TheSkySearchers

Any super simple cheap ideas for making or obtaining a tube for it?
I'm thinking strips of stacked cardboard as a frame with a cloth covering.
Or just rolling up cardboard into a tube shape and glueing it then cutting it until it works.
Any better or easier ideas?
It needs to at least be a little sturdy.

the new scope is also coming with flocking sheets/paper. an extra barlow. and a 17mm plossl.

Sonotube

If you have $9.17 you can get an 8" dia, 48" long Sono tube from Home Depot. They have them in 6, 8, 10, and 12" dia. 6" would be too small for the mirror mount so you'll have to go up to the 8".

https://www.homedepot.com/p/SAKRETE-8-i ... /100321209

or here are your options from Lowes
https://www.lowes.com/pl/Tube--Concrete ... 4294719642

Cheers

Any options from amazon?

I cant really go anywhere right now in person. no vehicle. prefer to get things online specifically amazon.

realflow100 wrote: ↑Wed Oct 27, 2021 4:11 am Any super simple cheap ideas for making or obtaining a tube for it?
I'm thinking strips of stacked cardboard as a frame with a cloth covering.
Or just rolling up cardboard into a tube shape and glueing it then cutting it until it works.
Any better or easier ideas?
It needs to at least be a little sturdy.

the new scope is also coming with flocking sheets/paper. an extra barlow. and a 17mm plossl.

When all done images please.

realflow100 wrote: ↑Wed Oct 27, 2021 6:49 am Any options from amazon?

I cant really go anywhere right now in person. no vehicle. prefer to get things online specifically amazon.

HoPo, Lowes, and others usually offer delivery if AMZ doesn't work out. There might be online paper / cardboard companies that sell large bore tubes.

RIP
the mirror holder and collimation mechanism it came with did not fit the mirror it came with


looks like no 6" telescope for me until I find a collimation mechanism that fits it (mirror holder thing)
and a tube for it

Also the mirror seems to have a dozen or 2 really fine hair-line scratches on it. very annoying

edit: Mega RIP
the mirror coating is just disintegrating. chunks coming off when I used my hand-air blower (lens duster thingy) to try to blow some dust off
Nope. just blew the dang shiny coating itself off. now its an expensive paperweight

Sorry about that. I could tell you were excited to have a potentially new to you telescope.

Cheers

I guess I could save it possibly. maybe re-use it in the future after getting the mirror coating redone.
The mirror coating is ridiculously fragile. Far more fragile than the mirror coatings on my cheap 4" orion skyscanner reflector.. which I havent seen even gave the tiniest scratch yet after a lot of use and several cleaning sessions.
so I guess its just sitting in a closet with a box over it for who knows how long.
bummer. its such a large mirror too. a lot larger than I thought it would be. only being an extra 2 inches than my 4" telescope. but it really looks significantly bigger than it.

Check these guys out, for less than $100 you could have a brand new telescope mirror. I know you'll have to save a while for this but it is an option.
https://opticwavelabs.com/coating.php?g ... a7EALw_wcB

Cheers

Oh nice!!!
Yeah I'll definitely wait to save up for that for at least a few months.
hopefull the remaining telescope parts dont cost more than a whole brand new 6" scope by itself!

Is the mirror parabolic or spherical? If it's the latter, it might not be worth saving.

I dont know it doesnt say. the person who sent it to me didnt say either.

JayTee wrote: ↑Sun Oct 31, 2021 7:28 pm Check these guys out, for less than $100 you could have a brand new telescope mirror. I know you'll have to save a while for this but it is an option.
https://opticwavelabs.com/coating.php?g ... a7EALw_wcB

Cheers

wow, so cheap!, I only found 1 place here in australia that does recoating ,$405 for a 12'' clean and recoat , and a 12'' mirror cost about $500-$600 ... new

You can buy a new 150mm + secondary for a reasonable price. https://agenaastro.com/gso-parabolic-pr ... 6-f-8.html

Check the Stellafane website to see how to build a primary and secondary holder as well as how to set up the tube.