Useful Hints On Amateur telescope making
May 9, 2008
There are different types of telescope and you can identify them or say distinguish between a commercially made telescope and that which is the product of amateur telescope. Though there is no doubt, that the commercially made telescopes make use of some of the best optics available, but the need to make a telescope by hand can also provide a successful alternative. And to make an amateur telescope is an art in itself and it requires skillful work for the final or finishing touch up which is done by hand.
Size Does Matter
There are different sizes of mirrors used in making an amateur telescope like you can use a six-inch mirror, or an eight-inch mirror, or for that matter a maximum ten-inch mirror. You may wonder whether making an amateur telescope is possible and if possible what are things that are required to begin with and how do you go about assembling one? Firstly, what you need is a mirror and using a minimum sized mirror i.e., a six-inch diameter is a must because using a smaller than that will be much harder to create and it will show less of the night sky. But for making an amateur telescope the ideal size would be an eight-inch mirror and you could use a ten-inch mirror, which is the maximum recommended size if at all you would like to make use of.
Focal ratio
As such there is no real focal ratio that can be considered to be the best. But then you have to first check on how you plan to use the telescope that you are going to make and for what purpose you are going to make i.e. are you making one to view the planets or are you going to view deep space objects because both are quite different. As a beginner in amateur telescope making you can go in for f/5 which is ideal for deep space viewing, while f/10 would suit you best for planetary uses. But then if you wish to view deep space as well as if you wish to view different planets than you can compromise and can go in for f/7 or f/8 which helps serve both the purpose.
But if you are making a amateur telescope then the first thing that you should take into consideration is the lens or the optics of the telescope and it would be wise if you make use of a Foucault tester, which you or anyone for that matter make by making use of a saw, drill, hammer along with a screwdriver and a soldering iron. If you don’t want to go through all these pains as an amateur telescope maker, you have another option and that is that you can make use of the automatic telescope making software, which will prove to be a fast as well as a good method of testing your mirror. You can also use the Ronchi Testing software to help you get a good mirror.
What actually does amateur telescope making mean? Well amateur telescope making means having a complete knowledge about the basics of telescope along with the magnification and aperture or opening by which the light enters through the telescope. For the purpose of making an amateur telescope you can also go out and buy books which will help you to get started on making an amateur telescope. Amateur telescope making means that you know all about mirror grinding, mirror polishing, mirror figuring and parabolization.
Along with the basic knowledge about amateur telescope making you also need to know how to test the telescope i.e. the Ronchi Test, how to assemble the telescope and about the software that can be used to design as well as test the telescope. For those who know the basics and want to go in for the more advanced type you need to know about the Kutter Schiefspiegler, Yolo Telescope and the Tom Waineos’ Grinding Machine.
Summary:
Amateur telescope making is fun if you have the basic knowledge of making one. To make one you should how to assemble the telescope and about the different tests that are conducted to see that the amateur telescope works according to your needs i.e. if you want to use the amateur telescope for viewing only the planets or for the deep space objects. All in all making an amateur telescope gives you the work satisfaction if the outcome of your patience and perseverance gives a fruitful result.
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