Newbie Qn: How to make my own refractor??

Wanna make a scope? Or better still, grind a mirror yourself. Or, you have some good tips in making a really useful accessory? This is the place to show what your hands can do...
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IceAngel
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Newbie Qn: How to make my own refractor??

Post by IceAngel »

i am a green horn in astronomy but i would like to make a DIY refractor.. is it advisable to make a DIY refractor in a beginner stage??

1. How much will be one set of the parts of the refractor?
2. Will be cheaper than a ready made refractor?
3. Where can i go and buy the parts?
4. What are the essentials parts that i need to buy?

Thanks for viewing and commenting! :D
*~Stars AND Clear Sky always~*
Leslie
*Owner of Antares 93mm Achromat Refractor* :)
-10.11.03-
*Owner of Takahashi SKY 90 Fluorite Doublet Apochromat Refractor* :D
-25.03.06-
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harlequin2902
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Post by harlequin2902 »

i am a green horn in astronomy but i would like to make a DIY refractor.. is it advisable to make a DIY refractor in a beginner stage??

1. How much will be one set of the parts of the refractor?
2. Will be cheaper than a ready made refractor?
3. Where can i go and buy the parts?
4. What are the essentials parts that i need to buy?
I wouldn't say if it's advisable or not, but if you have the drive to do it, then that's excellent ! Making your own scope can be really fun if you have the time to put everything together. The end product will be priceless and a pride to own.

The price and whether or not it's more expensive than a ready made one depends on the parts you choose and buy.

For a basic refractor optical tube assembly, you'll need :

(moving along the assembly from front to back)

01 x lens cell + hood (usually sold together)
01 x objective lens (the very heart of the telescope !)
01 x tube (the body of the scope)
01 x focuser

+ some screws and basic tools.
+ flat black spray paint for the interior
+ coloured spray paint for the exterior :lol:

No glue required :D
Samuel Ng
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IceAngel
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Post by IceAngel »

Harlequin.. do u sell all these things??
or where can i find all these things???
*~Stars AND Clear Sky always~*
Leslie
*Owner of Antares 93mm Achromat Refractor* :)
-10.11.03-
*Owner of Takahashi SKY 90 Fluorite Doublet Apochromat Refractor* :D
-25.03.06-
Grievous
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Post by Grievous »

Try buying a Edu-Science refractor. if u can take it apart and put it back nicely again. You passed.

Charlie
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IceAngel
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Post by IceAngel »

haha.. use a 99 dollar thing to test?? heartache sia.. hmm.. maybe get from ppl dun wanna throw his edu-sci scope away then let me try.. who got tat scope but dun wan liao.. need donation here!! hehe :lol:
*~Stars AND Clear Sky always~*
Leslie
*Owner of Antares 93mm Achromat Refractor* :)
-10.11.03-
*Owner of Takahashi SKY 90 Fluorite Doublet Apochromat Refractor* :D
-25.03.06-
Grievous
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Post by Grievous »

hey, as highlighted in the other thread, the thing has a 7-day money-back gurantee. Its do or die...HAHAh~

Charlie
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weixing
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Post by weixing »

Hi,
Making your own scope should be left for those who are experience... it not easy to make one. The most difficult part will be getting all your parts to fix together perfectly and align correctly. I strongly not recommend any newbie to try to make one... save your money... :)

By the way, I wonder who had successfully built his/her own telescope in SingAstro??
Yang Weixing
:mrgreen: "The universe is composed mainly of hydrogen and ignorance." :mrgreen:
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IceAngel
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Post by IceAngel »

weixing wrote:Hi,
Making your own scope should be left for those who are experience... it not easy to make one. The most difficult part will be getting all your parts to fix together perfectly and align correctly. I strongly not recommend any newbie to try to make one... save your money... :)

By the way, I wonder who had successfully built his/her own telescope in SingAstro??
ok.. thx.. taken noted.. :D :D
*~Stars AND Clear Sky always~*
Leslie
*Owner of Antares 93mm Achromat Refractor* :)
-10.11.03-
*Owner of Takahashi SKY 90 Fluorite Doublet Apochromat Refractor* :D
-25.03.06-
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kayheem
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Post by kayheem »

weixing wrote:Hi,
Making your own scope should be left for those who are experience... it not easy to make one. The most difficult part will be getting all your parts to fix together perfectly and align correctly. I strongly not recommend any newbie to try to make one... save your money... :)

By the way, I wonder who had successfully built his/her own telescope in SingAstro??
Aw, c'mon...building a scope isn't too bad, unless you intend to grind your own optics. All you need is some basic math & physics, access to good DIY parts and a good (and cheap) machinist, technically inclined, etc...wait a minute! It doesn't sound so easy after all. :)

But seriously, once you buy the optics, putting it together need not be a sophisticated affair. All you need to do is make it functional. You have to do it a couple of times to get past the learning curve. Tinkering with equipment helps. Most of all, you must be technically inclined.

Kay Heem
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Airconvent
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Re: Newbie Qn: How to make my own refractor??

Post by Airconvent »

IceAngel wrote:i am a green horn in astronomy but i would like to make a DIY refractor.. is it advisable to make a DIY refractor in a beginner stage??

1. How much will be one set of the parts of the refractor?
2. Will be cheaper than a ready made refractor?
3. Where can i go and buy the parts?
4. What are the essentials parts that i need to buy?

Thanks for viewing and commenting! :D
Hi Leslie,
You can try this hong kong site:
http://diffractive-optics.com/asp/education.asp
for less than S$100, you can buy the parts and built your first scope.
Please note the scope uses proprietary standards so you can forget about taking the standard upgrade path...

Cheers!
The Boldly Go Where No Meade Has Gone Before
Captain, RSS Enterprise NCC1701R
United Federation of the Planets
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