Misc accesories
Observing hood
This is my black hood which I use to block out all light except that
coming through the eyepiece. It's a simple loop of fabric (which my
mum made many years ago to be the shroud for the first version of the
8-inch scope), with a drawstring cord and toggle at one end. The
fabric is now covered with ripstop nylon (thanks to my wife). I like
to place the drawstring end around the focuser board of the scope and
draw the string around the board to block out all ambient light. This
is probably my single most useful accessory.
Light screen
Using shields to block out nuisance lights from neighbours seems to be
a popular trend recently. The homemade and
commercial shields I've seen all
seem to use black plastic sheeting wrapped around a framework made from
PVC plumbing tubing. I spent a while looking around for suitable
plastic sheeting (pond liner etc. was very expensive) before I found
contractors' garbage bags at Home Depot. These go under the brand name
Husky and cost ~CDN$15 per pack. They're much more heavy duty than
regular garbage bags (which let light through). It was obviously a good omen when I
found them in the shop, as one box was open with the bags hanging out,
and they were just across from the lighting aisle. I was able to hold
the bag up to a range of bright lights to check it was suitably opqaue.
I didn't see the point of going to the trouble and expense of using PVC tubing, so I bought a pack of 6ft bamboo garden canes. I slit a bag open and stuck it to a garden cane at each side using electrical insulation tape. I don't know if the tape will come loose after long exposure to dew. If so, it could be replaced with staples, or maybe pop-rivets. It takes about 5 mins to make a panel and costs next to nothing.
This arrangement should work fine with soft ground. To use on concrete
(or a frost-covered lawn), some sort of foot is required. I bought a
couple of 5lb lead barbell weights and 1" diameter aluminium tubing. I
cut the tube to 18" lengths and stuck one end through the centre of the
barbell with J B Weld. Even though
this was a very loose fit, the J B Weld holds the weight solidly, and I
can pick it up by the tubing without worry. I haven't tried using
these feet in even moderate winds, where a wider base may be required.