Original+TRO+First+light

We continued work on the tube assembly after the mirror was aluminised. The mirror stayed within its box until Saturday the 25/04/98 until final assembly of the new mirror cell was almost complete. The mirror cell proved to be too heavy to lift on and off the tube so we decided to re-engineer the cell and back plate. Between completing the telescope we did some talks and displays about the telescope. The image below shows the telescope near completion on display at the early 1998 Croxteth Hall and Park meeting held by the LAS. Note the video showing the hogging out process.



The 2x2 angle was removed from the back plate leaving only the 4x4 sheet of 3/4 ply. The mirror cell was dumped and a new one made of 2 discs 33 inches in diameter of 3/4 chipboard separated by 25mmx33mm planed wood arranged in a cartwheel spoke effect. The outer edge was wrapped in a 3 inch wide strip of hardboard glued and pinned in place. The springs etc from the original cell where used. Two bath support handles where fixed to the back plate to aid in lifting. The cell was less than half the weight of the original and the c of g moved back by 2.5 inches. A shallower cell also meant the tube poles where 2.5 inches shorter also. Three outer ultimate limits of curved 3/4 where used and firmly fixed to the cell. The top clips where aluminium 120 degrees apart. A 1/2 inch gap was left all round the outer edge of the mirror. The mirror was then supported on a sheet of bubble pack and foam carpet. The edge support was made of 1 inch wide hold down harness from Halfords. This supported 50% of the circumference of the mirror. The strap then wrapped around 2x12mm Diameter bolts either side of the mirror fixed through the cell. The ends then fixed to the outer clips. The tension of the belt was determined by tilting the cell to near vertical and letting the mirror naturally settle into its position and then the clip fixed into place. A longer-term solution will be to have an adjustable belt and stronger side clips.

We didn't finish work until 9:00 PM that Saturday Phil Harmond and Steve King who had been helping that after noon went on to get ready for the trip to Lynn-Breing (North Wales). We loaded the telescope into the van and the mirror cell was loaded into Dave Owens car boot. The day had been mostly clear with blue sky but some showers turned up later that afternoon. We left for Wales at 10:00pm and arrived in Denbigh at about 10:40pm for Chips. The weather had closed in and it did not look too promising. We arrived at Lynn-Brenig at 11:10pm and where it was clear it was very transparent, but the showers where too frequent to allow for the telescope to be set up. Steve King and Phil Harmond waited until about 1:00am and decided to call it a night. Geoff, Dave and Myself decided to give it until around 2:00 am. We waited until around 2:15am and then left for home. Between Denbigh and Mold it really cleared up and I Flashed Dave and Geoff to stop in a large lay-by. We had come this far so we decided to set up in the lay-by. Soon it was assembled and we pointed it skyward. Among the objects we saw where M53, M97,M27,M81, M82, M103, M57. Cloud was interfering but the results of the images where amazing!! M81 and M82 had lots much detail and where very bright, and this was through some cloud! M27 for me was the best with amazing detail in the outer shell and inner dumbbell. Colour within objects was also noticeable. We where very pleased with its performance given the conditions and cannot wait until we get a good clear night at Brienig. We all agreed that it will perform to what we intended, to give bright detailed low powered deepsky views of the best objects and to see them as never before and perhaps see distant faint galaxies not visible in smaller instruments. Star images seemed to have improved with the new cell arrangement.





Original TRO Introduction and concept Original TRO Purchasing the blank and hoging out Original TRO Testing the curve for accuracy Original TRO Making the tools for grinding by hand Original TRO Evening out the irregularities left by rough grinding Original TRO Polishing and testing Original TRO Making the mount and tube assembly Original TRO Making the secondary flat Original TRO Aluminising the primary mirror Original TRO First light