Article: "A powerful telescope you can build at home"

Started by JC004, August 13, 2015, 07:03:09 PM

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JC004

http://news.sciencemag.org/space/2015/07/video-powerful-telescope-you-can-build-home?rss=1

I'd love to put the funds together and get the cadets to build their own telescope. 

It would give them exposure to 3D printing, which has great potential as a technology, Computer-Aided Design, engineering/math topics, etc.

Recently, I acquired some books on astrophotography and I think that would be a great interactive AE activity.  It produces a tangible result of photos of planets, the moon, stars, and the like - all of which they can keep and share with their friends.  Framed photos of Jupiter, Saturn, or the moon, taken by the cadets, would be great to have.

TheSkyHornet

That sounds awesome! Expensive, but really cool.

Getting the printer isn't the end of the world, but the price to restock the filaments would get old fairly quickly. It would be a neat squadron idea, perhaps as a chip-in type thing.

I, personally, don't know a whole lot about 3D Printing, not enough to really be ready to invest in it under any circumstance unless there was someone who knew a lot more about it than myself. But it's definitely something to keep in the back of your mind as a down-the-road idea to save up for.

JC004

The cost is less than some large AE projects like space projects.

I was thinking we could partner with a university or hackerspace/makerspace which has a 3D printer available...

I'd like to partner with a hackerspace anyway.

Майор Хаткевич

Quote from: JC004 on August 13, 2015, 08:41:07 PM
The cost is less than some large AE projects like space projects.

I was thinking we could partner with a university or hackerspace/makerspace which has a 3D printer available...

I'd like to partner with a hackerspace anyway.


Depending on the size, it may be possible someone locally even has one. The printers have hid the sub-2K range.

SarDragon

Dave Bowles
Maj, CAP
AT1, USN Retired
50 Year Member
Mitchell Award (unnumbered)
C/WO, CAP, Ret

LSThiker

Quote from: SarDragon on August 13, 2015, 09:50:55 PM
What's the source for the optics?

The highest quality concave mirror you can find that is within your budget.


TheSkyHornet

Quote from: SarDragon on August 13, 2015, 09:50:55 PM
What's the source for the optics?

This is just to build the telescope structure, not the actual tools used to operate it as a telescope. You still need lenses, and any computerized device you may want to link to it.

lordmonar

PATRICK M. HARRIS, SMSgt, CAP

SarDragon

I did a mirror as a yute. Once was enough. If I ever build another telescope, I'll buy the optics.
Dave Bowles
Maj, CAP
AT1, USN Retired
50 Year Member
Mitchell Award (unnumbered)
C/WO, CAP, Ret

JC004

I was considering whether the self-made mirror option would be good or not.  I'm not all up on the pros and cons of it.

I like the Open Space Agency one because of the advantages of having cadets work with 3D printing.

I was also looking at some other options.  There's no reason they couldn't build a couple (and it would be better to have more than 1 for astronomy trips).  There's a lot of nice homemade scopes here:

http://infinigeek.com/40-epic-homemade-telescopes-how-to-make-guides/

lordmonar

It is a lot of tedious monotonous work......but it can be rewarding.

And if you got a bunch of people doing it at the same time...the cost per unit drops dramatically.

PATRICK M. HARRIS, SMSgt, CAP

SarDragon

If you enjoy walking around a 55 gal drum for hours and hours, doing a variation of "wax-on, wax-off", it's not so bad.
Dave Bowles
Maj, CAP
AT1, USN Retired
50 Year Member
Mitchell Award (unnumbered)
C/WO, CAP, Ret

TheSkyHornet

Quote from: SarDragon on August 15, 2015, 08:27:49 PM
If you enjoy walking around a 55 gal drum for hours and hours, doing a variation of "wax-on, wax-off", it's not so bad.

Made me chuckle a bit  ;D :clap:

Quote from: lordmonar on August 15, 2015, 04:00:10 PM
if you got a bunch of people doing it at the same time...the cost per unit drops dramatically.

I think that's the key to any project in a squadron, getting as many people to help pay for a bulk item. Unless each individual cadet feels like making their own :P

Eaker Guy

I wonder, has a 3D printer ever been constructed by.......another 3D printer? Something to think about when you have absolutely, and I mean absolutely, nothing to do!

Sorry about the tangent. The idea is there. Another creative opportunity for the cadets and seniors. Is it feasible? Maybe. If Groups could get behind the idea squadrons could get together to reduce the cost further. ;)

SarDragon

The mechanicals might not be too hard, with the right object descriptive files. The electronics are harder.
Dave Bowles
Maj, CAP
AT1, USN Retired
50 Year Member
Mitchell Award (unnumbered)
C/WO, CAP, Ret

Майор Хаткевич

Quote from: C/Maj Kiss on August 18, 2015, 03:51:07 AM
I wonder, has a 3D printer ever been constructed by.......another 3D printer? Something to think about when you have absolutely, and I mean absolutely, nothing to do!

Sorry about the tangent. The idea is there. Another creative opportunity for the cadets and seniors. Is it feasible? Maybe. If Groups could get behind the idea squadrons could get together to reduce the cost further. ;)


There's a whole open source concept that does this. As mentioned, the electronics would be an issue, but there's a community of modders who are designing and improving a printer that can print a new printer to the most complete extent possible.

JeffDG

Quote from: Capt Hatkevich on August 18, 2015, 04:40:20 PM
Quote from: C/Maj Kiss on August 18, 2015, 03:51:07 AM
I wonder, has a 3D printer ever been constructed by.......another 3D printer? Something to think about when you have absolutely, and I mean absolutely, nothing to do!

Sorry about the tangent. The idea is there. Another creative opportunity for the cadets and seniors. Is it feasible? Maybe. If Groups could get behind the idea squadrons could get together to reduce the cost further. ;)


There's a whole open source concept that does this. As mentioned, the electronics would be an issue, but there's a community of modders who are designing and improving a printer that can print a new printer to the most complete extent possible.

Thanks to conductive inks, 3D printers can now lay down circuit traces as they go.

Nuke52

Quote from: SarDragon on August 15, 2015, 05:18:33 AM
I did a mirror as a yute. Once was enough. If I ever build another telescope, I'll buy the optics.
Lt Col
Wilson Awd

SarDragon

Dave Bowles
Maj, CAP
AT1, USN Retired
50 Year Member
Mitchell Award (unnumbered)
C/WO, CAP, Ret