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Dale Keller's 80mm F12 |
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Dale Keller's 80mm F12 |
Dale Keller is building this 80mm F12 refractor. The objective lens is from
Vixen. To test the objective, it was mounted in a simple wooden cell which
was placed in a cardboard mailing tube. The first lens tested turned out to
have extreme spherical aberration, and was sent back for a replacement. The
new lens is of high quality.
Soon an aluminum adjustable lens cell will be made and mounted in a plastic tube. A surplus 1.25" rack and pinon focuser from a Meade refractor will be used. Baffles will be installed. The german equatorial mount is made from 1" black plumbing pipe. Bronze bearings ride in aluminum inserts. The shafts are 3/4" steel. A clock drive and declination drive will be added someday. The counterweight is made from large steel washers mounted on an aluminum hub. A brass thumbscrew locks the hub to the shaft, and another screw holds the washers to the hub. The tripod was just quickly thrown together using 2x3s and will be replaced with a nice birch tripod someday.
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