From: "Rob" 
To: 
Reply-To: "Rob" 


Hello all,

I'm new to the list. Hopefuly I won't get flamed for this..I have looked
around and can find very little info on Ritchey-Chretien telescopes in
general. I have found enough info to know that I want one :)

I'm thinking about trying to grind the optics myself. And hence my
questions. I know that the surface of a Ritchey-Chretien is hyperbolic
instead of parabolic. What I'm curious about is, how much harder is a
hyperbolic surface to grind and test compared to a parabolic surface? Is it
only slightly harder? Or is it sveral orders of magnitude harder? In what
ways does the process differ (ie same tools for testing and such?). Has
anyone here even attemped this before?

I really want to build one of these scopes and then do some
astrophotography with it..I'm thinking I might try the first one with a
6" or 8" primary, just in case things don't work out well. BTW It
has been a while but I do have some previous experience grinding a 6"
mirror with my father (when i was about 15 or 16 hehe). So I'm not totaly
new, but I'm probably just a bit rusty hehe....

So what do you guys think?? Is this possible or just a pipe dream?

Rob

--- BBBS/NT v4.00 MP