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WaveMechanic  
#1 Posted : Saturday, October 1, 2016 8:19:17 AM(UTC)
WaveMechanic

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Hello All,

Just thought I'd post this model of a vintage 12" telescope on a German equatorial mount.
Created and rendered with ViaCAD Pro V9. Great fun!

Tim (Not Tim O.)

Edited by user Saturday, October 1, 2016 8:20:31 AM(UTC)  | Reason: Typo

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Tim (NOT Tim Olson)
ViaCAD 2D/3D and PRO V9 1184, Blender 2.49-2.78.
Win 7 SP1, Core I5, 64-bit, NVIDIA G105M
thanks 1 user thanked WaveMechanic for this useful post.
flatpack on 12/12/2016(UTC)
jbskaggs  
#2 Posted : Saturday, October 1, 2016 10:48:28 AM(UTC)
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Awesomeliciosness!
thanks 1 user thanked jbskaggs for this useful post.
WaveMechanic on 10/1/2016(UTC)
WaveMechanic  
#3 Posted : Saturday, October 1, 2016 6:08:19 PM(UTC)
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Thanks jbskaggs! Sounds like you may have some familiarity with these older scopes. While newer scopes work better for CCD imaging (better tracking, pointing, computerized, etc.), looking through an old (Cave/Astrola style) Newtonian is a real treat. Images were VERY clean and crisp and these were/are great visual scopes if you can find one.

Anyway, building the model with ViaCAD Pro v9 was a lot of fun.

Have a great day!

Tim (NOT Tim O.)
Tim (NOT Tim Olson)
ViaCAD 2D/3D and PRO V9 1184, Blender 2.49-2.78.
Win 7 SP1, Core I5, 64-bit, NVIDIA G105M
murray  
#4 Posted : Saturday, October 1, 2016 9:48:58 PM(UTC)
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Nice work, it brings back memories for me. I joined the school astronomy club about 50 years ago in New Zealand and we built a Newtonian, 18" or thereabouts from memory. When I say "we", I mean that the teacher showed us how to manually grind the primary mirror, two slabs of glass worked against each with carborundum paste between them, essentially automotive valve grinding paste, then a fine diamond paste to polish to finish. He showed us how, got us started and oversaw our efforts, built the remainder of the scope to take "our" reflector. He had a supply of labour to do it for him, we learnt an amazing skill: although I've never done it again in my life to date, I can still feel the warmth of the memory.

Edited by user Saturday, October 1, 2016 9:50:56 PM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

WaveMechanic  
#5 Posted : Sunday, October 2, 2016 7:44:29 AM(UTC)
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Murray,

Very cool story...even ground your own mirror (definitely NOT an easy task). How sweet! An 18" is a pretty good sized scope and I bet you had some great views with it. I've heard New Zealand has some very nice dark skies as well. If you still like astronomy, you can check out some of my color deep-space astrophotography at:

http://users.cloudnet.com/dsastro/CanonXTi/xti.htm

Thanks!

Tim (Not Tim O.)

Edited by user Sunday, October 2, 2016 7:47:32 AM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Tim (NOT Tim Olson)
ViaCAD 2D/3D and PRO V9 1184, Blender 2.49-2.78.
Win 7 SP1, Core I5, 64-bit, NVIDIA G105M
KSimmons  
#6 Posted : Tuesday, December 13, 2016 3:31:20 PM(UTC)
KSimmons

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Nice. I have been using TurboCAD for some time. But also wanted a NURB modeling program. So I purchased Shark LT. I been thinking about doing a 3D model of my observatory that I plan to build in the future. Also in the process of trying to use Shark to model buildings for X-Plane 11. I will need to import them into AC3D in order to generate the file for X-Plane. Have a 100mm Skywatcher Refractor and a Meade 203mm SCT.
WaveMechanic  
#7 Posted : Sunday, December 18, 2016 11:40:48 AM(UTC)
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KSimmons,

I'd like to see that observatory design. I currently use a 10" Meade LX200GPS, an 8" Meade LXD55 SN and an Orion 80ED Refractor. None are permanently mounted so I have to polar align each time I setup. Here's a link to some of my color CCD images of deep-space objects.

http://users.cloudnet.com/dsastro/CanonXTi/xti.htm

Do you have a web page? Please keep in touch...I'm anxious to see your observatory design (i.e. Sliding Roof? Dome?)

Tim (Not Tim O.)
Tim (NOT Tim Olson)
ViaCAD 2D/3D and PRO V9 1184, Blender 2.49-2.78.
Win 7 SP1, Core I5, 64-bit, NVIDIA G105M
KSimmons  
#8 Posted : Monday, December 19, 2016 10:36:34 AM(UTC)
KSimmons

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Hi Tim, I haven't made any designs as of yet, still trying to decide wrether to have two piers, or just have one and leave the Sky Watcher 100mm/iOption CEM25 as a poetable. I am leaning towards a split roof design (the center section consist of two halves that slide to the ends of the building). Also I might design it to where it can be disassembled in the future when I retire 4-6 years. Not sure if I am going to stay in this area. Would like to find clearer sky's and less lights. Interest is in measuring binaries. I thought about a sliding roof, but need an archtect to approve (the roof support) it in order to get a permit. Also might design it to where the roof sections are on hinges, but they would need to be light wieght. Then there's the money. Making two or three 3D concept models would make it easier to decide which one to build.
WaveMechanic  
#9 Posted : Tuesday, December 20, 2016 11:39:01 AM(UTC)
WaveMechanic

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KSimmons,

Yeah...lots to decide. I guess that's why I'm still portable. One other reason I am not permanent yet is that we have so many trees where we live, I have to set-up in different places in the yard (depending on the object I am going to image).

For your observatory, it might be OK to have just one pier if you can swap scopes on the mount. If not, it's probably not much more expensive (incrementally) to add another pier. One thing you probably already know is to make sure that the concrete for the pier(s) is independent from the floor you will be walking on, or views through the scopes will look like an earthquake is happening!

Please stay in touch as things progress. My personal e-mail is at the bottom of the front page of my deep space astrophotography web page (see my previous post for link, since we are perhaps beginning to digress from 3D modeling).

Tim (Not Tim O.)
Tim (NOT Tim Olson)
ViaCAD 2D/3D and PRO V9 1184, Blender 2.49-2.78.
Win 7 SP1, Core I5, 64-bit, NVIDIA G105M
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