Telescope Reviews: The Frugal Astronomer

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General Astronomy >> Beginners Forum

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Greg Keys
scholastic sledgehammer

Reged: 12/21/09

Loc: Deltona, FL

Re: The Frugal Astronomer new

[Re: werewolf6977]
#3650211 - 02/27/10 04:12 AM

I can not imagine anyone in manufacturing using a proprietary thread. Worst case, you might have to trim the screw to length, but the hardware store will sell you a set of electrical crimpers with screw cutters built in for about 5 bucks. I have replaced the collamation screws on my C-8 with no issue. Just pull one out and go to your local hardware store and have them match it up if you are unsure. As for knobs, get a hex head screw and some A/B epoxy. Put a small drop dead center on a quarter and set the screw head on it. Press firmly. For a smaller knob, use a dime. Just do not get it near your scope until it is fully set.... A/B epoxy would be BAD news dripping on your optics

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grendel
Pooh-Bah

Reged: 04/12/09

Loc: Canterbury, Kent, UK

Re: The Frugal Astronomer new

[Re: Greg Keys]
#3650268 - 02/27/10 06:21 AM

if you are going to cut screws to length, always thread a nut on before cutting, then when you have cut it unthreading the nut clears the screw thread of any burrs from cutting the thread.
Grendel

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mich_al
Pooh-Bah

Reged: 05/10/09

Loc: Rural central lower Michigan ...

Re: The Frugal Astronomer new

[Re: grendel]
#3650326 - 02/27/10 08:00 AM

Quote:

if you are going to cut screws to length, always thread a nut on before cutting, then when you have cut it unthreading the nut clears the screw thread of any burrs from cutting the thread.
Grendel

I'd also file the end rounded & smooth before I removed the nut and work the nut back and forth repeatedly over the last few threads to get it as clean as possible. Then clean all the little metal bits off before inserting it in your scope threads.

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eric_zeiner
Phoenix's Dad

Reged: 12/09/06

Loc: Georgia USA 34 31'57.18N 83 53...

Re: The Frugal Astronomer Forum??? new

[Re: droid]
#3653397 - 02/28/10 08:34 PM

Quote:

Quote:

And last but not least

Ed ; I remember seeing that scope in one of the leading astro mags in the day, I think S&T? I remember looking at every peice of 2x4 differantly from that day on ,lol.

I was honored to recieve a 12" truss tube, just come pick it up recently, but the crutch tripod.....any more info on that??? I rtecently grabbed 4 out of the garbage along the road....yes I do that occasionall....and have bee wondering how I could convert them to legs.

My most used scope is still the 4 inch C102HD I purchased used off Eric a few years ago.
Come to think Ive never bought anything new,lol.

Hey Andy, nice to see that you still have the 102HD, I hope it is serving you well!

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hwhall
sage

Reged: 09/22/08

Re: The Frugal Astronomer new

[Re: Greg Keys]
#3653479 - 02/28/10 09:24 PM

Quote:

the hardware store will sell you a set of electrical crimpers with screw cutters built in for about 5 bucks.

If you own or can borrow a Dremel type tool, cutting the screw with a cutoff disk will probably give a cleaner end than trying to chop through with the crimper's cutter. The screw might be a bit large (diameter) to easily chop. Dremel tools are like magic for lots of small chores.

BTW, some screw sizes (& focuser shafts) have same diameters as electronic switch/control shafts (e.g., 1/4 & 1/8 inch); so electronic parts suppliers might be someplace to look for adding or upgrading knobs.

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mwedel
Works with Sauropods

Reged: 12/16/07

Loc: Claremont, CA

Re: The Frugal Astronomer new

[Re: Djarum]
#3653778 - 03/01/10 02:12 AM

In The Year-Round Messier Marathon Field Guide, Harvard Pennington describes and illustrates the ultimate low-cost unit-power finder. I "built" one tonight, out of curiosity:

Here it is under the full moon:

The one Pennington illustrates in the book is actually a gift wrap tube taped to the top of an SCT. Here's what he has to say about it (from p. 55 of the book):

"You might think that something as simple and low-tech as the tube finder would be a big handicap. It is not. Dorothy Woodside, using the charts I provided, the geometric method, and a cardboard tube from a roll of gift wrapping paper taped to the regular finder of her 8-inch Meade, survived her first Messier Marathon with a 97! What is more amazing is that Dorothy had located fewer than 25 of the Messier objects in the year she had owned her telescope previous to doing a marathon."

I christened my TP tube finder the "Smelrad".

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droid
rocketman

Reged: 08/29/04

Loc: Conneaut, Ohio

Re: The Frugal Astronomer Forum??? new

[Re: eric_zeiner]
#3653972 - 03/01/10 08:37 AM

Quote:

Hey Andy, nice to see that you still have the 102HD, I hope it is serving you well!

Eric: it is my most used and if you will beloved of my fleat.

it is with me on all my trips.I have been told that is "just a achromat" so there for nothing special, but it has bested a 127mm f/8 , now gone, a 120 f/5, still here but not used often.
And while I admit it looses in aperature to my U2K it ease of set up , quikness of use , make it the one I grab 90 percent of the time, and always grab to do my lunar afocal photography.
The fact that it has a history to a freind here on CN makes it that much more important to me.

