What DIY project did you work on this week?
- Rainmaker
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What DIY project did you work on this week?
For me DIY has been a necessary evil, though I now have some nice equipment it was not always so, in fact my very first telescope was a rubbish dump find 60mm F10 refractors nearly 50 years ago.
Repairing that scope set me on a course of many, many DIY projects including two 18" Dobs and lots of little enhancements for my other astro items....
My most recent ones include many modifications to my FTX mount, a new polished base for my AZ-EQ6GT mount and a "Super Jumbo" fine focus knob for the Feathertouch on my Excalibur:
Rainmaker “Excalibur” 18” F3.5 +SIPS @ 1860mm
TMB-LZOS 152mm F7.9 @ 1200mm
Takahashi FOA 60mm F8.8
Takahashi FC76DC F7.5
Skylight AR101.15
- OzEclipse Online
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Re: What DIY project did you work on this week?
Two weeks ago
I made a sprung adapter sleeve so I can use my 28.5mm bore iOptron counterweights on my 18mm Takahashi EM-200 counterweight shaft. Machined it from a piece of 32mm aluminium shaft leftover from another job so it only cost me the time it took me to machine it.
This week
I purchased a second hand R.F. Royce 12"f6 conical mirror. RMS 0.036 wave, 0.96 Strehl. Seller is travelling to Canberra next month and will bring it with him. Mirror only weight 4.5kg. Tossing up between a lightweight ultra-portable
I cannot get these pictures to place where I want and the sleeve picture has reproduced twice. I have not doubled up on the insert code.
Sorry
Joe
Amateur astronomer since 1978...................Web site : http://joe-cali.com/
Scopes: ATM 18" Dob, Vixen VC200L, ATM 6"f7, Stellarvue 102ED, Saxon ED80, WO M70 ED, Orion 102 Maksutov, ST80.
Mounts: Takahashi EM-200, iOptron iEQ45, Push dobsonian with Nexus DSC, three homemade EQ's.
Eyepieces: TV Naglers 31, 17, 12, 7; Denkmeier D21 & D14; Pentax XW10, XW5, Unitron 40mm Kellner, Meade Or 25,12
Cameras : Pentax K1, K5, K01, K10D / VIDEO CAMS : TacosBD, Lihmsec.
Cam/guider/controllers: Lacerta MGEN 3, SW Synguider, Simulation Curriculum SkyFi 3+Sky safari
Memberships Astronomical Association of Queensland; RASNZ Occultations Section; Single Exposure Milky Way Facebook Group (Moderator) (12k members), The Sky Searchers (moderator)
- OzEclipse Online
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Re: What DIY project did you work on this week?
Amateur astronomer since 1978...................Web site : http://joe-cali.com/
Scopes: ATM 18" Dob, Vixen VC200L, ATM 6"f7, Stellarvue 102ED, Saxon ED80, WO M70 ED, Orion 102 Maksutov, ST80.
Mounts: Takahashi EM-200, iOptron iEQ45, Push dobsonian with Nexus DSC, three homemade EQ's.
Eyepieces: TV Naglers 31, 17, 12, 7; Denkmeier D21 & D14; Pentax XW10, XW5, Unitron 40mm Kellner, Meade Or 25,12
Cameras : Pentax K1, K5, K01, K10D / VIDEO CAMS : TacosBD, Lihmsec.
Cam/guider/controllers: Lacerta MGEN 3, SW Synguider, Simulation Curriculum SkyFi 3+Sky safari
Memberships Astronomical Association of Queensland; RASNZ Occultations Section; Single Exposure Milky Way Facebook Group (Moderator) (12k members), The Sky Searchers (moderator)
- Altocumulus Online
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Re: What DIY project did you work on this week?
I also had to fashion a removable lower front to the box, because every time I parked I was within a whisker of bashing off my camera. Forgetting to retract drawtube before parking could have had expensive consequences for my 102! A peril of remote observing.
I do what I do because I can, and because I want to.
It doesn't mean I know what I'm doing
- Thefatkitty
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Re: What DIY project did you work on this week?
I don't have any machining skills, but I made this a couple weeks ago with my MIG welder. My tribute to Orion...
Again, nicely done and all the best,
"The Hankmeister" Celestron 8SE, orange tube Vixen made C80, CG4, AZ-EQ5 and SolarQuest mounts.
Too much Towa glass/mirrors.
