You can buy them at a hardware store. When I set out to build a portable telescope, known as a Dobsonian telescope, the first step had me stymied—where do you find 6 ft of 8-in.-dia cardboard tubing? Place the mirror cell firmly in place with silicone adhesive pads and use bolts to fix the mirror in place. And no, my local hardware store did not carry Teflon. This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. The next step is to mount the spider to the optical tube. This requires some carpentry work. Telescope Kits. Here’s a list of items you need to build the Dobsonian telescope. Gear-obsessed editors choose every product we review. As I sawed and drilled, I murmured a fairly steady mantra to myself of "Why on earth do I have to do that? (What a great man! Dobson made the telescope completely from simple, ordinary household items; a process that you can replicate yourself. Step #5: Place the primary mirror in the mirror cell. Baffles are octagonal wood pieces that are placed within the tube which lend it support and help direct the light through the various mirrors and lenses of the tube. I stood in the store with meticulous notes on the materials I needed, but no one could find them. America's Aircraft Are Barely Ready for War, Intelligent Life Can't Exist Anywhere Else. Drill a hole in the focuser base at the center and place the focuser in the hole. The next step is to mount the primary mirror and place it in the mirror cell. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Someone in r/astronomy made a post about grinding mirrors and in the conversation asked me if I could upload some pics of my DIY telescope. The last step is to build the mount. Yes, it works with equatorial platforms too.--$295 plus$10 postage. An easier thing to do would be to buy a telescope tube directly from the hardware store; this will save you the trouble of constructing the tube yourself. Step 4—Attaching the Side Bearings and assembling the Rocker Step 5—The Pivot Bolt. Then, you need to build a holder for the optical tube which is of the right size to fit the telescope tube. Did Scientists Just Find a Way to Reverse Aging? Solar System / more than 1000 small bodies / 110 Messier & 7840 NGC / Hershel 400 catalogue / more than 260,000 Stars(magnitude 10.5)/ More than 100 Double & Binary Stars etc. I want to build another one—and next time, I'm going to grind my own mirrors. Includes all hardware for … This is a far cry from John Dobson's experience when he first built the portable, sidewalk telescopes that now bear his name. * The San Francisco Sidewalk Astronomers and Ray Cash. Dobsonian telescopes get their name from their creator, John Dobson, who combined the simplicity of a Newtonian telescope with an Alt-Azimuth mount. General purpose encoder mounting kit for Dobsonian mountings. You will need the right number of baffles. Use toothpicks to ensure there is enough space between the mirror and the holder. Copyright © text 2020 by telescopefever.com. That's brilliant." The optical tube is done. "Um, I think it might be called Sonotube," I repeated, until someone pointed me toward the concrete form tubes in the garden area. First, you will have to build the telescope base on which the tube rests on. Why Build a Dobsonian Telescope Yourself? You may be able to buy a similarly sized commercial telescope at that price these days, but you wouldn't have nearly as much fun. Finally you will need to make a ground board, a round plywood piece that ensures that the mount is as stable as possible. Place the telescope within the holder and bolt the hold to the top of the base. (Optics these days can be purchased in kits online.) The focuser does the job of focusing the light as it comes … Hi everybody! I had heard that building a Dobsonian was simple and inexpensive. Power: DC 5V ~15V Automatically, Standard DC (DC-USB cable included) Secure the mirror cell to the telescope. Here at OPT, we know how long and complex a process it can be to hand pick every single component of your astronomy setup to go perfectly with your telescope. telescopefever.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Dobsonian telescopes have a very simple reflector design, which is why they are very easy to make at home. And no, my local hardware store did not carry Teflon. Drill a hole in that spot and mount the spider in place. Close. You may now raise a glass to the great John Dobson. Step #8: Mount the spider with the secondary mirror to the optical tube. FREE Shipping. At age 91, Dobson is as passionate about building inexpensive telescopes as he was when he built his first one in 1956. The Best Marine Binoculars 2020 – Buyer’s Guide. Posted by 1 year ago. The aperture size is the diameter of the primary mirror. Why Build a Dobsonian Telescope Yourself? I did not admit to him that I didn't grind my own telescope mirrors—something he did with two porthole windows and sand paper—and that I didn't build my own eyepiece out of binoculars. The actual construction took a weekend, and it would be a great project to tackle with kids. However, Dobson did choose to promote his sidewalk telescopes at the cost of his longtime home. How we test gear. Do this very delicately; there should not be any bending of the mirror. I based my design on the telescope plans provided by Ray Cash, a member of the San Francisco Sidewalk Astronomers, modifying the plans even further with a few ready-made parts. This is a great feeling; you will feel like you have achieved something, this is much more satisfying than simply buying a telescope from the market. Archived. Just follow this DIY guide to building a Dobsonian telescope at home.Skywatcher 10 inch Dobsonian. "We were just scroungers," he tells PM. You can start by downloading the PDF version of the book, Plans for Building a Sidewalk Telescope by John Dobson and learn from the master himself. The SC will work with any of the common telescope mountings -- Dobsonian, German equatorial or Fork. You will get everything you need from the local hardware store. 5.0 out of 5 stars 1. The collection process turned out to be an enjoyable treasure hunt—but don't worry, the source list we put together below explains how to find everything. My own DIY 6" Dobsonian. Next, you will need a spider and a secondary mirror, also called as a diagonal mirror. Step #6: Place the mirror cell on to the optical tube. Building my telescope, watching it swivel so smoothly, seeing the stars, I basked in the reflected glory of that ingenuity. Step #4: Mount the focuser on to the optical tube. When I brag that the plastics supply store where I finally found Teflon gave me some scrap for free, he exclaims, "Good for you!". Now secure the baffles in place and cover them with another layer of plywood – so as to give it the appearance of an optical tube. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io, The Best Telescopes To Get Started in Stargazing, The Arecibo Telescope Is Being Demolished, 32,000 Megapixels of Fine Broccoli Action, NASA Blasting Big Balloon to the Edge of Space, James Webb Telescope Gets Hit With More Delays, Now Is the Perfect Time to Learn Astrophotography, This Is the Only Working Armillary Sphere on Earth. It is more about giving you a sense of accomplishment from building a technically advanced product that can be used in various scientific experiments. Dobsonian telescopes have a very simple reflector design, which is why they are very easy to make at home. * Any large construction center should have concrete form tube, but telescope tubes are also available online:Astronomy Mall. Orion SkyQuest XT4.5 Classic Dobsonian Telescope Kit. Next, use Teflon pads to attach the base to the ground floor. You can now replace the focuser and bolt it directly into the tube. We may earn commission if you buy from a link. How to Choose a Good Binocular, 5 Easy Steps! They are easy to use, are strong and robust and inexpensive. Apply silicone adhesive t the holder before attaching the secondary mirror to it. The shingles used to mount the mirror were blown off roofs in storms. After 23 years living in a Vedanta (a branch of Hinduism) monastery, where he built telescopes surreptitiously in the basement and then snuck out at night to introduce the neighborhood kids to the stars, he was told he had to choose between life as a monk or as a telescope builder. Choose the diameter of the focuser base – you will know this from the design program. $279.99 $ 279.