Telescope Reviews: Slightly different homebuilt light block screens

I'm hoping to build my light block screens this weekend. I've read the other threads and I still have a few questions.

I don't see the need for building rectangular frames to hold the screens, you see, I'll be observing from my front yard and I can put permanent stuff in the ground.

The plan is to pound some 2" PVC into the ground and then put the uprights in that. (And before you say I'm crazy, I live on a sandbar, all windblown over the centuries, I don't think we know what a rock is....)

I also have very limited storage space, so a big frame is not attractive me.

So I'm thinking I can just insert something into the uprights and have the material attached to the uprights. The questions are:

1) Should I use wooden dowels or 1" PVC? The dowels are very rigid but quite heavy. If I had 4 eight foot ones with the material attached, it could be a chore to carry it out to the front yard. The PVC is flexible, but only a little. I can staple the material to the dowels, I have no idea how to attach the material to the PVC

2) What material should I use? Black tarps seem like a good choice. There is also all sorts of ground cover at Home Depot in the garden center, but they won't let me open it to check it out. (And the Home Depot is about an hour away, one way.)

3) Should I make one BIG structure, with many panels or make several smaller panels so they are easier to carry? If I make several smaller ones, then I'll have to put more 2" PVC in the ground.

I look forward to your comments and I'll certainly take pictures and report back as I go along.

OH, I live in North Truro, MA, USA, about 500 feet or so from National Park land. As long as it isn't humid I have pretty dark skies. If it is humid, well, I can see the nearest lighthouse beacon talk about light pollution!)

Paul

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60mm Swift Refractor
5 inch Burgess 1278 Refractor
6 inch Edmund Scientific Reflector
8 inch Celestron SCT
Celestron ASGT mount
Canon 15x50is
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Cape Cod Astronomy Society
New Hampshire Astronomy Society

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