RE: ATM Re: 8 to Great (& India mirrors)

[Rob Teeter <webuser@thecore.com>]

>Rob, Kent, & all:
>I sent mail to Galileo and heard back from Nilesh almost immediately.  I was
>interested in a 12.5" mirror also, but since that was a non-standard size
>for them (12" is standard), he said it would take longer and encouraged me
>to consider a 12" mirror.  Seems like good business practice to me :)

Guys,
        When I initially inquired to Galileo Telescopes and Nilesh, I was
looking for a 12" f/6, but he had encouraged me to go for the 12.5" mirror
instead since the extra 1/2" would do nothing but help.  Seems like we have
conflicting stories, Paul.  =)

        At any rate, I have not talked with anyone on the list that has a
Galileo Telescopes mirror and yes, it seems that I am a pioneer (I'm not
sure if I should be proud of that or not!).   But Nilesh was telling me
recently that the two 10" mirrors in production with my 12.5" had each
reached 1/10th wave and that mine had reached 1/8th.  However, that was
before they had found a 'sleek' on my mirror and decided to put it back
into fine grinding.  That was roughly a month ago and from what I hear now,
the mirror is done and without any surface defects and test reports will be
on their way shortly with the mirror arriving near the end of August (from
what he tells me that is the earliest he can get an employee over here).


        As for the thickness of these mirrors; in the beginning I was a
little worried about it being only 25mm thick (or about 1inch).  But during
the past few months I have seen that mirrors that thick really aren't
beasts to cool down and reach ambient temp.  A friend of mine has a 13.1"
coulter mirror (1inch thick) and as soon as he built an open cell the
mirror cooled down much more effiecently.  And with my 9-point flotation
cell, I think I shouldn't have anything to worry about.

        Nilesh and his company have been very kind and very understanding
of my eagerness to get my mirror.  ;>   After all, I had ordered it a week
or so before last Christmas and I am still waiting, so he has received many
many many Email messages and phone calls to 'check up' on the mirror.

        When the mirror arrives you all will be the first to hear about my
expierences with it.   For now, all I can do is plan the design of the
telescope, but that only takes so long.  =)

Take care,





Rob Teeter
Howell, NJ
http://www.thecore.com/~webuser/astro/