Mel Bartels, August
2004
images by Barb Bajec and Alan Gillespie
Each year we hold a telescope walkabout at the Oregon Star Party. Telescope builders share interesting telescopes with a large crowd of onlookers. The owners describe salient features of their telescopes, how they built it, how well it works, what they like and don't like about the result, and what they might do better next time. The people gathered ask questions and benefit from hearing the answers as a group. Walkabouts are meant to be contrasted with contests. Contests determine winners in categories with the prize of self-glorification. Contests offer little sharing and collaboration By contrast, sharing exciting new telescopes and ideas is the principal goal of a walkabout.
Howard Banich 28 inch altazimuth
Howard's new 28 inch scope features all aluminum construction, flex rocker dob design, a computerized drive system, and the Dethloff observing shade. Howard built some components himself and had other components manufactured. Howard is to the far right with a white name tag.
Alan Gillespie new 8 inch with homemade primary
Alan's scope features a first time homeground mirror of f/9 focal ratio, curved spider, and a twist on the Alice design with non-parallel upper end supporting arms
Alan's scope at sunrise one morning
Ed Steven's 16inch dob and flying 10 inch travel scopes
Ed's 16 inch features an ultralight design with a wire spider
Ed unpacking his 10 inch flying scope
Ed's travel scope fully assembled
Dan Bakken's 41 inch scope
Dan's scope features a mirror that he ground himself, along with a computerized drive system
Dan's mirror support
Dan's scope in the field (image by Alan Gillespie)
Ross Robert's 16 inch scope
Ross's scope features aluminum and wood construction, along with a Dethloff observing shroud. Ross reports that the observing hood significantly improves faint object viewing.
Ross also uses a wire spider.
Some scopes not on the walkabout
Dan Gray's 28 inch computerized scope and observing stool: with a bent optical path, the observer needs only a step up to observe high elevation objects with the 28 inch f/4
Bob Bond's 16 inch flex rocker scope
Bob's scope exhibits a very nicely designed flex rocker.
A TriDob hood ornament: http://www.obsopts.com/gallery/OSP2004-hood.jpg
Eof.
