Telescope Reviews: Lockwood Custom Optics

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Mike Lockwood
Vendor, Lockwood Custom Optics

Reged: 10/01/07

Loc: Usually in my optical shop

Lockwood Custom Optics
#4307978 - 01/11/11 07:13 PM

Last year I moved to a new, larger shop, and I have finally gotten to the point where I have a few finished mirrors available.

Two mirrors, an 18" F/3.7 and a 22" F/3.3, are in Starmaster Telescopes, and these are available with little wait. They are listed here, so contact Rick if you are interested: http://www.starmastertelescopes.com/in-stock.htm

I also have one 16" F/5 mirror that I have just finished. It's 1.4" thick, and will ship to the coater when it is sold. Please email me if you are interested. My email address is listed on the information page of my site.

If I have other mirrors available in the future, I'll try to post them here. They are posted in my Yahoo group first, though.

Post Extras:

Mike Lockwood
Vendor, Lockwood Custom Optics

Reged: 10/01/07

Loc: Usually in my optical shop

Re: Lockwood Custom Optics new

[Re: Mike Lockwood]
#4320415 - 01/17/11 12:50 PM

At the Okie-Tex Star Party this year, John Pratte showed an exceptional 25" f/4
telescope. John builds the entire structure, including mirror cell, to his
precise specifications.

The optics are made by me, and we worked together to develop the mirror cell,
testing the mirror in the cell for the purpose of tweaking the edge support for
best performance.

This paid big dividends - with my optics and John's mechanics, the telescope
performed superbly. It is probably the best 25" telescope I've seen to date, in
terms of aesthetics and performance.

The web page for this telescope is here:
http://www.jpastrocraft.com/twentyfive.htm

John has one telescope complete, available for sale, with a ServoCat drive
installed. I have glass for more should people wish to order one. If you are
interested, contact John via the contact page of his web site (linked from the
bottom of the 25" page given above).

Post Extras:

okieav8r
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 03/01/09

Loc: Oklahoma!

Re: Lockwood Custom Optics new

[Re: Mike Lockwood]
#4321734 - 01/17/11 10:55 PM

Mike, I checked that scope out at Okie-Tex and it is indeed a wonderful telescope. I looked at Mr. Pratt's web page, but didn't see any pricing information. Do you know what it costs?

Post Extras:

Mike Lockwood
Vendor, Lockwood Custom Optics

Reged: 10/01/07

Loc: Usually in my optical shop

Re: Lockwood Custom Optics new

[Re: okieav8r]
#4343952 - 01/27/11 12:40 PM

Quote:

Mike, I checked that scope out at Okie-Tex and it is indeed a wonderful telescope. I looked at Mr. Pratt's web page, but didn't see any pricing information. Do you know what it costs?

Sorry for the delay - hadn't checked this forum for a while.

Rex, I don't know the price for the scope. Contact John and he'll let you know.

Post Extras:

Bob S.
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 07/14/05

Re: Lockwood Custom Optics new

[Re: Mike Lockwood]
#4345528 - 01/28/11 02:46 AM

Quote:

The optics are made by me, and we worked together to develop the mirror cell,
testing the mirror in the cell for the purpose of tweaking the edge support for
best performance.

This paid big dividends - with my optics and John's mechanics, the telescope
performed superbly. It is probably the best 25" telescope I've seen to date, in
terms of aesthetics and performance.

Mike, That looks like a very nice mirror cell. The edge supports seem to just cradle the mirror without inducing any astigmatism according to your findings. Very nice. As you and others know, the mirror cell is a very critical part of the mirrors performance and that ones good looking. Bob

Post Extras:

Mike Lockwood
Vendor, Lockwood Custom Optics

Reged: 10/01/07

Loc: Usually in my optical shop

Re: Lockwood Custom Optics new

[Re: Mike Lockwood]
#4491451 - 04/02/11 01:20 PM

I will be making some 40" f/3 parabolic mirrors in the coming year or so.

Glass will be monolithic Supremax, ~2.5" thick. They will be figured to my high optical standards. I can also provide flat elliptical secondary mirrors.

