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Posts Made By: Ed Jones

May 24, 2004 12:29 AM Forum: Telescope Making

Dob from hell done!

Posted By Ed Jones
Hi all!
It's great to finish a telescope project successfully especially when you're out on a limb trying something new. Here is my all spherical 8 inch F/10. I got first light Friday night and it aligned much easier than I thought. The performance was superb, very dark, very crisp, a great planetary scope. Like a truss Dob it breaks down to fit in my car. I still have to add a finder yet and a few touches (secondary light shield) but it's officially done.
Ed Jones grin

July 23, 2004 01:54 AM Forum: Telescope Making

cure for condensation

Posted By Ed Jones
I've got a 10 inch mirror mounted in a wooden box outside. It's completely covered with aluminum flashing to keep the rain out. It has a door sealed with a foam window weatherstripping so it ought to be bone dry in any rain. So I was surprised to find some condensation on the mirror when I checked it recently. What's the problem here and how do I fix it?
Ed Jones

August 3, 2004 02:29 AM Forum: A Day in the Life of the Administrator

Spyware

Posted By Ed Jones
I just ran Spybot search and destroy clicked on favorites then Astromart. I looked quickly in two forums then re-ran Spybot and found 5 entries of DSO exploit. This is not good.

Ed Jones

August 22, 2004 04:48 PM Forum: Telescope Making

Any ceramics experts here?

Posted By Ed Jones
I've been batting around this idea for a while but it hasn't gone anywhere so maybe this is the place to ask:
Porcelain can me molded into all sorts of shapes such as a ribbed back mirror. When fired it is hard and waterproof but will probably shrink a little in the firing or warp. However you could easily generate it back to a good sphere. Now it probably can't be polished but ceramic glazes are basically glass and glass can be polished. It seems to me that if the melting point of the glaze is lower than the porcelain you could make a workable lightweight mirror by glazing a porcelain substrate. I don't know squat about ceramics so this is all speculation. Maybe this has been tried already? What do you think?

Ed Jones

November 9, 2004 11:16 PM Forum: Telescope Making

10 months

Posted By Ed Jones
Hey folks, after 10 months now my silvered mirror still is going strong. It was vacuum silvered then treated chemically. There are a few spots around the edge that I must have missed but all in all it's not bad.

Ed Jones

November 17, 2004 01:30 PM Forum: Telescope Making

Changing shape with temperature?

Posted By Ed Jones
Speaking of tapered mirror I've got a 24 inch mirror that tapers from 3.25 to slightly over 1 inch at the edge out of Bk7. I've always wondered with these tapered mirrors that there must be some shape change as it cools because it must retain more heat towards the center. Does anyone know of any studies on this using FEA? I haven't heard of complaints regarging this, perhaps it's just focus changes.
Ed Jones

December 25, 2004 07:00 PM Forum: Pictures of Me and My Telescope and........

Dob from Hell

Posted By Ed Jones
Here's a picture of my finished Mak-Herschelian.

Ed Jones

December 30, 2004 02:33 AM Forum: Eyepieces

eyepiece recommendatiion

Posted By Ed Jones
Which do you prefer, the 17 mm Nagler or the 16 mm? I need to get one of these.

Ed Jones

January 29, 2005 04:42 PM Forum: Telescope Making

2 Questions

Posted By Ed Jones
1. I bought aluminum casting from Obsessiion for the side bearings of a large Dob I'm rebuilding and the bearing surface has an 8 degree draft. Do you need to remove this draft angle? If not I'd think the laminate would not go on straight.

2. Many big Dobs don't paint the top of the mirror box black but then others go crazy with flocking in their scopes. This seems contradictory. Does it really matter?

Ed Jones

July 5, 2005 02:56 AM Forum: Pictures of Me and My Telescope and........

Closer to done

Posted By Ed Jones
Got my wheels on today so I could lift my mirror all 97 lbs out of the crate and into the scope. Another step closer to done.

Ed Jones

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