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Rainy Day Projects

Started by Sailcat, 02/17/2004 12:23AM
Posted 02/17/2004 12:23AM Opening Post
It has been a miserable winter. Today I found myself pulling out my equipment and stuff and pawing through it. I wound up putting a quick release bracket on a finder scope. After that I sorted through all the little odds and ends in my cases and boxes. How do the rest of you occupy yourselves on dreary days like these? Besides creating posts like these, I mean. Help!

Walter

Walter Locke
"The Fearless Spectator"

There are 10^11 stars in the galaxy. That used to be a huge number. But it's only a hundred billion. It's less than the national deficit! We used to call them astronomical numbers. Now we should call them economical numbers.
Richard Feynman
US educator & physicist (1918 - 1988)



Posted 02/17/2004 12:26AM #1
So. Cal is not usually rainy, but has been somewhat cloudy off and on. Time to build my scope (10"/F5 Dob cannon).

Matt
Posted 02/17/2004 12:36AM #2
I re-evaluate my ep collection and buy more.

Or I build stuff like an observing chair or eq platform.

Clear skies,

Tom

Attached Image:

tomhole's attachment for post 76402
Posted 02/17/2004 01:08AM #3
I always tinkering with stuff, trying to improve the way things are mounted, trying to eliminate things I don't need from the plethora of junk I haul out into the field, etc. etc.

I love fiddling with my astro gear! The more I tinker with it, I come up with good ideas about how to make things better. Particularly, I try to come up with ideas that save time out in the field.

Matthew Sherman
Posted 02/17/2004 02:57AM #4
Winter is the time of year when purchases outpace observing sessions. Got me a new portable table, a new eyepiece case, and three new eyepieces this winter.

When weather is good and I'm observing a lot, it seems I don't have nearly the time to think about what I need to buy.

I need to move to a place with better winters - I can't afford another winter in Michigan!
Posted 02/17/2004 05:38AM #5
For mine, Cold weather combined with a immobilizing accident (i'll be fine ) has provided me with the time to put a gauge on the mirror of my 12" Lx200gps. For years it has always bothered me that I can’t tell where the mirror is. Between Focus Train setups and cameras It’s a pain to get the mirror in the general vicinity of correct focus.

I was surprised on how well this works! Combined with the Thrust bearings on the focuser and almost no backlash from proper lubrication. I installed this brass rod to a threaded spacer attached to the mirror. through a Al bearing in the Mount (Very careful Drilling ) Ouch!!! . I then took a digital caliper and machined the brackets to the rod as well as the caliper itself.

This provides surprising accuracy! down to 2/100th of a mm.

for example my St2000xm W 5mm spacer and a 3.3fr with my JMI SCT Coupler is allways 15.5mm with the NGFS set at 0.

Bill Russell




Attached Image:

cruel_world's attachment for post 76429
Posted 02/19/2004 05:42AM #6
Being new to the hobby as far as owning a telescope is concerned, I am building a pier and mounting plate for my etx125ec. The design is based on Dr. Clay Sherrod's pier and plate. Otherwise, no projects exist. I just wish the weather would improve so that I can use the scope. I bought it 1/6/04 and have only used about 3 hours. The weather has been too cold or cloudy and rain most of the time here in n. Alabama.