I could not have done the correction except for the help I received from this list.
I put the 8 inch mirror that I corrected back into the telescope. Its still not coated but I wanted to star test it first. Wow was I surprised at the improved optics. The mirror had been about 3x overcorrection. Now it is at least 1/4 wave.
First I looked at a power line insulator as an artificial star but it was around noon and there was too much turbulence. Then I look at a radio station antenna 1.5 miles from my house. I had look at it before the refiguring. Now I can see the guy wires where I could not before. I could see more detail in the antenna. I was very pleased.
I am having trouble aligning the scope because I don't get enough reflection from the uncoated mirror to see my eye looking back at me.
Last night was the first clear night in about 2 weeks. I tried to star test using Arcturus. The scope uses a Dob mount. The scope moves too easily when I touch the focuser so that it is very hard to star test at high power.
I need a helper to align the mirror while I hold the scope on the star. I didn't have a helper last night.
It is still not quite aligned to my satisfaction but I tested anyway. I got tired of changing back to the low power eyepiece to find the star after I had jiggled the scope. It will help to get the finder back on. My head got sore banking on the pavement while trying to sight up the side of the scope tube at the star near the zenith. The Zenith is the only area of sky that I can see without looking over houses.
The star test shows a bright outer ring and contrasty rings when outside of focus. Inside focus are much less distinct rings. It appears from the pictures in Suiter that the telescope system is at about 1/4 wavelength overcorrection.
I will make a more stable system to test.
Dale Eason