BAO makes primary paraboloidal telescope mirrors for LAFFRTs [Large Aperture Fast Focal Ratio Telescopes] as well as LMASMs [Large Minor Axis Secondary Mirrors].

Primary mirrors from this shop range from 16” to 40” and generally are around f/3, but variations may be ordered. Please only order between f/2.61 and f/3.6.

Secondary mirrors from this shop range from 4” m.a. up to 8.5” m.a.

On all mirrors, test data is supplied.

LAFFRTs are awesome. Observing through large aperture telescopes brings the deep sky in like no other experience, but a tall ladder is dangerous at night and leaves the observer with an uneasy feeling even if he or she were to survive the experience. The telescopes also become huge to haul, use and store, so bringing the telescope down to f/3 makes it so much more fun and much safer. Standing on the ground while observing through a huge light bucket is the ticket. One obvious problem is coma, but using a coma corrector such as the TeleVue Starlight SIPS, or the Baader coma corrector resolves this and the fields are sharp.

The shop is located in Lathrop, CA about an hour east of San Francisco in the Central Valley of California.

Prices vary due to the changes in the economy, glass availability, and costs of mirror-making. That said, BAO’s goal is to make it all as affordable as possible. So what BAO thinks is a fair price today may not be tomorrow, we price them order at a time. Email us at bald@jeffbaldwin.org with a request and BAO will follow up.

BAO’s first and foremost objective is customer satisfaction through excellent optics. Amateur astronomy and telescope making is at our heart and whatever it takes to make successes in these areas is where we aim. If BAO is making it difficult for this to happen, then we are miserably failing in what we desire. BAO will do everything in its power to keep amateur astronomy and telescope making alive and well.

Links

· Stockton Astronomical Society ATM events.

· Tests Used by Baldwin Astronomial Optics

· Hourglass Telescope Mirrors by Lonnie Robinson

· Stockton Astronomical Society

· Sonoma County Astronomical Society

· Sacramento Valley Astronomical Society

· Nevada County Astronomers

· Spokane Astronomical Society

· Oregon Observatory at Sun River

· Sky Mountain Outdoor Education CenterStellafane

· Astronomical League

· Dark Sky Association

· Striking Sparks Telescopw Give-Away Flyer

· Striking Sparks Telescope Give-Away Application

· APOD