Amateur Telescope Making

In the fall of 1996, I built a 10-inch F/7 Dobson telescope in John Dobson's telescope making class, here where I live in San Francisco.

Here you can read about my experiences in John Dobson's class, as well as view pictures of the finished telescope.

• "You Silly Goose!" Building a Telescope with John Dobson
  An article I wrote for the 2000 San Francisco Amateur Astronomers literary contest. It tied for second place. (Now a link to the SF Sidewalk Astronomers website).
• Notes from John Dobson's Telescope Making Class
  If you would like to grind a mirror, or build a telescope the Dobson way, these notes should be very useful. (Now a link to the SF Sidewalk Astronomers website).
• Email Correspondence
  Here are some (lightly edited) email messages I sent to people on the Internet around the time I built my telescope. They give you a better idea of how much work is involved, and perhaps might help you if you are faced with a "build versus buy" decision.
• Telescope Photo Gallery
  See photos of a Dobson telescope built to the classic "Sidewalk" design, plus my enhancements and upgrades.
• Build a Solar Filter for Your Telescope
  Here's an article I wrote for Above the Fog, the newsletter of the San Francisco Amateur Astronomers. It gives you step-by-step instructions for building a filter for daytime Sun viewing, as well as a Moon filter like the one shown in my Photo Gallery. (Now a link to the SF Sidewalk Astronomers website)
• See the San Francisco Sidewalk Astronomers Telescope Building page, including complete plans for building your own Dobsonian Telescope.

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