Telescope Reviews: Lockwood Custom Optics

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Astrojensen
Post Laureate

Reged: 10/05/08

Loc: Bornholm, Denmark

Re: Lockwood Custom Optics new

[Re: AllanDystrup]
#5529447 - 11/20/12 06:35 AM

Ohh, so you, too, have got a rich uncle in America! Those tend to be awfully quiet and you never hear from them...

I prefer a classic dob, which will offer better balance with my binoviewer setup. I already have the 12" and it sure doesn't take long to set up, though it is much heavier than my Telemator and takes a bit of grunt work to move. Funny enough, I often observe with the two side by side. It's fun to compare the views and I've got something to do while waiting for the dob's secondary mirror to heat up inside, when it has dewed up for the nth time. Yeah, I need a heater for it, I know.

Clear skies!
Thomas, Denmark

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Jarad
Postmaster

Reged: 04/28/03

Loc: Atlanta, GA

Re: Lockwood Custom Optics new

[Re: Mike Lockwood]
#5529568 - 11/20/12 08:16 AM

I like that 30" prime focus design. I've wondered why that hasn't become more popular - with CCD cameras around 4"-5" in diameter, it seems like an obvious way to get a nice wide field camera with 100% field illumination while keeping CO down well under 20% in scopes of 20" or larger, not to mention simpler collimation and fewer reflective surfaces.

Jarad

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Mike Lockwood
Vendor, Lockwood Custom Optics

Reged: 10/01/07

Loc: Usually in my optical shop

Re: Lockwood Custom Optics new

[Re: Jarad]
#5530816 - 11/20/12 06:52 PM

Quote:

I like that 30" prime focus design. I've wondered why that hasn't become more popular - with CCD cameras around 4"-5" in diameter, it seems like an obvious way to get a nice wide field camera with 100% field illumination while keeping CO down well under 20% in scopes of 20" or larger, not to mention simpler collimation and fewer reflective surfaces.
Jarad

Well, most imaging scopes aren't big enough to justify it, but maybe people haven't thought about the advantages.

Also, they may also want to look through their scopes, and you can't do that with this one unless you stick your head in the tube. (I did this on Bob's 32" f/4 for first light.)

I agree that it's a good idea, and it does make the setup and structure of the telescope simpler. The extra 5-10% of light is a benefit, especially when faint space rocks are the target.

Oh, and on another topic, a 1.25"-thick, 20" mirror will outperform a 2"-thick, 15" mirror, purely for reasons of equilibration, because the 20" will cool several times faster and the 20" actually weighs slightly less.

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George N
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 05/19/06

Loc: Binghamton & Indian Lake NY

Re: Lockwood Custom Optics new

[Re: Jarad]
#5537939 - 11/24/12 10:11 PM

Quote:

I like that 30" prime focus design. I've wondered why that hasn't become more popular - with CCD cameras around 4"-5" in diameter, it seems like an obvious way to get a nice wide field camera with 100% field illumination while keeping CO down well under 20% in scopes of 20" or larger, not to mention simpler collimation and fewer reflective surfaces.

Jarad

I have a friend who has made two astrographs using that design: a 10-inch and a much nicer 12.5 inch (all metal made using anodized aluminum slats for the truss tube). He mounts the scopes on a Losmandy Titan for imaging with Starlight Xpress cameras. I’ve also seen nice results from a fellow using this design with an Obsession 25. He just made a second imaging UTA that holds the focuser, camera, comma corrector and an Optec field derotator in place of the secondary. He uses SBIG cameras and they feed guiding corrections right into his StellarCat drive (which also controls the field derotator). His biggest problem: collimation.

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Mike Lockwood
Vendor, Lockwood Custom Optics

Reged: 10/01/07

Loc: Usually in my optical shop

18" f/3.7 mirror available in a Starmaster FX new

[Re: Mike Lockwood]
#5576461 - 12/17/12 09:30 PM

Just in time for Christmas....

Once in a while I have an extra piece of glass and the opportunity to fit it
into my schedule.

This time it's an 18" f/3.7 for a Starmaster FX telescope. The mirror will be
finished in a few weeks and the scope is mostly done, so it should be ready for
delivery around the end of January to mid-February of 2013. This particular
mirror is only for sale in a Starmaster telescope, and the wait time for this scope is much less than it normally is.

The listing is here:
http://www.starmastertelescopes.com/in-stock.htm

If you're interested, don't wait to give Rick a call. These usually sell
quickly, and it is being announced first on the Starmaster group and here.

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Mike Lockwood
Vendor, Lockwood Custom Optics

Reged: 10/01/07

Loc: Usually in my optical shop

10" f/5.8 available immediately new

[Re: Mike Lockwood]
#5603140 - 01/03/13 02:38 PM

I had some time on one of my small machines, so I pulled a blank out of my glass pile and now have one finished 10" f/5.8 mirror ready for coating.

This is a 1.7"-thick mirror, from Pyrex. The figure more than meets my standards for correction, polish, and figure of revolution. It has scribed center spots to aid with precise centering of a ring, triangle, etc.

Price is $1,200 including enhanced aluminum coating and shipping within the US.

Please send me an email (mirrors at loptics dot com) if you are interested or have questions.

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Mike Lockwood
Vendor, Lockwood Custom Optics

Reged: 10/01/07

Loc: Usually in my optical shop

Re: 18" f/3.7 mirror available in a Starmaster FX new

[Re: Mike Lockwood]
#5619826 - 01/12/13 09:24 PM

The 18" f/3.7 Starmaster telescope is now sale pending, but the 10" f/5.8 mirror is still available immediately.

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