Oklahoma Cub Build

[Starseeker]

WARNING! I have a lot of free time at work so expect some pretty long posts.

Ok with that over with here is a little history. I have been an amateur astronomer since as long as I can remember. I am a member of the local astronomy club and we are lucky enough to have an observatory that offers year round pristine dark skies. Then several times a year I travel to other states to do some star gazing. My other 3 passions are ham radio, camping and woodworking. Here while back my and the wife went out to the observatory. We took the tent and astronomy equipment. What we hated was it took 2 hours to set everything up. Now the tent was just an 8 person tent but the telescope and astronomy stuff had to be set up first so the the optics could stabilize in temperature. Then in the middle of the night the Oklahoma wind started sweeping down the plains. So this ended any time with the telescope so we jumped in the tent and had to fight the tent all night because the wind was making it collapse On top of that we were freezing our tails off. I don't know if any of you have ever found yourself in the middle of a field in the middle of no where and the wind picks up. It is very easy to freeze out there. So at this point we started looking at alternatives. At first we looked at camping trailers. After seeing how much they cost, we decided to look elsewhere. Besides most of the star parties that we go to have strict limits on how high a trailer or RV can be. This is a lot of times around 8 feet. This is because no one wants to travel a couple of hundred miles only to have their views blocked by a bunch of mega sized RV's. A cargo trailer was another option but the boss eventually ruled it out and besides I just don't care for the box on wheels look of them.
So we decided on a teardrop. The reasoning is because they are short so we would not have any issues with the height. Also you don't need much time to set them up. There are a bunch of other reasons and you guys probably know them better than I do. Eventually we decided on the Cub profile on a NT 5 X 8 trailer.
Now I have not got the trailer yet and that is still some time away but I have sever issues that I need to work out before I really start construction.
We don't want a fully equipped galley. Just cabinets which will give me room to work with. Now here are the requirements of the TD:
1) must be insulated: I will star gaze in any temp between -10 and +110 so the TD will be used year round. Besides this is Oklahoma and here you can have all four seasons in the same week.
2) must have heat and air
3) if possible must accommodate telescope for travel.
4) must have ham radio installed.

With that being said, the largest design problem will be the telescope.

This is a pic of the telescope in a cradle that I made to keep it from rolling around in the bed of my truck


This is me and my kids in front of the scope during the Venus transit at the Oklahoma Science Musuem

Now I am very much into promoting astronomy. I often go to schools, libraries, museums, sidewalks, parking lots, parks and just about any place else. So I figured why not design the TD with an astronomy theme and promote teardrops at the same time? That would be cool.
Now my telescope is worn out and needs to be rebuilt. So the plan is to build it along with the TD so that they match each other. Then when I go to some of the TD gatherings I can show you guys some of the night sky.
For a more custom look I am going to incorporate some scroll work into the design of the telescope and the TD. I'm thinking of honoring some of the great astronomers and great telescope that has done so much to pave the way for our knowledge of the Universe.

Here is what I am talking about with scroll work

Eagle


Queen Victorian Clock


Another Eagle

So there is the plan. I welcome any questions or comments. I know that this post may be a bit premature for the build but I want to also discuss designs for the scroll work and sometimes doing the scrolling can take a lot of time.

[Patrickteardrop]

Sounds cool. You and I are neighbors! Not literally, but just a few miles or less.

[KCStudly]

Welcome, and cool scroll work. Are those examples of your work, or just examples? Pretty cool either way.

How long do you expect the tube to be on your new scope? I was thinking if it was shorter than the TD is wide you could just do a side access door, or more likely just pass it thru the main entry side doors, using some flip up tie down anchors mounted in the floor. If it is longer you may want to plan to leave out a section of galley bulkhead under the counter so that it can pass thru and be removed from the hatch area. You'll have to decide if you want to move the mattress every time, maybe even have a track or dolly to assist sliding it in and out, or just drag it across the bedding (with the hard mounts for secure strapping in one of the interior side walls.

Another option would be to make/have made a weather proof custom travel bag and mount it externally over your tongue box, or on a roof rack. Even consider a hard case. One of the best features of TD's is the ability to pull in and get in. If you have to unload a lot of stuff from the mattress that can be a deterrent. In cabin storage/transport means that it is either you or the scope that gets to be inside. Does it normally sit out all night while you sleep, or do you want to be able to break it down and pack it up before you turn in?

