tim53
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 12/17/04
Posts: 1390
Loc: Highland Park, CA
|
|
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.
--------------------
"We`re just waiting looking skyward as the days come down.
Someone promised there`d be answers, if we stayed around."
-Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark, "The Romance of the Telescope"
|
mustgobigger
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 06/12/07
Posts: 2349
|
|
thats a beauty tim,
if i say that does not count will you build the f/15
--------------------
1971 12.5" Cave Astrola
Meade 880 Deluxe
Unitron's 114,128,140,142,150,152,155,160
4" Jaegertron
4.5" A.E f/14 Refractor
4" f/15 Edmund's Refractor
Brandon 94mm F/7
|
tim53
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 12/17/04
Posts: 1390
Loc: Highland Park, CA
|
|
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.
--------------------
"We`re just waiting looking skyward as the days come down.
Someone promised there`d be answers, if we stayed around."
-Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark, "The Romance of the Telescope"
|
woodsman
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 03/12/08
Posts: 1051
Loc: Colorado Springs, CO
|
|
I love the wood tube. What species of wood is it? It kind of looks like white oak. Really nice, Rich
--------------------
artisticwoods
C-14 Orange Tube, C-8, C-5, C-90 Astro Model, C8 Schmidt Camera 8" f1.5, C5.5 Schmidt Camera f1.65, SPI 42mm f/19 Refractor, Sears 90mm f/15.56 Ref, Sears 80mm f/15 Ref, Swift 77mm f/13 Model 831, Scope 60mm f/11.7, Sears 50mm f/12
Unitron Model 140 75mm/1200mm, Unitron model 128 60mm/900mm
|
tim53
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 12/17/04
Posts: 1390
Loc: Highland Park, CA
|
|
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.
--------------------
"We`re just waiting looking skyward as the days come down.
Someone promised there`d be answers, if we stayed around."
-Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark, "The Romance of the Telescope"
|
tim53
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 12/17/04
Posts: 1390
Loc: Highland Park, CA
|
|
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.
--------------------
"We`re just waiting looking skyward as the days come down.
Someone promised there`d be answers, if we stayed around."
-Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark, "The Romance of the Telescope"
|
tim53
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 12/17/04
Posts: 1390
Loc: Highland Park, CA
|
|
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.
--------------------
"We`re just waiting looking skyward as the days come down.
Someone promised there`d be answers, if we stayed around."
-Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark, "The Romance of the Telescope"
|
Muffin Research
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 09/28/07
Posts: 992
Loc: Belgium
|
|
Birdseye Maple and Mahogany ! do you build guitars as well? 
very nice scope!
--------------------
www.myspace.com/1978recordingstudio : Ambient/Experimental/Electro
|
clintwhitman
Caveman
Reged: 01/01/07
Posts: 2404
Loc: ValVerde CA(SoEasyaCavemanCanD...
|
|
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. 
--------------------
Clint&Debbie Whitman (aveman
1960s 6"F15 Jaegers-Unipons by John Pons on a Byers 812, 1947 4" F15 TINSLEY, 1965 10" F8 CAVE, 1950 5CM & 6.5CM Nippon Kogakus (the twins), 1960s UNITRONS a 152 restored a 160 numbered green lens original mint a 114 original 50s mint, 1950s UNITRON M100 100mm F15 OTA, WO 80mm Florite, ASTROPHYSICS 155 EDFS on LOSMANDY G11, a bunch of Tascos,Sears Mayflowers The list goes on Add infinitum.
Edited by clintwhitman (06/24/09 09:30 AM)
|
clintwhitman
Caveman
Reged: 01/01/07
Posts: 2404
Loc: ValVerde CA(SoEasyaCavemanCanD...
|
|
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. 
--------------------
Clint&Debbie Whitman (aveman
1960s 6"F15 Jaegers-Unipons by John Pons on a Byers 812, 1947 4" F15 TINSLEY, 1965 10" F8 CAVE, 1950 5CM & 6.5CM Nippon Kogakus (the twins), 1960s UNITRONS a 152 restored a 160 numbered green lens original mint a 114 original 50s mint, 1950s UNITRON M100 100mm F15 OTA, WO 80mm Florite, ASTROPHYSICS 155 EDFS on LOSMANDY G11, a bunch of Tascos,Sears Mayflowers The list goes on Add infinitum.
|
tim53
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 12/17/04
Posts: 1390
Loc: Highland Park, CA
|
|
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.
--------------------
"We`re just waiting looking skyward as the days come down.
Someone promised there`d be answers, if we stayed around."
-Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark, "The Romance of the Telescope"
|
tim53
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 12/17/04
Posts: 1390
Loc: Highland Park, CA
|
|
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.
--------------------
"We`re just waiting looking skyward as the days come down.
Someone promised there`d be answers, if we stayed around."
-Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark, "The Romance of the Telescope"
|
tim53
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 12/17/04
Posts: 1390
Loc: Highland Park, CA
|
|
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.
--------------------
"We`re just waiting looking skyward as the days come down.
Someone promised there`d be answers, if we stayed around."
-Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark, "The Romance of the Telescope"
|
plyscope
sage
Reged: 11/23/06
Posts: 317
Loc: Perth, West Australia
|
|
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.
--------------------
Andy
6" f15 D&G lens
TSA 102
90mm f16.7 Antares lens
TV60
|
Dr Morbius
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 02/06/07
Posts: 1717
|
|
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!). 
--------------------
Meade ETX-125
NightFire 6" f/8 Refractor with Moonlite focuser
Meade 14" LX200 S/C
D&G 10" f/15 Refractor with Parallax Mount
Little Giant 11x70mm Binos
I'm afraid of dying, but I've learned to live with it. ......Steve Perry
|
tim53
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 12/17/04
Posts: 1390
Loc: Highland Park, CA
|
|
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.
--------------------
"We`re just waiting looking skyward as the days come down.
Someone promised there`d be answers, if we stayed around."
-Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark, "The Romance of the Telescope"
|
tim53
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 12/17/04
Posts: 1390
Loc: Highland Park, CA
|
|
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
--------------------
"We`re just waiting looking skyward as the days come down.
Someone promised there`d be answers, if we stayed around."
-Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark, "The Romance of the Telescope"
|
RLTYS
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/18/04
Posts: 2117
Loc: New York (Long Island)
|
|
tim53
Definitely this forum. 
Rich (RLTYS)
--------------------
10" F4.8 Refl.
4" F5 Refr.
3" F4 Celestron FirstScope
50mm F12 Refr. (Tasco #6TE-5)
12x63 and 10x50 Binoculars.
"I want to do more then just look."
|
tim53
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 12/17/04
Posts: 1390
Loc: Highland Park, CA
|
|
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.
--------------------
"We`re just waiting looking skyward as the days come down.
Someone promised there`d be answers, if we stayed around."
-Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark, "The Romance of the Telescope"
|
TimD
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 02/16/05
Posts: 824
Loc: CA USA
|
|
I love the wood tube!
--------------------
Takahashi TSC 225
WO Megrez 102
Meade ETX 90, ETX 125
Meade LX90
Classic Orange tube C14, C90, C5+
Etc,Etc,Etc!!
|
Previous
Index
Next
Threaded
Edit
Reply
Quote
[Re: 