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erick
13-07-2009, 11:16 PM
Too late tonight - detail tomorrow if I get time.

The most impressive item I have ever seen at the price of US$15!

Easy to build, a solid result, but a nuisance to focus.

But Jupiter and its Moons - easy. The Jewel Box - nice and major stars resolved well. Omega Centauri - a nice bright fuzzball.

I even think I could see M104 with averted imagination. Just need darker skies, I think.

The 2x barlow makes viewing a bit tougher, but it filled the FOV with Jupiter and its moons.

Couldn't pull focus when I put a diagonal in. I'll have to experiment with some of my 1.25" eyepieces when I can.

erick
14-07-2009, 10:08 AM
Couple of photos:-

Set up ready for some terrestrial testing at lunchtime.

Sun warning label provided :thumbsup:

"Gun sight" aiming quite accurate, but difficult to see in the dark - might need a little red light to assist.

Just checked the cost as I threw away the paperwork. Might be USD15, but it cost me AUD55 to get each one of two into my hands. I've heard of one larger order coming into Australia - perhaps some will be available are a more reasonable AUD price. I would think that AUD30-35 in hand would be very reasonable.

jjjnettie
14-07-2009, 10:26 AM
Looks like a fun project Eric.
Might buy one for the kiddlywinks to put together.

erick
14-07-2009, 10:35 AM
Easy as..... Just need to keep fingerprints off the objective lens - easy, and off the eyepiece/barlow lenses - harder! It looks quite indestructible to me.

Good video of construction here:-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1iByPaAG0U

erick
14-07-2009, 01:10 PM
This is fun!

Afocal with the supplied (built!) 20mm (25x) eyepiece in place. Doesn't look too bad right to the edge of field. Focus a bit off - might be camera rather than scope.

erick
14-07-2009, 01:12 PM
This gives nice terrestrial views- 20mm TV plossl with a Vixen "Terrestrial adapter"

erick
14-07-2009, 01:19 PM
:scared::scared: :D


And I can reach focus :lol: The whole 100deg AFOV field is there. The 3x barlow I had to use (my only 1.25" barlow) took the whole train to 115x - that's pushing it for this scope!



Scope - USD15; Barlow/diagonal/eyepiece - USD680 :screwy:

ps. I made sure the tripod was nipped up firmly!

dannat
14-07-2009, 01:21 PM
I agree eric - the objective is very nice - the ep's feel like you are looking thru a pinhole though - very difficult - changing the build of the eyepieces is difficult too , i would not do it at ight

i put in a japanese k25 i bought here just for the galileoscope, easy to focus - te focuser held the ep easily (i would ot put a ethos or big pan in though). focus across field was very good - the close focus was about 4M - i could see the kids heads clearly in the hall

by the way -with the exchange rate the ten i bought cost about $43 each, if i had waited few more weeks when the dollar rose they would have been under $40 i calculated

erick
14-07-2009, 01:30 PM
I have a sense the focusser might slide at elevation under heavier loads. I'll test that sometime. But it looks like a little modification could firm up the grip on the focusser draw tube, if necessary.

That "gunsight" is good. Except, you need to be able to focus simultaneously on the gun sight elements and the distant objects. For Eric juggling several pairs of distance and close glasses - there is little hope! Kids should do fine with their excellent young eyes.

erick
14-07-2009, 01:33 PM
Yes, I wouldn't touch them at night. The 20mm plossl is quite good - for the price (like almost nothing). The 2x barlow is not great - edge of field goes horrible. I might have another look at how I built it and a closer look at those two small lenses. It should be better. Centre of field is OK, though, with that barlow in place. But I did use the TV 3x barlow and it gives a good result!

Omaroo
14-07-2009, 03:31 PM
Crikey Eric - I didn't realise that they'd shipped yet. I haven't ordered one, but yet may. I remember looking into getting a number sent out for resale at astronomy club public nights, but shipping was stupidly expensive. They wouldn't even consider bulk rates.

So - it'll be interesting to see it perform at night then. Are you going leave the camera at prime focus for tonight?

erick
14-07-2009, 03:41 PM
Nope, but I may plonk a webcam into it at some stage.

picklesrules
15-07-2009, 12:26 AM
Just wondering how long it took for postage I'm thinking of buying one for my dad for his birthday next month

erick
15-07-2009, 08:33 AM
Nicholas

It took quite some months for my order, but I was part of the first orders they took before they swung into production. I think they are now delivering the first 60,000 worldwide.

Their site states:-

"Orders placed after June 1st should be delivered within 4 to 6 weeks of the order date."

So I don't know.

However, I've been hoping some clubs have bought in large stocks and will make them available. I haven't heard as yet.

It really has to be a bulk order to get the shipping costs down. It might be USD15 for the scope, but shipping to Australia is quoted at USD28.08 each for up to four scopes.

erick
15-07-2009, 08:42 AM
Their site states:-

"Star Diagonals Many customers have asked if they can use a star diagonal with the Galileoscope. (That's a common accessory that goes between the telescope and eyepiece and enables you to avoid having to crane your neck when observing celestial objects high overhead.) The Galileoscope is designed for straight-through viewing. There's not enough “in focus” to permit the use of most star diagonals (we haven't tested them all, but we haven't found one yet that works)."

I'm not going to let a little statement like "it cannot be done" stop me! Answer, place a barlow before the diagonal. I only had a 3x barlow in 1.25" to test and it works (see below with the Ethos in place!) I have picked up a shorter 1.25" and only 2x overnight (thanks Rob and IIS classifieds) and hope that will work.

Barrykgerdes
15-07-2009, 10:18 AM
Here's a little trick I used for increasing the focal length to allow using a star diagonal.

