IV. Commercially-Made Optics

IV. Commercially-Made Optics


Last updated 1/18/18

US

Baldwin Astronomical Optics

Go to www.jeffbaldwin.org.
Large Aperture Fast Focal Ratio Telescope Optics, S.I.T. tested, star tested, high reflectivity, fair priced. We will make any aperture between 6" and 40" and any focal ratio f/3 or longer.


Clear Star Optics

4193 Tallmadge Road, Rootstown, OH 44272 (216-325-1722) Newtonian Mirrors, also flats.

Coulter

Coulter Optical (R), Part of MURNAGHAN Instruments Corp. 1781 Primrose Ln., W. Palm Beach, FL 33414, Ph. (561) 795-2201 Fax: (561) 795-9889 Or go to Coulter Optical When the old Coulter Optical in California closed due to the owner's death, the name and products were obtained by Murnaghan Instruments Corp. They now sell the Coulter Optical Odyssey scopes, and mirrors, as well as secondaries, telescope kits, mirrors and ATM Components (spiders, brackets, etc.). Sizes range from 6" f/8 up to 13.1" f/4.5.

D & G Optical

6490 Lemon Street, East Petersburg, PA 17520 717-560-1519 ...or...email dgoptical@aol.com or visit... http://www.dgoptical.com/ Refractor objectives, apochromatic (5.1") and achromats (5 -12") Refractor Tube Assemblies (OTAs) 5" to 12" Classical Cassegrain sets and OTAs. Also parabolic mirrors through 20". Refigures finished mirrors.

Edmund Scientific

dept 10B1, N919 Edscorp Bldg, Barington, NJ 08007 Edmund is not the astro company they once were, but they do carry a lot of lenses and some other optical components.  Go to Edmund Scientific.

Enterprise Optics

P.O. Box 413, Placienta, CA 92670 714-524-7520 Newtonian and Cassegrain Optics, 6" to 24", Elliptical flats to 6".

Galaxy Optics

P.O. Box 2045, Buena Vista, CO 81211 719-395-8242 A very well respected name in finished mirrors. 18" minimum. Go To Galaxy or email info@GalaxyOptics.com

High Lonesome Optics

HCR 74, Box 106 Fort Davis, TX 79734-5002 Phone: (915) 426-3880 Fax: (915) 426-3274 A firm that specializes in high quality optics for the laser market as well as professional astronomy. They have built optics for the McDonald Observatory, including spectrograph optics, the 25" main flat for the Supernova Search Telescope, and the new Hobby-Eberly telescope. Specialists in flats and spheres, but seem to be willing to sell to amateurs.

JSL Perpetual Technology, Inc.

275 East 100 North, P. O. Box 51 Willard UT 84340, (801) 723-5568, Primary mirrors 6-30", focusers, eyepieces and mounts.

Lightholder Optics

P. O. Box 14271, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96151,TEL/FAX: (530) 577-3811 John Lightholder produces custom Newtonian mirrors in 10" to 28" sizes. Written guarantee of optical performance of "1/8 wave at the wavefront, twice as precise as the industry 1/4 wave standard". See the webpage for more details. Go to Lightholder Optics ...or email...Lightholderoptics@charter.net.

NOVA Optical Systems

P.O. Box 80062, Cornish, UT 84308, (801) 258-5699. 10 to 25" Newtonian Mirrors, f4-f10.

Optic Wave Laboratories

11358 Amalgam Way, Suite A2, Gold River, CA 95670 Phone: (916) 671-5962 or Fax: (916) 671-5669 Supplier of finished telescope mirrors, including lightweight cellular mirrors, other custom optics, re-figuring services and even telescope servicing for commercial telescopes. Visit Optic Wave Laboratories or email Cary@OpticWaveLabs.com .

Optical Mechanics, Inc.

Optical Mechanics, Inc., Iowa Headquarters: Telephone: 319-351-3960 Fax: 319-351-3943, West Coast Office: Telephone: 530-694-2221 Fax: 530-694-2221 Formerly Torus Precision Optics. This is the company that produces the mirrors for the Obsession line of telescopes. They stock mirrors from 12.5" to 25" f4, and will also re-figure any mirror you might have in this size range. Their optics also include classical and Ritchey- Chretien cassegrain sets. They also sell complete cassegrain telescopes, and even parts for Dobsonian telescopes. Go to Optical Mechanics or email President and Chief Optician James Mulherin jcmulherin@opticalmechanics.com for more information.

