Here is a little eye candy for all those who would rather be looking at the comet but are currently washed out. I finished this scope at the very end of November (I applied the final coats of varnish to the scope within a week of coating the mirror with aluminum.) I have only had a chance to use it about three times (I missed the december new moon due to a business trip), so I think this explains our weather.
The mirror is an f5.3 10" and tests at about 1/9 wave (although it has tested everywhere between 1/4 and 1/20 wave.) It mostly follows the Kriege and Berry design, but there are a also I few ideas I found here and elsewhere in the online world. The latches on the sides of the mirror box are the same as the ones used to attach the truss tubes to the upper cage. So, the upper cage clamps to the mirror box for transportation and storage. When I put the trusses in the pole bag with the shoulder strap and clamp the two pieces of the scope together I can carry the entire scope at one time.
The mirror is an f5.3 10" and tests at about 1/9 wave (although it has tested everywhere between 1/4 and 1/20 wave.) It mostly follows the Kriege and Berry design, but there are a also I few ideas I found here and elsewhere in the online world. The latches on the sides of the mirror box are the same as the ones used to attach the truss tubes to the upper cage. So, the upper cage clamps to the mirror box for transportation and storage. When I put the trusses in the pole bag with the shoulder strap and clamp the two pieces of the scope together I can carry the entire scope at one time.
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