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droid
rocketman

Reged: 08/29/04

Loc: Conneaut, Ohio

Re: The Frugal Astronomer Forum??? new

[Re: droid]
#3653984 - 03/01/10 08:48 AM Attachment (66 downloads)

Frugal.....hmmm ,ok heres my idea of frugal.
To the left is a HP 635 , 2.1 MP point and shoot digital camera, in the middle a peice of plastic found in a junk barrell at work, and to the right a celestron 17mm ep from CN member.
Camera= 5.00 (yard sale find)
plastic adaptor= zero
Eyepeice=10.00

Total cost 15.00

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droid
rocketman

Reged: 08/29/04

Loc: Conneaut, Ohio

Re: The Frugal Astronomer Forum??? new

[Re: droid]
#3653987 - 03/01/10 08:49 AM Attachment (64 downloads)

Assemble the three and insert into diagonal.....

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droid
rocketman

Reged: 08/29/04

Loc: Conneaut, Ohio

Re: The Frugal Astronomer Forum??? new

[Re: droid]
#3653993 - 03/01/10 08:51 AM Attachment (60 downloads)

does it work ....?

this is attached to my C102HD

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grendel
Pooh-Bah

Reged: 04/12/09

Loc: Canterbury, Kent, UK

Re: The Frugal Astronomer Forum??? new

[Re: droid]
#3654006 - 03/01/10 08:57 AM

I have used similar with my Kodak 1Mpixel camera (point and shoot) the only difference was a lengthways slit in the tube and the addition of a jubilee clip to keep it tight on the camera.
Grendel

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droid
rocketman

Reged: 08/29/04

Loc: Conneaut, Ohio

Re: The Frugal Astronomer Forum??? new

[Re: grendel]
#3654013 - 03/01/10 09:01 AM

Id love to see photos of your rig.....I use velcro to make a snug fit to the ep and camera body, sorta kinda shimmed to fit.

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eric_zeiner
Phoenix's Dad

Reged: 12/09/06

Loc: Georgia USA 34 31'57.18N 83 53...

Re: The Frugal Astronomer Forum??? new

[Re: droid]
#3654157 - 03/01/10 10:52 AM

Quote:

does it work ....?

this is attached to my C102HD

Thats amazing

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droid
rocketman

Reged: 08/29/04

Loc: Conneaut, Ohio

Re: The Frugal Astronomer Forum??? new

[Re: eric_zeiner]
#3654338 - 03/01/10 12:27 PM

Well I guess in fairness , it was enhanced and touched up in PSP , sharpen, unsharp, mask, etc.

The up side is the psp software was free to lol.

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grendel
Pooh-Bah

Reged: 04/12/09

Loc: Canterbury, Kent, UK

Re: The Frugal Astronomer Forum??? new

[Re: droid]
#3654621 - 03/01/10 02:46 PM Attachment (57 downloads)

Here you go:-
Grendel

Quote:

Id love to see photos of your rig.....I use velcro to make a snug fit to the ep and camera body, sorta kinda shimmed to fit.

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grendel
Pooh-Bah

Reged: 04/12/09

Loc: Canterbury, Kent, UK

Re: The Frugal Astronomer Forum??? new

[Re: grendel]
#3654635 - 03/01/10 02:51 PM Attachment (49 downloads)

as you see the flash was taped, I found I could fool the camera into a shorter exposure (totally automatic- no control) by having the flash turned on. each eyepiece varied as to distance between camera and eyepiece to avoid vignetting so I had several adaptors.
the lead is plugged into a headphone socket wired to the shutter switch with a push button switch at the other end, if timed just right you could get a half second delayafter pushing the button, but it was easier to have a flying lead and not touch the camera.
I could even get the mizar alcor double with this setup - nice little camera.

Grendel

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grendel
Pooh-Bah

Reged: 04/12/09

Loc: Canterbury, Kent, UK

Re: The Frugal Astronomer Forum??? [Re: grendel]
#3654649 - 03/01/10 02:58 PM Attachment (60 downloads)

moon (just a single frame)

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grendel
Pooh-Bah

Reged: 04/12/09

Loc: Canterbury, Kent, UK

Re: The Frugal Astronomer Forum??? [Re: grendel]
#3654654 - 03/01/10 03:01 PM Attachment (64 downloads)

and the mizar alcor double

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droid
rocketman

Reged: 08/29/04

Loc: Conneaut, Ohio

Re: The Frugal Astronomer Forum??? [Re: grendel]
#3654919 - 03/01/10 05:10 PM

HMMM in one way at least youve got me beat, my way required me to drill sand and file to fit, your slit and clamp as needed, maybe not as elegant but much more user freindly.
Im amazed you were able to photo anything other than the moon, Icant my point and shoot to do anything accept the mnative shutter speed , hence my only using it for Lunar photos.Good Job, easy to do any body could do your adaptors,

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mathteacher
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 05/13/07

Loc: Oakland, CA

Re: The Frugal Astronomer Forum??? [Re: droid]
#3655389 - 03/01/10 09:34 PM

I love the cardboard tube finder!

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