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Back in 1955, my Scout group was taken to visit an amateur astronomer in Thornleigh who had built his 12" reflector including mirror. Unfortunately, the cloud curse was in operation and apart from a few moon glimpses, we spent the evening glorying in the newfangled delights of stereophonic recordings.
As I have spent a lifetime working in optics, I made a number of (unsuccessful) attempts at cobbling scopes made from spectacle lenses and impossibly long cardboard tubes.
My first real scope, as I neared my use-by date, was and is an 8" collapsible dob on the advice of the beginners forum sticky by Brian Nolan. This scope has undergone multiple mods and is still my favorite. I have a "mighty ETX105" as a grab-n-go, and am currently joining the ranks of ATM with a travel scope build.
Although they keep the beginners forum ticking over, I do wish more beginners would avail themselves of the accumulated wisdom of that forum before posting "what should I buy?" threads.
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