PlaneWave Delta Rho 500 F/3 Telescope with Cassegrain focus

After successfully introducing the DeltaRho 350, the DeltaRho 500 is now available for transcending the challenges of-ultra wide field imaging. With a primary mirror that is fixed in place, collimation is quickly achieved with a simple adjustment to the tip and tilt of the secondary mirror. With more than twice the light-gathering power of the DeltaRho 350, maximizing the performance of your astrograph has never been easier.

From design to manufacture, PlaneWave Instruments goal, with the DeltaRho 500 was centered around creating a revolutionary wide-field telescope. The DeltaRho 500 is a Cassegrain Optical Design with the imaging train at the back of the telescope to prevent obstruction of the instrument. This offers a real advantage against prime focus designs, which can severely limit users’ ability to operate with filter wheels or large cameras. The DeltaRho 500 operates at f/3 and 1537 mm focal length, which brings the next level of astrophotography with large sensors and without the limitations of prime focus devices.

Last, but not least, the DeltaRho 500 provides a perfectly flat field, which ensures stunning clarity from corner-to-corner images without field curvature degradation. With decades of telescope design experience, the DeltaRho 500 offers the simplicity of single-mirror collimation, stray light control of advanced 3D printed baffles, and structural performance created through finite element analysis (FEA). DeltaRho 500 users can experience pinpoint stars edge-to-edge and a 2-degree field of view when using large 16803/4040 (52mm) size camera sensors. This field of view is over twice as large as our CDK 20!

Features

3D Printed Baffles 

PlaneWave's digital 3D printing technology adds successive layers of material to our baffle systems for lightweight, precision-positioned internal stray light control to minimize vignetting and maximize image contrast.

Collimation software

Along with the included collimation mask, PlaneWave Collimation software allows for quick and easy collimation necessary to maximize the performance of a fast f-ratio optical system.

Delta-T Ready 

For added dew prevention, the DR500 is internally wired with polyimide film heater pads and a temperature sensor, which is ready to be controlled with the Delta-T via PWI 3 software. 

Carbon fiber optical tube and truss poles

Carbon fiber is extremely lightweight and helps prevent thermal expansion that can distort an imaging system. This adds up to an extremely stable optical tube for an unsurpassed imaging experience.

Cooling fans

Three Cooling fans have been strategically placed on the backplate and side of the Delta Rho optical tube in order to quickly cool the mirrors to ambient temperatures. Mirrors that are equilibrated to the ambient temperature help the telescope produce the highest quality astroimages possible. The fans are controlled by a computer if the optional Electronic Focus Accessory (EFA Kit) is purchased.

Fused Silica

Fused Silica is a synthetic amorphous silica glass of the highest purity and one of the most transparent glasses made. The optical and thermal properties of fused silica are superior to other types of glass due to its purity. Its transmission and homogeneity exceed those of crystalline quartz without the problems of temperature instability inherent in the crystalline form. Fused Silica has a coefficient of thermal expansion six times lower than Borosilicate (Pyrex) glass, which means that as fused silica cools down, it preserves its shape to a high degree of accuracy. This translates into consistent optical performance and unchanging focus over temperature changes. With its high melting temperature ()~ 1.600 degree Celsius), a very low coefficient of thermal expansion and resistance to thermal shock, fused silica is the material of choice for professional observatories as well as various scientific applications.

Scope of delivery

• Built in Heating elements for dew prevention – The heating pads on the primary and secondary mirror require the #1329200 Series-5 controller. Sold separately.
• OTA Cover – To protect the primary mirror and inside of the optical tube
• Flash drive – Contains software and instructions for collimation and spacing the primary to the secondary mirror
• Wrench Set (5812A35) – Standard hex wrenches (European orders only)

Specifications Optics

• Optical Design: Corrected Cassegrain
• Aperture (mm): 508 mm
• Focal Length: 1.537 mm (60.5 inch)
• Focal Ratio: F3
• Image Field: 70 mm
• Back Focus Distance: 9.166 inch (232.8 mm) from mounting surface; 7.271 inch (184.7 mm) from lens cell
• Central Obstruction: 59% by diameter
• Substrate: Fused Silica
• Optical length: 35.1 inch (892 mm)
• Optical Tube Weight: 165 lbs (75 kg)
• Tube material: Carbon fiber optical tube and truss poles

Specifications Secondary Mirror

• Diameter: 286 mm (11.26 inch)
• Material: Fused Silicia (quartz)
• Shape: Spherical
• Coating: Enhanced aluminium - 96%

Specifications Primary Mirror

• Optical Diameter: 20 inches (508 mm)
• Outer Diameter: 20.8 inches (528 mm)
• Material: Fused Silicia (quartz)
• Shape: prolate ellipsoid
• Coating: Enhanced aluminium - 96%

Specifications Lens Group

• Diameter largest lens: 160 mm (6.3 inch)
• Number of lenses: 3
• Coating: Broadband AR Coatings (less than .5% reflecte from 400 to 700 nm)