Mars scope

Here is my 10" f9.6 scope I built last year. I had planned on using aluminum for a more complex truss design, but the wooden ones made out of two furring strips each have worked so well that now I don't plan to change. It is not very good in the wind, but vibrations from touch have a very low period and damp out in only a couple of seconds. And the dob driver makes that not a problem.

I took this picture before I started cutting again. The "tube" weighs about 40 lbs, and is a tiny bit bottom heavy, so I am going to cut chunks out of those side panels. The base is about 35 lbs., so it can have a bunch cut out. (That base should hold a 14" mirror with no problem.) The other thing I want to do is turn the secondary to 22.5 degrees, so the eyepiece will be closer to the ground. I have the second secondary to try this, but I don't know when I will get a chance.

I have seen some much prettier scopes on this forum, but at least this one I would not be afraid to cut on. It may eventually get a coat of paint or something. Anyway, I just thought I would share.

Charlie

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Nice job, charles! I'm sure that'll be a great Mars scope. I myself built a 10" f/8 (solid tube) and love it. When you take a picture of it, it can be useful to put something in the scene (like a lawn chair or something) to show scale. Pictures tend to make things look smaller than they are.