DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE TELESCOPES:
 
LOCATION AND HISTORY:

My backyard observatory is located in the southwestern outskirts of Munich, the capital of Bavaria.

Although the deep sky observing conditions are poor at night - mainly due to light pollution - successful observations can be made on the moon, the planets and on the sun, especially, if warm fall-winds from the Alps bring very clear air to the city. Then also deep sky conditions are fair.

While studying aerospace engineering at the Technical University of Munich I had to to do practical work at different workshops. There I got acquainted with turning lathes, milling machines, sheet metal forming, metal casting and welding.

Soon after I received the diploma in aerospace engineering, the telescope was nearly finished and got its first light in spring of 1993.

The mounting was equipped with stepper motors and an electronic box in 1996 and I added the 3.5inch guide telescope in 1998.

At last I built the prominence viewer  , which can be mounted to the 3.5inch guide telescope.

 
TECHNICAL DATA:
Main Telescope: 13,1inch Newtonian, f=1500mm, primary mirror by Coulter
  secondary mirror by MEADE
   
Guide Telescope: 3.5inch Refractor, f=1300mm, optics by D. Lichtenknecker    
Mounting: German-equatorial type with 70mm diameter polar axis and 65/74mm diameter
  declination axis, ball bearings, worm drives on both axis with ratio 288:1, stepper motors, home-built
   

TELESCOPE IMAGE GALLERY:

 
Overall view (1)   Overall view (2)
Normal:  720x575 pxl, [162 KB]   Normal:  720x575 pxl, [110 KB]
HiRes:  1712x1368 pxl, [2972 KB]   HiRes:  1712x1368 pxl, [2253 KB]
 
Overall view (3)   Overall view (4)
Normal:  540x720 pxl, [187 KB]   Normal:  540x720 pxl, [124 KB]
HiRes:  1020x1360 pxl, [609 KB]   HiRes:  1020x1360 pxl, [419 KB]
Mounting   Mounting-West Sectional View (Technical Drawing)
Normal:  720x575 pxl, [131 KB]   Normal:  718x1073 pxl, [27 KB]
HiRes:  1712x1368 pxl, [2017 KB]   HiRes:  1400x2100 pxl, [505 KB]
RA Gear Drive   Drive Unit Declination     (Technical Drawing)
Normal:  575x719 pxl, [62 KB]   Normal:  756x451 pxl, [11 KB]
    HiRes:  2100x1200 pxl, [253 KB]
Electronic box   Mirror cell with 18-point flotation system
Normal:  575x719 pxl, [100 KB]   Normal:  720x575 pxl, [88 KB]
     
Prominence Viewer attached to the 3.5inch Guide Telescope   Camcorder attached to the Prominence Viewer
Normal:  575x719 pxl, [122 KB]   Normal:  720x575 pxl, [72 KB]
HiRes:  1368x1712 pxl, [2374 KB]    


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