PLANEWAVE CDK 17" OTA

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The PlaneWave Instruments CDK17 Corrected Dall-Kirkham is an innovative telescope for unsurpassed astroimaging, research, or satellite tracking. With rock-solid fused silica mirrors, carbon fibre construction and pinpoint stars across a 70mm image circle, the CDK17 is the capable of capturing the most stunning astrophotographs possible.

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!

Features

• Carbon fibre tube minimizes thermal expansion, which causes focus shift as temperature changes during an imaging session. Carbon fibre also reaches ambient temperatures quickly and is extremely lightweight and rigid to help ensure excellent imaging data is produced.
  
• Dovetail Expansion Joint allows for the difference in thermal expansion between carbon fiber and aluminium. The expansion joint allows the aluminium dovetail to expand and contract without stressing the carbon fiber lower truss.

• 3D-printed precision positioned, lightweight baffle tubes to minimize vignetting and maximize image contrast. 

• Delta-T ready - 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.

• Three cooling fans blow out of the optical tube pulling air through 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 controlled by via PWI3 software.

All PlaneWave telescopes feature the following ports for dew heater and fan management:

• Two RCA connectors to power the dew heater (from the Delta T or from a 12V source)
• One RJ connector for the Delta T to the telescope to transmit temperature data
• One EFA connector to power the fans (EFA to 5.5-2.1 jack included)
• One auxiliary output port

The built-in dew heaters can be powered by any 12V DC source which has an RCA connector, but the Delta T is required to keep the mirror just above the dew point to avoid overheating and the resulting internal turbulences.

The EFA connector can be powered by the separate EFA controller, any 12V DC source using the supplied EFA to 5.5 x 2.1 jack, or by the Series-5 controller.

Optical system

Primary mirror

Secondary mirror

Lens group

• CDK17 OTA
• OTA cover to protect primary mirror
• PlaneWave thumb drive with software and collimation instructions