Mirror Making Class
Robo Foucault Tester
Inhouse Aluminizing
Image Gallery
Astronomy Library
Telescope Construction
Our Telescopes
  Founder

Paul McNabb founded the mirror lab in 1997 in order to create the best amateur telecopes possible. Inch for inch our mirrors surpass store bought or commercial grade scopes.

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Lab Members

Allen Maroney
has completed three mirrors in the lab between 8 and 18 inches. Allen is also buiding a second robo foucault tester based on James design.


Ralph Craig is a lab instructor and has made mirrors from 6 inches to his recently completed 16 inch f5 mirror.


Charlie Mullen ground the mirrors for two years worth of rafflescopes but now has moved on the clear skys of New Mexico.


James Lerch built our robo foucault tester and in house aluminizing chamber as well as a laser interferometry testing setup.


Ron Jones AKA the figurer is about the best mirror maker this side of the mississippi. You can see things in his 8 inch mirror that would impress a takahashi devotee.


Lab T-Shirts Available

Lab Graduates

Bruce and his
English Yoke


Irv Nadelhaft


Lenny Remetta


Keevy McAlavy


Paul Krisle


Matt Terry

Telescope Software
Newt
Ray tracing program for determining all required dimensions for a newtonian reflector. (New Website)

Plop
Program for designing mirror cells.

Observing Software
Celestia
3-D interactive simulation of the solar system and beyond.

JupSat95
Plots the jovian satellites.

Lunar Phase
Shows all the phases of the move and more.

Links
tampabayastronomy.com
SPAC news site

Stellafane
The birthplace of amateur astronomy.

Mel Bartels Website
Amateur Astronomer and innovator.

Stardate Website
Good overall observation site.

Southwest Florida
Astronomical Society

A nearby Astronomy club.

The Planet Table
Interactive table of planets and moons.

VENUS TRANSIT 2004
contributed by KMcAlavy on 2004-06-08
Allen Maroney held a digital camera up to a 26mm Plossl on a 3.1inch refractor
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OBS 2004 Images
contributed by KMcAlavy on 2004-02-24
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Large Aluminizing Chamber ONLINE
contributed by KMcAlavy on 2004-01-04
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Total Lunar Eclipse
contributed by KMcAlavy on 2003-11-08

Saturday November 8th, 2003
Total Lunar Eclipse

A movie of the event is available:
AVI (1.7MB) | Divx (1 MB)

We were at the Science Center most of the evening. The clouds made it difficult to see during totality but before and afterwards it was good viewing.

Lunar pictures by James Lerch

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Laser Interferometer goes online
contributed by KMcAlavy on 2003-10-04
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Radio Telescope ’sees’ first light.
contributed by KMcAlavy on 2003-10-04
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Mars Closest Approach in 60000 years
contributed by KMcAlavy on 2003-08-03
Mars Closest Approach in 60000 years

On the night of Tuesday August 26th Mars made its closest approach to the Earth in over 60000 years. Mars was only 34,646,418 miles from Earth at 5:51am EDT (early Wednesday morning).


On the night of closest approach. Picture imaged with a cheap $20 camera held up to the eyepiece.
2003 Date Location Time
August 16 Saturday Gulfport Casino 10pm -1am
August 22 Friday Science Center 9:30pm -1am
August 26 Tuesday Science Center 9:30pm -1am
August 29 Friday Gulfport Casino 9pm -1am
August 30 Saturday Science Center 9pm -1am
September 5 Friday Gulfport Casino 9pm -1am
September 6 Saturday Science Center 9pm -1am
September 20 Saturday Gulfport ArtWalk 8:30pm -12am
September 26 Friday Science Center 8:00pm -10pm

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New Image Database Available
contributed by KMcAlavy on 2003-06-15
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Total Lunar Eclipse
contributed by KMcAlavy on 2003-02-22
Several Members of the lab were interviewed by local tv channels 10 and 13 during the total lunar eclipse.
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Our Aluminizing Chamber is Demonstrated to the Public
contributed by KMcAlavy on 2002-10-25
James Lerch does a demostration of the new aluminizing chamber during a meeting of the Saint Petersburg Astronomy Club. The meeting was held at the Science Center of Pinellas County. A short video of the event is available.
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