It features 2 semicircular arms, and mounting points for the trusses (T-nuts are fine), as well as a lid to keep the mirror safe when the telescope is not in use. The rocker sides are each made of two identical pieces of inch plywood glued together, creating two sides one inch thick. Again from the main FILES page, go to "ASCOM DRIVERS" and download everything. One of the companies I had considered as a supplier for the primary mirror was Anttler's Optical. With Simple, Homemade Telescopes, You Can Explore the Stars (Op-Ed) Featured in the February, 2015 issue of Sky & : "http://www. The part is very strong! Find a special something for the makers in your life. A Homemade Crayford Focuser The Crayford focuser is a simplified focusing mechanism for amateur astronomical telescopes. This focuser (see pic at bottom) was motorised by me several years ago, but the motorised system didn't give me very fine control, and the motor running at fast speed tended to make the Artemis camera crash. i got a email that someone built a telescope close to mine that has seen the stuff in the photos here is a link to his site http://www.synapticsystems.com/sky/scopes/Dob.htmlif i seem a bit rude please forgive me i just spent 12hrs in a plane i have jetlag and im sitting in a airport.i would like to thank lvlasertech for keeping this instructable lively and informative. (actually, it ended up a smidge more than 2 inches). The secondary holder is adjustable, so I could didn't have to get the location perfect. DO NOT drill out the holes in the board! on Introduction, Very nice build nikon20. A Pocket Sundial From a Broken Pocket Watch! Headers for the LEDs, buzzer (2-pin) and temperature probe (3-pin). I had some carboy caps that make good knobs. The shroud made from two 22 inch tall containers came out short, so I had to add an eleven inch strip of nylon. His project is very well documented. knitting needle where it goes through the hole, so it's not a big deal, focuser. Crayford focusers are considered superior to entry-level rack and pinion I attached three feet equally spaced on top of the ring, and on the opposite side attached teflon pads 1 X 1 directly above the feet using very small brads and countersinking the brads below the surface of the teflon. Very simple and portable. I built mine entirely from CNC-cut plywood, and fastened it together with 2 bolts. Position "0" is with the focuser all the way IN (at least for a refractor). DIY Electric Focuser - ATM, Optics and DIY Forum - Cloudy Nights DIY Craford Focuser. I was certain not to move the jig at all before cutting the second circle. I have no dog in this hunt whatsoever, but if people are impressed by these photographs and vote for it because of them when there's no proof that this scope generated the photos and there IS data to the contrary (see below), then that's certainly not fair to the other contestants. All in all it seemed like a pretty robust design, so I gave it But, like many of you I'm sure, the biggest reason I'm doing this is for the pure geeky fun of it! How to build a 12.5 inch closed tube Dobsonian telescope. You will look through these as you rotate the wheel. A week after they said they would send the secondary and other parts, I called to ask if things had been sent. Get hands-on with kits, books, and more from the Maker Shed, Skill builder, project tutorials, and more. rod for the drive axle it would have a fairly fine motion. Tom's Homemade Telescope Page - 14 inch dob - Google And, once your telescope is finished, be sure to join a local astronomy club to learn more about the sky and share your hobby with others. Before finishing the tube with a wrap of veneer, I wanted to make sure that the primary was in the correct position. I called to express my concern and was told that it had all been packaged a few weeks ago and that it, For complete instructions on building a telescope such as this one, I strongly recommend buying a copy of, After cutting the circles for the side bearings, I set up the jig to cut the curved edges of the rocker sides. This is the upper tube that contains the flat secondary mirror, Telrad finder, and focuser. Fairly easy to build and could be adapted to suit any SCT focuser. The mount and tripod are pretty much useless for astrophotography. The lumber yard also gave me a lower price than I expected. Bill, Impressive work and great idea about LSDF focuser. It uses a primary mirror to capture and reflect light, a secondary mirror to direct light into an eyepiece, and a focuser to make fine adjustments for viewing. It took yet another call a week later for the items to actually be mailed. A Pocket Sundial From a Broken Pocket Watch! I had cut the 12 foot tube in half in order to get it home in the first place, and a 6 foot section was the right size to work with for my f/5 12.5 inch. The spider, or secondary mirror holder, will suspend the mirror in the optical path in order to direct light into the focuser. Use mild soap and distilled . It uses a primary mirror to capture and reflect light, a secondary mirror to direct light into an eyepiece, and a focuser to make fine adjustments for viewing. Share it with us! When the skies were dark enough for observing I found that the scope moves easily into position and holds that position well. I ground and figured the mirror with little troubles, making my focault tester, etc. Here is a simple 3D printed helical focuser that cost just a few cents (assuming you have