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My old telescope

mountainstorm

By mountainstorm
in DIY Astronomer

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mountainstorm

mountainstorm

Posted
Posted

So about 20 years ago I built a telescope as part of my A level design course.  I only did the easy bit; mount, tube assembly etc and brought the mirrors from, IIRC, David Hinds; a sweet 8" f5 pair.

I used it for about 2 years until, whilst at University, my parents moved and it went into storage.  Since then I've moved many times but only recently had enough space for it ... so it's back!  Obviously it's  bit old and ... heath robinson; but I can't imagine optics have improved that much in the last 20 years.  The only thing I'll be missing from the latest greatest newtonian will be usability :)

The mirror need a good clean, my first job, and then my plan is to set it up and try it out.  If its a total disaster I might be selling the mirrors to fund a new telescope.

Some background; for anyone interested.

  • It's all the fault of my design teacher who said it was 'too difficult' (it wasn't)
  • It's also the fault of Sir Patrick Moore and the book he wrote about the telescopes/observatories him and his neighbour built (I wish I could find it)
  • The 'tube' is made of rings of 3/4" plywood connected with threaded rod
  • Mirror supports are small metal retainers connected to a block; adjustment via 3 screws and a retaining bolt
  • The mount is 'something else' - wooden block pre-cut to 52 degrees, and cast iron pipe fittings combined with hand machined nylon bushes; still impressively smooth after so much time in the garage
  • The adjustment is via a very basic friction clutch type affair.  Two plates connected by friction; allowing you to freely rotate the telescope or turn the adjustment handle which moves a noggin along the threaded rod turning the plates
  • The adjustment mechanism has slack in spades - although it's not bad once you're going in the right direction

Originally it sat on a concrete pillar I cast with my dad in the back garden; I'm planning to fix it to the rather large Meade tripod I got off eBay about 5 years ago before I realised I didn't have room for it (at my old house).

Given the weight, size etc I'm half expecting to end up buying a new mount and building a new tube; but it seems a shame to change it ... it's so pretty :)

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Chris

Chris

Posted
Posted
4 minutes ago, mountainstorm said:

Actually, no.  I got a B.  The other work didn't grab my interest to the same level - evidently my minor project on screwdrivers wasn't as impressive :)

It did help me get onto a university Astrophysics course; so it wasn't all bad news.

Which Uni were you at? I did Astro at Hertfordshire Uni 2000-2004

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Dave In Vermont

Dave In Vermont

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This beautiful piece of engineering reminds me of a story - true, as that's the kind I like:

Some techie-geeks I know went to a trade-convention one recent year. With them they brought the best thing they'd come up with - The World's Thinnest Wire! Lordy! It was tiny!  And the team from Germany came over to check it out. "What is that?" "It's the thinnest WIRE on Earth!" - proudly exclaimed the inventors. "May we borrow that for a week?" asked the German team. "Sure!" said the Americans.

 

In a week, the German team-people returned, with the sample in a small, velvet-lined box. "Here you are." and handed it back. "So - said the American - "I told you it's the thinnest wire on Earth!" Said the German guy - "No. It's not. It is now the world's smallest tube." as he handed it back. It was.

 

Great work!

Dave

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roblegion

roblegion

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Posted

That's beautiful Mountainstorm, if the mirrors are a bit grim they would probably be worth re-coating.

Nice work.

 

Dave In Vermont, sorry bud but I heard that one years ago. Rolls Royce asked a Japanese company for the smallest drill they could manufacture.

Rolls Royce sent it back with a hole down the middle and a note saying "Got anything smaller?" :icon_biggrin:

 

 

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mountainstorm

mountainstorm

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Thanks for all the kind comments.  I took the mirrors out today and they we're in a worse condition than I thought [not as bad as in the photos - where they have steamed up - but bad].  A quick round of mirror cleaning and judicious use of cotton wool and they look much better - even the spiders web's gone.

They aren't perfect, particularly around the edges, but it's nothing major - not like the silvering is coming off.  I'm rather pleased.

Also, if anyones interested I found my original A level course work; the design etc; I'm happy to post it here so in the vague possibility that someone wants to see how easy it is t build a massively overweight telescope they can :)

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