Re: : ATM Building a refractor for the masses...

["Tom & Lou Krajci" <krajcit@3lefties.com>]

From: "Rick Towns" <rick@deepskies.com>

>I was wondering if anyone knows of any software or info (on the Internet)
on
>how to design and build refractor telescopes? I can find tons of info on
>building reflectors, but that's not what I need! ;-)

>...I want to fine tune the design (fiddle with the baffles,
>play with the focuser, etc) but instead of just trial and error, I'd love
to
>have some theory in my head.

http://www.atmpage.com/baffle.html  deals with baffling newtonians, but the
diagrams and concepts can be applied in an even simpler fashion for
refractors since you don't have a secondary mirror to deal with.  Just know
the width of your unvignetted focal plane, the objective diameter, tube
inner diameter, and distance from objective to focal plane and you can start
laying out the design.

An oversize/larger tube is easier to baffle...needs fewer baffles.

Tom Krajci