Quote:

---

I like the eyepiece tray.

Not bad for a tool dust off project, Jason. Not bad, at all. Kind of feeling envious, actually. It's nicer that my clipboard in the lap method.

This is for your 10" Newt, I am guessing. So, you stand when observing, then saunter over and place a few sketch marks. Grab an eyepiece. That's so cool.

---

Thanks, Norme. I used it last night with my 110mm. The lunar sketch is worthless, but the ergonomics of the easel solved all of my issues. The angle is perfect, just enough of a lean for me to rest my forearm while sketching, but upright enough to mimic the angle the view I get from looking into the eyepiece. The legs are adjustable, and I used it while sitting. The legs came off of an old Meade 50mm achromat tripod that my father-in-law picked up from a yard sale.

A side story on the 50mm junk scope: dad buys one almost yearly during spring yard sale season. I always cringe. He gets the bug and hopes "this" will be the good one. Nope...they never are. The diminutive plastic mounts are rickety, the eyepieces are junky, the focusers too coarse. He would just get peeved with how awful they were and gave them to me. Finally, two years ago, I had enough of his shenanigans. I ordered a Celestron 70mm achromat, pulled it apart, flocked it, baffled it, painted it white, and built a medium duty wooden alt-az mount for it. (THE SCOPE) Then I grabbed a nice wide field from Orion Clearance that gives a 2mm exit pupil, packaged 'em up, and gave it to him as a christmas gift. He uses it all the time.


I digress. At any rate, the seating position for me is perfect. I essentially sit in one spot, and position the easel 90º to the eyepiece at the scope. Look left in the eyepiece, look right to the easel, left to the eyepiece, back to the easel, etc... Change magnifications? No problem, the eyepieces are right there, no need to get up from my seat. Need a different pencil? Swaps are in an arm's reach at the top. In my mind, as I was building it, I was looking for a pragmatic approach to solve all of my gripes with past sessions:

1) clipboard in lap
2) flashlight in mouth
3) eyepieces in case on ground
4) pencils over my ears

Part of my reasoning for the stable surface presumably comes from my intention to complete (or mostly complete) the finished sketch at the eyepiece. That is, as opposed to a rough sketch that is designed to be redrawn. Although I imagine it would be advantageous for rough sketching, too. Just having the freedom to grab various eyepieces and pencils without leaving your viewing position proved to be exceedingly useful last evening.

Oh, and don't even think about asking me to post my lunar image...pure putrescence!

Post Extras:

Quote:

---

Hi Jason,

Nice work! Like Norme, I'm a bit envious of your handiwork My method is to use a clipboard with a red flashlight while pencils roll off my lawn table and clatter across the driveway. It's a wonder I get anything done.

---

Quote:

---

22 miles on a bike? Sheesh, I thought I was doing good by walking a couple of miles last night under cloudy skies.



-stray-

---

I've been at road cycling for about a year now. Last November I struggled to do a 3 mile ride up the hill I live on. Two months ago I completed my first Metric Century ride (about 62 miles). It doesn't take much to build stamina on a bike. That said, I'm certainly not doing it at a Tour de France pace.

BTW, better that your pencils clatter across the driveway and not your eyepieces...

Post Extras:

Quote:

---

Jason,
I like when people think out of the box and put useful things together. Looks cool too!

---

Post Extras: