by The Bolton Group

Version 1.2

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Contents:-
Silver Six - A highly portable alt-az 6-inch
Windcheater 8-inch - Minimilist equatorial
Driven equatorial 8-inch - Designed for astro-photography

Rear view

This stunning telescope was built by Gerald for one of our senior society members who wanted a lightweight portable telescope that he could easily carry outside. The optics are f/5 and were made by Brian

This was the first rolled tube we had made and although the final result is superb, the trials and tribulations of getting rolled aluminium welded into an accurate circular tube means that it will probably be the last! Polishing it was also a huge task. The mount is a simple side-mouted alt-az, similar to a design made by the defunct Astro Systems (Luton). This works well for a 6-inch but requires counterbalancing for anything bigger. The pillar is Gerald's standard lightweight design

The crayford is Gerald's latest design with larger knobs (for use with gloves on) and is 2 inch ID for larger eyepieces. It also features a new design for the cell and spider. The ends of the tube are finished with black tube- split longitudinally and pushed on.

The performance of the telescope is as good as it looks - the Ring Nebula was crystal clear, even from urban Bolton!

The telescope was on exhibition for several years at the Technology Innovation Centre in Bolton.

Telescope at our dark site

Another telescope made by Gerald for one of our members who had made his own 8-inch mirror. The design is not new and uitises an "A" for for a tube and steam pipes for an equatorial mount. The combination of a heavy low mount and an ultra-light tube assembly makes for an extremely sturdy telescope, impervious to winds - hence its name.

The telescope was made entirely with hand-tools. The tube assembly comprises a stubby lower tube frame for the mirror and two longitudinally aluminium angles (cut down from 50mm x 50mm x 6mm angle to 25 x25). The focuser is the first Crayford we made and proved the merit of this design. The single armed spider is attached to the base of the focuser and they adjust together.

The mount is made from steel steam pipes and uses standard fittings for the various connections and angles. Amazingly the three feet are all the same length, which results in the polar axis being at the right angle for Lancashire. The bearings are simply the pipe threads - worked a bit with grinding paste first and then packed with grease. They move very smoothly but this design is unsuitable for motor drives. However the owner was not interested in drives so they are pefectly adequate.

From our dark site in the Lake District the open tube performs brilliantly and even under urban skies it works surprisingly well. It is one of the steadiest telescopes we have ever made.

Compact mount

This telescope and mount has acomplicated history but demonstartes one of the benefits of a homemade telescope namely its ability to evolve as needs change. The tube is unusually plastic but works well for photography. The optics are f/5 and with a Meade 24.5mm wide-angle eyepiece the views are stunning.

12 volt drives

Made for one of our newer members by Brian and Gerald it originally was undriven on a simple wooden mount. However as the owner's aspirations developed towards astrophotography the need for a compact driven mount became paramount. The mount was one of several identical ones made by Brian several years ago. When deciding what type of mount to use Brian took Gerald to see one in use only for Gerald to proclaim he had been given one many years ago and kept it for a rainy day! The mount was refurbished with new bearings and worm drives. The motors used are 12 volt instrument motors from RS and are very powerful and cheap. Simple electronics enable the speed to be varied.