Birds homebrew 13.1" newtonian (merged)

iceman (Mike) · #1 23-01-2006, 07:23 AM

Anthony,

I read in Matt's thread that it's raedy and finished!?

Tell us about it! Show us a pic!

Which scope are you bringing to Lostock?

davidpretorius · #2 23-01-2006, 07:41 AM

yes, he has us hanging on with baited breath's......................

ving (David) · #3 23-01-2006, 09:40 AM

yes daves breath smells of prawns....

come on anthony, show us ur scope!

bird (Anthony Wesley) · #4 23-01-2006, 11:29 AM

:-)

Well I got a phone call from Mark on Thursday saying that the mirror was polished and going to be coated on Friday, so I drove up to Sydney and collected it Friday evening. Because I didn't know what the exact focal length was going to be I hadn't yet built the top end of the scope or drilled holes for the focusser etc. I spent the weekend working on it and got it assembled enough to test last night.

I was worried about a few things - this scope is a real monster and I thought it might be too heavy for the mount. Well I need not have worried - it's actually *more* stable on the mount than my old 10"... the extra weight is having more damping effect.

Also didn't know if I had enough counterweights, but with the extra one I bought from Mick it works out nicely.

I have more things to sort out today, and a few more holes to drill. Whether or not it comes to Lostock now depends on *if* I can fit it in my car with all my other gear. That's going to be very interesting...

Bird

rumples riot · #5 23-01-2006, 04:56 PM

Nice, just remember the 6 week hoodoo. Might not be advisable to take the new scope. I am sure you are veery pleased with the new scope and I for one look forward to seeing it's performance. Congrats Anthony.

bird (Anthony Wesley) · #6 23-01-2006, 05:38 PM

Well, I spent all today working on the scope, finishing off the remaining items. Centre spotted the mirror, added the finderscope and top-end counterweights etc. Played with the collimation for an hour or so this afternoon to get a feel for it, it's nothing like any scope I've ever used before. It's a real "no tools" collimation, everything can be adjusted by hand, all the adjustment points (including secondary) are on the outside of the tube.

I've definitely got to get a set of shorter legs for the G-11, lifting this tube onto the current height is going to kill me. According to the bathroom scales the top tube section is 8kg and the bottom is 15kg, so it's 23kg assembled. I think I'll have to start lifting weights or I'll end up doing myself an injury :-)

Bird

matt · #7 23-01-2006, 06:47 PM

Bird

Be a nice chap and post some pics?? Mmmmm? Mmmmm?

I'm dying to see this "no tools" collimation set up.

rumples riot · #8 23-01-2006, 06:53 PM

Yes am intrigued by all this.

bird (Anthony Wesley) · #9 23-01-2006, 07:33 PM

Ok, here be pics:

http://www.acquerra.com.au/astro/equipment/13/

Bird

davidpretorius · #10 23-01-2006, 07:42 PM

mike, you must relax the swear rule for this post. that is ........awesome bird!!!

wow

wow

i will bring barricade tape to snake valley to keep the little kids (including myself) from wanting to touch it!!!!

have i said wow???

bird (Anthony Wesley) · #11 23-01-2006, 07:45 PM

As some of you know I've been working on building a new scope for the last 6 months or so. The optics are high quality (i.e. not done by me) but all of the design and most of the metalwork is mine.

The design is quite different to anything you may have seen before, I wanted to solve a lot of usability issues in my old scope and so spent time thinking about how to solve these things in the design of the new one.

The things I wanted:

- no tools collimation, and *easy* adjustments on secondary
and primary.
- Integrated temperature controlled mirror mount.
- Lots of other small things.

I only finished the scope today, here's a page with some pictures:

http://www.acquerra.com.au/astro/equipment/13/

regards, Bird

anthony2302749 · #12 23-01-2006, 07:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bird

Ok, here be pics:

http://www.acquerra.com.au/astro/equipment/13/

Bird

One very impressive scope !!!!!!!

matt · #13 23-01-2006, 07:58 PM

Oh man!!!

You have to lay your hands on a highly polished silver lady and attach it somewhere to that coz that is one out-of-control Rolls Royce of a scope

davidpretorius · #14 23-01-2006, 08:01 PM

jdn adsafff

haviinf trouble tiping......still piking myself off the floor after doing a woohoo and tripping over the coffee table!

i need to buy some temp paste and i will have my mini bird cooler finished

Striker (Tony) · #15 23-01-2006, 08:05 PM

Wow...that looks awesome Anthony...you have to bring it to Lostock....if it doesn't fit in the car buy a bigger car.

stringscope (Ian) · #16 23-01-2006, 08:14 PM

Magnificent Anthony!!! Wow! ............ I mean WOW!!

Are you planning to show this off at a CAS DSN?

I suspect you wouldn't want to go all that much bigger on that G11.

Cheers,

Astroman (Andrew Wall) · #17 23-01-2006, 08:37 PM

WOW work of art alright thats just brilliant, love the design too. That mirror looks great

acropolite (Phil) · #18 23-01-2006, 08:41 PM

Split tube too, way to go..

Starkler (Geoff) · #19 23-01-2006, 08:41 PM

Looks awesome Anthony !

I imagined that an advantage in choosing the conical mirror would be enabling direct thermal coupling between the cold plate and the main mass of the mirror. You mention it is attached with silicone sealant which would act as an insulator.
How are you cooling the mirror with the cold plate? Did I miss something?

netwolf · #20 23-01-2006, 08:46 PM

Hi Bird,

Just one word "WoW" and i cant wait to see what you photograph with this beauty. Eat your heart out GSO..

How much does it weigh? and how stable is it on the G11?

Can you provide a cost for this project. Would any of the partys involved in its creation consider manufacturing more.

Regards