All too often, it's easier to just stay home in front of the TV and put off making time for important people in one's life. So by design, one of the goals of the project was to make an excuse to spend time with friends and family. As the telescope was far from being a solo effort, it is only appropriate to give credit where due. While I can't call out everyone who helped, here are a few of the people who made the biggest contributions.
Del was a huge influence on design of the scope. A lot of the cutting edge, experimental stuff in the final product was a direct result of Del's ideas and efforts. For example, it is he who pushed for the lightweight construction ideas and proved to me they would work when I was skeptical. He also did a good deal of the actual construction of the scope, particularly on the mirror cell and secondary cage. His metal working tools and skills were essential in the construction as well. The scope was largely built in his garage. I can't thank him enough.
My grandfather was also a huge help in the construction. His getting me access to the woodworking shop he uses let me know that work could start. And of course grandpa had a trick or two up his sleeve that proved useful when getting the job done.
Mike provided the MiataScope link that got the whole ball rolling. He was also a frequent sounding board for ideas both good and bad along the way. His recently completed 6" scope provided him with the kind of construction experience that was invaluable.
Dick is Del's metal working mentor. He provided the expert advice for the tricky bits. He also did the actual work on some of the more difficult metal working tasks.
Del's wife Linda deserves a special mention for the tremendous moral support. She was also a valuable sounding board for design ideas. Plus she helped provide essential opportunities to step away from the evening's problems with the telescope and clear our heads. It wouldn't have been as much fun without her.
Rael helped out with the design. While none of his ideas were actually used, his out of the box thinking led to some thought provoking ideas and added a delightful blast of creativity. Replacing the lid on the trunk of the car with a taller lid to get more room was just one wonderful example.
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Last updated 4/28/13