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The name “copyscope” comes from the fact that many of these devices were made using the glass from old copier machines. A good copyscope makes an excellent first serious telescope-making project. If you chose the components carefully you will have a rich-field instrument capable of reaching many extended objects and some wonderful star-fields. In this chapter three scopes are described.
Any telescope needs a mount. It just doesn’t work to wave even a small telescope around and hope to see anything. There are numerous fairly easily built styles and many complete mounts available from Internet sources. The most important characteristic of mount, after steadiness, is comfort. Ergonomics are important.
Newtonian reflectors are still the most popular form of amateur telescope, whether it is a homemade telescope or a commercially made instrument. This chapter provides general guidance on the design and construction of Newtonian telescopes using web-sourced parts.
This is a planetary/lunar telescope. It uses a homemade objective lens of very long focal length for its diameter, a homemade tube from oak, a 1st surface mirror for the star diagonal from eBay, and hardware for the rotating star diagonal made from PVC fixtures. Although you are unlikely to find a 4-inch f17 lens on the web there are, fairly often, 5-inch f15 s, etc.
In this chapter we examine the various telescope types from the point of view of an amateur telescope maker looking at the appropriate uses for each design type. There is no “best design,” but depending on the intended use, there are advantages associated with each.
A characteristic of amateur telescope makers and other such groups is pride in utilizing mundane materials and items in their exotic creations. To make it sound properly esoteric, let’s call it “Creative Cross Utilization.” That justifies, hopefully, maintaining an inventory of mundane materials and items – in other words, junk collecting.
This chapter includes a discussion of focusers that can be built or purchased, eyepiece types available on the Internet or which can be salvaged from other equipment, focal-length extender devices, and finder telescopes.
Some sort of tube structure is required to keep the telescope optical components appropriately lined up and pointing at anything. The tube structure can be either opaque or open.
If you think you would like to own a telescope you are faced with the question: “Shall I just go out and buy a telescope or shall I build my own?” There are compelling arguments each way.
A 3+ inch refractor can serve as a travel ‘scope, a first ‘scope project, or a practical ‘scope to use at star parties. It is large enough to provide nice views but small and light enough to be easily transported and quickly set up. It can be built either as a simple, straight through ‘scope or with a star diagonal or both.
This chapter describes the building of a reasonably large Newtonian telescope around a mirror obtained from eBay. Including shipping, the cost for the mirror, a secondary (diagonal) mirror, a mount for the diagonal, and a cell for the main mirror was less than $400.
Amateur telescoping making has been, since its beginning, an arena for inventiveness and fierce independence. Part of the credo of the amateur telescope maker (ATM) has been: “What I can’t get (probably cheaply) from the everyday content of industry I will make for myself”.
This chapter provides corrective actions if your telescope fails to perform as well as you think it should and includes a discussion of optical faults and testing techniques that are relatively easy to apply. Descriptions of the common aberrations are supplied with an explanation of their effect. A section on quick and dirty quality tests is included.
The Internet Age is changing everything about human invention and the use of technology. The change has been compared to that of the introduction of printing. Making your own telescope isn’t what it used to be, either, thanks partly to the Internet. The old days of grinding and polishing are gone – unless you want to do it! You can now assemble a great instrument from a wide range of affordable Internet-available...
The National Network for Manufacturing Innovation (NNMI) is a network of research institutes in the United States that focus on developing and commercializing manufacturing technologies through public-private partnerships between U.S. industry, universities, and federal government agencies. The newest Institute was announced July 27, 2015: The American Institute for Manufacturing Integrated Photonics...
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