My telescope making projects & experiences

over the last 35 years.......

 

Mars.jpg (1158 bytes)1972 - 6" f/8 Newtonian on homemade German equatorial mount with clock drive (high school project)

Mars.jpg (1158 bytes)1973 - 16" Mirror grinding machine built as college mechanical project

 

Mars.jpg (1158 bytes)1976 - 12.5" f/6 Newtonian on homemade fork equatorial mount with clock drive( also a college project)

Mars.jpg (1158 bytes)1980 - 12.5" f/4 Newt f/15 Classical Cass on homemade fork equatorial mount with clock drive 

Mars.jpg (1158 bytes)1983 - 1st Observatory -- garden shed modified for split roll off design

Mars.jpg (1158 bytes)1985 - 12" Telescope operational in roll off observatory  

Mars.jpg (1158 bytes)1993 - Restored 3" Brass Refractor -found serendipitously (while antiquing with my wife) and personally restored 

Mars.jpg (1158 bytes)1993 - Big Fork Mount  - start of the mounting build process for all my future observatory scopes

Mars.jpg (1158 bytes)1994 - Alt/Az mount and tripod  - high resolution alt/az fine adjustments for the 3" brass refractor above

Mars.jpg (1158 bytes)1995 - 12.5" f4/f14 Newt - Cass on new heavy duty fork mount with computer controlled stepper motor drives

Mars.jpg (1158 bytes)1995 - Cookbook 245 CCD Camera - completed the project and began using an astro tool that changed my life.

Mars.jpg (1158 bytes)1995 - Cookbook 245 CCD Camera - highly modified mechanically

Mars.jpg (1158 bytes)1996 - 12'  Domed Observatory  - Heaven's Glory Observatory I - started design and construction on a 12' fiberglass domed observatory with control room

Mars.jpg (1158 bytes)1996 - 12" Domed Observatory -completed project and gardens around it (my wife did that work!)

Mars.jpg (1158 bytes)1997 - 20" F/5 Newt -  started construction on components for a 20" F/5 CCD imaging astrograph - Focuser/filter wheel ass'y

Mars.jpg (1158 bytes)1998 - 20" f/5 Newtonian - completed system construction and obtained first light for wide field high resolution images

Mars.jpg (1158 bytes)1998 - Mt. Palomar - personal technical tour and discussions on high speed tip tilt mirrors

Mars.jpg (1158 bytes)1999 - Off axis guider with remote controlled focus Version 1 - built for 20" f/4 Newt showing DC motor focus control and highly modifed FLI IMG CCD chamber with argon purge, BBAR coated chamber windows, improved low particulate shutter and large dessicant chamber with purge ports.

 

Mars.jpg (1158 bytes)2000 - Heavy Duty Transportable GOTO German equatorial mount  - DC servo driven - started design and fabrication

Mars.jpg (1158 bytes)2001 -Meade 125 and custom mount - adjustable RA elevation,eyepiece holder and heavy duty tripod

Mars.jpg (1158 bytes)2001 -Transportable imaging system setup - shown with 8" TEC MAK and 4" TAK

 

Mars.jpg (1158 bytes)2002 - The real first telescope!   Galileo's first telescopes at the Institute and Museum of Science - Florence, Italy

Mars.jpg (1158 bytes)2003 - RCOS 20" and Modified Mount - new OTA assembly and highly modified mount for higher performance imaging

Mars.jpg (1158 bytes)2003 - Off axis guider with DC Servomotor remote focus control - newly designed OAG mounted to RCOS PIR on RCOS20

 

Mars.jpg (1158 bytes)2004 - Comprehensive SLOAN Scope Tour at Apache Point! - including the SLOAN and 3.5 Meter Scopes

Mars.jpg (1158 bytes)2004 - 12.5" f/4 Newtonian Astrograph/f15 Classical Cass- with carbon fibre tube, optimized for wide field & narow field hires CCD imaging

Mars.jpg (1158 bytes)2004 - Heaven's Glory Observatory II - Cloudcroft New Mexico -- designed and began building new dark sky observatory in truly dark sky and good seeing site,

Mars.jpg (1158 bytes)2005 - 12.5" f/4 Newtonian Astrograph at the Winter Star Party 

Mars.jpg (1158 bytes)2005 - 12.5" f/4 Newtonian Astrograph at the Winter Star Party getting tips from Al Nagler

Mars.jpg (1158 bytes)2005 - Newly designed RA AXIS Drive for RC20 Mount using automation class brushless DC servomotors, helical planetary gearboxes and worm preload mechanism for Byers 15" gearset

Mars.jpg (1158 bytes)2005 - Newly designed DEC AXIS Drive for RC20 Mount using automation class brushless DC servomotors, helical planetary gearboxes and worm preload mechanism for Byers 15" gearset

Mars.jpg (1158 bytes)2005 - New Automation class brushless DC motor drives being tuned for telescope operation.......can you think of a better use for a dining room table?

