I would love to see the results with that scope. I have been considering the smaller one. Robert

Thanks. I have a pier set up in my backyard and can do testing. With the scope tilted up I can just lay the mask over it for the test. Robert

Wade, AG Optical makes a f/6.7 12.5” imaging Dall-Dirkham, quartz optics, just north of 40 lbs but not collapsible. I have one all ready to jump on my Mach 2 when it arrives. 😉 Wayne

Let's put it this way, I am not a good enough optician to make a really great RC. I know a couple of people who can, but don't ask the price. A 10" - 12" RC made by expert hands can easily run you

Well, sometimes I don't think things thru when i suggested tape over the edge of the mirror. That, of course is bad advise. I may be wrong about what I am seeing in your bright stars, and it may

Yes, would be a sweet scope, but isn't exactly cheap to make either. There would be intense competition from overseas manufacturers. Rolando

Thanks, Roland. You said what I suspected about RC and CDK but with the expertise that I can trust and really believe. Greg

Thanks for the optics lesson.

How about something like a 12” F/6 corrected Dall-Kirkham, light weight and can be broken down for transport like your 17”?

Actually it is not a good idea to put any tape on the reflective surface. On the Lomo RC scopes they used a metal disc which was on standoffs that were attached to the rear cell. I would make a paper

RCs have two issues that prevent me from ever making them. Both primary and secondary have heavy aspheric surfaces that are extremely difficult to make smooth, and can potentially produce a lot of

You would need to run it when unparking from the driver's custom park position. I can't tell you where that would be in ACP's script logic. You'll have to ask Bob Denny how/where to call the script if

Thanks very much for this Ray, I'm just a little confused as to where this should be used in ACP? As the pointing & tracking correction turn off everytime the mount is parked, the script would need to

Thanks for the suggestions.

I wouldn't use tape. It's prone to turning out to be a mess, has a high chance of not being perfectly circular, and yea the adhesive could have an effect on the coating. I would have a mask 3D

If I were to attempt to mask the edge what kind of tape can you use that wouldn’t harm the coatings? Robert

Can you start making some smaller RC’s😀Thanks for the suggestion. One of the problems is how sensitive the CMOS cameras are. It is very easy to blow out stars. With my FSQ at f/5 I can’t shoot

I like the resolution on that Running Man image. Very nice. Try masking down the outer 1/8 inch of the mirror, see if that reduces the spray of light around the brightest stars. If that works, think

Tighten it hand tight (do not apply too much pressure, we use between 10 and 15 inch-Lb.). Then add a drop of superglue on the outside of the threads. If you ever need to loosen it for any reason, it

Robert, these are both super shots but the Running Man is my favorite for sure. Stuart Heggie http://www.stuartheggie.com/ -- Stuart http://www.astrofoto.ca/stuartheggie/