EXPECTED AVAILABILITY IN AUGUST 2022
The CDK17 is an innovative telescope for unsurpassed astroimaging, research, or satellite tracking.
f/6.8 and 2939mm 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.
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) 17″ telescope was centered around performance and ease of use. The CDK17 is an incredible breakthrough in telescope technology and produces no off-axis coma and no off-axis astigmatism. Additionally, the CDK17 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 CDK17 is an exceptional diffraction-limited telescope. CDK17 users can experience pinpoint stars edge-to-edge and a 61 x 61 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.
CDK 17 Features
Carbon Fiber Truss Design
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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
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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
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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.
Delta-T Ready
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For added dew prevention, the CDK17 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.
Cooling Fans
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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.