Mars.jpg (1158 bytes)2005 - Newly designed imaging backend for RCOS20 - showing RCOS Flat Field Corrector in custom machined adapter installed in a new precision instrument rotator, modular remote scanning dual port remote DC servomotor focusable OAG head, and prism pick off tubes ( which will be mounted in OAG head)

Mars.jpg (1158 bytes)2005 - completed imaging backend for RCOS20 - all parts finished anodized, assembled and ready to mount on the RCOS 20

 

Mars.jpg (1158 bytes)2005 - Completed imaging backend mounted on RCOS 20 and piggybacked AP130. Image shows dual off axis guideport design with remote individual autoguider focus control. The OAG also incorporates 25 mm of remote controlled radial scanning across the focal plane. The OAG is mounted on a new high load high resolution Instrument rotator using a modified  Klinger RT200 stage and made compatible with the RCOS Telescope Control System and software. 

Mars.jpg (1158 bytes)2005 - August - Construction finished on Heaven's Glory Observatory II - ready for dome automation and scope installation

Mars.jpg (1158 bytes)2005 - September 2005 - DC servomotor controlled scope cover for the RCOS 20.

 

Mars.jpg (1158 bytes)2005 - October 2005 - New focuser assembly using JMI 3" focuser for 12.5" F/4 Newt Astrograph with dovetail slide, slimline off axis guider with relay lenses, 3" clear aperture Keller field corrector and PI DC servo motor focus controller with custom bracket. 

Mars.jpg (1158 bytes)2006- June  - Modified German equatorial to single fork mount ( "Geork?") to carry 12" Newt Astrograph and Sky 90. Eliminates the need for meridian flip 

Mars.jpg (1158 bytes)2006 - June  - Modified German equatorial to single fork mount ( "Geork?") to carry 12" Newt Astrograph and Sky 90. Eliminates the need for meridian flip 

Mars.jpg (1158 bytes)2006 - June  - Image train on the 12" f/4 Newt carbon tube Astrograph showing added Hutech focuser for the off axis guide camera.

Mars.jpg (1158 bytes)2009 - April  - ALt Az Astrometry mounts for STS 125 Space Shuttle External Tank Rentry imaging mission. Zero radius design for wide angle imaging through aircraft windows.

Mars.jpg (1158 bytes)2009 - April  - ALt Az Astrometry mounts for STS 125 Space Shuttle External Tank Rentry imaging mission. Zero radius design for wide angle imaging through aircraft windows. Hopefully these can be used by Clay Center students on the Hyabusa reentry mission in 2010. 

Mars.jpg (1158 bytes)2009 - May  - In depth tour of Shuttle Discovery in the Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF) at the Kennedy Space Center. Many thanks to our NASA colleagues!

Mars.jpg (1158 bytes)2009 - May  - In depth tour of Shuttle Discovery in the Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF) at the Kennedy Space Center. Many thanks to our NASA colleagues!

Mars.jpg (1158 bytes)2010- March  - Working with the teams at NASA's SOFIA and the Dryden Instrumentation Laboratory prepping for the Hyabusa reentry mission. Many thanks to our NASA colleagues!

Mars.jpg (1158 bytes)2010- June  - Aircraft mounting bases arrive for AltAz mounts at NASA Dryden. Bases were specially designed and built for the Hyabusa Reentry Imaging mission specifically for use  Clay Center - Brookline School students. Note the 3 bases mounted in aircraft ready for installation of Alt Az imaging mounts

Mars.jpg (1158 bytes)June  2010  - One of the mounting bases shown with altaz mount populated with a variety of imaging cameras. Astronomy professor Ron Dantowiz and one of his students finalizing one of the imaging system's checkout.

Mars.jpg (1158 bytes)July  2010  - The thrill of seeing students getting turned on to science....the ultimate goal of educational outreach. Professionally produced NASA video (12Mb file size)  captures the excitement of the Dexter and Southfield High School ( Boston) students who were selected and trained for this mission.

Mars.jpg (1158 bytes)November 2010 - New fork design for HGO I Observatory....never liked German equatorials for permamently mounted telescopes! Just needed time to get around to it. Designed to accomodate PlaneWave CDK 17 (for Northern Skies Observatory - volunteer project) and homebuilt 12.5" Newt astrograph. (6x6 aluminum hollow structural tubing with internal ribs for added stiffness and strength)

Mars.jpg (1158 bytes)February 2011 - Installation of new fork on HGO I equatorial mount base for Northern Skies Observatory in Vermot...see photo of Observatory below. Great group of folks up in Peacham, Vermont spearheading a comprehensive science outreach program for locals schools. Student helper Cam Houghton lending a hand!

Mars.jpg (1158 bytes)February 2011  - Northern Skies Observatory in Peacham Vermont. Yes..it was cold out! Temperature dropped to -10F at night with 50mph winds. Amazing how cold a dome can be. I am dressed for it though! :))