Michael A. Phillips

checking NEWT often and looking at finding balance between photography and visual, I stumbled across this:

http://ben.davies.net/focuser_end.htm

So I arrived at 2 values in my calculations for visual and photography, I split the difference in the focuser placement.  Since it's a sonotube with a backup half untouched, I feel comfortable making some more cuts!  

46&...

No, no the political term.  Every reflecting telescope has a two mirrors.  The larger is called the primary and is one of if not the most major parts.

Carl Zambuto called me in late November and notified me the mirror was done and ready for coating, time to pay the remaineder!

B...

FPI-Protostar didn't come through for me, so I picked up a great looking Curved Vane spider from Scope Stuff, who OEM's the 800Destiny holders

This is the mirror cell, which will hold the primary mirror in place.  I need to design an method to mount it into the tube.  Initially I will use a piece of plywood to mount into the sonotube, but ultimately the adapting plate will be made by the aluminum tube manufacturer, TSI.

View1

Drum roll please..............

Akule - Origin and Meaning of the name

AKULE!!

Here's why:...

The sonotube came from a company in Raleigh, Form Tech Concrete.  I ordered a sonotube but received a E-Z Pour.  The diameter of the tube is such that it won't fit in the awesome rings I got from Ken Dauzat, so not quite Peanut Butter and Jelly yet.

Not the full weight, only about 23.5 lbs total for the rings and empty tube. The rings ar...

I can't wait to use this piece, it's a real work of art!

Whole album here

Every good technical mistress has to have a name.  For many years all my computers have names, thank goodness as it gets confusing which black, IBM/Lenovo is which sometimes!    The Computer names have always been star constellations and I don't know that any have ever gotten repeated in the 15 years I've been doing it.

That naming doesn't work ...