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Another project ....
And I haven't even finished the 10" yet !!
Wife is planning our annual holidays. Normally these involve leaping into one of the VR4's and driving between wineries down country and checking the vintages. We've done Napier, Otago, Waipara and Nelson/Marlborough and now we're looking at the South Island again in the mid Canterbury region. Previously we have flown down and hired cars but this time we will take one of the turbo'd speed machines over in the ferry and really cover some disance.
Which leads to the next project idea. If we are driving down instead of flying I can carry more gear, .... such as a travel scope. ( Only two of us in the car ). And part of the journey will include the Tekapo region with Mt St Johns Observatory in it's dark sky zone, a definite stop for a day or two and the Sth Island has amazing dark skies every where you go anyway.
I've been a fan for one of those minimalist knock down scopes, rocker cradle and a stick with a focusser on. So I might build a 6" lightweight unit to go with us. I have most of the hardware bits already from an old 4" that was scrapped and a small sheet of ply will make the rest. All I have to do is find a cheapish 6" f5 or f6 mirror that needs a loving home. I can't justify spending heaps as I've just doled out $$$ for the 10" mirrors and might invoke the CFO's ire should I spend more. So I'm watching TradeMe to see if I can spot a cheapish mirror or older scope I can get for under $100 to make this idea possible. Or if anyone has a mirror sitting forlornly somewhere they would like to offer give us a yell and maybe we can come to an agreement.
The CFO is quite keen on the St Johns visit and she enjoys the occaisonal peek at the heavens so she is not agin my Astro plans but don't want to upset the cart so to speak and I like improvising as well. Try to make this idea a bit more eye pretty compared to the 10" photon bucket build.
Mirrors are coming, clear those dang clouds away !!!
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