Fall 1999
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A disappointing experience with an inferior brand telescope started me to investigate the possibility to build my own. Soon it became clear that it does not require much to grind a mirror and to build a simple telescope around it. So after returning the telescope and retrieving my investment, glass and grit (and the Texereau book) were bought and the grinding could start.
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January 2004
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The 10" foldable telescope is almost finished, most other things are still on their way. Consistent lack of time makes progress very slow, also the balance appears to be a challenge (if not plainly mis-designed).
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January 2005
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Why finish the running project if you can start a new one? So now I'm doing a quick and dirty Richest Field Telescope which should be done in a month or two.
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January 2006
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One season of RFT backyard observing in the pocket, meanwhile busy with a redesign of the travelscope using the same mirror. I really want to take the thing to a dark holiday spot as this was its original raison d'etre over 5 years ago!
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August 2007
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Seven years after starting it, my 10" mirror is done. It will go in the (also finished) second design travelscope after aluminisation, well before the new observation season!
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July 2011
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It's been a while since the last update. I've made a Vixen retrofit mirror (110mm) and put it in the OTA i still had. Also, I've bought a ZenithStar80 refractor to use on holiday trips. The travelscope just was not handy to set-up for the type of use I intended it for. The ZS80 also serves as telelens on my DSLR camera. The whole fits on the old Polaris mount, for which I made a tracking motor.
The other thing I'm working on is a wireless goto controller, which you will find in the menu.
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