Telescope Making -- Beginner

[Hemanth Kashyap]

Hi All,

I am interested in making an Astronomical Telescope. I am a beginner and don't have any idea how to start. I was searching on internet and found the below website helpful.

http://www.space.com/24114-how-to-build-a-telescope-science-fair-projects.html

In the above site, we have information on making an 9X and 20X telescope and it requires below specified Lens.

9X : Concave-convex lens: Diameter of 49 mm, focal length of 1,350 mm
Plano-concave lens: Diameter of 49 mm, focal length of 152 mm

20X : Concave-convex lens: Diameter 49 mm, focal length 100 mm
Plano-concave lens: Diameter 47 mm, focal length 2000 mm

I am from Bangalore and I want to know where can I get the materials and Lens required for making Telescope. Can anyone help me in getting the required materials and Lens for Telescope Making? Also if you have any other simple method of Telescope Making, then please share with me.

Best Regards,
Hemanth Kashyap

[qualitywins]

Hi Hemanth,

I have made several telescopes, including a Newton, a Stevic-Paul, and an enhanced achromat.

My strong suggestion is that you go for a Newton, e.g. a mirror telescope, unless you make the telescope for the sake of making a telescope, like I did. It gives you a deep insight of issues you can come across making more complex instruments. I am currently working on a 3,5" calcium fluorite 3-lens oiled apochromatic Binocular for example, together with a guy from Zeiss... and I am just scratching at the surface of the issues, in the best meaning of the word...

Nevertheless even if you like to make one of the more complex (and not even better for observation) telescopes, it would still be best to start with a Newton, simply, because it is the most efficient way.

I have a number of blanks at home. If anyone visits Frankfurt some time, I am happy to share some 6-10".

If you like to build your own scope for cost reasons over a built one, I need discourage you, that would be the really hard way. It is possible to build a telescope almost from nothing, but that requires a lot of luck, effort and time. ( I have slivered the mirrors of my Stevic-Paul with self made silver nitrate..., so I know what hand-made is,...)

A Newton telescope, 6 or 8" is what you want to have, with a focal ration of about 8 for observing. A good compromise between effort, investment and outcome.

I wish you all the best,

Greetings from Frankfurt,

Nikolas Hericks

[itspo...@gmail.com]

Thank you Nick [qualitywins <nher...@gmail.com>]

That was very enlightening.

Cheers

Ponappa

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[Pankaj Lal]

I know of an enthusiast named Mukesh Satankar in Bhopal, who had his self made telescope and we saw very clearly saturn's rings and jupiter's moons through that. He recently conducted a 10 day workshop on telescope making in Allahabad. Cost was 12000 rs including material and you get to take telescope back. The workshop was residential.

Are there similar workshops happening in bangalore. I would be interested to participate if we can make the whole thing grounds up including lens, barrel etc. If not, then I can get in touch with Mukesh to do one for us, if we can locally arrange logistics for it.

https://www.facebook.com/msatan1969

Warm regards,

Pankaj

[sathya kumar Prasanna]

The telescope you mention in the link above is only a small demonstration telescope, at the best capable of revealing craters of the moon. Telescopes today mainly use mirrors, not lenses because of the ease of manufacture. In the link, they talk about "4 foot" and "7 foot" telescopes. They are clearly wrong. The telescopes today are measured in the diameter of the objective mirror and larger the diameter, the better the resolution. I am actually surprised that a website like Space.com can actually say that one can "study the stars" with that scope. Most of us here on this forum have years of experience behind us using astronomical telescopes, making telescopes etc and can clearly vouch that you cannot use that cardboard scope for astronomy. Please do visit the guides section of my website to read more about telescopes.

As far as making one goes, please visit out sister club, Association of Bangalore Amateur Astronomers at Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium, opposite Indira Gandhi Musical fountain on Raj Bhavan Road/T Chowdiah Road on Sunday's after 5:30PM. They are experts in telescope making and can help you.

Thanks and Regards

Mr. Sathyakumar Sharma,

Developmental Engineer,

Dr. T. M. A.  Pai Planetarium,
Manipal Center for Natural Sciences,

Manipal University,
Madhav Nagar, Manipal-576104,

Karnataka
 
Phone: +91 820 2571922 | +91 820 2923557 | +91 820 2923571

http://sharma-astronomy.weebly.com

On Wed, Mar 4, 2015 at 8:50 PM, Hemanth Kashyap <reach...@gmail.com> wrote:

[sathya kumar Prasanna]

Great inputs Nikolas. In Bangalore, ABAA make very good accuracy mirrors. They've been making mirrors since '72. 1/4th and 1/6th wave mirrors are not uncommon. Hemant would best learn the technique from them.

