ICEINSPACE
Moon Phase
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11-06-2016, 05:32 PM
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Politically incorrect.
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Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Tasmania (South end)
Posts: 2,315
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I got a 40mm Tasco refractor for christmas when I was about 12. I was so enthralled with what I saw, I got a job and bought a 60mm a few months later... Never stopped!
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12-06-2016, 12:11 AM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Sth Oz
Posts: 230
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A 'do not disturb sign' for the bedroom during the day. 
Pete
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12-06-2016, 12:43 AM
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Starcatcher
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Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Gerringong
Posts: 8,548
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12 x 60 binos
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12-06-2016, 10:04 AM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: '34 South' Young Hilltops LGA, Australia
Posts: 1,484
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In 1978 still at high school, a 6" reflector cost US650. Average adult weekly earnings in 1978 was about $200. My holiday jobs paid nowhere near this. So I bought an astro optics 6" mirror grinding kit for $25. Little did I know what I was letting myself in for. Two years and hundreds of hours later, I had a polished mirror and hand made telescope built through the fantastic mentoring of Cliff Duncan and the ATM club of Queensland.
After the mirror was ground, next came lap pitch and polishing powder.
Later, aluminium ingots, zinc ingots, brass rod and tube. The ATM club had a furnace and moulds for casting aluminium mounting and tube components and casting zinc counterweights. A trip to a binocular repairer and for $5 I acquired a pair of 7x 50mm binoculars with one broken lens. I removed one eyepiece and the remaining objective. With some PVC tube and cast aluminium brackets, it became a finderscope.
Joe
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12-06-2016, 01:50 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Sale, VIC
Posts: 6,033
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Quote:
Originally Posted by drylander
A 'do not disturb sign' for the bedroom during the day. 
Pete
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That's so funny because it's so true!!
Camouflage for the tent will serve a similar purpose on weekends away.
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12-06-2016, 04:50 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: South brisbane
Posts: 191
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Quote:
Originally Posted by drylander
A 'do not disturb sign' for the bedroom during the day. 
Pete
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Brilliant!
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12-06-2016, 04:58 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: South brisbane
Posts: 191
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Quote:
Originally Posted by OzEclipse
In 1978 still at high school, a 6" reflector cost US650. Average adult weekly earnings in 1978 was about $200. My holiday jobs paid nowhere near this. So I bought an astro optics 6" mirror grinding kit for $25. Little did I know what I was letting myself in for. Two years and hundreds of hours later, I had a polished mirror and hand made telescope built through the fantastic mentoring of Cliff Duncan and the ATM club of Queensland.
After the mirror was ground, next came lap pitch and polishing powder.
Later, aluminium ingots, zinc ingots, brass rod and tube. The ATM club had a furnace and moulds for casting aluminium mounting and tube components and casting zinc counterweights. A trip to a binocular repairer and for $5 I acquired a pair of 7x 50mm binoculars with one broken lens. I removed one eyepiece and the remaining objective. With some PVC tube and cast aluminium brackets, it became a finderscope.
Joe
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We're so spoilt for cheap and good mass market scopes these days that ATM seems to be a bit of a lost art!
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12-06-2016, 05:20 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Sale, VIC
Posts: 6,033
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kittenshark
We're so spoilt for cheap and good mass market scopes these days that ATM seems to be a bit of a lost art!
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I don't believe so. It's just different. ATM (Amateur Telescope Making) used to mean grinding your own 6-8" mirror (10" if you were really ambitious) and building a scope around it. Nowadays amateurs can aim higher and actually do science if they want to.
But if you mean mirror making: yep it's dead for amateurs. But to complain about it is to deny millions of people their Chinese mass produced windows on the Cosmos.
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13-06-2016, 02:03 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: perth w.a.
Posts: 2,276
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PCH
PG Tips Pat. I still have the full set in the album along with many other sets from years before.
If I remember correctly, one of the last few cards depicted was an artists impression of the proposed manned flight to Mars in 1981 (which was at that time a decade or so in the future).
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good call paul! pg tips it was............. very funny adverts on the telly for pg tips too haha (can you ride tandem?)
i do not know where my book went now paul but it was very well worn and read, and i think you are right about that last card!
i think the dinosaur cards followed the space ones which i loved and also collected with great fervour
pat
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13-06-2016, 02:06 PM
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Lost in Space ....
