FTP Fifty Inch Digital Pinhole Telescope

THE FIFTY-INCH DIGITAL PINHOLE TELESCOPE FPT
A GIANT PINHOLE TELESCOPE!

The Newest FPT Massive Pinhole Telescope is one of the largest high quality performance units in the Big Brains "pinhole" telescope arsenal!

Water drops, craters, mylar, resin, mirrors, plate glass, balloons, plastic, lenses, liquids, granite, balls, ceramic, metals, obsidian, pyrex, and adjuncts represent various telescope materials utilized by Humanoido Lab's robust telescope initiative. But nothing can compare to the fascinating lenseless mirrorless unobstructed pinhole design.

SETTING HIGHER SIGHTS
Progress continues with the construction of various pinhole telescopes. The 50-inch FPT is one of the largest and unequivocal unique performing telescopes in the project's array. It's a vastly improved version that can visually or photographically image celestially brighter objects in not only higher resolution but greater image scale. Here are some of the improvements.

FIFTY INCH PINHOLE TELESCOPE FPT SPECS
Image Size: Telescope size is directly related to its image scale
Resolution: Res is improved by a high definition forming surface
Contrast: Structurally closed enclosure increases contrast
Structural: Built with extra heavy duty free water boxes
Imaging: Digital camera imaging is introduced
Distortion: No lens keeps center line images sharp

FPT TARGETS
Sun
Solar Eclipse
Planet Transit Across the Sun
Solar Radiation Measurements
Atmospheric Pollution Studies
Full Moon
Lunar Eclipse
Brightest Planets at Opposition
Brightest Star
Terrestrial Surveys

THE FORMING SURFACE
The white 24 pound bond patterned grainy weave printer paper forming surface from previous pinhole telescopes is now replaced with a high resolution glossy professional coated printer stock. This increases the photographic capture resolution of objects and maintains a more accurate color base. It also reduces or eliminates imaging texture thereby increasing clarity and reducing artifacts.

4 boxes for a telescope

WATER BOX CONSTRUCTION
The key to more massive PTs is to reduce structural flexure. This is accomplished with extra sturdy drinking water boxes. These boxes hold a large bag (several gallon capacity) containing water with a polymer valve on the outside which is removed when the bag is empty. Water weighs close to 10 pounds per gallon in a containment so a box holding 5 gallons must support at least 50 pounds. This is ideal for supporting its own weight and the weight of several more attached boxes. Boxes are a standard 12-inches in size. Boxes are connected together with duct tape. Facing planes are cut out with retention rims about two inches thick to maintain greater support and minimize flexure. Flexing increases with the number of boxes and depends directly of the method of mounting and support.

GOING DIGITALLY OFF AXIS
One technique for increased performed is achieved digitally, by imaging the image forming surface with an off-axis digital camera and later processing the image to increase image scale, contrast, orientation, and other effects. Images can also be processed for clarity, summation and resolution by using special astro imaging software.

BOX QUANTITY VS TELESCOPE SIZE*
1 Box - 012 Inches Long = 1 foot (Actual Size 12.5")
2 - 024 inches or  2 feet (25.0)
3 - 036 inches or  3 feet (37.5)
4 - 048 inches or  4 feet (50.0) /
5 - 060 inches or  5 feet (62.5)
6 - 072 inches or  6 feet (75.0)
7 - 084 inches or  7 feet (87.5)
8 - 096 inches or  8 feet (100.0)
9 - 108 inches or  9 feet (112.5)

* Actual size in parenthesis
/ See photo 

ACTUAL SIZES
The actual size of the box on the long side is 12.5 inches so four boxes can make a 50-inch telescope. Enough material now exists to make a future 9 x 12.5 = 112.5-inch telescope.

to be continued...

Little Eye Contraption

LITTLE EYE CONTRAPTION

This amazing Little Eye Contraption is a monocular pinhole telescope that uses only one glass lens. Economically it can give the Big Brain a Seeing Eye which it can control. Explore the pinhole lens telescope and see what new things are discoverable..

Overview

In continuing experiments with a variety of eyes and telescopes, the Big Brain has created yet another scope of unusual nature, this time it uses a refracting element as the primary and a tiny pinhole eyepiece created from a sheet of aluminum bakers foil punched with a needle.

Pinhole Size

Make various size pinholes and try to get the most circular possible. This telescope works well on bright objects like the Moon but do not use it on the Sun. If the pin hole ocular is too small, diffractions effects will begin to take place and the image will degrade and become too dim. If the pinhole is too large, a degrading and blurring will take effect. Try experimenting for the optimum conditions.

Finding Primaries

The primary lens is a simple magnifier lens obtained from a dollar store. Experiment with various size diameters and focal lengths.

Increasing Image Quality

Stop down the lens with a circular aperture mask and the image quality may improve substantially.

Make a Zoom Lens

The telescope can be converted into a Zoom by varying the distance between the pinhole and the objective lens. In this example the Brain has used a large magnifying glass as the primary objective to create a refractor telescope.

Enable Inverted Images or Not

You can make the telescope perform with images either upside down or right side up by varying the distance between the ocular and the convex lens.

Electro Imaging

Try using your camera in macro mode or electrical sensor to do some astro imaging or eye work. Use the technique of pinhole projection. If we get results on the Moon if it ever stops raining, we'll report back here with the images. Use a method of photography for terrestrial results.

Future Exploration

Try replacing the pinhole ocular with a piece of wax paper. It will form images of bright objects that can be observed visually or photographed.