If you're interested in such an optic for a visual or research instrument, please visit my web site below and send me an email at the address given on the information page.

Of course other custom sizes and focal ratios are available, but the 40" f/3 size is very appealing to me for a large visual instrument.

Post Extras:

Mike Lockwood
Vendor, Lockwood Custom Optics

Reged: 10/01/07

Loc: Usually in my optical shop

Re: Lockwood Custom Optics new

[Re: Mike Lockwood]
#5411849 - 09/09/12 03:46 PM

I've posted an article about a recent trip that I made to the Warren Rupp Observatory near Mansfield, OH. I recently made a new 36" f/6.3 mirror for the telescope there.

http://www.loptics.com/articles/HH2012/HH2012.html

Hope you enjoy the article and photos.

Post Extras:

davidpitre
Post Laureate

Reged: 05/10/05

Loc: Central Texas

Re: Lockwood Custom Optics new

[Re: Mike Lockwood]
#5412076 - 09/09/12 06:33 PM

Quote:

I've posted an article about a recent trip that I made to the Warren Rupp Observatory near Mansfield, OH. I recently made a new 36" f/6.3 mirror for the telescope there.

http://www.loptics.com/articles/HH2012/HH2012.html

Hope you enjoy the article and photos.

It looks great. I like the collimation steering wheels.

Post Extras:

CatseyeMan
Vendor (Cats Eye Collimation)

Reged: 12/16/04

Loc: Madison, AL USA

Re: Lockwood Custom Optics new

[Re: Mike Lockwood]
#5414765 - 09/11/12 08:36 AM

VERY NICE Pics, Mike!

I'm guessing that the long focal length calls for a beam and Barlowed laser for the axial alignments, yes?

Post Extras:

Mike Lockwood
Vendor, Lockwood Custom Optics

Reged: 10/01/07

Loc: Usually in my optical shop

Re: Lockwood Custom Optics new

[Re: CatseyeMan]
#5461205 - 10/08/12 08:19 PM

Quote:

VERY NICE Pics, Mike!

I'm guessing that the long focal length calls for a beam and Barlowed laser for the axial alignments, yes?

Thanks, I enjoyed shooting the photos.

Sorry for the delayed reply Jim, I kept forgetting to ask what they were using, which I am told is the Glatter laser and 2" Glatter barlow (TuBlug).

Post Extras:

dvb
different Syndrome.

Reged: 06/18/05

Loc: Vancouver, Canada

Re: Lockwood Custom Optics new

[Re: Mike Lockwood]
#5467634 - 10/13/12 01:12 AM

That is an awesome observatory - the scope and mount of my dreams!

Post Extras:

Mike Lockwood
Vendor, Lockwood Custom Optics

Reged: 10/01/07

Loc: Usually in my optical shop

Re: Lockwood Custom Optics new

[Re: dvb]
#5471503 - 10/15/12 12:48 PM

After much thought and work and some input from friends and colleagues, I have completed the first version of my Projects Page. No doubt it will be updated quite a bit in the future.

You can find it linked from the front page, or directly here: http://www.loptics.com/projects/projects.html

As I put it together and went through my list of completed mirrors to select appropriate examples (the projects page is NOT all-inclusive), I was a bit shocked at just how much I had gotten done in the last ~5 years.

Post Extras:

Bob S.
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 07/14/05

Re: Lockwood Custom Optics new

[Re: Mike Lockwood]
#5476504 - 10/18/12 08:04 AM

Quote:

After much thought and work and some input from friends and colleagues, I have completed the first version of my Projects Page. No doubt it will be updated quite a bit in the future.

You can find it linked from the front page, or directly here: http://www.loptics.com/projects/projects.html

As I put it together and went through my list of completed mirrors to select appropriate examples (the projects page is NOT all-inclusive), I was a bit shocked at just how much I had gotten done in the last ~5 years.

Mike, The sequence and presentation of large to smaller mirrors is a very interesting read. You certainly have had a chance to make a lot of different kinds of mirrors for varied applications over the years.