Solar:
H/A - PST stage 2 mod with a Baader 90mm ERF on a Celestron XLT 102 (thanks Mike!)
Ca-K - W/O 61mm, Antares 1.6 barlow, Baader 3.8 OD and Ca-K filters with a ZWO ASI174mm.
W/L - C80-HD with Baader 5.0 & 3.8 Solar film, Solar Continuum 7.5nm and UV/IR filters with a Canon EOS 550D.
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- helicon Online
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Re: What DIY project did you work on this week?
Refractors: ES AR152 f/6.5 Achromat on Twilight II, Celestron 102mm XLT f/9.8 on Celestron Heavy Duty Alt Az mount, KOWA 90mm spotting scope
Binoculars: Celestron SkyMaster 15x70, Bushnell 10x50
Eyepieces: Various, GSO Superview, 9mm Plossl, Celestron 25mm Plossl
Camera: ZWO ASI 120
Naked Eye: Two Eyeballs
Latitude: 48.7229° N
- OzEclipse Online
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Re: What DIY project did you work on this week?
I can attest to Matt's skill and workmanship. I bought his older beautifully constructed 18"f5.6Post by Thefatkitty » Sat May 18, 2019 11:14 pm
Wow Matt, that to me is some really nice machine work! Better than factory, even Well done, to both you and Joe as well.
Joe
Amateur astronomer since 1978...................Web site : http://joe-cali.com/
Scopes: ATM 18" Dob, Vixen VC200L, ATM 6"f7, Stellarvue 102ED, Saxon ED80, WO M70 ED, Orion 102 Maksutov, ST80.
Mounts: Takahashi EM-200, iOptron iEQ45, Push dobsonian with Nexus DSC, three homemade EQ's.
Eyepieces: TV Naglers 31, 17, 12, 7; Denkmeier D21 & D14; Pentax XW10, XW5, Unitron 40mm Kellner, Meade Or 25,12
Cameras : Pentax K1, K5, K01, K10D / VIDEO CAMS : TacosBD, Lihmsec.
Cam/guider/controllers: Lacerta MGEN 3, SW Synguider, Simulation Curriculum SkyFi 3+Sky safari
Memberships Astronomical Association of Queensland; RASNZ Occultations Section; Single Exposure Milky Way Facebook Group (Moderator) (12k members), The Sky Searchers (moderator)
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Re: What DIY project did you work on this week?
That is a very beautiful instrument, even theOzEclipse wrote: ↑Sat May 18, 2019 9:44 pmI can attest to Matt's skill and workmanship. I bought his older beautifully constructed 18"f5.6Post by Thefatkitty » Sat May 18, 2019 11:14 pm
Wow Matt, that to me is some really nice machine work! Better than factory, even Well done, to both you and Joe as well.dob .
Joe
Scopes: Apertura AD12 f/5; Celestron C6-R f/8; ES AR127 f/6.4; Stellarvue SV102T f/7; iOptron MC90 f/13.3; Orion ST80A f/5; ES ED80 f/6; Celestron Premium 80 f/11.4; Celestron C80 f/11.4; Unitron Model 142 f/16; Meade NG60 f/10
Mounts: Celestron AVX; Bresser EXOS-2; ES Twilight I; ES Twilight II; iOptron Cube-G; AZ3/wood tripod; Vixen Polaris
Binoculars: Pentax PCF WP II 10×50, Bresser Corvette 10×50, Bresser Hunter 16×50 and 8×40, Garrett Gemini 12×60 LW, Gordon 10×50, Apogee 20×100
- OzEclipse Online
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Re: What DIY project did you work on this week?
Bryan,bladekeeper wrote: ↑Sat May 18, 2019 10:04 pmThat is a very beautiful instrument, even theOzEclipse wrote: ↑Sat May 18, 2019 9:44 pmI can attest to Matt's skill and workmanship. I bought his older beautifully constructed 18"f5.6Post by Thefatkitty » Sat May 18, 2019 11:14 pm
Wow Matt, that to me is some really nice machine work! Better than factory, even Well done, to both you and Joe as well.dob .
Joetelrad got treatment! I am envious, Joe!