Maybe a basement? But that would make the cabin sit pretty high, I suppose.

Another thing to consider is transporting the base. I know these can be quite bulky with heavy counter weights depending on the type of optics. So that will have to factor into your load balance (better to locate transient or optional heavy loads over the axle so that they do not effect tongue weight as much when not present).

What is your tow vehicle and will any part/equipment be carried in that? Space for lens cases, any tracking attachments and/or computer linked drives, folding table and step stool storage, etc.?

My buddy Dale built a 10 or 12 inch Newtonian in my old shop (can't remember the mirror size at the moment). It was (still is) a nice woody built out of slats of thin birch ply edge mitered into an octagon like barrel staves, then glassed from the inside with rolled and polished aluminum rings capping the ends. We got to see the black dots appear on Jupiter when Shoemaker-Levy 9 crashed into it. Good stuff!

[RandyG]

Man, Kc stole my idea again... As I was reading, the first thought was a side door with a long drawer between galley and cab. Another question is, will the kids be sleeping in there with yall or setup a tent for them?
Interested in seeing some scroll work incorporated into the tear. Should be awesome

[Starseeker]

Yes the scroll work is my work however the designs were not mine.
My current telescope design will not fit in a TD. Also all together the telescope weighs in a 180 lbs which is way to heavy for me to move around much because I just had surgery on my back and my heart. That was no fun at all.
When I rebuild it I plan on using a ZipDob design or some other design that will allow the telescope to break down to something of a manageable size.

Here is a 13 inch scope close to the size of mine folded up using the ZipDob design


Here is the same telescope set up and ready to use.

With a design like this it would be far easier to modify the galley to put it in or to put it in a tongue box. It will also be much lighter.
The TD will be lost behind the main tow vehicle. It is a 1993 Chevrolet C 1500 Extended Cab Long Bed with a camper shell. Surprisingly for such a big old truck I get an average of 24 mpg from a 350 small block. It is rated to pull 6,500 lbs and in an emergency I had to pull 10K with it and had no trouble.
The other tow vehicles are a 1999 Plymouth T&C and a 2013 Dodge Caravan
With astronomy I have found that I enjoy it more when I simplify everything. The telescope is not controlled by any thing but my hand. I have one pocket star atlas and about 5 eyepieces and 3 filters and that is it. At home I use a camera mount and take pics of the Sun and Moon, but other than that I just do simple astronomy. I have lost faith in trying to get the latest and greatest gizmos thinking that it will make me better at the scope. All that stuff will just break and cost more money. My scope came with a computer to find everything and I used it once and felt like I was cheating, it just did not have the same joy of finding a really obscure faint object on my own.

[KCStudly]

I have lost faith in trying to get the latest and greatest gizmos thinking that it will make me better at the scope. All that stuff will just break and cost more money. My scope came with a computer to find everything and I used it once and felt like I was cheating, it just did not have the same joy of finding a really obscure faint object on my own.

I get that. Sort of like Ockham's Razor: Simpler is usually the best solution.

[Starseeker]

My wife has fallen in love with the Benroy profile and I like it also. I can't decide

[KCStudly]

I modified the basic Benroy profile to be more to my liking. Added a little arch in the roof, and a little bustle in the back; played with the radii and center points for what seemed like forever to get it right. To me TPCE looks like a cross between a Benroy and a TD sized canned ham. I like the extra interior volume that it gives and there is more usable space in the galley without having to reach or lean (at least that's how it looks "on paper").

You will know when it is right and you settle on a profile. Don't give up until you are happy. It is the single biggest thing that sets the tone for your build. After that it is wheels, tires and fenders, IMO. Then color scheme. Then cabinet style. Then, then, then...

p.s. If the wife is going to pitch in and honestly help with the build, then IMO she deserves 1/2 of the vote. If you are going to be doing the brunt of the work and she will be taking a wait and see approach, then IMO you get more of a vote. A task is always easier for the person that doesn't have to do it!

[Starseeker]

It would be cool to see a benroy with a two tone wooden exterior. Something unique like Oak and Purple Heart.
Just thinking