Items Adapted for Astronomy

[L8-Nite]

It would be interesting to learn what items others have adapted to be useful in our hobby.

We needed a case for our Telementor-1 model refractor, so when I spotted this snow ski case at a charity shop I could see the potential for a robust storage and transport case. It was a simple matter to cut a foam liner from a spare sleeping bag pad, and a couple of blocks of closed cell foam from some scrap pieces I had. Just a few minutes was all it took to repurpose the rugged plastic container into a fine telescope case for storage or transportation. Colour choice was not an option, but my Wife likes it.  

So, what Non Astronomy item's have you adapted to enhance your enjoyment or make observing easier ?

[L8-Nite]

A canoeing dry bag can make an excellent low cost alternative as a cover for small scopes.  

[L8-Nite]

I found a quality replacement for a missing objective cover.

My wife bought a few candles at an Aldi or Lidl shop awhile back, which I noticed came with chrome plated metal cap's lined with a silicone seal. One of them happened to be a perfect fit for the small refractor we have.  The candles with cap's come in several diameters and are regularly available in the shops.

Edited June 20, 2020 by L8-Nite
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[ScouseSpaceCadet]

On 17/06/2020 at 02:38, L8-Nite said:

A canoeing dry bag can make an excellent low cost alternative as a cover for small scopes.  

Anything prefixed with "Astronomy" or "Telescope" seems to incur a massive price hike.. 🙄

No pictures, but I use a Ducksback outboard motor cover to keep the shorter telescopes dry. 

Oh, and a light shield was fashioned using a black construction site tarpaulin fence covering, two broom handles & waterproof tape. It slides into pipe u-brackets drilled into a fence...

 

Edited June 20, 2020 by ScouseSpaceCadet

[L8-Nite]

10 hours ago, ScouseSpaceCadet said:

Anything prefixed with "Astronomy" or "Telescope" seems to incur a massive price hike.. 🙄

No pictures, but I use a Ducksback outboard motor cover to keep the shorter telescopes dry. 

Oh, and a light shield was fashioned using a black construction site tarpaulin fence covering, two broom handles & waterproof tape. It slides into pipe u-brackets drilled into a fence...

 

Yeah, I agree with you on hobby specific items. One of the biggest ripoff's are the thumb screw knobs for collimation. They are just socket head cap screws with a plastic squeeze on head, costing only pennies each. ( here's a photo) The old saying...…. you pay for what you don't know.

Another option to create collimation thumb screws is to acquire several automotive or bicycle "Tire Valve Caps", and epoxy them on to the heads of your existing collimation screws.

It would be interesting to see photos of your light shield.

[L8-Nite]

Here is a simple Solar Viewing Screen for a refractor which can be made at basically no cost. All that's required is one of the ends of a cardboard notebook cover, a piece of scrap plastic pipe which fits into your finder holder, a suitable cork, and a wood screw.

Simply jam the cork into one end of the plastic pipe and screw the cardboard onto the cork, then slide the length of the pipe in the finder holder to adjust the projected image.

Edited June 20, 2020 by L8-Nite
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[bf79]

I believe many people have used foam camping / exercise mats to make dew shields, which I'm planning on doing for my 6SE... just not got round to it yet 

[Gina]

yes indeed.

[L8-Nite]

Overseas I acquired a portable Voting Booth from a salvage yard. It made a great field desk for observing, and simply folded away into suitcase form. My only modification was to shorten the legs from standing height to chair height by using a tube cutter.

[Chaz2b]

Love the voting booth table! I had a newt minus dust cap, so I found that an old margarine tub lid fitted perfectly, painted it with acrylic black to match the tube.

Thumb screws can be had online virtually anywhere I found, plus the black handle locking screws on my Orion virtuoso tripod, I bought for £9.99 for three delivered!

scope covers,  I use the emergency blankets off eBay for a few quid, held on with just a few clothes pegs, fits most sizes of newts as well.

 

chaz

[JeremyS]

18 hours ago, L8-Nite said:

Overseas I acquired a portable Voting Booth from a salvage yard.

I suppose "vote early and vote often" becomes "observe early and observe often"?

🙂

 

[L8-Nite]

2 hours ago, JeremyS said:

I suppose "vote early and vote often" becomes "observe early and observe often"?

🙂

 

I observe as often as I can, but sure do miss the many fabulous clear nights I took for granted at our overseas home.

[Louis D]

I use a 19" plastic tool box to hold my bits and bobs that don't need foam padding like collimators, various adapters, spare counterweights, spare batteries, etc.

I use a vintage Tamrac video camera case from the 1990 era to hold my 127 Mak.  For my daughter, I use a purple gym bag to hold her 127 Mak and associated gear with bubble wrap around each object.  She can leave the closed bag out at campsites and no one thinks to steal it.

I use heavy-duty, surplussed Manfrotto photographic tripods for my DSV mounts.  They're old, but still have years of life left in them.

I've used clamps, L-brackets, and weights hanging in a plastic grocery bag to achieve balance with some Dobs.  When the angle gets low, the weight settles on the ground board and no longer pulls the scope downward.

I've used PVC plumbing bits to adapt refractor objectives to diagonals.

I use laser sights and picatinny rails to attach them, both intended for guns, to aim my telescope.

I use multiple Plano Protector 4 Pistol cases to hold lower value eyepieces, binoviewers, and diagonals.

I use a Tamrac photographic filter wallet to hold most of my astronomy filters.  It lives in the tool box mentioned above between uses.

[L8-Nite]

14 hours ago, Louis D said:

……….………………………………………………………………..

I use heavy-duty, surplussed Manfrotto photographic tripods for my DSV mounts.  They're old, but still have years of life left in them. …………………………………...

Yes, I also use a heavy duty Manfrotto tripod, a video camera tripod; got it at a flea market for £18.oo, about $22.oo equivalent at the time. Use it mostly for our 127mm Intes-Micro scope.

[Swoop1]

Lets not forget about the legions of repurposed brake discs keeping mounts attached to piers.

[Helen]

Marmite jar lids and clothes pegs as micro focusers 😉 

 

[Merlin66]

Or Vegemite lids...

[L8-Nite]

12 hours ago, Swoop1 said:

Lets not forget about the legions of repurposed brake discs keeping mounts attached to piers.

Interesting, I haven't seen that application used before. Would definitely want it hot dip galvanized prior to a mount being attached.

[Pixies]

I got a pair of 'recovery' magnets to repurpose as counterbalance weights for my dob which is a little top heavy. These things are used to fish for treasure in rivers, etc. There are whole websites dedicated to their sale.  I got a pair weighing 750g each - so 1.5kg total. I didn't want to start too heavy or large. They were £8 each.

They came with a plastic cover to stop scratching in transit, so I used epoxy to glue these in place. Then I stuck on a pair of those long thick felt floor protectors to keep the magnets off the surface of the OTA and stop them rotating.

At voila:

 

[L8-Nite]

Made up this extension light with a dimmer switch to use in our caravan awning.

[Pixies]

1 minute ago, L8-Nite said:

Made up this extension light with a dimmer switch to use in our caravan awning.

Filament bulb! You rebel!

[L8-Nite]

2 minutes ago, Pixies said:

Filament bulb! You rebel!

The dimmer takes the brightness down to that of an ember.