Renovation of a 15” reflector for
Sir Patrick Moore OBE, Selsey UK
By Mark Parrish, Ian Sharp & Pete Lawrence
cont...
Our initial inspection revealed that some work was required fairly urgently.
Of chief concern were the mirror, which was in need of re-coating, and the RA drive; the clutch was not working and there were electrical problems with the slewing motor. The enthusiasm was in plentiful supply though!
Follow the links above to see the progress.
Introduction
In February 2005 a group of three local amateur astronomers volunteered to restore Patrick Moore’s famous 15” reflector to its former glory. The first phase of the plan was to get the scope running in time for the “Sky at Night” star party in mid March. The second phase was for a full restoration and set up for imaging using modern digital equipment.
Pictured (centre) is the scope prior to renovation. It had not been used for some time and was in need of some careful maintenance and repair.
The scope awaiting restoration pictured Feb 5th 2005
