Cassegrain secondaries (testing)

Robert Katz (bert@atlas.co.uk)
Mon, 3 Jul 95 22:31:23 BST

Any views on testing Cassegrain secondaries ? Couder's interferometric test as described by Texereau is easy to get to the stage where both mirror and reference differ by only a wave or so, but after that any attempt to figure either seems to mean losing overall contact or irreducible zones, however slowly you polish. Has anyone tried the Gaviola test ? And what views on testing through the back of the mirror. I think ATM II mentions this as a plausible method, but it seems fatally flawed to me...? Grateful for any advice. I should mention that I have been making a very small (1.25") sec; R = 14.4".