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Last Updated
03/31/2019
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Detailed entries for one subject from the INDEX TO HOW TO DO IT INFORMATION. |
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TELESCOPE ACCESSORIES xx TELESCOPE Equipment atlas. What accessories do you really need. Is bigger always better? One astronomers description of the cameras and attachments placed on a 6" scope to perform astrophotography. Introduction to the use of electronic image intensifiers in amateur astronomy. Off-axis guiding. What it is, how it works and a look at the advantages compared to using a separate guide scope. Television in amateur astronomy. Part 1. Television systems and specific equipment they require. Television in amateur astronomy. Part 2. Typical observing applications. Sharpen images with a cardboard mask. A simple off-axis mask on your reflector produces cleaner images of double stars and planets. Home-built tray for a telescope tripod is made from simple materials. Tip on reducing the light output of a red, "astronomers" flashlight. An observing desk on-the-go. Tips on using a pilot's kneeboard as a lightweight portable desk. Three handy observing aids you can make. (1) A red LED flashlight. (2) Sunfinder for centering the Sun in a filtered telescope or camera viewfinder. (3) Variable (polarized) Moon filter. Building an observing chair with a seat which adjusts up and down to keep you comfortable. This tripod-style chair is built from lumber and plywood. Est. cost: $50. Build a portable slant-top table to hold your star charts at a convenient height. Consists of a pegboard top (24"x36") supported by PVC plastic pipe legs. Power to go. Build a portable 12-volt battery box which will power a telescope and two electrical accessories for several hours. Truck your telescope around in style. Moving the common Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope and its accessories becomes easier with this tripod base that accepts a two-wheel handcart. Make the most of your Meade ETX telescope. A guide to the variety of accessories available to improve the scope. Twin-tube star finder has wooden pedestal and two cardboard or metal sighting tubes. An automatic electronic dewcap. A special telescope dewcap has electric heating wires attached to its inside. The temperature of the air inside the telescope tube is constantly monitored and the heating element turned on and off to prevent the formation of dew on the telescope objective. Tips on selecting and using nebula filters. Comfort for astronomers: An observing chair. A padded chair built from plywood keeps the eyepiece of a small refractor or binoculars at eyelevel. The chair rotates on Teflon bearings and comes apart into 4 pieces for transporting. Tip: Build a wooden box to carry all of the things you take with you observing, such as eyepieces, charts, atlases, logbooks, flashlight, etc. Photograph of an observing chair for astrophotography which is adjusted up-or-down with an automobile jack. Use battery powered LED's to light the setting circles of a telescope. Description of a charge-coupled device for an amateur telescope. Construction details are not included. Description of a homebuilt filar micrometer. This device is used to determine the apparent diameter of a comet, size of a lunar crater, or the apparent distance between a star and comet or other solar system object. Est. cost: $46. Description of an amateur's telescope imaging system consisting of a CCD (charge-coupled device) attached to a 5.7" telescope. Computers control telescope movement and do the image processing. Construction details are not included. Astronomer's flashlight hangs around the neck on a strap. Whenever the flashlight is "picked up" for use, the neck strap goes slack and the light turns on. A motorized observing chair can raise, lower, move forward, move back, and turn around. The raising and lowering is achieved by using an "air jack" designed to change auto tires. Tip on using multi-hole aperture masks to improve telescope contrast. A handcrafted, adjustable, folding chair for viewing comfort when using a Newtonian reflector telescope. An adjustable observing chair is shaped like a small stepladder, but a seat moves up-and-down instead of having steps. Tip on using ruby masking tape to create a red flashlight for astronomical use. A table at the telescope. Several designs for portable folding tables designed to make telescope accessories and star charts easier to carry and use. Includes the circuit for a variable brightness red LED to illuminate your star charts. Tip on using drumheads as covers or off-center aperture masks for large-diameter telescopes. Tele-tips. A collection of quick and simple remedies for telescope or observing problems. (1) Sky pointer. (2) Hale-Bopp filter. (3) Decollimating a guidescope when doing astrophotography. (4) Spring-loaded screws make finderscope adjustments easier. (5) Source of cheap aluminum telescope tubes. (6) Eyepiece glare blocker. (7) Unipod for steadying the observer's head. (8) Bungee cord support for binoculars. (9) Simplified Cheshire collimation device. (10) Variable-aperture mask for Newtonian reflector. (11) Reversing star charts with a mirror so they match the telescope image. Tip on using bean bags equipped with "Velcro" strips to counterweight an out-of-balance telescope. Tip on using a pizza pie baking tin as a tripod shelf for telescope accessories. Tip on using a balloon as a dustcap. Tip on using a short length of chain to dampen telescope vibration. Tip on using a body pillow case as a telescope dust cover. Customized accessory tray made from wood braces against two tripod legs. Dimensions for an adjustable telescope observer's chair. Features a seat which adjusts up and down plus casters for mobility. Built mostly of wood. How to modify a General Electric 4TN2200A1 television camera head for use in astronomy. Photographs of an observing chair fabricated from an old office chair that swivels and tilts. (1) Make an observing table (light table) for star maps which is battery powered and features a built-in pocket computer. (2) A protective cover for a 10" Dobsonian mount telescope. Apodizing screens. A critical evaluation of their ability to increase telescope resolution. Tip: A small, battery powered ventilation fan is shown to reduce heat-induced problems within a telescope's tube. Changing the aperture pupil. A complete description of apodizing screens, how they work, and how to make your own. Includes an apodization calculation routine with many transmission factors built in. Adjustable chair makes telescope observing easier and more comfortable. Made from metal electrical conduit, wood, and misc. hardware. Tip for making a wooden lens cap to cover a telescope objective An observing ladder for large telescopes. How to modify a good-quality aluminum ladder by adding a table (which raises and lowers), extra steps, and an eyepiece tray. | |||||||||
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