A place for night sky enthusiasts
For optimum performance, precisely aligned optics are a must. Luckily, achieving this goal doesn’t have to be difficult. Most telescope users know that the only way to get every last drop of performance from a reflector telescope is to ensure that the optics are in good collimation. Here’s a method that’s simple and doesn’t require … Continue reading “No-Tools Telescope Collimation”
The Newtonian reflector is one of the most versatile optical configurations ever created. Whether homebuilt or commercially manufactured, a good Newtonian can rival the performance of any optical design. Knowledge is power. The more you know about your Newtonian reflector’s potential and its pitfalls, the better equipped you’ll be to ensure it’s delivering peak performance.
I’ve been building and using telescopes for more than three decades and I’ll share with you a secret: collimating a Newtonian reflector is easy. So why does it seem so difficult when you’re just starting out? Probably because you’ve done your homework by Googling the subject and have read and re-read everything you’ve found. And … Continue reading “A Beginner’s Guide to Collimation”
Attention to detail is what separates a regular Newtonian reflector from one optimized for high-contrast performance. This 6-inch f/9 uses every trick in the ATM’s book to deliver superb planetary and deep-sky views. This was the first telescope I made using my own optics. Like most telescope makers, I got started the easy way, by … Continue reading “The Big Red One: My Optimized 6-inch f/9 Reflector”
Aligning the optics of your reflector telescope is crucial for optimal performance — all the more so if you have a telescope with a focal ratio of f/5 or less. A good tool can make the difference between successful collimation, and an exercise in frustration that encourages you to settle for “good enough.” But selecting … Continue reading “Collimation Tools: What You Need and What You Don’t”
The Astroscan’s greatest strength is its bare-bones simplicity, which unfortunately also means it lacks adjustments for achieving optical alignment. Edmund Scientific’s Astroscan has been around since 1976. Its enduring appeal is at least partly due to its no-muss-no-fuss simplicity. You plop it down in its base, put in an eyepiece, and you’re good to go. … Continue reading “How To Collimate An Astroscan”
My dear fiend Lance Olkovick (a.k.a. Nanook of the North) observing Jupiter at dawn from Mt. Kobau with his 12½-inch f/5. The scope I’m building will be similar to this. The nights are cooling down and the days becoming increasingly overcast and grey. That can mean only one thing: it’s Telescope Making Season again. And … Continue reading “Telescope Making Diary: Week #1”
Day 15: Side Bearings A finished pair of side bearings. The slots will serve as simple handles once attached to the mirror box. Sometimes what seems like it should be a quick and easy operation, turns out to be unexpectedly complex. Making the side bearings from my scope was one such a case.
What you need to know when it comes to optimizing your scope’s thermal behavior. Generations of backyard astronomers have debated why, inch-for-inch, the performance of a high quality refractor usually edges out an equal-quality Newtonian reflector. This disparity is most apparent when viewing low-contrast planetary detail — the images in a good refractors often have … Continue reading “Beat the Heat: Conquering Newtonian Reflector Thermals — Part 1”
The secondary mirror holder and spider on my 12¾-inch truss-tube Dobsonian is made with scrap wood, a few nuts and bolts, and a stainless-steel ruler. The curved-vane secondary mirror holders I use on almost all my telescopes never fails to excite curiosity. Most people know that the principal benefit of the curved spider is spike-free … Continue reading “How To Build A Curved-Vane Secondary-Mirror Holder”