a 3D printer). I set things up in daylight and collimated the scope. It took about 3 weeks but, since Anttler's did not even reply to the Paypal dispute, I received a Paypal refund. See the images how I plan to assemble it. stronger, but would give me a coarser focus action because of their I want to put my 12.5 mirror in a collapsible structure so I can haul it easy, Say a truss tube design, 7 years ago This motor has a larger shaft diameter (8mm) and is quite a bit heavier overall than the direct drive motor, mainly because of the gearbox. The base of the telescope should be a wide, sturdy square or circle of wood with teflon bearing pads matched to the ABS plastic ring of the rocker box. Several clamps were used to hold the pieces together overnight. Using heavy grit sandpaper I brought back the surface of the keeper enough for the side bearings to fit inside the felt pads. The pieces were cut down to 15 3/8 and 14 3/8, allowing just under 1/8 inch on each side. Both cameras have fairly small megapixels by todays' standards, and are certainly obsolete, but do the job extremely well! We use cookies to continuously improve our websites for you and optimize its design and customization. For about $3 we can buy a tank valve kit that has a threaded 2" i.d. I ordered the focuser, received an immediate email confirming the order, and it arrived two days later. If you look in the FILES area on Robert Brown's site (see link above) you will see a sub-folder "3D Printed Parts". Once the pieces were cut and I held them around the tube, I decided to cut them a bit smaller because the extra space was too much. I have already seen some designs on CN, Stellafane and web but still checking if someone has recently made anything simpler. Trim off any unused fabric along the base. As the authors describe the benefits of a truss design, it is hard to dispute their arguments. Link to the motor speed controller kit:http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=KC5225(a 5K external potentiometer will be required): http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=RP3508The drive motor:http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=YG2734The gears:http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=YG2736The motor forward/reverse switch:http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=ST0506The push button:http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=SP0711 After the second call, I received a response that it would be ready at the end of the following week. This arrangement turns 100% true, no wobble. CNC files (optional) Download the Sketchup files. I don't have the skills to build a focuser using a. This consists of a small black box of electronics. I plan to use an FTA over it in case an extension is needed. If you don't want to go that route, contact me at gary.hethcoat@gmail.com since I have a lot of spare parts and I can sell you a "kit" with a PCB and only the parts you need. Orient this assembly to allow you to view an object on the far horizon. This design could be adapted to practically any telescope or focuser, so I've kept my outline on the project brief. I would also like to know about how you can take such fantastic pictures without a field rotator and an autoguider system. I wasn't there so i can be 100% but i do not think my friend was lying to me and i believe the pictures are from my telescope my kids use it for stargazing a lot i have seen some deepspace but i use it mainly for sketching the moon and i like to view solar flares. Their step by step instructions were invaluable to me as I built this scope. This is not recommended for shared computers. I have seen some VERY impressive photos similar to those, taken with Nikon D700 and D300 cameras, with the proper filters- and mounts- on a quality scope. Able to shift heavy loads of kit ie over 1000g. Then it was time to stain and finish. I will post the pic of final focuser once ready. After a dry fit of the rocker to make sure that the tube box with side bearings would fit well, I glued the rocker sides to the rocker front, holding them in place with small nails and clamping overnight. Secondary mirror with spider holder Search on eBay for a matched set. Post 10 of the same LSDF focuser thread also links to Art Bianconi's archived 2008 original flush valve focuser posts. Tom's Homemade Telescope Page - Issac Newton Scope - Google Have you made any mods on it since you built it? I had talked with their owner about mirrors and mirror cells once, and I was very impressed by his knowledge of telescope building. My first telescope I built was a 10" F8. The kit just contains the electronics - it is up to the user to find a stepper motor and attach it to their own telescope focuser. scope, I only put knobs on the outsides. I marked the spot and moved things back inside to install the mirror. Telescope Focusers | Orion Telescopes: Shop It may take you a while to adjust the image correctly, but it's not hard to do, just time consuming. By adjusting the bolts, the mirror can be pointed toward the correct spot. Drill the holes for the knitting Building the mirror box is tricky, because the entire optical assembly (mirror cell, mirror box, trusses, secondary cage) must balance at the center of rotation of the arms. It was important that the two circles be identical because the edges had to match perfectly when glued together and the two side bearings had to be identical in order for the altitude