rwiederrich
Goldfinger
Reged: 11/17/05
Posts: 6190
Loc: Bremerton Washington
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Quote:
The next scope was again a Dave Groski design. Only this one had no precidence. His first Schief, a 4.25", again took top honors at Stellafane and when he acknowleged that he'd designed a six inch version, I jumped at the chance to build it. Weather concerns, problems with the car and some family concerns forced cancellation of the trip to Stellafane. It will be there next year, all F-23, 4810mm worth!
It sits on a custom Truss Type Tripod I designed using three aluminum crutches, mounted to a triangular shaped head. This was done to correct a serious lack of mechanical stiffness in the original CG-4 mount. The only thing used from the CG is the twin drive head. The scopes primary cradle has been redesinged and will be rebuilt from advanced composites over a foam core.
Art
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Art, that looks like an unabstructed Schiefspiegler.
Actually the primary looks as if it is mounted laterally, apposed to underneath the seconadary tube assembly.
Interesting. Do you own this scope now?
Rob
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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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Art Bianconi
Post Laureate
Reged: 03/06/06
Posts: 4659
Loc: Delaware River Valley, New Jer...
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Thank you for the complimentary words Rob. That's nice to see.
The truth is, I enjoy designing things others can build. I have two lathes, a large Bridgeport Milling machine, vacuum bagging equipment and 30 years experience with composites.
However, any OTA achievement that requires those tools or expensive machining purchased elswhere violates not only my senses but those of people like John Dobson.
I spoke with him and David Levy last year at Stellafane. John loves economy of design and the use of common utilitaran materials (like you needed to be told that, right?)
David is tickled pink that ATM's are going back to developing good 6" telescopes! That's his favorite aperture.
Here is a shot of how the primary cell was made from a toilet seat riser, small brackets, rubber bushings and ordinary fasteners, all from the Home Center. The Silicon used to glue the mirror was also.
Thanks again.
Art
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“Everything is on its way to somewhere. . . . . everything!"
____________________ George Malley (John Travolta)
________________________ "Phenomenon"
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Tom L
Reged: 01/07/04
Posts: 29880
Loc: Sunny Oregon
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Let's try to keep it to things that have actually been built...
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Tom 
Tele Vue 102mm f/8.6 on an EzTouch
Vixen 80mm f/5 A80SSWT on a grab-n-go mount
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MMICKELS
Aluminum Knight
Reged: 01/20/04
Posts: 25451
Loc: The Land of Shake and Bake
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The pic isn't the best quality but here goes.
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Mark
"Never eat more than you can lift"
Miss Piggy
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trainsktg
Post Laureate
Reged: 08/23/05
Posts: 4511
Loc: Pacific Northwest
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Mark, Art and Ravneberg,
Stunning scopes, all.
Mark's fine craftsmanship and unusual takes on common designs...Art's more exotic (in the US) Schief and H-a scopes, and Mark...that skeletal dob...fantastic.
I'm very impressed gentlemen.
Keith
PS: Art, having constructed the Schief, would you recommend it or a Brachyt as a first try at a folded reflector? I'm guessing the Brachyt would be easier, but...
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He was a good little monkey and always very curious.
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Tom L
Reged: 01/07/04
Posts: 29880
Loc: Sunny Oregon
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Here is mine..."Endurance"
12.5" f/6 Discovery mirror in a strut design.
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Tom
Tele Vue 102mm f/8.6 on an EzTouch
Vixen 80mm f/5 A80SSWT on a grab-n-go mount
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Art Bianconi
Post Laureate
Reged: 03/06/06
Posts: 4659
Loc: Delaware River Valley, New Jer...
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Post deleted by Art Bianconi
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theoUK
sage
Reged: 04/22/04
Posts: 234
Loc: N. Yorks, UK
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Hi,
...the only scope I ever made, yet. My f5 80mm surplus shed refractor for camping trips - it weighs less than 2kg. It has a PVC tube, wooden DIY rings and I recently finished my MK3 Crayford from salvaged anodised 6mm aluminium - all constructed with handtools (a bit of a struggle but it works). The objective is surprisingly good for $30. Its my attempt to join the travelscope revolution!
Theo
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/t.allnutt/campscope2.jpg
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Vixen SP
TAL-150P
Surplus shed f5 travel scope
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Art Bianconi
Post Laureate
Reged: 03/06/06
Posts: 4659
Loc: Delaware River Valley, New Jer...
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Yes Rob, it is totally unobstructed. Being ignorant of Star Testing, and, at that time, not having yet read Sutter's book, I looked quizically at the out-of-focus image and wondered:"Where is my dark spot! Someone stole my dark spot!"
The Primary is indeed under the secondary and you can mount the scope in virtually any orientation you wish. If it's on a GEM, which this one is, as soon as you do the ". . . over-the-rop-dance" it will see both attitudes.
Yes, I own this scope now and it will be in use and on display at the NJ Astronomical Association's observatory later this week as part of a two hour presentation I will be giving to their Research Group on the design intent, mirror making, trepanning, potential pitfalls and what ever other areas the audience takes me to during the Q & A.
It will see a second iteration cradle when I replace the heavy aluminum and wood cradle withone made from foam core and covered with bidirectional fiberglass. The current one is needlessly heavy. What this scope loves best, especially with that long secondary tube, is a fork mount.
Art
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“Everything is on its way to somewhere. . . . . everything!"
____________________ George Malley (John Travolta)
________________________ "Phenomenon"
|
rwiederrich
Goldfinger
Reged: 11/17/05
Posts: 6190
Loc: Bremerton Washington
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Quote:
Let's try to keep it to things that have actually been built...
 Tom  Have some of these scopes not been built? Are some just mindscopes?
They sure look real. Well maybe not the computer generated ones. But don't those represent the actual scope?
Rob 
--------------------
www.goldmtobservingcenter.com
Providing a great place for amateur astronomers, and ATM's to come and enjoy their hobby.
|
rwiederrich
Goldfinger
Reged: 11/17/05
Posts: 6190
Loc: Bremerton Washington
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Quote:
Here is mine..."Endurance"
12.5" f/6 Discovery mirror in a strut design.
Tom, I've been meaning to ask, how in the world does that truss attach to the altitude bearing?
Looks like it might be a weak point. Great looking scope though, fer sure.
Rob
--------------------
www.goldmtobservingcenter.com
Providing a great place for amateur astronomers, and ATM's to come and enjoy their hobby.
|
rwiederrich
Goldfinger
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