DIY: Slimming my telescope
Hello, I decided to write something about DIY. Although you may not know on telescopes very well, I thought I would show you the effect of doing it yourself.
A big telescope is a great thing, but the price for the fabulous views is its size and weight, in the case of my GSO 12 '' model it was up to 33 kilograms. It may seem that it isn't much, however, loading to the car or moving several meters in the field, made the trips to the observation were quite tiring. I wasn't able to afford the telescopes of the folding type. I bought the best possible image at the lowest price. Unfortunately, as it turned out, the dimensions of this giant tired me a lot. Therefore, after the warranty period, I decided to do it.
The telescope consists of an optical tube and Dobson assembly made of wood-like boards. The tube itself is made of steel sheet 1 mm thick. It weighs 20 kg, of which 8 kg is the same sheet metal pipe. The assembly weighs approximately 13 kg. It's time to turn the telescope to prime factors. You should pay the most attention to the heart of the Newton's telescope, the main mirror. This is the most expensive part of such a telescope (about 75% of its value). You should not touch it. 12 '' (300mm) mirror has a thickness of about 4 cm and weighs 6 kilograms!
I decided to cut out the appropriate fragment of the optical tube and replace it with a folding frame, which I made of aluminum. In the wooden assembly, I decided to drill holes to capture a few kilograms, while not reducing the stiffness of the structure. The most difficult task was to make aluminum pipes and a system to connect them so that the telescope was stiff and could be folded. I secured the aluminum tubes with a foam wrap so they would not bump in the car during transport. I did all this manually at home.
In the picture below, the final effect of my work. The processing costs are about PLN 200 (around $ 55). A Effects? The weight of the tube from 20 went down to 16 kg. The weight of assembly from 13 fell to 8 kg. So, together, the weight now weighs 24 kg! I am happy because 9 kg less is a significant difference, and for this I don't always have to fold the rear seats in car. Such operation required knowledge in the field of telescope optics and took me a total of about 20 hours.
Greetings to lovers of Astronomy!
Sources: My private photos and my knowledge
All rights reserved by @astromaniac 2018
That's a beautiful piece of equipment.
To it? Return it?
I'm sorry for the mistake. I decided to do it. After the warranty period, I made a change... Maybe one day I'll build a small private observatory with a 20-inch telescope:) This is my dream.
Sounds like a great dream. No need to apologize for the mistake, I just was curious what you meant and what you did.
I'm not great in English, but I'm trying to use a google translator and improve it as much as I can. I write articles mainly in Polish on my main account @astromaniak . Recently, I decided to start publishing my articles exclusively in English here.
Yes I saw that in your intro post for this account.
I have a rule not to add more than one post a day. I know that quality counts, not quantity. I invite you to visit my profile. Regards😎
It's a chinese brand? Guan Sheng? What is the typical price range for a telescope of this kind?
Yes. In Poland, prices are high because you need to pay about $ 800 for a 12-inch telescope of this type.
Nice Dobsonian. How is it for tracking the stars? Is it irritating that you have to keep adjusting the scope's position?
No. The telescope moves smoothly and it is quite easy to keep the object in view. Even observations of planets are quite comfortable. I like visual observations with azimuthal assembly. There is no simpler solution. You don't even need micro movements. Bearings in both axes really go very smoothly.
That is a good warning for would-be telescope buyers @astromaniac! I sold my own 12" Dobsonian because it was a bit too heavy to get the use it deserved. Having said that the views are always outstanding through a 12!
Thanks. The best telescope is the one we use most often. I use 8 inches more often than 12. A larger telescope usually requires better weather conditions and a longer time to cool the mirror before observing.
Hi @astromaniac!
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