A bit of fun with a PVC pipe and some bits

[pmrid]

A rainy few days have sent me into the depths of my shed where the odds and ends are 'stored'. I had a 90mm doublet with a short focus (500 mm) that I was busting to do something with and had been stung into action by seeing what Jeanette had achieved at Barambah recently with 70mm and a Cube - and all my expensive gear was useless (or maybe it was me).
I also had a good focuser from a Newt that just needed a bit of a modification to fit a refractor, a Philips 820 web cam (not the sexy 840 or 900 series I admit), a couple of spare magnifier lenses for Swan security cameras, one of those sexy red/green reticle sighting scopes for rifles/pistols etc and a length of sewer pipe - 105mm PVC. Above all this, my brother had a perfectly good lathe standing idle. A dangerous combination for a project.
The result is a decent little scope with a usable webcam modified to take either the straight Swan lens and act as a little telephoto/widefield or to do prime focus. These handy little devices have a good IR filter built in so it promises to be a useful guidescope or even a moon-lens or something similar.
All I need now is some clear weather.
Here are a few pics.

Peter

[kinetic]

Peter,

I just love ingenuity like that! :D

Love the dust cap too .....made for the job :thumbsup:
I have several lumps of sewer pipe I have hoarded for years with
just that sort of project in mind.
I once made a little prototype right-angle spot scope from
a photocopier lens and first surface mirror.
It worked quite well but was bloody heavy, mainly from the
very thick lens.

I also love seeing a good clean workbench...mine isn't quite
equipped with LCD screens yet though :)

Thanks for sharing,

Steve

[miketheobscure]

Nice! Insta scope: just add hard work.

Now if the rain keeps up you can baffle it too. ;)

- Mike

[Octane]

Peter,

Great job. All you need to do now is get a light blue texta and write "STARFIRE" across the front end of it. :D

Regards,
Humayun

[AlexN]

Awesome! I was going to do something similar as a guide scope... :)

[jjjnettie]

Good to see you've kept busy during this cloudy spell.
Can't wait to see what you can capture with it Peter.

[pmrid]

Mike,
it's been several riny days in a row. That means it's baffled too.
P.

[miketheobscure]

Excellent use of the cloudy spell, a better fate for a length of PVC I can't imagine - Mike

[Glenhuon]

So far I've made 3 scopes from SurplusShed doublets, great sense of satisfaction when you get first light with them and know you made it with your own hands. WTG :thumbsup:

Bill