magnilux - Astronomy Technology Today

THE “HOME DEPOT” SCOPE
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but they are more than adequate for the
job. Just as a test, I put a fifty-pound bag
of fertilizer in the mount (almost double
the weight of the telescope), and the load
was easily carried.
Knowing that my heaviest eyepieces
would require rebalancing of the tube and
that the exhaust fan and diagonal dew
heater would require a battery, I decided
to satisfy both requirements with one unit
(Images 3a-3c). A wooden box was built
for the battery that hangs from the top
shower curtain rod and rests against the
side of the tube. Its position on the rod is
determined by a hose clamp. By hanging
the box above or below the clamp, I can
adjust the balance for any eyepiece in my
collection. Should I ever need more balance
options, I’ll simply find the new balance
point and add another hose clamp to
keep the box from sliding past that position.
Looking at the battery box hanging
from the curtain rod, one might be concerned
that it could fall off with the scope
in a vertical position, but it’s not a problem.
Even with the scope slightly past vertical,
it stays put.
Other than a cover for the front of the
tube containing the mirror, blue paint for
the OTA, wheelbarrow handles for the
mount, and a change from standard plug
and socket to an RCA jack for the battery
connection, the scope has remained unchanged
since built two years ago. I’ve
thought of adding a shroud to cover open
parts of the tube, but stray light getting
into the focuser hasn’t been a problem.
Since I’m a visual observer only, I really
can’t think of anything more that would
measurably improve the scope’s utility.
Total cost for my portion of the project
was a little over one hundred dollars. Prices
for the commercially-made components
are available online.
This scope should satisfy my aperture
needs for the next several years. When it
eventually becomes a little too much to
deal with on cold winter nights, I’ll give
Bob Royce a call and hope he’ll still be
making 8-inch conical mirrors.
66 Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY