Anyone can build something like that, technically, but it does take a very special mindset to actually pull it off. I think God puts certain people on earth to accomplish specific tasks. Also helps to be unmarried. ;-) On Sat, Oct 19, 2013 at 8:21 AM, Hutchings, Mat <mat.hutchings@siemens.com>wrote:

Mr. 70 (not 2-meter Mike!), has done an incredible job with this telescope and deserves some serious congratulations and respect. As he says in the piece; he would like to tell anyone that they can build something like this.

I posted the link to the KSL story on CN early this morning. A few hours later, Jay did too in another CN forum. Then another guy posted again in yet another CN forum! The word is spreading!

Very cool work, and I was proud of Charlie too! If Mike reads our UtahAstronomy messages, I salute you! I only wish the program had shown some of the views. -- Joe On Saturday, October 19, 2013 8:35 PM, Wiggins Patrick <paw@getbeehive.net> wrote: Somewhat shorter URL is http://www.ksl.com/?sid=27301024 Going by what his t-shirt said I guess his proper name is 1.8 Meter Mike.  :) I understand Mike is saving to buy a trailer so he can bring the scope to star parties.  If he pulls that off surely it'll be the world's largest portable (transportable?) telescope. patrick On 19 Oct 2013, at 07:39, Chuck Hards wrote:

Here's the story if you missed it last night:

http://www.ksl.com/?sid=27301024&nid=148&title=utahn-sets-record-by-building...

On Fri, Oct 18, 2013 at 5:19 PM, Rodger C. Fry <rcfry@comcast.net> wrote:

...

2-meter mike and his telescope will be featured on Channel 5 10:00 PM news tonight.

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He did say it is an impractical scope. Ladder astronomy has its drawbacks, I had more than a few mornings with very sore insoles.

Patrick,

Correction not transportable but "semi-transportable" meaning that it requires a semi to transport it!

Rodger C. Fry

-----Original Message----- From: utah-astronomy-bounces@mailman.xmission.com [mailto:utah-astronomy-bounces@mailman.xmission.com] On Behalf Of Wiggins Patrick Sent: Saturday, October 19, 2013 8:33 PM To: Utah Astronomy Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] 2-Meter Mike

Somewhat shorter URL is http://www.ksl.com/?sid=27301024

Going by what his t-shirt said I guess his proper name is 1.8 Meter Mike. :)

I understand Mike is saving to buy a trailer so he can bring the scope to star parties. If he pulls that off surely it'll be the world's largest portable (transportable?) telescope.

patrick

On 19 Oct 2013, at 07:39, Chuck Hards wrote:

...

Here's the story if you missed it last night:

http://www.ksl.com/?sid=27301024&nid=148&title=utahn-sets-record-by-bu ilding-worlds-largest-amateur-telescope&fm=home_page&s_cid=queue-3

On Fri, Oct 18, 2013 at 5:19 PM, Rodger C. Fry <rcfry@comcast.net> wrote:

...

2-meter mike and his telescope will be featured on Channel 5 10:00 PM news tonight.

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It takes most of a full day to set up. It will probably never be at SPOC. People who build monster Dobs know the caveats very well, and have accepted them. More power to them all. On Sun, Oct 20, 2013 at 9:48 AM, Erik Hansen <erikhansen@thebluezone.net>wrote:

...

He will need the area of a Heli-pad to set it up, with the adjacent parking. Sounds like the whole SPOC parking area.

When I observed through it a couple of weeks ago, M17 was looking really great. We just saw the core of M31 also; this is not a scope for extended objects. It will have no problem showing galaxies not plotted on most atlases. Those of us galaxy hounds drool at the thought of observing with the scope under dark skies. Mat -----Original Message----- From: utah-astronomy-bounces@mailman.xmission.com [mailto:utah-astronomy-bounces@mailman.xmission.com] On Behalf Of Chuck Hards Sent: Monday, October 21, 2013 8:33 AM To: Utah Astronomy Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] 2-Meter Mike Just for fun I figured some magnifications with common focal-length eyepieces with the 70" scope. I rounded the decimals. The actual telescope specifications may be off a tad, but this is what Mike told me converstionally. 70" = 1,778 mm 427" = 35.58 ft. = 10,846 mm f/6.1 Magnification 55mm 197X 50mm 216X 40mm 271X 32mm 339X 25mm 434X 20mm 542X 16mm 678X 12mm 874X 9mm 1205X 7mm 1549X This is not a low-power telescope! Even at it's lowest powers, the exit pupil is huge and aperture is wasted, Mike is aware of that and is OK with the compromises required for "low power" use. The secondary shadow is easily visible in the center of the field, a problem all telescopes with a central obstruction have when the magnification is pushed too low. I used to see it on my 8" f/7 Newt when using my 55mm Plossl. The scope produces an exit pupil just over 9mm @ 197X. 8.2mm 2 216X. Not until the magnification is at 271X do we get an exit pupil of 6.5mm and use the full aperture. Some of you who's pupils open a full 7mm can push the power a tad lower and still use the full aperture. I am not putting the scope down, rather attempting to figure out which targets will be best for it. We could only see the very core of M31 on Saturday night. It takes several fields to take in all of M42. Globular clusters are incredible. Close double stars typically thought of as a challenge in smaller scopes are piddlingly easy. It is also easy to see that seeing will limit the scope on most nights. But seeing permitting, it will yield outstanding high-powered views. It should be a planet killer, as well as showing structure in those "tiny blue dot" class of planetary nebulae. The 32" at SPOC also has a very long focal length and has a similar situation when trying to push the magnification too low. Large apertures mean long focal lengths at reasonable f-ratios, with the attendant high magnifications, there's just no way around it in a strictly visual telescope. I'm hoping Mike will have the time to fire it up next weekend. As of today, the weather prospects look good, with no moon in the picture for most of the night. Keep your fingers crossed. Right now the focuser doesn't work but I'm giving Mike a new one, whether he has time to install it by then remains a question, but it still works by sliding the eyepiece and re-tightening the setscrew. I'd like to try some LPR filters, as well, and maybe some video of Jupiter if we stay at it long enough for it to rise out of the soup. _______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Send messages to the list to Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com The Utah-Astronomy mailing list is not affiliated with any astronomy club. To unsubscribe go to: http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Then enter your email address in the space provided and click on "Unsubscribe or edit options". This message and any attachments are solely for the use of intended recipients. The information contained herein may include trade secrets, protected health or personal information, privileged or otherwise confidential information. Unauthorized review, forwarding, printing, copying, distributing, or using such information is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful. If you are not an intended recipient, you are hereby notified that you received this email in error, and that any review, dissemination, distribution or copying of this email and any attachment is strictly prohibited. If you have received this email in error, please contact the sender and delete the message and any attachment from your system. Thank you for your cooperation

OOPS! Seriously, the scope is quite something and if any of you take the opportunity to view through it, you will not forget the experience. Of that, I'm sure. Mat -----Original Message----- From: utah-astronomy-bounces@mailman.xmission.com [mailto:utah-astronomy-bounces@mailman.xmission.com] On Behalf Of Chuck Hards Sent: Monday, October 21, 2013 10:46 AM To: Utah Astronomy Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] 2-Meter Mike Yeah, Mike pointed out your drool on the mirror! ;-) On Mon, Oct 21, 2013 at 8:41 AM, Hutchings, Mat <mat.hutchings@siemens.com>wrote:

When I observed through it a couple of weeks ago, M17 was looking really great. We just saw the core of M31 also; this is not a scope for extended objects. It will have no problem showing galaxies not plotted on most atlases. Those of us galaxy hounds drool at the thought of observing with the scope under dark skies.

_______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Send messages to the list to Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com The Utah-Astronomy mailing list is not affiliated with any astronomy club. To unsubscribe go to: http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Then enter your email address in the space provided and click on "Unsubscribe or edit options". This message and any attachments are solely for the use of intended recipients. The information contained herein may include trade secrets, protected health or personal information, privileged or otherwise confidential information. Unauthorized review, forwarding, printing, copying, distributing, or using such information is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful. If you are not an intended recipient, you are hereby notified that you received this email in error, and that any review, dissemination, distribution or copying of this email and any attachment is strictly prohibited. If you have received this email in error, please contact the sender and delete the message and any attachment from your system. Thank you for your cooperation

For my RFT refractor I rather enjoy the 10-15x per inch range.

Good analysis Chuck. I have always used 3.5x per inch as my rule of thumb

for an RFT. As you point out, at any power lower than that you are wasting light.

On Mon, Oct 21, 2013 at 6:32 AM, Chuck Hards <chuck.hards@gmail.com> wrote:

...

Just for fun I figured some magnifications with common focal-length eyepieces with the 70" scope. I rounded the decimals. The actual telescope specifications may be off a tad, but this is what Mike told me converstionally.

70" = 1,778 mm 427" = 35.58 ft. = 10,846 mm f/6.1

Magnification 55mm 197X 50mm 216X 40mm 271X 32mm 339X 25mm 434X 20mm 542X 16mm 678X 12mm 874X 9mm 1205X 7mm 1549X

This is not a low-power telescope! Even at it's lowest powers, the exit pupil is huge and aperture is wasted, Mike is aware of that and is OK with the compromises required for "low power" use. The secondary shadow is easily visible in the center of the field, a problem all telescopes with a central obstruction have when the magnification is pushed too low. I used to see it on my 8" f/7 Newt when using my 55mm Plossl. The scope produces an exit pupil just over 9mm @ 197X. 8.2mm 2 216X. Not until the magnification is at 271X do we get an exit pupil of 6.5mm and use the full aperture. Some of you who's pupils open a full 7mm can push the power a tad lower and still use the full aperture.

I am not putting the scope down, rather attempting to figure out which targets will be best for it. We could only see the very core of M31 on Saturday night. It takes several fields to take in all of M42. Globular clusters are incredible. Close double stars typically thought of as a challenge in smaller scopes are piddlingly easy.

It is also easy to see that seeing will limit the scope on most nights. But seeing permitting, it will yield outstanding high-powered views. It should be a planet killer, as well as showing structure in those "tiny blue dot" class of planetary nebulae.

The 32" at SPOC also has a very long focal length and has a similar situation when trying to push the magnification too low. Large apertures mean long focal lengths at reasonable f-ratios, with the attendant high magnifications, there's just no way around it in a strictly visual telescope.

I'm hoping Mike will have the time to fire it up next weekend. As of today, the weather prospects look good, with no moon in the picture for most of the night. Keep your fingers crossed.

Right now the focuser doesn't work but I'm giving Mike a new one, whether he has time to install it by then remains a question, but it still works by sliding the eyepiece and re-tightening the setscrew. I'd like to try some LPR filters, as well, and maybe some video of Jupiter if we stay at it long enough for it to rise out of the soup. _______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy

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-- Siegfried _______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy

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It's simply a folded Newtonian. The secondary (flat) is 29" in diameter. That secondary is tilted so that the light cone is diverted just to the side of the telescope where a "normal" sized star diagonal then sends the light cone out at a usual angle for viewing. Mat -----Original Message----- From: utah-astronomy-bounces@mailman.xmission.com [mailto:utah-astronomy-bounces@mailman.xmission.com] On Behalf Of Dion Davidson Sent: Monday, October 21, 2013 2:40 PM To: Utah Astronomy Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] 2-Meter Mike Maybe a dumb question - but what is the optical design of the scope? I have never seen a reflector with the eyepiece back down near the mirror, pointed toward the sky. ref images: http://www.ksl.com/?sid=27301024&nid=460#1 Dion On Friday, October 18, 2013 5:21 PM, Rodger C. Fry <rcfry@comcast.net> wrote: 2-meter mike and his telescope will be featured on Channel 5 10:00 PM news tonight. You might want to catch this. Thanks Rodger C. Fry _______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Send messages to the list to Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com The Utah-Astronomy mailing list is not affiliated with any astronomy club. To unsubscribe go to: http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Then enter your email address in the space provided and click on "Unsubscribe or edit options". _______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Send messages to the list to Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com The Utah-Astronomy mailing list is not affiliated with any astronomy club. To unsubscribe go to: http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Then enter your email address in the space provided and click on "Unsubscribe or edit options". This message and any attachments are solely for the use of intended recipients. The information contained herein may include trade secrets, protected health or personal information, privileged or otherwise confidential information. Unauthorized review, forwarding, printing, copying, distributing, or using such information is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful. If you are not an intended recipient, you are hereby notified that you received this email in error, and that any review, dissemination, distribution or copying of this email and any attachment is strictly prohibited. If you have received this email in error, please contact the sender and delete the message and any attachment from your system. Thank you for your cooperation