17.5 F4.5 for Brian in Dartmouth Nova Scotia.

A 17.5" F4.5 coming together for Brian in Dartmouth Nova Scotia, Canada. Brian asked me to build a traditional upper tube assembly (UTA). The mirror is a refigured Coulter with a 0.955 strehl which turned a so-so mirror into a premium optic. The mirror sits on an 18-point flotation cell. Other features of this telescope are a nice Moonlite 2" 2-speed crayford focuser and an observatory grade Destiny curved-vane spider.

In this photo you see the scope assembled for initial testing using my "test struts". Once I bring the telescope to focus with all my eyepieces, it'll be completed in a "truss configuration" for maximum stability and rigidity.

More to follow.....

Brian's 17.5" telescope will look similar to this 16" built earlier in the year.