back to basics after 37 years

[tinkerer]

Hi all

I built a 8" newtonian back in High school. Designed it with a friend and machined all the parts in shop. The designing of it wound up getting me interested in engineering. Wound up with a degree from Michigan Tech.

I have spent most of my professional career designing fluid handling equipment, pumps, valves, spray equipment and the like.

I started my own company about 10 years ago with two friends. We are still friends and going strong, so it must be working out!

As I approach retirement ( in ten years ) I developed an urge to get back to what got me into engineering. Things have changes so much in the intervening time. It is incredible in terms of resources available to help ATM's today.

I look back on that first scope and it startles me how little I knew at the time, but the darn thing worked well enough to see the rings of Saturn, the moons of Jupiter, the red spot and galaxies. I showed them all to my future wife. Must have impressed her, she still likes looking at the skies.

We have a home in Arizona, so last winter I took the tour at the Steward Mirror Lab in Tucson. Talk about a way to get aperture fever.

Anyway I am slowly starting to get back into the field.

I enjoy seeing the posts and the interesting ways people have tackled the challenges of astronomy.

Al Powers

[Canon Pete]

Hi and welcome to our forums Tinkerer, you planted a seed all those years ago, its a great time to get back into the hobby.

Clear kies

Pete

[andyp180]

hi tinkerer and welcom.
and welcome back to the bug!!
just goes to show,when you got it,it never leaves.
looking forward to your input.
this is a great place to pick things up again.
clear skies,
andy

[dmbryan]

Welcome to the forum. Make yourself at home.

[Dublin sky watch]

Hello and greetings to you Al.
Welcome to the forum sir.
Very nice introduction...

[sxinias]

Welcome to the astronomy forum. The stars have waited all these years for you to return. Here's a good book for starters: " The Dobsonian Telescope, A practical Manual for Building Large Aperture Telescopes" by David Kriege and Richard Berry.
The Dobsonian Telescope, A Practical Manual for Building Larg Aperture Telescopes

[Tombstone17]

Welcome to the forums...

[roverich]

Hi Al Welcome to the forums ..Thanks for joining us and jumping in ..You building another reflector i take it ? You going with a truss design ? Aperture fever could be a bad thing ...

[tinkerer]

I am sure a refractor would not meet my needs/desires. So I am in the process of designing a 16 inch reflector. I am currently leaning towards a gregorian but that is far from certain.

There are dozens of details and technologies I will have to understand before the design is complete and I start cutting metal. However I do think I will grind a smaller mirror as a learning process.

While it's far from final the pic attached shows the begining of the design.

[t0nedude]

37 years!!?! and I thought a 10 year absence was a long time ....welcome back to Astronomy Al and to these forums.

Tony.