This weekend I finished my first "real" telescope: a 3 inch f/10 reflector. I used a 4 inch PVC pipe for the tube. It isn't much of a scope, I admit, but I consider it "training" for the future. Previously I had made two 50mm finders out of PVC. Everything has turned out nicely (the finders are quite usable) and I'm beginning to think of something even more usable: probably a 6 inch f/8 reflector.

I had been intending to use sonotube for this next project mostly because that seems to be what everyone else does. But I started thinking about how comfortable I've gotten working with PVC. And that makes me wonder: Why do I never hear of anyone building "larger" telescopes out of it? Is it considered too heavy? too expensive? not stiff enough? Are lots of people using it and I just didn't know? It seems to work so well for the small scopes I've made. Is there some maximum size above which PVC is considered impractical?

Any help would be appreciated!

• here's somebody... - slamhound - October 22, 2002 - 00:37 UTC
  • outgassing - stevec - November 2, 2002 - 13:22 UTC
• PVC tubes - bobmay - October 23, 2002 - 02:57 UTC
  • Hastings Aluminum Tubes - dburton - October 23, 2002 - 13:52 UTC
    • Tubes - bobmay - October 23, 2002 - 18:31 UTC
      • tubes - mgallagher - November 10, 2002 - 13:16 UTC
• pvc tubes - stevec - November 2, 2002 - 13:15 UTC
  • pvc tubes - dburton - November 4, 2002 - 17:06 UTC