I won't be able to get there either pete. I was a bit slow starting this week so I want to get the last bits into this thing this week-end to get it ridgid before the wind gets it.
Looking good mate. I can imagine what a nice breeze might do with it though. Better get it into the loungeroom -in front of the telly perhaps, or on the dining table.
Peter.
Even with 3 bricks in it, it lifted off the bench this arvo and hit the deck. We just got it to wiggle through the sliding door and inside, so it's in front of the telly
It's blowing a gail and bucketing down outside now. I hope there's some sun out tomorrow to set the glue. It will not fit through that door again once I add more bits.
Even with 3 bricks in it, it lifted off the bench this arvo and hit the deck. We just got it to wiggle through the sliding door and inside, so it's in front of the telly
It's blowing a gail and bucketing down outside now. I hope there's some sun out tomorrow to set the glue. It will not fit through that door again once I add more bits.
Heck, that was lucky Robin - last night one of the windiest nights I can recall for a long time in Bris. Would have been a shame to lose it all when it was looking so good. Hope you can get it all mounted etc before the next big blow. You might need a foil like the F1 cars that rotates into the oncoming wind.....
Didn't it howl. The wind drove the rain through a gap in the back of the house somewhere and water was running on the inside of the downstairs windows. Looks like I've have to get on a ladder and find that one. I figure once I get the foam finished I can pin it to the ground under a tarp and move onto stage 2. I'm almost foamed out...
Guys, if you were planning to come out tonight, I think you should postpone the trip. The wind isn't letting up at all - it's howling up from the South-West at a hell of a clip. Skippy says there is a westerly jetstream also, 100 kph++ tonight so even in clear skies, the seeing will be poor - and that assumes you can anchor your scope to the ground.
Tomorrow (Sunday) offers a somewhat better prognosis though - so all is not lost.
Peter.
I didn't drag the foam outside till after lunch, it was just too windy.
I only just got the last of the glue off me 5 half hexagons to go tomorrow.
Thank god it's been sunny today. Waiting 2 days for glue to go off is a pain in the ar.....
Last edited by Tandum; 20-10-2010 at 06:14 PM.
Reason: Changed Image.
Ten-Chainers will be familiar with the slow progress of this project. It's been fairly slow progress waiting for stuff from the States and for things that are backordered.
Anyway, the official outcome is that 21Kgs have been shed from the OTA leving it at a nice 20Kgs. It's now been re-assembled and optical exes brought into alignment. All that remains is a reasonable night to collimate and we'll be able to see if it's all been worth the effort.
Here's some pics of the end result. The main changes have been a new primary and secondary assembly including spider, a new focuser and some vaery drastic cuts with an angle grinder to the sonotube itself.
Fingers crossed. If it collimates well enough it'll be an f/20 12 1/2 inch scope with a FL of 6300 (or so) capable of up to x1200 on a good night. There's enough of Jupiter still in the sky to make the mouth drool just a little.
