 Fan and collimation knobs on mirror cell. |
 The finished mirror cell, minus the mirror. |
Jump to Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 4 | Page 5 | Page 6 | Page 7 | Page 8 | Page 9 | Page 10 | Page 11 | Page 12
February 9: While the mirror box continues to cure, I can continue working on the mirror cell. The computer-designed frame is made of 1.4" thick, 26-layer aircraft plywood for strength and rigidity. The cell has a computer-designed, 6061-T6 aluminum flotation system (9-point), a cooling fan, integrated gel cell batteries with recharging circuitry and a mirror transport system. The flotation points allow the primary to truly float, supporting it evenly and aiding in cooling. This design approach thermally isolates the primary mirror and minimizes cool down time. I am really impressed with the design of the mirror cell; not only the components in the cell itself, but also in the tailgate for easy access.
Fan and collimation knobs on mirror cell. |
The finished mirror cell, minus the mirror. |
 A completed lower truss clamp block. |
 The lower blocks glued in place. |
 Mirror box corner detail, unfinished. |
 The mirror cell mount blocks glued in place. |
February 11: UPS arrived midday and brought the remaining components. A slight mix-up had me receiving two focusers and two lower cage rings. A quick call to AstroSystems and a new upper cage ring is on its way. I'll ship back the surplus cage ring and focuser. Lots of work accomplished today: assembled ground board; prepared mirror cover and off-axis mask; installed mirror sling; sealed inside of mirror box; installed laminate on altitude bearings; prepared truss poles; sealed transport handles and attached wheels; sealed filter switch. What a day!
The use of cam levers at both ends of the truss poles means no loose hardware to deal with in the field... and they look great too! The ground board went together easily; the instruction manual is very well written and includes photos where appropriate. Next up - the rocker box.
 Ground board feet clamped. |
 The finished transport handles. |
 Altitude bearings with laminate installed. |
 The mirror cover with off-axis cut-out. |
 Truss poles with sleeves installed. |
 Unassembled rocker box sides. |
Jump to Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 4 | Page 5 | Page 6 | Page 7 | Page 8 | Page 9 | Page 10 | Page 11 | Page 12
© 2002, 2003 Peter Argenziano, all rights reserved.
Page last updated on 11 February, 2003