Paul Gerlach

Hi Steve, For some reason I don't receive any e-mail when there are new posts. Here are some tips: Use a 0.5 mm (or even a 0.6 mm) instead of an 0.4 mm. Due to the carbon fibres a wider nozzle will avoid any clogs. Bed adhesion: Hairspray on PEI surface (without the adhesion maybe to good). Other bed surfaces may also work. Haven't tried that. Bed temperature: 80C first layer, 70C second layer and onwards. Nozzle temperature: 240C For the main body: 6-8 mm brim Layer height 0.2 mm (first layer 0.1 - 0.15 mm) shell: 3 layers infill: 30% Full honeycomb (for main body) Support: not to much infill (20%) and 3-4 layers of interface with a separation of 1 layer (0.2 mm). Support from 50-60 degrees onward. Printing speed: depends on your type of printer (60 - 80 mm/sec). CoreXY printers can handle 120 - 150 mm/sec) You can print multiple objects but the threatened ones should be printed one at a time at a layer height of 0.1 mm Calibrating your extruder is essential (google for some explanation) so as to avoid under- or over extrusion. Because plastics tend to shrink when cooling down, you should use x, y compensation in your slicer. I don't use CURA myself but google for 'Horizontal Expansion CURA' to learn more. Don't use PLA for the main body as this material is transparent to infrared light and it starts to deform at temperatures above 50C. Hope this will get you started. Cheers, Paul

Although ABS is a very common filament, it has its problems. Warping due to rapid cooling is a big problem. Especially with relatively big objects like the Lowspec main body. I Use Green Tec Carbon from Extrudr. It has little warp and is, as the name suggest, filled with carbon. Paul

The Ender 3 is a cheap but capable printer. If you only print ones in a while than this is a perfect printer.

Hi Steve, It's been a while sice I've been here. Only now saw your post. A maksutov is a great telescope for planet photography but not so for spectroscopy. The Lowspec 3.0 will work at f/14. It's just not optimal. So if you want to start with spectroscopy, then by all means, use it. As you become more experienced and want to do some serious observations, then you can always progress to a better suited telescope. Best regards, Paul

Well... back in 2012 I made this one... 😂

Installation of the roof. Used some painters tape because I'm not very good when it comes to silicone sealant 😅. The black 'skirt' is to cover the small opening.

This evening (they get noticeably shorter) I installed some elements of the roof. The telescopic rails, side panels and roof support. Al the brow-black parts are 3D printed.

The frame is made out of aluminium 30 x 30 mm profiles. 1200 x 1200 mm foot print, 1300 mm height. Walls are of 6 mm thick HPL panels. Roof side panels of the same HPL. The top 3mm HPL sandwiched with aluminium.

After work, finished the sliding door to gain access to this small telescope housing. Next will be the roof.

Found some time today to build on my mini observatory.

Another step. Placed the Electricity cable. First pour of concrete for the floor. A foam border is to keep the concrete from the floor away from the concrete pier so no vibrations can be transferred. Tomorrow I'll place the rebar and do the rest of the concrete.

Hi Rodolphe, Those are concrete palisade (120 x 15 x 15 cm). I matched it with the footprint of the observatory (120 x 120 cm).

It's a electrically powered pier from Pier-Tech. I bought it about ten years ago and will probably never part with it 😄

No automation of the roof. I'll simply open and close it by hand. The pier can be extended lifting the telescope out of it's enclosure. Telescope will be operated remotely.