Planewave
CDK24 Optical Tube Assembly
- Regular price
- $ 63,500.00
- Sale price
- $ 63,500.00
- Unit price
- per
This item is out of stock but you can place an order now and we’ll ship when it becomes available.
In StockShipping on this item will be quoted and billed separately. We will reach out to you to estimate a lead time and make shipping arrangements.
The CDK24 is an innovative telescope for unsurpassed astroimaging, research, or satellite tracking.
- f/6.5 and 3974mm focal length.
- No coma, no off-axis astigmatism, and no field curvature.
- Pinpoint stars across a 70mm image circle.
- Rock solid fused silica mirrors with low thermal expansion.
- Carbon fiber optical tube assembly for rigidity and fast cooling.
- Simple secondary mirror collimation thanks to the fixed primary mirror.
- Bright, crisp, views for visual observing and star parties.
Description
Capturing the most stunning astrophotographs possible is something our team is passionate about. From design to manufacture, our goal with the Corrected Dall-Kirkham (CDK) 24″ telescope was centered around performance and ease of use. The CDK24 is an incredible breakthrough in telescope technology and produces no off-axis coma and no off-axis astigmatism. Additionally, the CDK24 provides a perfectly flat field so your astrophotographs will have stunning clarity from corner to corner of the image without field curvature degrading the photos. Offering the simplicity of single-mirror collimation, the stray light control of advanced baffles, structural performance created through finite element analysis (FEA), and decades of telescope design experience, the CDK24 is an exceptional diffraction-limited telescope. CDK24 users can experience pinpoint stars edge-to-edge and a 45 x 45 arcminute field of view when using large 16803 size camera sensors. When equipment fades into the background and simply performs, the astrophotography experience becomes even more fun and rewarding!
Checkout more about our technology and optical design here.
CDK24 Features
Fused Silica Optics
Fused silica (quartz) has a coefficient of thermal expansion six times lower than Borosilicate (Pyrex) glass, which means that as it cools down, fused silica preserves its shape to a high degree of accuracy. This translates into consistent optical performance and unchanging focus as temperature changes.
Delta-T Ready
For added dew prevention, the CDK24 is internally wired with polyimide film heater pads and temperature sensor, which is ready to be controlled with the Delta-T via PlaneWave Interface 3 software.
Carbon Fiber Truss Design
Minimizes thermal expansion which causes focus shift as temperature changes during an imaging session. Carbon fiber also reaches ambient temperatures quickly and is extremely lightweight and rigid to help ensure excellent imaging data is produced.
3D Printed Baffles
PlaneWave uses digital 3D printing technology to produce lightweight baffle tubes. 3D printers add successive layers of material to construct a baffle system with precision positioned internal stray light baffles to minimize vignetting and maximize image contrast. Quality baffling makes an incredible difference in overall image quality, so we ensured an optimal design was created for our telescopes.
Dovetail expansion joint
Allows for the difference in thermal expansion between carbon fiber and aluminum. The expansion joint allows the aluminum dovetail to expand and contract without stressing the carbon fiber lower truss. This results in images that are not distorted due to expansion, or contraction of the optical tube materials.
Cooling Fans
Three fans on the backplate of the optical tube pull air through the telescope and by the primary mirror. Three fans on the side of the optical tube also blow air across the primary to ensure a boundary layer of air does not distort images. These fans help the telescope reach thermal equilibrium quickly, further reducing any distortion in images due to temperature variations. The fans are controlled by a switch on the optical tube, or can be controlled by via PWI3 software if a PlaneWave Electronic Focus Accessory (EFA Kit) is purchased.
Specifications
Optical System
| Aperture | 24 inch (610 mm) |
| Focal Length | 3974 mm (156.46 inch) |
| Focal ratio | F/6.5 |
| Central Obstruction | 47% of the primary mirror diameter |
| Back Focus from Mounting Surface | 14.349 inch (358 mm) |
| Back Focus from Racked in Focuser | 5.81 inch (148 mm) |
| Weight | 240 lbs (108.9 kg) |
| OTA Length | 56 inch (1,422 mm) |
| Upper Cage | Carbon fiber truss |
| Lower Cage | Carbon fiber truss with aluminum light shroud |
| OTA Width | 31 inch (787 mm) |
| OTA Height | 35 inch (889 mm) |
| Optimal Field of View | 70 mm image circle |
Secondary Mirror
| Diameter | 11 inch (280 mm) |
| Material | Fused silica (quartz) |
| Shape | Spherical |
| Coating | Enhanced aluminum – 96% |
Primary Mirror
| Optical Diameter | 24 inch (610 mm) |
| Outer Diameter | 24.5 inch (622 mm) |
| Shape | Prolate Ellipsoid |
| Material | Fused silica (quartz) |
| Coating | Enhanced aluminum – 96% |
Lens Group
| Diameter | 135 mm (5.31 inch) |
| Number of lenses | 2 |
| Coating | Broadband AR Coatings (less than .5% reflected from 400 to 700nm) |
Shipping
| Crated Shipping Weight | 500 lbs (226.8 kg) |
| Crate Width | 40 inch (1,016 mm) |
| Crate Height | 48 inch (1,219 mm) |
| Crate Length | 78 inch (1,981 mm) |
Included Items
| Heating elements for dew prevention | The heating pads on the primary and secondary mirror require the 600195 Delta-T controller sold separately |
| Primary Mirror Cover | To protect the primary mirror and inside of the optical tube |
| Flashdrive | Contains software and instructions for collimation and spacing the primary to secondary mirror |
| Wrench Set (5812A35) | Standard hex wrenches (European orders only) |
| 12VDC Power Supply | Provides power for the fans (Not included for European orders) |
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