Thanks and Regards

Mr. Sathyakumar Sharma,

Developmental Engineer,

Dr. T. M. A.  Pai Planetarium,
Manipal Center for Natural Sciences,

Manipal University,
Madhav Nagar, Manipal-576104,

Karnataka
 
Phone: +91 820 2571922 | +91 820 2923557 | +91 820 2923571

http://sharma-astronomy.weebly.com

[sathya kumar Prasanna]

Pankaj,

Please check the above replies I have given. ABAA is always open to telescope makers.

Thanks and Regards

Mr. Sathyakumar Sharma,

Developmental Engineer,

Dr. T. M. A.  Pai Planetarium,
Manipal Center for Natural Sciences,

Manipal University,
Madhav Nagar, Manipal-576104,

Karnataka
 
Phone: +91 820 2571922 | +91 820 2923557 | +91 820 2923571

http://sharma-astronomy.weebly.com

[rajesh.tn]

Hi Hemanth,

If your main interest is in making the structure of telescope rather that the optics itself, then you could order concave 5 inch objective mirror and eliptical secondary mirror from Tejraj or similar which might cost you about 5.5k to 6k.

Rest you could pay a visit to nearest hardware store to purchase appropriate sized PVC pipes, bolts and nuts and other simple making tools (if you dont have them already) in about 3k or lesser.

With an appropriate eyepiece, you would get around 100x magnification 

You can make a newtonian in a few days of dedication ☺

Here's the example of the rudimentary telescope I constructed  (Optics bought): 

https://picasaweb.google.com/m/viewer?fgl=true&pli=1#album/106073776075697379769/5724439343000997953

Sent from my Samsung device

[keerthi kiran]

Rajesh,

This link is taking me to my Picasa album...

Regards,

Keerthi

[Jithu Gopal]

Just played around with the URL a bit. This should work: https://plus.google.com/photos/106073776075697379769/albums/5724439343000997953?banner=pwa

Jithu Gopal
website -- twitter

[itspo...@gmail.com]

So interesting. I want to make one too... will be in touch and asking for help if you dont mind.

Thanks

Cheers

[Pankaj Lal]

Dear Satya Ji,

Just to clarify, that these are not cardboard telescope. These are 5" newtonian reflector telescopes. The facebook link points to the person who did the workshop. I am putting link to the actual workshop that was organized by him in Allahabad planeterium in january this year. Since you are well connected in the planetarium network, I am sure more details would be available on request.

http://www.vigyanprasar.gov.in/whats_new/whats_new_events/atm-workshop-2015/atm-workshop-2015.htm

Warm regards,

Pankaj

On Sun, Mar 15, 2015 at 11:43 AM, keerthi kiran <info...@gmail.com> wrote:

[rajesh.tn]

Thanks Jittu. 

Sure Ponappa.. any time.

Sent from my Samsung device

-------- Original message --------
From: itspo...@gmail.com
Date: 16/03/2015 10:26 (GMT+05:30)
To: b-...@googlegroups.com

Subject: Re: [-BAS-] Telescope Making -- Beginner

So interesting. I want to make one too... will be in touch and asking for help if you dont mind.

Thanks

Cheers

On Sun, Mar 15, 2015 at 8:59 PM, Jithu Gopal <jith...@gmail.com> wrote:

Just played around with the URL a bit. This should work: https://plus.google.com/photos/106073776075697379769/albums/5724439343000997953?banner=pwa

Jithu Gopal
website -- twitter

--

K Ponappa Subbaiah
be.net/ponappa
flickr.com/photos/ponappa

[sathya kumar Prasanna]

Pankaj,

I was referring to the "Space.com" website link at the beginning of this thread which has photos of "galilean" telescopes made with plano convex and plano concave lenses. Galilean telescopes cannot be used for any astronomy other than experiencing what galileo did.

If the telescopes built are 5" Newtonians, then I am certain that they will be of very reasonable quality.

We also received a printed copy of the poster. 

Thanks and Regards

Mr. Sathyakumar Sharma,

Developmental Engineer,

Dr. T. M. A.  Pai Planetarium,
Manipal Center for Natural Sciences,

Manipal University,
Madhav Nagar, Manipal-576104,

Karnataka
 
Phone: +91 820 2571922 | +91 820 2923557 | +91 820 2923571

http://sharma-astronomy.weebly.com