Homemade telescopes are not for just the experienced astronomer and even those with little technical skills can find the right type of telescope to make with just a little effort and money. While it is easy to purchase a telescope, making a homemade telescope allows for personal pride in your creation and the ability to make the telescope to your liking. A homemade telescope is a personal choice for the amateur astronomer and perhaps a better choice for the intermediate and advanced astronomer who understands the skill necessary to build a usable telescope. Homemade telescopes are not new and throughout the centuries have been developed by those interested in seeing the stars, planets and moons that surround our tiny planet. John Dobson and his dobsonian telescope is a great example of a homemade model of telescope that caught on and allowed a greater number of individuals get into astronomy.
There are many sites online that allow the individual make a homemade telescope with a little effort and a little money for parts. Understanding how the objects are put together and the effort that you put into it allow you to understand your machinery a little better than if you just purchase it off the shelf.
Should You Make a Homemade Telescope?
Dobsonian telescopes are probably the easiest to make and the process is well documented on the internet and the products that you need are available for moderate prices. The equipment necessary includes mirrors, tubes, and lenses as well as a mounting system that allows you to move the telescope or mount the telescope. Homemade telescopes are challenging, yet you may find the experience great incentive to maintain your interest in astronomy and who knows what you can gain from the experience. Knowing whether you should make your own telescope is a big choice, since the time, energy and money necessary is a little challenging and could be overwhelming.
Understanding the choice in making a homemade telescope could put an individual off from astronomy, so if you choose to make a homemade telescope you may be biting off more than you can chew if you are not realistically prepared to put that time into making it worth your while. Yet if choosing to make the telescope is a dream that you have put off then perhaps a homemade telescope can put you back in touch with your dreams and also the celestial bodies that surround this tiny little planet.