motion to work well. The curved sides of the Side Bearings are also covered with strips of Ebony Star that glide on the teflon pads on the curved edges of the Rocker Sides (figure 3). To hold the tube in place within the tube box, I used a combination of pieces of felt inside the box and wooden shims between the tube and the box. The arc at the top of the sides needed to have a radius 1/8 inch larger than that of the side bearings to account for the thickness of the teflon pads that would fit between. This scope was originally made as a travel scope using an eight inch mirror that I ground and polished at the St Pete Astronomy Clubs Mirror Lab. . The focal length of the mirror is 61 inches. It's the same in form, but has a perfect, true 13.35mm hole. That helps with low-profile Like i said these are not my photos and i cannot coment on exactly how he set it up as i was not there all i can say is i saw the mount he used when he picked up the telescope. ill ask him for a detailed list of what he used and when i get that ill post it here for you. This project is based on Robert Brown's "Arduino ASCOM Focuser Pro2 DIY". It has become an indispensable piece of equipment for me that so beats hacking and filing PVC pipes etc. The Dob is really a great design. needle so the knitting needle will be snug against the drawtube without Able to make myself using my own humble tools (or toys as the pros will call them!). And a flat thing to put it all on Able to make myself using my own humble tools (or toys as the pros will call them!) 10 years ago After researching several possible sources for a primary mirror, I decided to order an f/5 12.5 inch mirror from Discovery Optics. They said they would make the brackets extra long to accommodate the mirror and it would take about a week. think that design would be rigid enough under the weight of a diagonal Crayford focusers are considered superior to entry-level rack and pinion focusers, normally found in this type of device. a "rubbery" feel. Save over 40% off the annual cover price for a full year (4 issues) of Make. I sanded all parts of the telescope with 220 grit sandpaper followed by 400 grit, making a very smooth surface to apply the stain. 10 inch or 12 inch. I used one of these scrap pieces to draw an angle of 70 degrees to the edge of the arc so that I could later place the teflon pads on the arcs. 4 years ago Sonotube (14 inch diameter, 12 feet long): $70, Focuser (GSO 2 speed low profile Crayford): $139, Total cost for supplies for this project: $1700. So, for my telescope I used a 6mm to 5mm coupler available on Amazon. It turned out that they had an incorrect zip code and the package was still waiting to be sent. off the bearings. I drilled holes for the screws that avoided the location of the ring, and attached the rocker bottom. The day I received the refund, I ordered a mirror cell from University Optics. To get this arc, I actually moved the radius of the jig in by 1/8 inch. I then attached the Ebony Star ring using contact cement. Also no obvious diffraction spikes in the m31 photo. Most people will want a knob on It turns out the the extra 1/16 allowed far too much side to side movement between the rocker and ground board. A homemade 16 inch dob lightweight telescope, DS-4 - XMission Not worth the effort, price is tooo high. small, it's surprisingly rigid. 24 T-nuts, with matching 2 bolts and knobs, 8 Aluminum tubing, thin wall, 1 square, 4 lengths I got mine from Cycle 24, Black woven velveteen, 68 Cut it so it stretches along the 6 axis. This cost around $100 to build and all of the components came from. Rack & Pinion: For many years the standard focuser was of the rack-and-pinion type - a small pinion gear moved the flat toothed rack that was attached to or built into the moving focusing tube that holds the eyepiece.However, this geared system was far from ideal, with some wobble due to the friction fit between the fixed and moving tubes and backlash due to the gears. I laughed, packed up the cell with a long letter describing the series of events that led to the return, and put it in the mail. Two different construction supply companies told me that sonotubes were not available with a 14 inch diameter, even by special order. I wanted the long focal length for good contrast. together tech enthusiasts, crafters, educators across the globe. The basic points I wanted to cover: What did I end up with? and an eyepiece. All Dobsonian telescope projects are unique buildshere are the notes from my latest version to help get you familiar with the process and determine how youll design yours. The plate has slotted screw holes for tensioning the 6mm belt. The rocker arms must also have guides to keep it on the track; flat metal 12 braces lined with ABS plastic work nicely. If you're going for simple, have you considered a helical focuser? (Sorry you my 12.5" trackball, but I didn't My newtonian telescope, like most others, came fitted with a nasty rack and pinion focuser. Fairly easy to build and could be adapted to suit any SCT focuser. Focuser (GSO 2 speed low profile Crayford): $139 Ebony star strips: 2 @ $10 Ebony star ring: $59 Teflon strip: $11 Telrad base: $10 Baltic Birch " sheet (60X60): $42 Baltic Birch 5/8" sheet (60X60): $48 Circle cutting jig: $30 Birch Veneer (4X8 piece): $65 Hardware, stain, other supplies: $80 Total cost for supplies for this project: $1700 To view, go here: http://emediadesigns.com/focuser/ I tried all of my other