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Re: [ATM] New with starters questions



Thank you Alan, a very informative and nice page, wonderfully made scope 
too, compliments

Alan Scott wrote:

> Joel,
>  One solution among many is the web site that I put together.  It is 
> at www.xmission.com/~alanne/DS3Main.html.  This will answer many of 
> your questions - as far as I answered them.
>
>  I would recommend buying your first mirror, and I would buy a 12" 
> (0.30 m) because the cost isn't much more, 12" scopes can still be 
> made pretty small, and they are pretty portable.  As far as costs, I 
> don't know about Europe, but check out Gary Hand in the states from 
> "hands on optics".  Maybe he could give you a place to buy, or 
> shipping costs.
>
>  By the way, this is an international group.  Centimeters and 
> millimeters are fine.
>
>  My side bearings are half circles.  Makes the scope smaller and 
> lighter when it is torn down.
>
>  No detailed plans, but I did put into my web site the "hows" and 
> "sizes" of everything.  Go to the bottom, and click on links.
>
>  Order IS important.  I made the mirror cell, mirror cage, and 
> secondary.  Then, you add trusses (as determinded by the focal length 
> of the primary and how far the focuser is out from the center of the 
> scope).  Next, figure out the center of gravity.  NOW, you can voodoo 
> out the size of the bearings and the rocker box.
>
>  Take a look at Mel Bartel's web site.  It is located at: 
> http://www.bbastrodesigns.com/.  Mel's old web site at www.efn.org is 
> old.  Don't use that one.
>
>  Also, go into the atmlist archive and do some back-reading - there 
> are a lot of good ideas on this group.  http://www.atmlist.net/
>
>  Two more pieces of advice -
>    1) Telescopes are a compromise between being as big as possible, a 
> reasonable cost, and as portable and easy to set up as possible.  A 
> good size for a first scope is an 8" to 12".  Don't go too big too fast.
>
>    2) Never having made a mirror - here goes some advice.  If you do 
> decide to grind a mirror yourself, find someone else local to you that 
> has made one to help you learn the ropes the first time.
>
>
> Alan Scott
> www.xmission.com/~alanne/DS3Main.html
>
>
>> From: "frog3@freeler.nl" <frog3@freeler.nl>
>> To: ATM@atmlist.net
>> Subject: [ATM] New with starters questions
>> Date: Thu, 14 Apr 2005 23:33:31 +0200
>>
>> Hello all,
>> i'm Joel, from the Netherlands, i'm new to the group.
>>
>> i would like to ask a few things to help me on the way to building a 
>> first 20, 25 or 30 cm truss dobson telescope. (8", 10" or 12")
>>
>> probably a 10" as this seems to be the best compromise for me at this 
>> time, regarding cost and final size, i would like to make it about 
>> F/5, so around 1250mm in the case of the 25cm.
>>
>> first general question:
>> is it alright if i talk in centimeters and milimeters here? as it is 
>> easyer for me to think about than to think in the feet and inch 
>> conversions.
>>
>> first atm question:
>> if i want a 25 cm dobson tlescope, should i make the mirrorbox about 
>> 30 cm? or is this too small or too big? (roughly 2" more than the 
>> size of the mirror)
>>
>> 2:
>> What is better costwise: making a mirror out of a blank and having it 
>> aluminized and coated or buying the most inexpensive ready-made 
>> usable 10" f/5  mirror?
>> and what will  both of these options more or less exactly cost?
>> and where should i buy it? here in the netherlands? or in europe? or 
>> doesn't it matter? what would be the best for the price including all 
>> shipment(s) and where should i 'shop'? and do any of the people of 
>> this list also sell atm supllies?
>>
>> 3:
>> I would like to make the , what i believe are called sidebearings, in 
>> sort of a half circle, instead of a circle, is this a lot more 
>> difficult to do than just a making a plain circle, or does it make no 
>> difference?
>>
>> 4:
>> does anyone have any drawings or plans (or how should i be calling 
>> this in particular? please help the novice) with exact sizes for 
>> everything? just to function as an example for me to 'draw on', 
>> because it's quite difficult to be doing this from scratch, or even a 
>> boook, that is what i find at least, i have the Kriege book of "The 
>> Dobsonian telescope".
>>
>> 5: (very important, so i'm not sure why it ended on place 5 ;)
>> what to make first? and when does the balancing of the telescope have 
>> to be done? which part is it that neds to be re-adjusted for the 
>> balancing, and therefore
>>
>> 6:
>> What am i forgetting?!..... :) ....very important to ask. :)
>>
>> Thank you all,
>> Joel
>>
>>
>>
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>
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