80mm long focal length refractor

The mount started out life as non goto, but with tracking. I totally tore it down and cleaned and rebuilt it with new bearings and proper new grease, quite unlike
the black tar that the chinese decided it should have. I added to stepper motors and an off the shelf computer control board that turned it into a goto.
I can control it from my iPhone or computer over a wireless interface. Very convenient. I'm still working on the tripod to make it more stable and easier to set up.
All my polished aluminum tends to get dull in a very splotchy sort of way. I'm always getting my hands covered with various foods during long nights under the stars
and going gulp my scopes. My next telescope attempt will be a 10" f4.5 Surrier-truss tube reflector that can be used either in a Dobsonian
base or attached to the mount mentioned above.
Do you guys have astronomical gatherings down under? You're welcome to come join us at the next big one close to home.

CHuck the grumpy old guy

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Most cities have a club, I'm in our local astronomy group but the only idiot who builds scopes.
It seems to be a lost art in most places. Quite a few do it down south, say 5 or 6, there must be more because we have a large supplier catering to the market.
I've just found out that Skeye for my samsung tablet has the ability to align and turn the scope to a push to with planetarium.
I cant wait to try that out.
Very cloudy at night these days so that must mean the scope is ready to test.
 
Even down under? I thought that you guys were different somehow.
I belong to the Denver Astronomical Society. We are a group about 400+ strong and do a LOT of astronomical outreach at schools, civic groups, libraries, etc.
We are almost 118 years old (although I'm a bit younger) and have a home base at the University of Denver Historic 1894 Chamberlin Observatory. We
offer two public nights with lectures tours and views through "our" little 20" 1894 Alvin Clark / Saegmuler telescope each week and one Open House with
the observatory open to the public and members set up 20 -60+ personal telescopes on the south lawn all looking up through Denver's light polluted skies.
We have many amateur telescope makers some of whom are vastly superior to anything I can turn out.
Here's a peek of our scope.

IMG_8251.jpg 2 cham16.jpg 1 Astronomer Aiden Kai Miller.jpg CH2 Solar.jpg
 
This time of the year up here is supposed to be the wet season so its usually cloudless days but rainy nights.
We are getting the clouds at night but no rain.
Now that is a think of beauty.
We are a small club and before we became an official real club with all the resulting rules and regs we did a lot of schools outreach.
I presented a lot of them and it was all no charge.
Now we are official the club charges for those sessions which I dislike immensely so am no longer involved and we dont do very many now.
we still do public viewing on our light polluted beach front once a week and only ask for a gold coin donation. Its very popular but the objects are few, a couple of planets, the moon and thats about it.
Our dark site is approx 20 mins out of town and is very good with just a hint of orange glow behind the hills.
 
Now the larger dew shield is on it needs a larger cap.
The resistance of the "O" ring is sufficient to hold it in place firmly.
dew-shield-cap-1.jpg
dew-shield-cap-2.jpg
 
Looking good Charles, I must pick a good night to come down for a visit.

Cheers Phil
 
sounds a winner, wait till its powder coated as its in bits at the moment.
 
Are you coming to Tyto this weekend Charles? And will this be centre stage if you do :encourage:
 
It was in our local rag today. Townsville astronomy club is coming to Ingham to show all us country hicks how to look at the cheese in the moon and stuff :p Sorry cant find the link for that online
Tyto is the local information centre and wetlands. https://www.tyto.com.au/
 
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