Back from another long hiatus!!!

[marcopolo]

HI folks, long time no speak. I'm sorry for my absence. If there's one fantastic thing offered up by this lock down it's the chance to reconnect with family but more importantly get back to some proper hardcore telescope building. It's been too long and it's too sad that it should take this to get going again and give us the time to revisit such a beautiful and rewarding hobby.

Some of the stuff i've kicked off with again (just because it offers up the biggest quick win over the summer to be ready for autumn) is my 12in F3.3 Newtonian (Dobsonian presently, but will go on a pier eventually). The mirror has been re-coated Orion Hilux so it's all ready for build. I've started blogging my weekly progress with construction detail, recently first light dry run, just to check he focal plane.

https://marcosatm.com/2020/05/21/not-quite-first-light/     -  First light

https://marcosatm.com/2020/05/15/gettin-jiggy-wit-it/    - Some Jigs and fixtures for assembly

https://marcosatm.com/2020/05/10/measure-thrice-cut-once/   -  Detailing some of the CAD/method

Here's a rather spooky fact for you. This mirror was ground and figured in 1984 for Ferranti/ GEC Marconi being used in a laser firing room. Now as it had never seen the light of day in all that time, so first light when I did it this week happened to be Arturus in Bootis as it was very bright in the southern sky, in fact the first star out that night. (I live 55degN so summers are permanent twighlight.). I'm getting to the spooky bit. Arcturus is 36 light years away. You know where i'm going with this. This was complete chance, i'm not making this up.

Anyway i'm over at the FB group "Amateur telescope making" posting regularly now.

happy building,

Marco.

www.marcosatm.com

 

Edited May 22, 2020 by marcopolo
typos

[TerryMcK]

Wow that is spooky Marco 👻