2024 Convention Telescope Competition

All of the Telescopes Entered in the Competition

Winners of the Mechanical Competition
(Optical Judging was Clouded Out)

Convention attendees can enter their home-made telescopes in the Optical and/or Mechanical competition. Awards are given for best Optical Performance [Small Newtonian 12½-inches or smaller; Large Newtonian over 12½-inches; Compound Optical System] and for several Mechanical Categories [mechanical design, workmanship, innovative component, junior (under 16), special (for items that are not complete telescopes)].

In all categories, entrants who have previously won a first place in a category or are professionals in the field must be entered in the Master Class category. Entrants may also voluntarily enter in this category if they wish.

First homemade telescope recognition: If you brought your first homemade telescope and displayed it on Breezy Hill, you got a certificate and your name was shown on the screen at the Saturday Night Program. These scopes are identified as  First Scope  in the listings.

The Head Mechanical Judge for 2024 was Chris Houghton. Dave Tabor, Tom Spirock, Jeff Lowe, Mario Motta, and Mike Costanza were mechanical judges.

The telescope competition registrars was Katie Shusdock. Scope photos by Ken Slater and Jay Drew unless otherwise noted.

Below you will see up to four pictures of each telescope entered in the competition (fewer if we have less than four available, in some cases we received no photos of some entered telescopes) and basic information about the telescope and maker, including any awards won. Listed in order of entry.

Note: After you expand a photo by clicking or tapping on it, you can use the arrow keys to move forward and back, and the spacebar starts a slide show.

Missing entry numbers were for optical only enteries.

MC = Master Class;
Newt = Newtonian Reflector; Dob = Dobsonian Mount;
GEM = German Equatorial Mount; Ball = Ball or Hemispherical Mount

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