Improving the $59 telescope

Due to persistent clouds, light pollution, and the possibility of another hurricane in the Southeast, it's time to start a meandering thread.

Here is the question: What if you owned a cheap 60mm refractor (like the Celestron PowerSeeker 60)? What would you do to improve it?

The rules:
1) Setting aside $25 a month for a new telescope (i.e. a Takahashi in 2011) is right out.
2) Paying over $60 for any accessory is right out.
3) Paying more than $240 for all the accessories is right out.
4) Fabricating accessories is o.k. but only using commonly found hand tools (i.e. no welding, no machine shop stuff, and no truck load of carpenters willing to work from free like they do on HGTV).

build a wooden alt taz mount for it, see if I could trade it for a decent set of bino's, and finally become more and more frustrated for lack of aperture.

Take it outside and point it... up.

Harry

Here is what I did, based on an Astronomy Magazine Article called "How to Redeem a Department Store Telescope"

A simple to build Alt/Az mount, easily accomplished with hand tools.

I built it for my Kids after finding the scope at the Goodwill Store for $3. My 9 year old daughter now accompanies me to all of my Club's public viewing sessions and show some surprised adults some of her favorite objects.

You can read more here:

http://www.indytel.com/~rnabholz/kidpeek/index.htm

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