Opticast

Opticast Corporation, 5800 Appaloosa NW, Albuquerque, NM 87120, Ph (505) 836-0502 Fax (505) 890-4017 Opticast makes telescope mirrors by casting from a master mold.There is a limited range of diameters and focal lengths, but it's an interesting technique, and the data on the website looks good. Go to: www.opticastmirrors.com/ or email: info@opticastmirrors.com

Orion Telescope and Binocular Center

2450 17th Avenue, PO Box 1158, Santa Cruz, CA 95061, 800-447-1001 Newtonian primaries, 6 - 12.5", & secondaries. They have several email addresses: Sales/Product Info, New Product department, and Customer Support should help you get started, or Go To Orion Telescope Center

Parks Optical Co.

Parks Optical, 750 East Easy St., Simi Valley, CA 93065 USA (805) 522-6722, Fax (805) 522-0033 Newtonian primary mirrors 4.5-16", secondaries. These are the mirrors used in Parks' telescopes. Go to Go To Parks Telescopes ...or email... parksoptical@parksoptical.com

Pegasus Optics

P. O. Box 1389, Brackettville, TX 78832, TEL: (830) 563-2578 FAX: (830) 563-2965 Contact John Hall. Specializes in 18 to 25" Mirrors, Lifetime warranty, test/certs for all mirrors sold. Diagonals. Visit Pegasus or email hallj@hilconet.com

R.F. Royce - Precision Optical Components

Newtonian (fully corrected parabolic) Primary Mirrors 1/8 Wave or Better, Peak to Valley, at the Wave Front. Also custom optics such as: Cassegrain and Ritchey-Chretien systems, Parabolic mirrors 6" to 16" of any focal ratio from f/3 to f/15 and longer, Optical Flats from 6" to 16" Low Expansion substrate material available, as well as other special order items. Visit R. F. Royce or email rfroyce@cshore.com

Star Instruments

PO Box 597, Flagstaff, AZ 86002 520-774-9177 10" TO 40" Newtonian, Classical Cassegrain and Richey-Chretien Cassegrain optics. Catalog $2 US/$3 others

Surplus Shed

8408 Allentown Pike, Blandon, PA 19510, Phone: 1-877-4-7Surplus (1-877-778-7758) Fax: 610-926-0978, Outside US 610-926-9226 Government and commercial surplus source. Hard to pin down what to expect, but they've carried an amazing assortment of flats, cored (Cassegrain) blanks, lenses, mirrors, and more. Also, electronics equipment. Go to: Surplus Shed or email surplushed@aol.com

Swayze Optical

Swayze Optical, 700 NE 101st Ave., #31, Portland, OR 97220, Phone: (503) 252-5009, Fax: (503) 335-3320 Custom mirrors in 12.5" to 30". Go to Swayze Optical or Email steve@europa.com

United Lens Co.

Inc., Southbridge, Mass. 01550 508-765-5421

University Optics

P.O.Box 1205, Ann Arbor, MI 48106, phone 800-521-2828, Fax 734-665-1815 sells a small line of mirrors in addition to the other supplies listed in part 5. Go to University Optics

Canada

Arnold Optics

(Barry Arnold) 433 Sioux Road, Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada T8A 4H2 Phone/Fax:(780) 467-4781.Newtonian paraboloid and secondary mirror optic sets: 8" to 16", larger on special order. Optical windows, achromatic refractor lenses (to order), mirror diagonals, prism diagonals, Optical design consulting, & custom optical element fabrication. Paraboloid and flat evaluation and refiguring.


6 comments:

  1. Scope City is has been closed since Nov 2013

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    1. Thanks. Tells you how often I get feedback.

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  2. Looking for a company to regrind and figure older 16" f/4.5 mirror. Talked with Ron Behrens at Pegasus Optics. Unless you have heard any negative comments, I plan to use them. Thanks in advance.

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    1. I haven't personally heard anything negative about Pegasus Optics.

      I'd appreciate any feedback you have after it's all completed. A 16" f4.5 is by no means a trivial exercise, and the more they've done, the more likely you are to get something you're happy with.

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  3. An update... Lightholder Optics Email is: Lightholderoptics@charter.net and the new phone number is 530-577-3811.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks for the update - it's incorporated now.

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