I am very much looking forward to the 20" f/3 with 5" m.a. secondary that you recently completed for me. John Pratte of JP Astrocraft is hard at work building an incredible scope around the mirrors that I believe is going to raise the bar on what a medium large Newtonian is capable of doing. Bob Schilling

Post Extras:

auriga
Pooh-Bah

Reged: 03/02/06

Re: Lockwood Custom Optics new

[Re: Bob S.]
#5476580 - 10/18/12 09:21 AM

Bob,
It's good to see that John Pratte is getting some of the recognition he deserves. I own one of his Sweet Sixteen 16" f/4 Dobs and it is a wonderful instrument. I am sure you will be happy with your scope.
Bill Meyers

Post Extras:

Bob S.
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 07/14/05

Re: Lockwood Custom Optics new

[Re: auriga]
#5480912 - 10/20/12 08:02 PM

Quote:

Bob,
It's good to see that John Pratte is getting some of the recognition he deserves. I own one of his Sweet Sixteen 16" f/4 Dobs and it is a wonderful instrument. I am sure you will be happy with your scope.
Bill Meyers

Bill, Thanks for the encouragement. I already am very happy with how the build has been going. Combining my ideas with John's is producing a scope that I think will be absolutely superb. There are so many ideas/concepts that went into this scope that it should be a refined distillation of many clever ideas/concepts of a bunch of very creative builders who have come before us. Couple that with the primary and secondary being made by LCO and I cannot see how this scope will be anything but an exceptional performer. I suspect that a month from now, the scope will be nearing or at its completion? Bob

Post Extras:

Starhawk
Post Laureate

Reged: 09/16/08

Loc: Tucson, Arizona

Re: Lockwood Custom Optics new

[Re: Bob S.]
#5481897 - 10/21/12 12:46 PM

The 1 meter class mirrors you are working on are quite interesting. For the moment this is idle curiosity, but how fast could you make a 40" mirror?

-Rich

Post Extras:

Mike Lockwood
Vendor, Lockwood Custom Optics

Reged: 10/01/07

Loc: Usually in my optical shop

Re: Lockwood Custom Optics new

[Re: Starhawk]
#5485356 - 10/23/12 02:01 PM

Quote:

The 1 meter class mirrors you are working on are quite interesting. For the moment this is idle curiosity, but how fast could you make a 40" mirror?-Rich

For visual use, I don't currently recommend going faster than ~f/2.8. For other applications, I work down to ~f/2.

Post Extras:

Mike Lockwood
Vendor, Lockwood Custom Optics

Reged: 10/01/07

Loc: Usually in my optical shop

Re: Lockwood Custom Optics new

[Re: Mike Lockwood]
#5528675 - 11/19/12 07:47 PM

I have posted a new "In the Shop" installment that discusses two new f/3.0 telescopes - a 20" f/3.0 and a 30" f/3.0: Two new F/3.0 telescopes

Most of my attention now is being given to a 50" f/4 for the Astronomical Research Institute.

Post Extras:

Astrojensen
Post Laureate

Reged: 10/05/08

Loc: Bornholm, Denmark

Re: Lockwood Custom Optics new

[Re: Mike Lockwood]
#5529380 - 11/20/12 04:49 AM

That's just about the coolest looking 20" I've ever seen! I've always had a thing for long refractors (I own several), but I'd almost say that reflectors (at least newtonians) look better the shorter they are. I have a 12" f/5, not particularly short, and I'm having a ton of fun with it. The change from long refractors to short newtonians hasn't been without its issues, but overall I've been impressed with it. I've found collimating the f/5 to be a total non-issue, so now I can't wait to try a much shorter one. I'm aiming for f/4 next.

Clear skies!
Thomas, Denmark

Post Extras:

AllanDystrup
member

Reged: 09/27/12

Loc: Denmark

Re: Lockwood Custom Optics new

[Re: Astrojensen]
#5529432 - 11/20/12 06:20 AM

How 'bout this one Thomas :
http://www.obsessiontelescopes.com/telescopes/15UC/index.php

You can sit down while obeserving, and shouldn't take longer to setup than a telementor :-)
It's on MY wish list, when I hear from my uncle in America...

Allan

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