Telescope Reviews: scaled up travelscope

· Get a Cloudy Nights T-Shirt

· Submit a Review / Article

Click here if you are having trouble logging into the forums

Privacy Policy | Please read our Terms of Service | Signup and Troubleshooting FAQ | Problems? PM a Red or a Green Gu… uh, User

You are not logged in. [Login]

Entrance · Main Index · Search · New user · Who's Online
FAQ · Calendar

Equipment Discussions >> ATM, Optics and DIY Forum

Pages: 1

Ed Jones
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 04/06/04

Loc: Sin-sin-atti

scaled up travelscope new

#5517868 - 11/13/12 12:47 PM Attachment (47 downloads)

My 10 inch travel scope turned out to be very popular so when I ended up with a 16 inch f/4.3 mirror (long story) I decided why not do a scaled up version of my 10 inch. It's not meant for airline travel but it will store in a nice compact cube to travel in any car. The side bearings will store underneath once I get some plastic knobs. It's performance is super too.

Post Extras:

Pinbout
Post Laureate

Reged: 02/22/10

Loc: Montclair

Re: scaled up travelscope new

[Re: Ed Jones]
#5517992 - 11/13/12 01:49 PM

that walnut is off the chain.

Post Extras:

Gastrol
scholastic sledgehammer

Reged: 11/04/11

Loc: los angeles

Re: scaled up travelscope new

[Re: Pinbout]
#5518004 - 11/13/12 01:59 PM

I agree, absolutely beautiful woodwork!

Post Extras:

killdabuddha
Pooh-Bah

Reged: 08/26/11

Re: scaled up travelscope new

[Re: Pinbout]
#5518350 - 11/13/12 05:19 PM

Quote:

that walnut is off the chain.

Indeed. And the choice of thinner ply, finish, and you kept the knot. Like the secondary cage shape, too. So clean.

Post Extras:

tcmzodiac
professor emeritus

Reged: 11/11/11

Re: scaled up travelscope new

[Re: killdabuddha]
#5518445 - 11/13/12 06:20 PM

FANTASTIC!!!!

Post Extras:

Ed Jones
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 04/06/04

Loc: Sin-sin-atti

Re: scaled up travelscope new

[Re: killdabuddha]
#5518449 - 11/13/12 06:24 PM Attachment (19 downloads)

I got tired of trying to line up the pivot hole on the rocker box with the platform pin so I tacked on a V shaped piece of 1/8 inch teflon so the pin just falls in the hole every time. Also the 4 square poles are simpler than trusses, I just drop them in and push in sets of wedges.
Pic looks a bit like jupiter.

Post Extras:

tcmzodiac
professor emeritus

Reged: 11/11/11

Re: scaled up travelscope new

[Re: Ed Jones]
#5518461 - 11/13/12 06:35 PM

Ed, you are "the bomb" sir.

Post Extras:

starman345
Wait, I'm Thinking

Reged: 07/06/10

Loc: New Brunswick, Canada

Re: scaled up travelscope new

[Re: tcmzodiac]
#5518478 - 11/13/12 06:42 PM

Nice telescope, that picture does look like jupiter

Post Extras:

killdabuddha
Pooh-Bah

Reged: 08/26/11

Re: scaled up travelscope new

[Re: starman345]
#5518486 - 11/13/12 06:48 PM

Ah! Square poles? Sir, I am convinced of their superiority when it comes to the firmest bracing at the nodes--so important for holdin collimation toward horizon, and stronger in "our" direction than the same size round. I appreciate it even more. May we have a pic of it unfurled?

Post Extras:

Ed Jones
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 04/06/04

Loc: Sin-sin-atti

Re: scaled up travelscope new

[Re: killdabuddha]
#5518561 - 11/13/12 07:22 PM Attachment (18 downloads)

Sure. Yea the knot was supposed to be on the bottom side, not the top. I guess I'll have to put a plaque there.

Post Extras:

tcmzodiac
professor emeritus

Reged: 11/11/11

Re: scaled up travelscope new

[Re: Ed Jones]
#5518575 - 11/13/12 07:40 PM

Hey! Knots add character. We ought to be proud of the naturally occurring anomolies in wood...if they do not affect stability or function...which that knot most assuredly does not (knot)!

Post Extras:

Ed Jones
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 04/06/04

Loc: Sin-sin-atti

Re: scaled up travelscope new

[Re: tcmzodiac]
#5518583 - 11/13/12 07:47 PM

Yes knots are OK but they cut them out and put biscuits in place which I don't care much for.

Post Extras:

killdabuddha
Pooh-Bah

Reged: 08/26/11

Re: scaled up travelscope new

[Re: Ed Jones]
#5518900 - 11/13/12 11:24 PM

I just know that when I was gonna go with birch, a gander at the old cedar planks convinced me otherwise. Many here are fond of sayin that nature doesn't make straight lines (except for crystals?), and I'm mighty fond of Andy Goldsworthy's art. Even dabbled in some natural pieces myself.

http://www.google.com/search?q=andy+goldsworthy+art&hl=en&tbo=d&s...

Long story short, I used as many of the knots as I could manage, in an attempt to recreate a "Starry Night" sorta backdrop. "As above so below" and all that. Anyway, I like the knot, whether you kept it intentionally or no. Seems Andy even has a few globular clusters and planetary nebulae of his own. Bet he'd like ours, too.

Post Extras:

Ed Jones
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 04/06/04

Loc: Sin-sin-atti

Re: scaled up travelscope new

[Re: killdabuddha]
#5519331 - 11/14/12 10:48 AM

I used .010 in. thick shim stock on the 3 vane straight spider. Even on the brightest stars the spikes are faint.

Post Extras:

Pinbout
Post Laureate

Reged: 02/22/10

Loc: Montclair

Re: scaled up travelscope new

[Re: killdabuddha]
#5519351 - 11/14/12 11:01 AM

Quote:

I just know that when I was gonna go with birch, a gander at the old cedar planks convinced me otherwise. Many here are fond of sayin that nature doesn't make straight lines (except for crystals?), and I'm mighty fond of Andy Goldsworthy's art. Even dabbled in some natural pieces myself.

ok knots are cool, very cool, but man made footballs are only good for sunday afternoons and having a catch with the kids, not for birch ply.

I love english brown oak with lots of flake for the reason you stated above but not with footballs.

Post Extras:

killdabuddha
Pooh-Bah

Reged: 08/26/11

Re: scaled up travelscope new

[Re: Pinbout]
#5519405 - 11/14/12 11:33 AM

Those biscuits ARE horrendous. Never seen 'em on the birch or finer ply, tho.

Post Extras:

jgraham
Postmaster

Reged: 12/02/04

Loc: Dayton, Ohio

Re: scaled up travelscope [Re: killdabuddha]
#5519496 - 11/14/12 12:48 PM

Very nice Ed. Thanks for sharing this, I've been struggling with a redesign of the upper tube assembly for my 16.5" f/6.5 and you've given me an idea.

Further thought is necessary...

Post Extras:

Pages: 1

Extra information

12 registered and 20 anonymous users are browsing this forum.

Moderator: ausastronomer, richard7

Print Thread

Forum Permissions
      You cannot start new topics
      You cannot reply to topics
      HTML is disabled
      UBBCode is enabled

Thread views: 1964

Jump to

CN Forums

Home

Cloudy Nights LLC
Cloudy Nights Sponsor: Astronomics