No tube currents. This scope will be used in -10 to -15 conditions at times and the ability to cool down quickly is the primary reason for the design. It minimizes how much I cool down!
The faces of any aluminum part visible to the mirrors are sandblasted and anodized black providing very low reflectance.
The mounting cage assembly can be moved forward and back to adjust balance as required.
The helical focuser shown has been canceled. I am building a Crayford instead.
All fasteners have been changed to countersunk stainless steel.
The graphite truss rods are hollow and the total weight of all the truss rods is about 270 grams.
The spider assembly shown here is not accurate. The final spider assembly will be a unique semi-curved design.
It looks like the finished weight including mirrors will be about 3.2 kilos (about seven pounds). This is a little heavier than I had planned but I always have a tendency to overbuild. The structure is proving to be as rigid as a solid tube.
This telescope is currently under construction. Most of the aluminum parts are made and the truss is finished. The telescope will not be completed until late next spring due to weather conditions here. All my anodising is done outside because of the sulphuric acid fumes the process generates and that means I must wait for warmer weather. In the meantime I will build a conventional german equatorial mount with clock drive to mount the scope.
MIRROR CELL
The scope to date: 03-02-24
Note that in the above picture that the scope is not on a mount but a unrelated mock-up to take the photo.
The scope to date: 03-04-22
BACK
If you have questions or comments please e-mail Evan Williams at viking@vts.bc.ca