Re: ATM first mirror

[Dave Sopchak <das@po.cwru.edu>]

Randy Hensley writes:
>
>At forty I finally remembered that I was interested in astronomy.....and
>that I had always wanted to build a telescope.

Good for you!
> Funny how you forget things
>sometimes. Now I'm seeking advice on which size mirror would be right for
>me. I've seen many 6 " mirrors discussed, but I was wondering if a 12" is
>that much harder to complete. I'll probably buy a scope with all the bells
>and whistles later, but I want to have a go at making my own.

I dunno, after making my own, I'd never buy a ready made one...

>So my question is: Is a 12" mirror too difficult for a newbie?

If you are a reasonably ambitious guy, with access to this list and all the
great folks on it, I certainly think you could bump it off. Read Texereau's
or Berry's book and see what you think.
        I used to recommend making a 6" for a first scope, that's what I
did (with no help but Texereau's book), but with the resources and
encouragement available to you on the net, I really think bigger stuff is
easily within reach of the newbie. Good luck and welcome aboard!

Dave

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Don't know why/there's no ice cream on my pie/foreign waiters