![]() I copied it from some very old books and updated it slightly. But it’s complicated to build and expensive to buy (about $50). Many scopes use a fairly complicated device called a spider, with four vanes that attach to the tube in four places and support a special device called a secondary mirror holder. You might want to cut a couple of slits in it as shown so that it will grip an eyepiece. The 1 1/4″ ID section of the brass tube must be accessible from the outside since that is the standard size for good eyepieces. In the left picture the inner section of the completed focuser is pictured for clarity. Mount the assembly on a curved piece of hardwood with a nice big hole in the middle. The larger fitting must be cut so that the smaller fitting will go into it from the direction opposite that intended by its design. Cut the PVC fittings so that the only remaining part of the inner section is its threads. Use some masking tape to fit the 1 1/4″ fit snugly inside it. The smaller, inner fitting must be large enough to accommodate the 1 1/4″ brass drain extension. NOTE: make sure they screw together freely with no binding. These PVC fittings are designed to screw together. All you have to do is find some plumbing fittings like these on the left. It works well and costs very little to build. The focuser for this telescope is a simple helical focuser. Even if you don’t build this particular telescope you might find some helpful and money-saving ideas you can use. If you are interested in building any kind of telescope, I suggest you take a look at the rest of this page. You should also know that you can buy a telescope much like this for about $400 or $500. I’d highly recommend that you read the books Build Your Own Telescope by Richard Berry and Making and Enjoying Telescopes by Miller and Wilson. I am working on a web-book that will help and there are many other web pages to check out. ![]() Before you decide to take on such a task you should read everything you can about the project. See my website ( ) for pictures of a few of them. Many ordinary people have built simple telescopes like this. And it’s far more rewarding to locate things in the sky using your own on-board brain.) (Of course, this means you have to know a little about the sky to operate this telescope, doesn’t it? Don’t worry, it’s not that hard. It puts you in direct contact with the stars rather than forcing you to interact with a hand-held “interface”. This scope is user-friendly and does not involve complicated computers to operate.Even the eyepiece and finder optics come from your local discount store!! The focusser and finder scope are made from plumbing fixtures. The only parts you have to get from a special supplier are the primary and secondary mirror. ![]() You can make it and fix it with simple hand tools. Nearly all the parts for this telescope come from your hardware store.The telescope uses standard 1.25 inch eyepieces so you can upgrade to higher quality eyepieces anytime you want. ![]() The cage also serves as an “exo-skeleton” to keep the tube rigid and thus to keep the telescope well collimated and aligned.
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