John's 13.1" F4.5 Complete . . .

The "final touches" are completed and John's 13.1" F4.5 truss
telescope is ready to package and ship. Testing last night,
under the stars, proved a great success. 

The rear of the 6-point flotation mirror cell and large ventilation
hole to enhance mirror equalization. Note the "feet"!!

The top ring. Included are a red-dot finder, Moonlite 2-speed 2"
crayford focuser, 3.1" secondary and curved-vane spider.

A fully installed, configured and tested Sky Commander and primary
dew shield are installed. Nice!!

Trippensee Planetarium . . .

The "earth/moon" components of a 1956 Trippensee Planetarium. I acquired
this on eBay and built the base. Kinda neat -- I think.

This is an example of the complete planetarium. I'm not
sure I understand the "moon" around the sun!!

John's 13.1" F4.5 -- Almost!!

John's 13.1" with Nova Optical Systems certified primary is nearing
completion. I've got to "tweek" the rocker box a bit, build the
primary dew shield and install the Sky Commander.

Note the Moonlite 2-speed focuser, Destiny 3-vane curved-vane spider
and DSC "stage" on the top truss tube.

Bruce S and his 10" F6 Telescope

Bruce, from the Astronomical Society of the Desert, and his 10"
strut made by Dobstuff. At 4000-feet above the Coachella Valley,
it's a great venue for astronomy and observing.

A bit "chilly" and a little wind, but Bruce is all set up and ready to go.

John's 13.1" F4.5 OTA...

John's "mirror box" with Moonlite truss blocks.

Ready to testing under the stars tonight, John's OTA
is close to completion. I'll add the altitude bearings next.

A 13.1" for John in Suwanee, Georgia . . .

A 3-vane curved-vane supports a 3.1 secondary.
The primary is a Nova Optical Systems "certified" mirror.

The Moonlite 2-speed 2" focuser.

A Smile Every Now and Then ....

I'm working on a 13" truss for John and was ready to cut the

ventilation hole in the mirror board -- and saw it SMILING back at me.

Kinda cool, I thought!!