Long time no post...

[Ambermile]

Hi all

Not posted for a while - been a bit busy this end of the world, but I thought I'd show you the latest project. I had the chance of one of those APM 102mm triplet refractors at an un-missable price but when I got ahold of it it was painfully clear that it was *way* over the top weight-wise. It was in a tube big enough for a 6" objective - just the OTA alone weighed in at about 14lbs. The focuser was a poorly-made R+P with associated slop and woblbe.

Anyway, the upshot is that I decided to do something about it

So, two sections of 110mm carbon fibre, a couple of machined aluminium adapter plates, a Baader planetarium crayford and a morning in the workshop produced this...

[davidpretorius]

beautiful work, i was wondering what happened after xmas. hope the familly had a great time.

welcome back

[Dennis]

Great work, the finished article looks sleek and very nice indeed. Very artistic composition; the clinical hi-tech precision of 'scope engineering contrasted with the down to earth kitchen table!

Cheers

Dennis

[Roger Davis]

I guess you would have painted the inside black and baffled it?

[h0ughy (David)]

wow, i wouldnt be game to even attempt that. excellent work! how "light" is it now completed?

[ving (David)]

very sleek work!!!
yummy!

[Ambermile]

Hi David - yup, a great time by all (no calendar yet though)

Dennis - that's a new cloth, I wouldn't have *dared* take a piccie of the old one

Roger - yes, it is a little light in there, the reason is that I had matt-blacked it (autospray...) but it started to flake - wouldn't stick. So I had to strip it all off. Now waiting for some adhesive black flocking.

H0ughy - it's about 4 pounds now. Big improvement but I got a whole box of bits left over!!

First night star test was clouded out. Obviously M42 was the target and I got about 30 minutes to play. By the time I'd set up, focused the camera, remembered the 0.5 reducer was still in the adapter and got ready to image it was getting *seriously* hazy. Left the camera cycling on 30 sec exposures but no let up on the cloude. Here's one of those cycled pics though that I saved simply as it had *three* satellite trails

Arthur

[[1ponders] (Paul)]

G'day Arthur. Welcome back.

Looks like your new project is off to a good start. Hopefully you'll encourage manufacturers to start a trend of telescopes that don't have to weight as much as the hubble to be any good.

Looks like the Americans liked your idea so much they sent three satellites over the check it out. They are spy satellites you know

[Ambermile]

OK - it's flocked now. Just have to machine a mounting ring for it and it's all done.

Arthur


PS - still got a Megrez semi-apo objective around here...

[Vermin (Tom)]

Lovely bit of work.

It's a pity I did not see this earlier, I have a full sheet of high tack adhesive backed flocking material left over.

Where did you source the carbon fibre tube from, and how pricey is it (if you don't mind me asking)?