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            My Telescopes
     

  • 6 inch f/8 Dobson6 inch Dobsonian

    •  6 inch f/8 Dobson
     My first homebuilt telescope. The mirror is homemade. rockerbox and wedge are made of 20 mm plywood. The tube is made of 1 mm plywood rolled and glued with epoxide. This telescope is located at my parents' house, I often use it when I visit there.

    C11 Fork-mounted 11inch Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope. The mount is a little weak, but the telescope works well on my little balcony.
    10 inch f/4,8 detachable travel telescope with home-polished 10 inch mirror. D=254mm  f=1200mm, weight approx. 20 kg. Taken apart and packed into a suitcase with the dimensions 25*40*50 cm. As a telescope for travel it is a little too large and too heavy.  However, so far I have had no trouble to convince the airlines to transport it.




      18 Inch Trusstube Dobsonian
    18 f/5 inch Trusstube Dobsonian Telescope
    18 f/5 inch Trusstube Dobsonian Telescope The mirror was made by a Russian manufacturer of Sital. When I built the trusstube I paid attention to its weight, and I got a box as small and compact as possible. I made sure the single boxes fit together. In order to reduce its weight without losing stability, the lower unit with the mirror cell was constructed of an aluminium/wood composit. The telescope's total weight, inclusive mirror, is approximately 60 kg. Its heaviest component is the mirror box with the mirror with 38 kg.

    On 30.4.1999 was "first light". The handling of the telescope makes no problems, a short way over a meadow is easy due to the barrow mechanism. On both sides of the Rockerbox two beams are fastened, which are connected with one axle and two wheels in front. So one can raise the rear ends of the beams and shift the entire telescope, without having to work too hard. The whole telescope can be assembled and collimated in just 15 minutes.

    Since 1999, the telescope has been tested extensively. There are still some mechanical features that can be improved. Especially the surfaces of the bearings could be improved. I would like to use glassboard or a comparable kitchen surface. These are not common in Germany. The optics is now very good, after I covered the turned-down-edge. On the ITT (International Telescope Meeting) in Austria, I was able to extensively test this  telescope. I performed the Star test as well as Ronchi test. The optics convince with their contrast and good definition. Besides, it is fun to observe deep sky objects. They no longer appear as dull small spots, but are comparable to photographic pictures.
    I then was thrilled by the great view of Jupiter then. It is one of the best planetary scope I ever directed to Jupiter. (Short after the Clark-Refractor in Flagstaff, USA)
    My efforts in building this telescope proved to be worthwhile!

    Since 1999 I used the 18" extensive for observing Deep Sky. I tried to close the gaps in my "Messier Marathon" which goes over 3 jears now! Aditional I have purchased a Miauchi 20 x 100 for instant visiting the Stars.
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    10 inch f/4,8 detachable travel telescope with homemade 10-inch mirror D=254mm f=1200mm, weight approx. 20Kg. divided and packed it transforms into a suit-case with the dimensions 25*40*50 cm. As travel telescope is it already somewhat too big, nevertheless I had no problems until now to convince the Airlines to transport it. This time the telescope is in Bangkok where I left it last year.



     



    Current Projects
    Foucault Simulator
    Some time ago, through the internet, I acquired a Foucault simulator. The program was created in Linux, and was adapted to the PC by means of an emulator.  It did not work with my computer. So I decided to write it new for the PC. With Visual Basic (ms) it works quite comfortably. With the program, I can simulate Foucault graphs of parabolic reflectors with any mirror diameter a focal length.  The similarity with real pictures is
    astonishing. In my opinion, it is the only way to teach the theoretical base for the special features of the Foucault test to a complete beginner.
    However, so far, I can simulate ideal surfaces only (spherical surfaces and different degrees of parabolic mirrors).
     

    Please download: foucsim.zip  I would be happy to hear from you !

     

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  • "Spiegelfernrohre - selbst gebaut"  ( "Reflector Telescopes, made by yourself")

    •  For  5 years I have been writing a  little book about how to grind mirrors and how to build a Dobsonian telescope.  The reason for writing this book was the fact that no book about building a simple Dobsonian existed in the german language. Now I hold the first printed copy in my hands!  The title is "Spiegelfernrohre-selbst gebaut".  I particularly paid attention not to assume my reader to have any prior knowledge about how to build a telescope. I illustrated all steps with graphs and photographs.  In addition, I also described all usual methods for testing a mirror, accessible to the amateur and the construction of the necessary measuring instruments.   I also described the construction of the optical tube, and a simple Dobsonian mount. With the substantial characteristics of the necessary individual parts for the building of the tubus (secondary mirror and, spider, mirrorcell, focuser). Additionally I described how to make a Yolo.  This is a so-called "Schiefspiegler" which consists only of spherical, concave mirrors and therefore can also be built by an amateur.

    The book:  "Spiegelfernrohre-selbst gebaut" is now available:
    Verlag SuW, Spektrum Verlag
    ISBN   3-8274-1310-9

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    Personal information:

    My name is Martin Trittelvitz.  I am 53 years old and live in Berlin, Germany. After retiring from my profession as a physician  in 1990, I have been able to spend more time with my hobby. For the last 11 years I have been a hobby astronomer.  First I  observed with a small telescope like those you can buy in a shop.  But soon, I recognized that it was not sufficient. I looked for more powerful telescopes, but I found them much more expensive than I could afford. So I contacted the Wilhelm-Foerster-Observatory in Berlin. There a course is offered for grinding a telescope mirror. So I was infected with the  "mirror virus".

    In the meantime I bought and built plenty of telescopes (see above). Actually I have too little time for observing. On the one  hand this is based on my location of residence: Observation in the center of the city of Berlin is not very successful because of he light pollution, but leaving town for observation makes a little journey necessary each time. On the other hand this is  caused by my various other obligations (family and so on)

    Every year you can find me at the ITV, the  "International Telescopemeeting Vogelsberg".  Info from Intercon-Spacetec Intercon-Spacetec

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    My Family

    Contact
    E-mail to:martin@marty-atm.de

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    zuletzt bearbeitet 24.3.2003