[pete_pumpkin (Pete)]

I was watching a long youtube video showing John Dobson building telescopes and though for a moment how much different things are now for amateur astronomers. Back then the telescopes did look amateur compared to what's available with the resources we have today. Lots of emphasis on grinding your own mirror, carpentry for making the tubes out of plywood etc Simple slide the eyepiece into a tube ie no focusers as we know it now.
I can't help but feel that we are spoilt nowadays with all that's available and that the hobby may have been more rewarding back then.
I'd like to know what people's experiences are and whether they've ever built a scope themselves?