Not wanting to drive back down to Ace, I started rummaging through my junk pile to see if there was anything I could use to fabricate a new coupler to replace the aluminum spacer I had tried to use. I looked at some 1/2″ steel bar stock I have, but decided I really need a […]
So I attempted to to build a flexible focus extender for the ETX-70AT telescope. The concept is solid, and the price is right but mistakes were made. I spent a grand total of $2.42 at Ace for an aluminum spacer, a foot of cable, and some set screws. As I drilled and tapped the holes […]
Several weeks ago I removed these three items from the Meade ETX-70AT telescope in preparation for tearing it down: That’s the focusing knob, and the tripod bolts. I put them in a “safe place” so they would not get lost, but once I got around to tearing the telescope apart and putting it back together, […]
More telescope fun. I have an Meade ETX-70AT telescope that I got at a pawn shop for $15. It was missing the battery pack, eyepieces, and the focuser seemed jammed. Since I have eyepieces that fit it, and the focuser seemed like it might be an easy fix, I naturally bought it and brought it […]
Fairly clear skies last night, so I took the Dob out for a test viewing. I found that the bolts I was worried about hitting when adjusting the telescope up and down were the least of my worries. I think they only hit once or twice, and even then they weren’t too jarring because the […]
I have a 4.5″ Newtonian reflector telescope that I got for $10 at a local thrift store. The views are OK, but the dovetail mount to the tripod is super wobbly, and the thing will shake if you even breathe on it, so I decided to build a Dobsonian mount for it. I designed some […]