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Join Date: May 2010
Location: Auckland, NZ
Posts: 4,949
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I'd been collecting all the rocket, NASA, satellite clippings from newspapers ( still got them !! ) when I first became interested. So I bought a 6" glass disk, grinding materials and a tool and had a go at grinding. Never got finished. too hard and no support in those days..
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13-06-2016, 07:57 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Perth WA
Posts: 4,374
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11 years old , mowed lawns , cut firewood , washed cars for an eternity to buy a pair of 8x40 bino's at the local hard wear shop ,,,
I stole my older sisters painting easel and mounted them on it ( worked very well actually ) , I saw Saturn's rings for the first time in this set up and the rest is history as they say . Had these for many years and should never have sold them as they were excellent optically and mechanically .
Brian.
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14-06-2016, 09:17 AM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Dunners Nu Zulland
Posts: 1,786
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Quote:
Originally Posted by brian nordstrom
11 years old , mowed lawns , cut firewood , washed cars for an eternity to buy a pair of 8x40 bino's at the local hard wear shop ,,,
I stole my older sisters painting easel and mounted them on it ( worked very well actually ) , I saw Saturn's rings for the first time in this set up and the rest is history as they say . Had these for many years and should never have sold them as they were excellent optically and mechanically .
Brian.
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Saturn's rings at 8x that's good eyesight Brian!
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14-06-2016, 10:01 AM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Kilmore, Australia
Posts: 3,365
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When I was in year 7 (1984) I was allowed to take home the telescope that my school owned (As far as I know that only person who ever did, it was an old Meade 4.5" newt on an EQ mount with a HEAVY base) A weekend of random point and shoot netted Saturn and the rest is history.
The first thing I actually bought was a superficially similar Meade on an EQ mount that fits the "Wobbletronic" description perfectly. Somehow my interest survived that mount (As did another IIS member's when I replaced it and gave it to him)
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14-06-2016, 10:19 AM
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DeepSkySlacker
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Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: hobart, tasmania
Posts: 2,241
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first thing bought
When I was about 13-14 I wrote to NASA and they sent me a whole bunch of freebies about space ( in those days probably better funded!),
I bought a small pocket scope from the local pharmacist with my part time job money at the same time- it was terrible.
My first major purchase was a TAL IM clockwork RA drive scope from the back of the Sunday papers. Was quite good actually- that gave me my first Saturn views and also Jupiter. And started the slippery slope...
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14-06-2016, 10:21 AM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Perth WA
Posts: 4,374
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 More like little bumps either side ,  , but when you know what you are looking at mm WOAW !!!
Brian.
Quote:
Originally Posted by N1
Saturn's rings at 8x that's good eyesight Brian!
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15-06-2016, 09:14 AM
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Senior Citizen
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Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Bribie Island
Posts: 5,068
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... A Scope

Last edited by FlashDrive; 15-06-2016 at 11:04 AM.
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15-06-2016, 06:45 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 123
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Insomnia, and an iPhone with Starwalk led to a pair of 20x80 binos and it only got worse from there...
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15-06-2016, 08:37 PM
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Easily Confused
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Join Date: May 2016
Location: Syds
Posts: 33
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a tripod adapter for my dad's old knockoff-soviet-era 7x30s for to project the transit of venus on his loungeroom wall. He kinda couldn't believe it when the little shadow appeared as scheduled AND I didn't set fire to anything. He asked me where I read how to do that. I told him I didn't, I just guessed. He looked at me as if I might be the postman's.
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16-06-2016, 03:05 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: South brisbane
Posts: 191
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I just keep remembering more and more things now that someone mentioned an app...
I stumbled on a very pretty astronomy app (can't remember the name) that was on sale and got really excited that I could identify all the constellations and planets in the sky.
Till this day I still do not personally own a scope!! I just keep borrowing and I still can't decide on one. Variety is the spice of life?
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16-06-2016, 07:54 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Sale, VIC
Posts: 6,033
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Quote:
Originally Posted by N1
Saturn's rings at 8x that's good eyesight Brian!
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He did say he was 11 at the time and also had the good sense to steal his sister's easel. That's a great way to start.
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