[ATM] 25" mirror possibilities

[dmikk2@netscape.net]

  Thanks to everyone for your helpful suggestions, info on testing and offer refigure the mirror.  

   Regarding the cost & shipping, the winning bid was $865.  The shipping charge to my area was $125.  However that only got it to the freight warehouse, so I had to rent a truck, make a simple cart with wheels, etc. to get it home.  The package weighed 453 lbs, since the mirror was mounted to a large steel ring that was part of the original assembly.  I've managed to carefully unpack it and separate it from the mounting, without damaging it, so now it's simplified to just the mirror ( estimated at 180 lbs ) lying on its back on the cart.  So in all it cost about $1200 so far.

  I need to make a sturdy stand before I can set it up for testing.  I have held a small led above the mirror at the end of a stick.  The ceiling is about 9.5 ft above the mirror surface and with the led at that point, the reflected image still appears somewhat larger in diameter than the mirror.  Consequently I assume that the focal length is greater than 9.5 ft.  According to what I've read, a Wright Schmidt design would have the corrector plate near the focal plane of the primary.  The original instrument had the corrector at about 12.5 ft from the primary.  So...that's the basis for my guess of about f6 for the mirror.  At least I can be sure that it is not really "fast" like f2.5.

Thanks,
Dennis

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