The CDK Optical Design
The CDK is a revolutionary new telescope optical system that was designed
to excel at imaging on large format CCD cameras while remaining an excellent
instrument for visual use.
Created to meet the demands of both the serious imager and visual observer,
the CDK is offered at an unprecedented value for a telescope of this quality
and aperture.
One of the unique features of the CDK design is its ease of collimation
and achievable centering tolerance for a telescope of its class.
This assures the user will get the best possible performance out of
the telescope.
The end result is a telescope which is free from off-axis coma, off-axis
astigmatism, and curvature of field, yielding a perfectly flat field all
the way out to the edge of a 52mm image circle.
This means pinpoint stars from the center out to the corner of the
field of view. More on the optical design.
Company Background
PlaneWave Instruments was founded in 2006 by Richard Hedrick and Joseph
Haberman, two former telescope engineers at Celestron, the second largest
telescope manufacturer worldwide.
Richard Hedrick brings over 21 years of experience in telescope design.
Hedrick worked for 11 years as former Chief Technology Officer and previous
owner of Celestron where he was responsible for developing Celestron’s
award winning Schmidt-Cassegrain computerized telescopes.
Joseph Haberman has over 20 years experience in telescope making and
has worked for Celestron for 5 years as an optical engineer and master
optician.
Getting a product like the CDK into the hands of serious imagers and
amateur astronomers has been a shared vision of Hedrick and Haberman for
many years.
PlaneWave Instruments is committed to providing the highest quality
observatory-class products for serious astronomers.