Matt has built two 18" dobs and I think you are confusing the two. His first, an 18"f5.6 (AKA Guinevere) is mostly made from Marine ply and looks like an upmarket SDM scope. It is a beautifully built and exquisitely finished instrument but big and heavy at around 90kg. Stored permanently at a dark site, I can wheel it out and assemble, collimate and cailbrate the
Joe's 18"f5.6
Matt's 18"f3.5 Cheers
Joe
Amateur astronomer since 1978...................Web site : http://joe-cali.com/
Scopes: ATM 18" Dob, Vixen VC200L, ATM 6"f7, Stellarvue 102ED, Saxon ED80, WO M70 ED, Orion 102 Maksutov, ST80.
Mounts: Takahashi EM-200, iOptron iEQ45, Push dobsonian with Nexus DSC, three homemade EQ's.
Eyepieces: TV Naglers 31, 17, 12, 7; Denkmeier D21 & D14; Pentax XW10, XW5, Unitron 40mm Kellner, Meade Or 25,12
Cameras : Pentax K1, K5, K01, K10D / VIDEO CAMS : TacosBD, Lihmsec.
Cam/guider/controllers: Lacerta MGEN 3, SW Synguider, Simulation Curriculum SkyFi 3+Sky safari
Memberships Astronomical Association of Queensland; RASNZ Occultations Section; Single Exposure Milky Way Facebook Group (Moderator) (12k members), The Sky Searchers (moderator)
- OzEclipse Online
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Re: What DIY project did you work on this week?
Amateur astronomer since 1978...................Web site : http://joe-cali.com/
Scopes: ATM 18" Dob, Vixen VC200L, ATM 6"f7, Stellarvue 102ED, Saxon ED80, WO M70 ED, Orion 102 Maksutov, ST80.
Mounts: Takahashi EM-200, iOptron iEQ45, Push dobsonian with Nexus DSC, three homemade EQ's.
Eyepieces: TV Naglers 31, 17, 12, 7; Denkmeier D21 & D14; Pentax XW10, XW5, Unitron 40mm Kellner, Meade Or 25,12
Cameras : Pentax K1, K5, K01, K10D / VIDEO CAMS : TacosBD, Lihmsec.
Cam/guider/controllers: Lacerta MGEN 3, SW Synguider, Simulation Curriculum SkyFi 3+Sky safari
Memberships Astronomical Association of Queensland; RASNZ Occultations Section; Single Exposure Milky Way Facebook Group (Moderator) (12k members), The Sky Searchers (moderator)
- bladekeeper
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Re: What DIY project did you work on this week?
Scopes: Apertura AD12 f/5; Celestron C6-R f/8; ES AR127 f/6.4; Stellarvue SV102T f/7; iOptron MC90 f/13.3; Orion ST80A f/5; ES ED80 f/6; Celestron Premium 80 f/11.4; Celestron C80 f/11.4; Unitron Model 142 f/16; Meade NG60 f/10
Mounts: Celestron AVX; Bresser EXOS-2; ES Twilight I; ES Twilight II; iOptron Cube-G; AZ3/wood tripod; Vixen Polaris
Binoculars: Pentax PCF WP II 10×50, Bresser Corvette 10×50, Bresser Hunter 16×50 and 8×40, Garrett Gemini 12×60 LW, Gordon 10×50, Apogee 20×100
- OzEclipse Online
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Re: What DIY project did you work on this week?
Joe
Amateur astronomer since 1978...................Web site : http://joe-cali.com/
Scopes: ATM 18" Dob, Vixen VC200L, ATM 6"f7, Stellarvue 102ED, Saxon ED80, WO M70 ED, Orion 102 Maksutov, ST80.
Mounts: Takahashi EM-200, iOptron iEQ45, Push dobsonian with Nexus DSC, three homemade EQ's.
Eyepieces: TV Naglers 31, 17, 12, 7; Denkmeier D21 & D14; Pentax XW10, XW5, Unitron 40mm Kellner, Meade Or 25,12
Cameras : Pentax K1, K5, K01, K10D / VIDEO CAMS : TacosBD, Lihmsec.
Cam/guider/controllers: Lacerta MGEN 3, SW Synguider, Simulation Curriculum SkyFi 3+Sky safari
Memberships Astronomical Association of Queensland; RASNZ Occultations Section; Single Exposure Milky Way Facebook Group (Moderator) (12k members), The Sky Searchers (moderator)
- Rainmaker
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Re: What DIY project did you work on this week?
But I do believe in attention to detail.....
At the moment all my projects are complete ....... but the DIYer in me is getting restless....... what to build ????? Might make a 2/3 scale model of Excalibur...