eyepieces and found that I could bring the image into focus in the other eyepieces, but it was very near the bottom of the focuser travel. Using a compass, I drew lines for the inside and outside of the Ebony Star ring on the top and bottom of the rocker bottom. Make the hole diameter fairly snug, too. Step 4Attaching the Side Bearings and assembling the Rocker. The sides were attached with wood glue and clamps with a few small brads to hold everything in place. I got no response to phone calls or emails after another week, and decided to wait until the primary would be finished in another two weeks. Make sure the shroud can slip on and off of the assembled scope, and that it stretches along the circumference (not lengthwise). on Step 5. As I set of the scope, several club members came over to check things out and it was nice to hear the positive comments on the appearance of the scope. This combination has proved to be effective for all positions except when the tube is pointed directly up. The focuser 'knob' on the Celestron is just a rubber sleeve that usually pulls off easily. I'd be willing to bet that you could easily grind your own 12.5 inch next time and save some $$. I used a hole saw to cut a wooden plug to fit inside the A Beginner's Guide to Collimation - Gary Seronik Lining up this center point with the center of the top of the side bearing, I brought the corner of the side bearing up to the edge of the tube box and attached it with screws. I centered the focuser 8 inches from the top of the tube, using a 2.5 inch hole drilling saw with smaller holes for the bolts that would hold the focuser. The premier publication of maker projects, skill-building tutorials, in-depth reviews, and inspirational stories, To test the concept I used a short piece of two inch PVC for the draw tube. The balance point determines the height of the rocker sides, so I had to get this far before I cut the wood for the base. You will need to remove the regular focus knob on your telescope's focuser. larger diameter. The Artemis module works extremely well, and is to be strongly recommended. After picking up a copy of The Dobsonian Telescope by David Kriege, I built my first telescope with a 12-diameter mirror, then later tackled a 12 lightweight scope. telescope page, I wasn't really eager to buy two commercial Crayford A bit of a monster! As I continued to read, however, I was struck by the many complications of the design and, frankly, how many ways I could screw it up. Tom's Homemade Telescope Page - Udder Nonsense - Google This might have been tempting if I wanted to build a 6 inch scopeat that size, they say that first-timers do pretty well at grinding and figuring their own optics. Two such companies would not give me a price because the order of a single tube was too small. Membership connects and supports the people and projects that shape our future and supports the learning Read the documentation though, there are a lot of functions and options. You will have to line up the diagonal and primary so that you see a centered image of the sonotube opening and the spyder in the eyepiece hole. Star Adventurer Pro Pack Counter Weight Bar Thumb Screw Upgrade. The dimensions of the Tube Box Sides are based on the outer diameter of my tube14 3/16. This software creates a model of your telescope by measuring out of focus star sizes at various points. It has a 6mm shaft. Overall, I'm very happy with the outcome of this project - focusing is now a joy. I don't *do* pretty. too far. I feel it is a wonderful thing to free oneself from the "store-bought" world, as Tombaugh did, and to use your imagination and skills to develop your own, personal way of viewing the sky. And for those who like to work with 3D printers, both the single speed and dual-speed versions could easily be printed. I also decided to make a separate mounting plate for the stepper motor, since I figured aligning the shafts precisely would be all but impossible. I did not glue the bearings to the tube box in case I needed to adjust the position later. Deep space photos like these require HOURS of exposure for each one. It was easy enough to drill a hole and tap threads for a adapter set screws to slide into. Every primary telescope mirror has a fixed focal length thats usually 4 to 6 times the width of the mirror. Move the jigs until you can comfortably place a variety of eyepieces in the focuser and get a sharp image, then carefully measure the separation distances. Similar photos at http://www.telescopegeek.com/gallery.htm require 100+ minute exposure times on his 20" telescope and $3200 camera. Motion is very smooth. on Step 3. I used one of the top scraps from the rocker sides to mark an angle of 70 degrees from the center of the arc to the curved cut in order to properly space 1 X 7/8 teflon pads on the arcs. I had considered using a clear finish alone, but decided to use a dark red finish on the base and a clear finish on the tube, just because I like the look. Finally, I glued a strip of Ebony Star laminante to the curves edge of each side bearing using contact cement, using a flush edge bit on a router to bring the edge of the laminate even with the edge of the wood after the cement had set. I was finishing this inner debate when I got a copy of the book The Dobsonian Telescope by Kriege and Berry as a Christmas gift. This one is based on the DRV8825 driver chip and a NEMA-17 stepper motor. can't click on it or copy and paste it; it's