Creative DIY

[drock]

Shower caps work very well for covering both ends of a dobsonian.

[KingNothing13]

I do not know how this is going to work out yet, once I have tried it, I will report back.

The Wixey clinometer is WAY too bright. It's difficult to use in my yard, and I would not dare to take it to a start party/dark sky site (if I ever make it to one or the other).

I bought a silicon car cell phone mount, I can stick it to the telescope, and plan on using the iPhone level app - turn my screen to red, and the brightness way down. This will be much easier when I have an new iPad as currently the iPhone would be serving double duty of level and SkySafari. Unless I decide to start bringing the laptop out to observe too... :Think:

Its not "perfect" - when the level app is in a horizontal position, at 0*, moving it to vertical, at about 60* it turns into negative numbers - so a little head math is needed: 90 - [The number] to get the degree location. And in reverse, it will start at 0 at 90* of the sky, so again - more math. But its do-able.

I will report back. (Not any time in the next few days - I have way too much going on through Monday!)

[bladekeeper]

I do not know how this is going to work out yet, once I have tried it, I will report back.

The Wixey clinometer is WAY too bright. It's difficult to use in my yard, and I would not dare to take it to a start party/dark sky site (if I ever make it to one or the other).

I bought a silicon car cell phone mount, I can stick it to the telescope, and plan on using the iPhone level app - turn my screen to red, and the brightness way down. This will be much easier when I have an new iPad as currently the iPhone would be serving double duty of level and SkySafari. Unless I decide to start bringing the laptop out to observe too... :Think:

Its not "perfect" - when the level app is in a horizontal position, at 0*, moving it to vertical, at about 60* it turns into negative numbers - so a little head math is needed: 90 - [The number] to get the degree location. And in reverse, it will start at 0 at 90* of the sky, so again - more math. But its do-able.

I will report back. (Not any time in the next few days - I have way too much going on through Monday!)

Check the app store as well. Angle Pro and Clinometer + bubble level are a couple of fun apps, though the second one will cost you three bucks. There are several others that may help you avoid the head math.

[JayTee]

It's too bad that Skeye is not available for iOS and there is no equivalent that I'm aware of. It is fun to use on my Dob as a "push to" aid (which is what it was designed for).

Cheers,
JT

[pakarinen]

When I was using a Wixey, I covered the display with a few layers of red taillight repair tape. I think it was around $5 for a roll and I still have a lot left. Haven't used it since I added encoders to my mount though.

[Thefatkitty]

Something that might save a few $$$ for those older scopes, trying to get them from .965 to at least some decent 1.25 parts and pieces...

Back in early 2018, I bought this for $80; a buck a millimeter. A late '70's Jason made by Towa. Doing some research, I found that this model was supposedly A) soft on focus, B) had plastic focuser knobs, and C) the major beef, was the .965 diagonal/lenses it came with.

Well, let's try to fix that. An 80mm at f/15 deserves some TLC and hope... The plastic focuser knobs seem to be fine; the focuser itself is a very smooth R&P. No problems there.

001.JPG

Yup, all that achromatic correction, only to focus into this little poopy diagonal and all it's associated lenses...! Probably why a lot of the were "soft on focus".

003.JPG

In doing some measurements, I found that the OD of the drawtube on the Jason was exactly the same OD as a typical 1.25 lens, diagonal, etc. I know what I want to do, but I don't have a machine shop here. However, in thinking about it and looking around for "use whatcha got" I came up with this:

5.jpg

6.JPG

Some hose clamps and a bit of 2mm plastic from a winter "crazy carpet"; it's probably a Canuck thing Though you could use plastic from a yogurt or margarine container, etc....

I've had this in here for over a year now; it was the diagonal that came with my orange-tube C80. The views? This free mod turned that f/15 Jason from a barely usable scope with the .965 parts to a double star/planet killer. Seriously, for the few views I've had this year, this scope is top of the list.

7.jpg

Also, that same idea can be used in reverse. I have an old 60mm Towa-made Sears f/11.4 that I put on a "period" CG2. It was the mount that had my 4.5" Tasco on it, which went to a Dob mount. The original mount for the 60mm was pooched, so I made a clamshell for it (another post, maybe) and used some of that 2mm plastic to "fill in" between the .965" drawtube and the 1.25" diagonal.

8.png

And as an added bonus for you to do this ; as I was using this modification for the first time last year, my daughter came out, asked me how it was working, and then took a picture as I was being blown away at the detail and clarity of the views
So much for my night vision....!!

me.png

And also, So much grey hair.....

Thank you again, mcolbert, for starting this thread

All the best,

[Kanadalainen]

Hi, Not very high tech but to get the ball rolling.
A few months ago I bought a yoga mat for just a few pounds.
So far I have used it to make a dew shield and a non-slip cover for my camping/observing table.
And there is still plenty left!

Yoga matting would make a good nonslip base under a glass blank when grinding or polishing I think.

[Lokifish]

It's more PVC than glass. A DIY 2" wide field EP. Works out to about a 45mm focal length with 65 degree FOV.
Primary objectives from dead 7x35 binos, objectives from old dead finders, a random plano convex, PVC, foam, glue, misc. parts.