I've decided to sell my R.F. Royce 14.5" f/5 conical mirror. It's been sitting in a box for the last few years and there is no real chance that I will have a scope for it in the near future, so I've come to the conclusion that it should go to a better home where it will be used for its intended purpose. It is too good to be left sitting on a shelf.
This is an excellent mirror, it is Royce mirror #402, engraved on the back by Royce and dated 8/2006, although I didn't receive it until some months after that time. This is not a standard conical mirror, the blank was thinned significantly at my request to improve cooling and *does not* have a central hole (ie this is known as a "continuous face" mirror, and is supported directly from the back). I supported it simply by silicone RTV at the join where the mirror contacts the cell - with no visible change in its optical performance.
Regarding image quality it was used for this image of Jupiter in 2010:
http://www.acquerra.com.au/astro/gal...-174959utc.png
as well as all my images between June 2009 and mid-2011, including images of the 2010/11 great storm on Saturn.
This was the mirror in my scope for the asteroid impact discovery on Jupiter in 2009 and the capture of an atmospheric bolide on Jupiter in 2010 (the first time an atmospheric meteor on Jupiter was recorded from earth) so it has some significant history, and also sentimental value for me.
Royce has a section on his website dedicated to some of the other images taken with this mirror:
http://www.rfroyce.com/wesley%20jupiter.htm
The mirror is 60mm thick in the centre and 12mm thick at the edge. The coating is in excellent condition - I can't see any sign visually that the coating is different now from when I received it. It has been well looked after and stored in a dry environment. The coating is protected aluminium. There are two very thin strips where the coating was missed during manufacture (I believe this was where the support rails overlapped the mirror) which are purely cosmetic, and of course have been there for the life of the mirror. They measure about 2mm wide on opposite sides of the mirror, just visible in the attached image.
The mirror is accurately centre spotted with a catseye red triangle.
Asking price $AU3000 + freight if required from Murrumbateman 2582. This is about 2/3 the current replacement value if you consider exchange rate and shipping etc from the US and it is a proven mirror of high quality.
Replies in this thread or PM me.
regards, Anthony