Most of the good quality star diagonals have a thread in the attaching tube and it is the same thread as the lens in a Meade/Celestron barlow. This increases the focal length (at the expense of increase magnification). Making a pseudo Barlow like this saves having to actually use a barlow.

Barry

erick
15-07-2009, 10:37 AM
Puuuuuuuuuuuurfect! I'll try that! Weight is my enemy here. Thanks Barry :thumbsup:

erick
15-07-2009, 06:39 PM
Tried Televue barlow lens - won't fit the diagonal - different thread. The diagonal has a standard filter thread. OK, I'll wait for the next barlow that is coming and see if that will fit.

erick
16-07-2009, 09:47 AM
OK, yes I had one of the lenses around the wrong way. Instructions supplied do not give sufficient information (or I didn't RTFI!). See attached. I had the lens marked "*" around the wrong way. Note that the two sets of instructions from the website (above and below the line) describe that lens differently. Mine is flat one side and convex the other.

Now to test again.

erick
16-07-2009, 09:49 AM
I seem to be dominating this thread :ashamed:

jjjnettie
16-07-2009, 09:51 AM
That's ok Eric.
I drop in from time to time to check on your progress.

erick
16-07-2009, 10:06 PM
I now have the 1.25" 2x barlow (thanks Rob) and - GREAT! The barlow lens unscrews to a small compact assembly which fits the filter thread on the diagonal. Then that fits neatly into the focusser. With the Galileoscope plossl in the diagonal, I was able to reach focus on a light some 400-500m away with about 2.5cm of in-travel left in the focusser draw tube! This looks promising. :)

Barrykgerdes
17-07-2009, 07:12 AM
Hi Erick

I found that little trick with the barlow lens when I had a similar problem converting a 4" 1000mm Maksutov camera lens into a telescope. I could not reach focus with a diagonal. Just could not get close enough. I removed the lens out of a Celestron Barlow and found it screwed perfectly into a Meade diagonal. This put the barlow lens deep inside the assembly where it could be most effective.

The adapor I made now accepted the diagonal and I was able to get the focus scale on the lens to the correct alignment as well.

Barry

dannat
17-07-2009, 09:21 PM
the clouds finally cleared here & i was able to gaze thru one of the units i had ordered. Using the galilean configured eyepiece feels like you are looking into a inhole - and only just reaches focus with the focuser pushed almost all the way in in. Could make out jupiter and 2 moons, no contrast visible.

stuck in a 7.5mm ortho, yielding about 70x - terrific view - 3 moons nice & crisp & i could easily make out the two main darkish bands on the planet - the views were terrific for the mag & size of aperture. equaled my WO petzval 66 almost. I am very pleasantly surprised. The ortho is nice & light - fits tightly and focuses with the focuser about half way out. would not want a bigger ep in there i imagine

erick
17-07-2009, 09:40 PM
What do you make of the supplied 25x plossl and the plossl with the supplied 2x barlow, Daniel?

And.... YOU HAVE CLEAR SKIES!!! ???

Moonman
17-07-2009, 11:16 PM
Hi Eric,

Thanks for the heads up on this unit. Mine shouldn't be too far away now I see you have yours.

I'm running and observing night at a local primary school here in Launceston on the 30th and I've got them to order one as a momento for the night and the IYA. It's good that it goes straight onto a standard tripod making it inexpensive and immediately accessible for most folks.

Hopefully mine will arrive so I can demonstrate it on the night.

It's quite obvious you are having a lot of fun with it. Well done!

cheers:)

Phil
18-07-2009, 07:10 AM
Just brought one for myself. Looks like fun.
Phil

erick
18-07-2009, 09:41 PM
Some pictures of what I did to have a working diagonal on my Galileoscope. It had to come, however, with a "built-in" 2x barlow.

I used a simple 1.25" mirror diagonal and the lens from a 1.25" 2x barlow.

erick
18-07-2009, 09:46 PM
Here is the Galileoscope with a 10mm Vixen LV (giving 100x) and a 20mm Televue plossl (giving 50x) in the modified diagonal (2x)

This does make it easier to get fine focus. I set the eyepiece part way into the diagonal (see third image), obtain rough focus with the draw tube, then ease the eyepiece up and down to get fine focus. Much less effort and vibration of the scope.

Note that I need to tip the diagonal to one side to allow use of the "gunsight" for aiming.

Darth Wader
19-07-2009, 09:55 AM
It's a damn shame about the shipping costs. This would have been a great little scope for the kids to use and a nice souvenir of IYA2009. But at roughly $55AUD it's hardly worth it, especially considering that Dick Smith have a 50mm 600mm FL Celestron refractor on a kid-friendly Alt-Az mount for $58. I'm considering this for future use with the kids as a first scope.

erick
08-08-2009, 02:27 PM
Went looking for a suitable end cap for the dew shield. It's around 69mm dia. I came up with a Jalna yogurt lid and a Bulla cream lid. Posted some pics in a Cloudy Nights thread:- http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/3238895/page/0/view/collapsed/sb/5/o/all/fpart/1

erick
13-07-2010, 08:46 AM
Added by a first time poster in another thread:-

"Galileoscope diagonal
Hi All Learning Encounters A company founded by the designer of the Galileoscope is coming out with a diagonal kit for the Galileoscope it includes a modified objective lens and new eyepiece lenses and is a kit you assemble like the scope the magnification is 55x and is really nice quality. should be out in early September another great learning tool!!"
http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/../vbiis/icetrade/images/buttons/quote.gif (http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/newreply.php?do=newreply&p=613900)