Rainmaker “Excalibur” 18” F3.5 +SIPS @ 1860mm
TMB-LZOS 152mm F7.9 @ 1200mm
Takahashi FOA 60mm F8.8
Takahashi FC76DC F7.5
Skylight AR101.15
- OzEclipse Online
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Re: What DIY project did you work on this week?
You're going to build a 12 inch f2.2??Rainmaker wrote: ↑Sun May 19, 2019 6:02 am Thanks guys for the comments, being retired means I have no need to account for the time spent building stuff. If I did then my hourly wage might be about $1 ....
But I do believe in attention to detail.....
At the moment all my projects are complete ....... but the DIYer in me is getting restless....... what to build ????? Might make a 2/3 scale model of Excalibur...
Can't wait!
Joe
Amateur astronomer since 1978...................Web site : http://joe-cali.com/
Scopes: ATM 18" Dob, Vixen VC200L, ATM 6"f7, Stellarvue 102ED, Saxon ED80, WO M70 ED, Orion 102 Maksutov, ST80.
Mounts: Takahashi EM-200, iOptron iEQ45, Push dobsonian with Nexus DSC, three homemade EQ's.
Eyepieces: TV Naglers 31, 17, 12, 7; Denkmeier D21 & D14; Pentax XW10, XW5, Unitron 40mm Kellner, Meade Or 25,12
Cameras : Pentax K1, K5, K01, K10D / VIDEO CAMS : TacosBD, Lihmsec.
Cam/guider/controllers: Lacerta MGEN 3, SW Synguider, Simulation Curriculum SkyFi 3+Sky safari
Memberships Astronomical Association of Queensland; RASNZ Occultations Section; Single Exposure Milky Way Facebook Group (Moderator) (12k members), The Sky Searchers (moderator)
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Re: What DIY project did you work on this week?
Cameras - Blads, D70s, D3300, Lunar and Planetary Cameras (2)
DIY Glass - German military and opthalmic sourced items, AGFA AVIPHOT DIA C
- StarBru
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Re: What DIY project did you work on this week?
Instead of an adapter plate, I decided earlier today to just drill the 1/4 inch holes needed into the top plate. It works like a charm! Why didn't I do it sooner?
Now my daughter can choose which mode she wants to operate the scope in!
Refractors: Meade AR-5 127mm f/9.3, Meade ST-80 f/5 and Meade 60mm f/12, Jason 60mm f/15 #313, Jason 60mm f/12 #306 S7, Bushnell Sky Chief III 60mm f/15.
Reflectors/Catadioptrics: Meade 10" F/4 Schmidt-Newtonian, Galileo 120mm f/8.3 Newtonian, Meade 2045D 4" f/10 SCT, Meade ETX-90EC f/13.8 & Sarblue 60mm f/12.5 Maksutov-Cassegrains.
Mounts: Skywatcher EQ6-R Pro & Meade LXD55 Equatorial mounts, ES Twilight II and Meade 2102 ALT/AZ mounts, a modified 10" SkyQuest Dobsonian mount, various 60mm EQ mounts.
Misc: Celestron 20x80mm binoculars, Revolution II Imager/accessories, & lots of optical accessories/eyepieces.
Projects: 8" f/2.9 and 65mm f/10 reflectors, Dobson-style binocular mirror mount.
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Re: What DIY project did you work on this week?
Research done on welding filters and how they can be used for solar work (Grade 12,13&14) and the orders are on their way. Maybe useful for the solar scope I am fretting over building.
Reorganised workspace; removed bench and replaced with several small 45 cm x 90 cm work areas.
Set aside two 500 mm telephotos for wide field imaging, along with a smaller guide scope. Now for the ADM plate.
Still it is but late Tuesday morning...
Cameras - Blads, D70s, D3300, Lunar and Planetary Cameras (2)
DIY Glass - German military and opthalmic sourced items, AGFA AVIPHOT DIA C
- Lokifish
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Re: What DIY project did you work on this week?
Granted it's pretty ugly, but it works out to a 45mm with a 65
A.K.A "Backyard Observatory" on Facebook and Youtube
Meade SN8 w/ DIY coma corrector, Astro Modded Rubinar 1000/10 @f/5.2, 130/5 Newtonian, Pentax SMC 200/4, Canon SH 30/1.7
SkyWatcher EQ6-R Pro, Modified Celestron SLT
183 OSC, 224 OSC, Canon 1100D, Sony NEX-3
Nikon 7-12 zoom, a lot of DIY/salvage eyepieces
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