Re: [ATM] Maksutov Corrector Cell Design

[Dominic-Luc Webb <dlwebb@canit.se>]

> I am designing the mechanical components for a Maksutov telescope in
> particular I am working on the corrector cell.
>
> I am using Fillmore's booklet "Construction of a Maksutov Telescope" as
> my primary reference; page 11 (Figure 15) he show a machined aluminum
> cell. It appears based on the his diagram and text that the R2 surface
> of the corrector rests directly on the aluminum cell.
>
> Is it safe to have a corrector resting directly on the aluminum? Is it
> safer to have the cell rest on a "protective" gasket?


Less trivial than some might think. As I am learning first hand
with my homemade 12", the tolerances for these animals are rigid.
I will definitely not have a direct aluminum glass contact on my
corrector. I was planning on a mylar gasket or some such.

Regarding collimation, I found myself spending fantastic amounts of
time trying to align all the optics and gave this up in favor of a
fixed corrector. If it *REALLY* gets out of alignment, I will likely
just add a mylar strip (or two) to correct it. I suppose you could
have the ring for the corrector supported by a few threaded rods and use
nuts to tilt the corrector as needed. If you go this route, you may wish
to consider a fine thread, because your goal is precision alignment.
>From the start you should be very close to perfect alignment and be
adjusting within something like a degree or two of arc, not more.

Then again, you could end up spending a lot of time hassling over which
surface is tilted relative which other surface, and like me, decide to
fix the corrector permanently to remove one variable.

Dominic-Luc Webb


_______________________________________________
ATM mailing list http://www.atmlist.net/