Some possible encouragement for beginners and newbies.

savarin

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It wasnt too long ago that I was one of these.(I still am really) and I remember how scary it felt if I damaged something or stuffed up a part.
All I knew about maching was from a couple of classes around 52 years ago.
I purchased my generic 9x20 lathe about 3+ years ago (I think but cant fully remember) knowing nothing but with a million questions.
With those and the awesome help freely given on this forum I have been able to progress in leaps and bounds.
A special thanks goes out to all those fantastic people.

I've just been reading my build thread of the 80mm long focal length refractor from start to date (still not finished) and cannot believe how far I've come in that time and what lessons I have learnt along the way.
Admittedly its been a long project but the knowledge I've gained in the journey has been amazing and priceless.

In this quest I have made tools to do a small job, larger tools that will be used many times, additives to the lathe and so on.
Many techniques and processes that I would never even have thought of before and the problem solving required for a small part came together at the right time to enable me to do what I wanted.

So, I would like to give what I believe is one piece of advise that will help all the beginners and newbs who are finding it all a bit daunting is to think of a project you really want that doesnt have a time deadline and start building, ask all those questions no matter how silly you think they are but above all have fun.

There is one downside to this system though, as my knowledge base and skill level increases I have a habit of returning to something I did at the beginning to do it better and refine it.
Thats why the telescope is not quite finished.
 
Telescopes are NEVER finished. As soon as you start really using one that you think is finished, all sorts of new ideas creep into the noggin as to how to add/modify/redo this or that. At least that's what I've found for Northern Hemisphere telescopes. I still haven't made it to the southern hemisphere, closest was the tip of Baja. Now that you are getting close to really using your tube, have you ever thought that you could easily make another one just like it and turn them into a fabulous pair of binoculars? How about astrophotography? you might need to add a good guide scope with camera to keep your mount tracking accurately. How about a 6 eyepiece turret so that you can just spin it around to whatever eyepiece you want to look through. Maybe a spectrometer or spectrophotometer add on. Ever think of putting it into an observadome? so that you can just leave it set up and use it without having to haul it out and set it up again each time. And after slaving away getting it just the way you want it, you get a case of aperture fever and need to start work on making a 16" f3.5 reflector, or even two 16" f3.5 reflectors to be use as binoculars. Stay away from big astronomical gatherings, the exposure to all the stuff thats out there is very infectious and even when building your own it can set you back some big bucks.
Seriously, being able to show folks some of the night sky wonders through a scope that you put together yourself is very very rewarding.
Machining is just a means to the end product of having light from billions of light years away being carefully focused on your own retina. True time machines is what telescopes are. Keep at it.

CHuck the grumpy old guy
 
G'Day Sav, ow yer going ?
you are the epitome of tenacity and your vertical slide project is awe inspiring to say the very least.
if folks would share in your spirit, wonderful things can and will be accomplished
see yer later
:beer:
 
Yep, already got aperture fever.
I started a 12" bino before this current project so its on hold till this one is finished.
I have the glass for the mirrors ready to start, the grinding/polishing machine is ready to go, the truss tubes are half built. Just need the time to re start.
but they will be f6 as the mirrors will be flexed to the parabolic shape. (easier to figure a sphere)
Thanks Mike
 
Binocular Telescope. What a concept. Is it possible to see the stars in 3D? I'da thought at that distance they'd all be one flat image. Now, the moon, that's another story.
 
When you get them fully aligned then yes there is a kind of 3d feeling.
I prefer observing with binoculars as two eyes definitely sees more detail.
Watch tv with one eye covered, the image looks very flat, open that eye and suddenly way more detail jumps out.
Its the same with the heavens, nebulae look fabulous and bright objects often show a little colour as well.
 
Looking at deep space objects like nebulae through a well collimated pair of binocular telescopes is a real hoot. I have had the opportunity to view through
several very large binocular scopes, each scope consisting of two 24" to 36" mirrors and requiring VERY tall ladders in order to reach the two eyepieces.
Climbing up the ladder in a totally dark site is a little unsettling, but once you get to the eyepieces and adjust your inter-ocular spacing (the distance between your eye balls) the views are extraordinary. With both eyes and at the human brain which is used to seeing in stereo, the image appears much brighter than through just one eye. The image is like you are floating in space! and yes many objects are quite colorful. This is one of the reasons to attend star parties put on by local astronomical groups throughout the year. My favorite big star party is the OkieTex which is held over 10-12 days in the late summer each year in one of the darkest areas within the US. These areas are becoming fewer and fewer due to light pollution due to poor practices in controlling and directing artificial light from our cities. Savrin has it made in his neck of the woods with dark skies galore. Its really a shame that most people today have never seen the milky way. Back in the 50's I could sit on my porch in south Denver and see it clearly, now from that location, its hard to make out most of the major constellations.

CHuck the grumpy old guy
 
yep, 20 mins out of town and its a dark site.
The major problem I find is the difficulty in finding the constellations in such a mass of stars.:p
 
On the telescope topic, I know what you all mean by light pollution. I used to travel about 50 miles from Cleveland, Oh to get a decent dark sky until the local "prison farm" installed dozens of bright sodium lights and destroyed the night sky. I've since sold all my telescopes, including a beautiful 6" f15 newtonian that I built back in the 90's. I now would have to travel prohibitively far for good, dark sky. It's a shame Arizona-like light laws don't exist more widely. I miss my several-times-a-week viewing sessions.
 
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