a graphic file to thwart Let me see if I can get similar plumbing parts here. was straight so I wouldn't get a wobbly knob. Earthbound1 likes this #2 dave brock Mercury-Atlas I had the thought that as long as I was going to build it I should build it as big as I could afford. It's rigid, lightweight, and A week later the cell arrived (on schedule) from University Optics. The arc at the top of the sides needed to have a radius 1/8 inch larger than that of the side bearings to account for the thickness of the teflon pads that would fit between. It has reminded me of one of my long term aims to make a telescope that has been buried by the demands of the rest of my life! In the "ARDUINO FIRMWARE" folder, in it you will find a ZIP file "myFP2-Firmware 312-1.zip". I could not find a spacer to fit my 9/16 hole, so I bought the 11/16 spacer (1 1/8 long because that's what the store had) and a bit of the same size. I had nearly completed the base and put things together for the first time. Stellafane The Focuser Accordingly, with 1.25 focuser, you can use 1.25 eyepieces, with 2 focuser - both 2 eyepieces and 1.25 (through a special . This motor is available on Amazon. haven't yet found any design elements that need improvement. Instead of the rack and pinion, they have a smooth spring-loaded shaft which holds the focus tube against four opposing bearing surfaces, and controls its movement. As the telescope tilts toward the horizon, the mirror must be supported on its edge. Tom's Homemade Telescope Page - DIY Craford Focuser - Google See above, this motor does not produce a lot of torque, but you don't need much for this application since there is no 'load' on the focusing shaft. Another vote for Pierre's helical Crayford design. Today I purchased what is called atank nipple in India. But who cares, really? I didn't receive any confirmation email after a few days, so I tried to send them an email. The last time I checked, that particular SBIG camera used on TelescopeGeek had an eight month lead time.A 20" scope gathers 2.6 times more light than a 12.5" scope, therefore equivalent exposures on this one would take 200+ minutes, at least. My wife helped me by moving the mirror into and out of the tube around the marked spot while I stood at the eyepiece trying to bring some distant trees into focus. My DIY Motorized Telescope Focuser - YouTube I use a 3D printer and an old gear motor to create an electronic telescope focuser.This is my first attempt at voiceover, I'm using a headset. the side of a rigid secondary cage. I want to make this direct drive system work. The 2-1.25" adapter is a sink drain slip fitting in 1-1/4" size that slips into the large tube for 1.25 EP's. So I was looking for a cheap, light-but-sturdy design for a (actually, it ended up a smidge more than 2 inches) Lighter than the existing focuser. This is because my router bit was inch and the arc would be cut by the outside edge of the bit (where the circle had been cut by the inside edge.) To get this arc, I actually moved the radius of the jig, At some point in the building process, my goal became to finish the scope by RocheStar Fest, an annual event of the. I'm' glad I did, because I didn't like the first color that I had chosen. If the telescope rotates forward or backward on its own, then the mirror box is too deep or too shallow. Quick demo of my motorized focuser, and I will create a detailed tutorial if enough people are interested. I had some carboy caps that make good knobs. And the legs of the base should be as wide as possible to accommodate weight imbalance as the telescope is moved around, to avoid tipping. But, especially on cold evenings, the focus may go out in the middle of the night. One of the neat things about the square design is that the - Bill. Measure twice, drill I carefully cut exactly through the center of each side bearing circle to make my semicircles. I did not wrap the tube until I had completed the base. Building Your Second Homemade Telescope - Part 1 - HubPages on Step 1, Richards in our local astronomy club. on Introduction. The project took several months off and on to complete, although a skilled Maker could put a similar one together in a few weeks. Line the underside of the rocker box with a ring of ABS plastic to allow it to ride on the base. Homemade 12.5 Inch Dobsonian Telescope - Instructables A During assembly, youll attach the trusses to the mirror box, then sit the secondary cage on top and bolt everything in place. var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-1008534-4"); focusers for that project. document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E")); Coupler for NEMA-17 Stepper Motor (also two choices, see below), LM7808 Voltage Regulator with TO-220 package -, Mini On/Off 3-pin 2-position slide switch -, Headers and wire (miscellaneous sizes and gauges), these are important so you can replace the component if it is damaged, LM7808 voltage regulator w/TO-220 heat sink package, 2-pin headers for 12V power and on/off switch. After going over the surfaces with a tack cloth to pick up the saw dust, I applied the stain and went over it with cheese cloth rags for an even finish. There are a number of technical reasons why these photographs could not have come from this Optical Tube Assembly. Helicals are adaptable to both refractors and reflectors, but do not "play nice" with zoom eyepieces because "zooming" becomes a two handed operation to avoid changing focus.