Swoop1

I like SteamPunk solutions to problems.

Part one of the worries over with- it got off the pad! Your model is not redundant.

No turning back now!

N+1?

I work in the bicycle industry and mine, along with many others, rely totally on the Far East manufacturing bloc. Bikes of all price points come through with stickers saying Assembled in the UK/ Assembled in Germany (other EU locations are available etc. The truth is, they ARE assembled in these locations- out of components made in China, Japan etc. Very few components are made in Europe/ USA (there are some exceptions- Hope technology in the UK, Chris King in USA etc). What the consumer is willing to pay is what leads the manufacturing market. Until consumers stop hunting the cheapest deal (I'm as guilty as everyone else), cheap Far eastern manufacturing will remain king.

I like your ingenuity Phil, nice work.

Hang it up anyway. Space exploration and science is sometimes as much about the things that went wrong as it is about the successes. Your JWST would be a tremendous monument to mans insatiable curiosity.

Just caught up with this one Chris. A fantastic build. well done sir! In answer to a question you posed earlier in the thread, I think the handholds are coloured yellow to make it easier for the astronaut to see the bits of the HST they are allowed to use as handholds. grabbing some of the other projections could damage the telescope.

I was reading the start of the thread with only the top of the first image showing. I thought "Jeepers Creepers!(or words to that effect) Nigella has let that mirror go a bit". I the scrolled down and saw I was looking at the table top🤣

Looking at your user name, I am guessing the Beacons were calling you back? Go for it and good luck!

I stand at home with a twitching sphincter every time I flick the switch after doing minor electrical repairs praying that I have been successful. I dread to think how the team will feel watching the launch then waiting for the telescope to send the signals that say "Yay, and verily thrice Yay! All widgets, woggles, lousepoodles and flanges have successfully deployed are working A OK."

The thing is, most of the moving parts only need to work once more don't they? Once deployed, that is it. I am trying to imagine designing and engineering moving parts to operate in micro gravity. Here on planet Earth, gravity can be a big assist- want that big thing to drop into place- release the latch and let it go. Up there at L2, simple things like restraining cords and guys that help with the sunshade could float on loop and cause all sorts of trouble.

Mrs Swoop1 and I take every opportunity we can to visit football grounds that we haven't been to before in our support of Swindon town FC. This past weekend, our team were the visitors to Holker Street, The home ground of Barrow AFC. Being as it isn't on our doorstep (a 5 or so hour drive) we decided to make a weekend o it, travelling up on Friday with a stop in Southport for a walk in the town and promenade. The hotel we booked for Barrow in Furness was on the outskirts of the town and looked to have a chance of quite dark skies so I packed the C6 SCT and Alt/Az tripod- just in case. It was a very we drive up and I wasn't hopeful but, at about 8:00 p.m. I took a peak out of the window and spied some sunstantial breaks in the clouds. I intended to head out on my own to set up in the shadow of an embankment that surrounde part of the hotel but my wife was concened that if something happend, I would be in trouble so she accompanied me. She has had the odd peek through my scope but not too much so I was very hapy to have her with me and to introduce her to the wonders of The orion Nebula, The Pleiades, Hyades and a close look at Aldebaran- her first Red Giant. I think she enjoyed this little interlude of cloud dodging and hopefuly might lead to more frequent visits to my scopes. We finished our weekend by looking for a venue for a short detour on the drive back. Low and behold, probably the most famous telescope in the UK is only a short drive from Junction 18 of the M6 so Jodrell Bank it was! Talk abour aperture envy....

That one is a bit special isn't it?

At my last society meeting, a member returned an 8" mirror that belongs to the group that had been in a society made Dob before it got dismantled due to the unwieldiness of the tube itself. Along with the primary, which is apparently in a mirror box equipped with repurposed Triumph Vitesse valve springs, is a secondary on its holder and a focuser. I am thinking of having a go at making a scope from these components but will obviously need input from The Throng. What would be acceptable tube material to use? Would 8" plastic pipe be sturdy enough? How do I work out what is the correct length of tube for the primary/ secondary combination? Thanks. Matt.

Our hobby is a collection of compromises- Wants very rarely match what you can afford/ source/ wangle so, along with having to settle with a few inches less in aperture, or how many elements your frac can have, as an obsy/ pier owner, the edge of the plot is where you go........

Are dome bases supposed to have corners?

Reading "below the line" on the interweb is the fast track to rage and insanity.

I use a Baader film equipped filter for my solar- both visual and imaging. I had some cracking views of the last Mercury transit and partial eclipse and captured some satisfactory (to me and who else matters!) images. The white light filters are more than adequate for sunspot viewing/ imaging. I also have a Continuum filter and it does make a visible difference in both modes.

Pete, A pent roof shed with roll off/ on capability will still look pleasing- no less so than the current metal shed. This will have the advantage of avoiding the complexity of building a dome and might also include a bonus pergola to support the roof? If the pergola idea doesn't cut it, fold away supports can be added like in the build project in this months Sky at Night mag.

Don't forget to factor in ducting for power and data cable the pier, automation and ancillaries (laptop, lighting, dehumidifying etc.).

An 'Incident' occurred during preparation/ mounting of the scope to its launcher- 'Incident' delays launch of James Webb Space Telescope - BBC News I should imagine some sphincters twitched......

Fit easily removeable casters to the base plate and have your pier position marked and expanding bolts drilled into the ground. Roll the pier to the location, remove the casters, bolt the pier in and Robert is your mothers brother.

I have seen some interesting and sometimes beautiful designs on these pages and elsewhere. My perfect obsy (at the moment) would be a beautifully crafted wooden structure with a clamshell type roof (better asthetics to my eye), perhaps resembling a Romany caravan or olde worlde railway carriage profile. It would have two piers, one for imaging and one for concurrent visual. The warm room would be set up with a pair of high spec PC's one for the imaging, one for the processing. It would also have a single bed, a Lazeeboy and a beer fridge. And no one would know where to find me.......

I Like that. I like that a lot. Are you looking for a spreader to hold the legs out or to stop them spreading too far? I ask as I think that your tripod would look very asthetically pleasing with a brass chain spreader to stop over extension- or maybe even one made from repurposed bicycle chain?