5.5-inch center hill

Bob Madden (madden@netcom.com)
Mon, 3 Jul 1995 15:44:18 -0700 (PDT)

Yhoooeeee! Yahooooo! I did it. I'm glad I followed Bratislav's suggestion (out cry) and didn't try the pencil test. Ok, here is what I did. Using a pitch lap that has been cold pressing about a week with nylon mesh micro-faceting in between and about 10 pounds press, I hand polished with a wide "W", equally long strokes for 10 minutes (using only the force down of my hands). Only a reminant of the high center remained. A little more polishing and it is nice and spherical; it is back where I was two months ago.

Now my friend is suggesting that I put a little figure in to it, but I have a sense to be heavy handed and will probably over do it again. This project started out to be a solar telescope - f/10 (it is actually 9.795). My question is why do I have to do any more figuring on it? How much more do I gain? Contrast probably isn't important as planetary work. I'm tired of working on it and want to built the rest. I guess if I unhappy with it's performance I can always go back and finish the figuring.

Friendly Bob it is hell being wrong

):-{])) <---- madden@netcom.com madden@svpal.org Remember amateur astronomers: "keep looking for the next Universe"