1834 replies to this topic

[R Botero]

Then machined a focuser holder and bored to radius of OTA. Drilled for focuser and secondary arm. 

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Edited by R Botero, 28 November 2022 - 04:42 PM.

[R Botero]

Built a focuser out of an M42 adapter and threaded it and a bolt to move the main mirror as per Jim’s suggestion. And started putting it together. 

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[R Botero]

Finally for the total imitation look, covered OTA with black carbon fibre looking adhesive paper. 
Had a quick look at Jupiter tonight, and although not best collimated, I could see a couple of moons!

 

Roberto

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[Lumix.guy]

Not quite a fully functional telescope but my first home made one … trying to emulate the miniature ones Jim Riffle sold in the past. I acquired one of his Mikromounts recently and Jim kindly pointed me to a local supplier of optics where I could buy the tiny primary (40mm f/4.375) and diagonal (12.75mm).
Firstly, I made a mock model in cardboard to test the rough distances between components.

Then I machined in aluminium the tube from a 1 3/4” piece and threaded one end to M42x0.7.

Beautiful project, but for the record, I bet you threaded one end to M42x0.75.

 

John

Edited by Lumix.guy, 28 November 2022 - 04:57 PM.

[R Botero]

You are obviously right! Missed the 0.05!

[mikemarotta]

Wow... that was an interesting read and still 60 more pages to go backward and forward...  I am just blown away by the creativity and craftsmanship.

 

Thanks to all!

Mike M.

[Diego]

Finally for the total imitation look, covered OTA with black carbon fibre looking adhesive paper.
Had a quick look at Jupiter tonight, and although not best collimated, I could see a couple of moons!

Roberto

Wow!! Excellent work!!! You'd be surprised how much you can actually see with 40mm

[chantepierre]

 

Cut my trusses tonight. Here's a completed hyperbolic 200/716 (iirc) scope waiting to be painted !

Edited by chantepierre, 02 December 2022 - 03:42 PM.

[adamckiewicz]

Gorgeous scope! It will give tremendous views on andromeda and Pleiades!

[chantepierre]

Gorgeous scope! It will give tremendous views on andromeda and Pleiades!

Thanks ! I hope to silver the primary next week then patiently wait for a clear night at Hautacam !

[adamckiewicz]

Thanks ! I hope to silver the primary next week then patiently wait for a clear night at Hautacam !

Maybe we’ll meet!

[adamckiewicz]

I see the inspiration from Mel Bartels. That is great!!!

[psionik]

Here is a picture of my 24 inch Alt/Az Cassegrain that I have recently commissioned at my new location in northern New Mexico. This replaces the 16 inch I built in the 90's. This scope is entirely homemade with the exception of the mirrors.

 

Religious or not, sometimes I feel like I am in the presence of a god.

[psionik]

The Planet Killer:

 

Planet killer.jpg

 

And now I just saw the devil!

[harrykam]

Posting a Small project an 80mm f/15 folded refractor made for my youngest son.  Lens Cell, front and rear and diagonal support are 3d printed.  Yellow material is a flexible 3d printed filament used instead of springs for collimation.  

Images are very nice and it is easier to manage vs. a straight through 80mm f/15 as well as convenient to make the dob like mount (plywood).  Covering is using Coroplast.

 

Edited by harrykam, 28 December 2022 - 11:26 AM.

[a__l]

New version of my 24" f/3.3

https://www.cloudyni...day/?p=12424170

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Edited by a__l, 16 January 2023 - 12:24 AM.

[Rutilus]

100mm f/3.5 achromat refractor reduced down to f/2.8. I have a 9x50mm finder attached for size comparison.

Some single frame images, usually 5-10 second exposure taken in Bortle 8 skies with the scope. 

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[Lumix.guy]

100mm f/3.5 achromat refractor reduced down to f/2.8. I have a 9x50mm finder attached for size comparison.

Some single frame images, usually 5-10 second exposure taken in Bortle 8 skies with the scope. 

