17 inch CDK Optical Tube Assembly
Part 170101Price $22,000
($24,000, CDK17 OTA for Fork Mount)
The PlaneWave Instruments CDK17 is a 17 inch (0.43 m) f/6.8 Corrected Dall-Kirkham Astrograph telescope. The CDK17 has a dual carbon-fiber truss design, with 3 cooling fans ejecting air from the back of the telescope. The CDK24 covers a 52 mm field of view without any field curvature, off-axis coma, or astigmatism. The instrument weight is 94 lbs (43 kg) and comes standard with the large capacity 3.5" Hedrick focuser.
The CDK (Corrected Dall-Kirkham) Optical Design is an innovative solution for unsurpassed astroimaging quality at an affordable price. The CDK telescope design provides excellent imaging with large format CCD cameras while remaining superb for visual use. The CDK design far exceeds the off-axis performance of most commercial telescope designs including the Ritchey-Chrétien design.
This no-compromise design is unique in making the optical alignment forgiving and collimation very easy. This guarantees the user the best possible performance from the telescope. The end result at the image plane of the CDK design is no off-axis coma, no off-axis astigmatism, perfectly flat field (no off-axis defocus). The CDK design will give you pinpoint stars from the center to the corner of the field of view.
More about our Optical Design
SYSTEM
| Aperture | 17 inch (432 mm) |
| Focal Length | 2939 mm (115.71 inch) |
| Focal Ratio | f/6.8 |
| Central Obstruction | 39% of the Primary Mirror Diameter |
| Back Focus from Mounting Surface | 8.8 inch (224 mm) |
| Back Focus from Racked in Focuser | 5.8 inch (147 mm) |
| Weight | 94 lbs (42.6 kg) |
| OTA Length | 37 inch (940 mm) |
| Upper Cage | Carbon Fiber Truss |
| Lower Cage | Carbon Fiber Truss with Carbon Fiber Light Shroud |
| Optical Performance | 6.5 micron rms at 21mm and 9.6 micron at 26mm off-axis Vignetting and Spot Size Plots Spot and Diffraction Diagrams |
| Overall Dimensions | Overall Dimensions (PDF) |
PRIMARY MIRROR
| Diameter | 17.5 inch (445 mm) |
| Aperture | 17 inch (432 mm) |
| Focal Ratio | f/2.6 |
| Mounting | Laser Collimated and Permanently Fixed |
| Material | Precision Annealed Pyrex |
| Shape | Prolate Ellipsoid |
| Coating | Enhanced Aluminum - 96% |
SECONDARY MIRROR
| Diameter | 6.25 inch (159 mm) |
| Material | Precision Annealed Pyrex |
| Shape | Spherical |
| Coating | Enhanced Aluminum - 96% |
LENS GROUP
| Diameter | 90 mm (3.54 inch) |
| Number of lenses | 2 |
| Coating | Broadband AR Coatings (less than .5% reflected from 400 to 700nm) |
STANDARD FEATURES
| Carbon Fiber Truss Design | Minimizes thermal expansion which causes focus shift with changes in temperature |
| Carbon Fiber Lower Light Shroud | Protects the primary mirror from damage and stray light |
| Dovetail | The massive PlaneWave dovetail supports the optical tube to provide rigidity. A matching dovetail clamp is available to install on various mounts. Drawing (PDF) |
| Dovetail expansion joint | Allows for the difference in thermal expansion between carbon fiber and aluminum. The expansion joint allows the aluminum dovetail expand and contract without stressing the carbon fiber lower truss |
| 3.5 inch Hedrick Focuser | Heavy duty no-slip focuser. The focus tube runs on 5 bearings and is driven by a leadscrew so there is no chance of slipping. It accepts an optional dial indicator and PlaneWave’s EFA Kit to control many electronic accessories. The draw tube travel is 1.3 inch. Image 1 Image 2 Drawing of Flange Drawing of Draw Tube |
| Cooling Fans | Three fans blow out of the optical tube pulling air though the telescope and by the primary mirror. This helps the telescope to reach thermal equilibrium quickly. The fans are controlled by a switch on the optical tube or can be conrolled by a computer if the optional Electronic Focus Accessory (EFA Kit) is purchased. |
SHIPPING
| Crated Shipping Weight | 225 lbs (102.1 kg) |
| Crate Width | 29 inch (737 mm) |
| Crate Height | 33 inch (838 mm) |
| Crate Length | 45 inch (1,143 mm) |
INCLUDED ACCESSORIES
| 3.5" to 2" Adapter (200349) | Adapts the 3.5" inner diameter of the focuser to a standard 2" inner diameter. This adapter is necessary when setting the primary to secondary spacing. The 200399 Visual 3.5" to 2" adapter is an optional accessory that is designed to space a 2" diagonal for visual use. |
| Ronchi Spacer (200354) | This spacer is used for setting the primary to secondary spacing. It has an 1-1/4 inner diameter and may be used with 1-1/4 oculars for collimation. |
| Ronchi Ocular | This ocular is a Ronchi screen used for setting the primary to secondary spacing. |
| Primary Mirror Cover | The Primary Mirror Cover protects the primary mirror. |
| Printed Instructions | For Collimation and Spacing |
| 12VDC Power Supply (18778) | Provides power for the fans (Not included for European Orders) |
| Wrench Set (5812A35) | English Hex Wrenches (European Orders Only) |
