Recoating A Tiny Flat Telescope Mirror

Рет қаралды 1,769

4 ай бұрын

The focuser tube on this special telescope contains a flat diagonal mirror that is all scratched up and needs re-coated. Once removed, I'll be sending it to the same re-coating company that re-coated my 12 inch Dobsonian mirror - Majestic Optical Coatings out of Virginia. This video showcases an old used Intes MK-65 Maksutov Cassegrain telescope.
#telescope #mirror #recoating
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KZbin NOTES:
1) This video complies with the KZbin Community Guidelines and Terms Of Service.
2) All products were purchased with my own money.
3) The soundtracks were used with permission from my editing software, Camtasia.
4) This video does not contain any controversial subjects, children, offensive material or language.
This video shows you how to remove a damaged diagonal mirror and send it off to get re-coated, then re-installed. On the #Reflactor @Reflactor Channel.

Пікірлер: 24

@martinlagrange8821 4 ай бұрын

Its interesting that it appears to be using a standard Celestron/Meade SCT-back size threaded collar - INTES must have been designing so that they could sell the integrated diagonal/focusser as an aftermarket item.

@reflactor 4 ай бұрын

Good point. It also came with a pretty interesting helical adapter for an SLR camera. It allowed you to move it in and out (using a helical movement), but the camera didn't actually twist. It just caused it to telescope out.

@JoeJaguar 4 ай бұрын

great video John i cant wait till you show us the video on Jupiter, i have owned maks but not an intes.

@reflactor 4 ай бұрын

Hi Joe, thanks for watching. I used to have a smaller cheaper Mak, but I thought the planetary images weren't all that great. I can tell you that the planetary images through this one are pretty fantastic (I actually bought a backup focuser tube in case this mirror recoating failed). I'll be showing Jupiter when I do a video where I replace the mount rings with a mount block. Clear skies!

@MountainFisher 4 ай бұрын

I had my C6-N Newtonian recoated on sale that included the secondary. They tested the mirror and for $260 they would refigure my mirror to 1/10th wave and .95 Strehl guaranteed. Turned out at 96% reflectivity, 1/12th wave and .98 Strehl ratio. It was so good I had to buy a 2" Crayford focuser and one guy in my club uses it for astrophotography. He said it had the clarity of a refractor. My son gave me an Explore Scientific 102mm Carbon fiber triplet and it isn't any better except at higher magnification on double stars, but they're pretty even up to 300x magnification when condition permit. Above 300x the central obstruction does dim the view a bit, but you're not supposed to go over double the 150mm aperture anyway. For under $800 I got Takahashi quality optics and it is just great for high power visual. Biggest expense was the JMI focuser.

@reflactor 4 ай бұрын

Wow, those are impressive mirror stats! If I may ask, what company did you have do that for you?

@MountainFisher 4 ай бұрын

@@reflactor Unfortunately Optical Wave Laboratory went out of business. First their recoating chamber kept breaking down and the optical engineer who refigured my mirror left to "get paid what he was worth." was what I was told. I wanted him to do an 8" mirror, but they didn't tell me where he went to.

@tjzambonischwartz 4 ай бұрын

Good choice going with Majestic. Had them do the mirrors in my old 90's 6" dob a few years ago and Jeff did beautiful work with fast turnaround.

@reflactor 4 ай бұрын

Agreed. Majestic redid my 12" mirror two years ago and I think it went there and back within two weeks - totally blown away by the quality and schedule. They also do the diagonal mirror for free when you get the primary done.

@johngiromini5745 4 ай бұрын

Wow, that scratched up mirror looked DOA. Those screaming voices are spot-on!! My 12" Zhumell has what appears to be water damage on main mirror. It was real apparent when I pulled it off 2 years ago to clean it, using your video on doing so. I'm paranoid so no human phalanges touched the mirror; I wore surgical gloves whenever moving it. Did you recently put in a basement? (ha!)

@reflactor 4 ай бұрын

Well, admittedly, the scratched mirror was a bit of movie magic (I Googled broken mirror). I lost the video and images I'd taken of the mirror removal process. I'm usually pretty packratty at keeping all the footage, but somehow I must've deleted the files. Our basement is just like everybody else's basement here in Fort Worth, lol.

@kamilmoucka6811 4 ай бұрын

Beautiful work and video John. I hope you make a video of your observations with this telescope. Some time ago I was thinking about getting just such a MAK telescope (SkyWatcher) for the Moon and planets but later I abandoned it. I can handle transporting my 12" Dobsonian for now. Clear skies.

@reflactor 4 ай бұрын

Thank you for the kind words. When I do the next upgrade to this telescope (replacing rings with a mount block), I'll be showing some images captured through the eyepiece. Just a spoiler, I have had a chance to look at Jupiter now and... it's pretty incredible through this Intes MK-65. With that massive 1500mm focal length, even a 32mm eyepiece produces a sizable sharp image.

@AmatureAstronomer 4 ай бұрын

I recently bought an open box Celestron C6 Schmidt Cassegrain. I was getting internal light reflections. Celestron told me that it was missing flocking in the baffle tube. Flocked it and now waiting for clear weather to test. Oh, and dissembled my Bresser 102/460 yesterday to clean the inside of the lens. Have been surprised how often I have to do things to telescopes and mounts. Sad, as I have the mechanical abilities of and wet butterfly. And, I watch your videos in hopes of gaining a bit of know how.

@reflactor 4 ай бұрын

Thank you for watching. I'm very curious to see if the flocking helps your C6. What about a "light shield" around the front? I have a giant cardboard tube that I attach to the front to keep streetlights from illuminating the tube itself. It prevents the streetlights from at least lighting up the inside of the focuser tube.

@AmatureAstronomer 4 ай бұрын

@@reflactor I use an aluminum dew shield made by Celestron. It sticks out 9 1/2" over the front of the optical tube. Sent some celestial photos I made to Celestron and tech support said that the baffle tube was not flocked. They said some get sent out as such. The baffle tube is the tube that exits the rear of the optical tube and protrudes through the primary mirror 6" or so. I bought some self sticking flocking paper and cut out a piece the same width as the circumference of the baffle tube, rolled it around a pencil so as to make it curl inward and very carefully slid it into the baffle tube, pressing it with the pencil against the sides. Looks pretty good, but the proof of the pudding will be in the eating. Hope to take it out tomorrow night and test it, if weather is clear. Have never used a Schmidt Cassegrain before and want to learn to use it with and without the x0.63 reducer/corrector before I try the Starizona Hyperstar 6 v4 I bought. Am hoping that a 150mm aperature with f/10, f/6.3 and f/2 I may be able to photograph all my deep space targets with one optical tube. Don't know.