Can you share more about the optical configuration?  Is it a 100mm f/3.5 achromatic lens from a binocular or ??  And what reducer are you using to get to f/2.8?  And tell us about your OTA?  Is it PVC or aluminum?

 

Thanks!

 

John

[R Botero]

100mm f/3.5 achromat refractor reduced down to f/2.8. I have a 9x50mm finder attached for size comparison.
Some single frame images, usually 5-10 second exposure taken in Bortle 8 skies with the scope.

Have you tried taking a picture of comet E3 ZTF with this fast scope?

[Rutilus]

Can you share more about the optical configuration?  Is it a 100mm f/3.5 achromatic lens from a binocular or ??  And what reducer are you using to get to f/2.8?  And tell us about your OTA?  Is it PVC or aluminum?

 

Thanks!

 

John

John - The lens is a Japanese made binocular lens bought around 30 years ago.

The main tube is PVC. I'm not sure what the dewshield tube is. I got it out of the skip/dumpster

on a building site. It has a textured surface both inside and out and is extremely strong. Someone 

suggested to me that it might be some type of fibreglass tube. It machines and drills superbly well.

The focal reducer is made from 48mm doublet lenses, housed inside the diagonal.

The main use for this scope is aircraft tracking and identification, but I did observe Venus at midday

the other day with 140x power. 

Being fast, it does produce it fair share of abberations the further you go out from the centre when imaging

and focusing is critical.  

[Rutilus]

Have you tried taking a picture of comet E3 ZTF with this fast scope?

Roberto - Thats a mighty fine suggestion. I need to go and check out its location.

[Rutilus]

Managed to find the comet after about 5 minutes of sweeping  my Bortle 8 skies.

Vuisually it appeared as a small fuzzy grey/blue ball. Took this single frame 45 second 

image at ISO400. Problem I had was that the comet was located in the direction of the town centre

where the light pollution is at its worse.  Wish I could get this scope out to a really dark place for some fun.

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Edited by Rutilus, 21 January 2023 - 08:17 AM.

[kbart0791]

John - The lens is a Japanese made binocular lens bought around 30 years ago.

The main tube is PVC. I'm not sure what the dewshield tube is. I got it out of the skip/dumpster

on a building site. It has a textured surface both inside and out and is extremely strong. Someone 

suggested to me that it might be some type of fibreglass tube. It machines and drills superbly well.

The focal reducer is made from 48mm doublet lenses, housed inside the diagonal.

The main use for this scope is aircraft tracking and identification, but I did observe Venus at midday

the other day with 140x power. 

Being fast, it does produce it fair share of abberations the further you go out from the centre when imaging

and focusing is critical.  

I destroyed a good Orion 16X80 pair of binoculars (long story).  My plan is to do what you did lol.  No sense in wasting a good 80mm objective lens.  By the way, does any one have any idea on what the F/number is on the mass produced 80mm binoculars?  I am thinking that most of them are probably around F/4 or F/5.

[Lumix.guy]

I destroyed a good Orion 16X80 pair of binoculars (long story).  My plan is to do what you did lol.  No sense in wasting a good 80mm objective lens.  By the way, does any one have any idea on what the F/number is on the mass produced 80mm binoculars?  I am thinking that most of them are probably around F/4 or F/5.

They are f/4.  I'm currently in the process of converting a damaged pair of Skymaster 20x80 to right-angle viewing.  It's been a long and winding road ...

 

John

[CastCarbon]

I promise I built it at home.

I also have some construction pictures of it. I'll post. It now lives ( I believe still,as I haven't seen it in 2 years.. it's like that around here..)

At John Bryan State Park Observatory near Yellow Springs Ohio.

It is a 12.5inch f/11 Planetary Newtonian on German Equatorial mount of my design with Rotating Rings. 

The mirror and Optics I believe came from a fella by the name of Earl French. It used to be called the French telescope. the only thing left of that, is the glass and a very heavy metal tube that I restored and painted.

That is world famous, and my friend, astrophotographer John Chumak standing there.

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