I’m Steve Chambers, married with two children. We live on the outskirts of Norwich in East England. I recently retired and spend my time exploring hobbies including astronomy, electronics, cars, and technology.
Back in the late 1990s, I discovered the online amateur telescope-making community. I started by building a 10″ Dobsonian telescope, then a driven mount, and used it with a 35mm film camera. Astronomy is a hobby where there is always something new to learn.
After exploring deep-sky imaging and automated sky surveys, I now focus on solar and planetary imaging, which suits my home location better.
I enjoy working on cars, electronics projects, keeping up to date with technology, and learning about local history.
Absolutely. Astronomy led to the foundation of Atik Cameras Ltd. During the COVID lockdowns, I built a cloud chamber particle detector. More recently, I’ve been tinkering with a Jaguar F-Type.
I’m a member of the Norwich Astronomical Society, where I am able to introduce visitors to astronomy and show them their first views of the Moon and planets through a large telescope. I also feel old-fashioned websites are a great place to find and leave ideas that others can discover; sparking further interest and development.
There is so much to learn, it can get overwhelming. My tip is simple: start small and enjoy the learning.