CDK20 Focuser

The CDK20 telescopes have Hedrick focusers that provide stable positioning of the camera and filter wheel assembly at the fixed focal plane of the telescope. The same type of focuser is used on the CDK125 telescope.

Mechanical System

The focuser on the CDK20N is shown below.

The camera is attached to a flanged tube centered on the optical axis of the telescope. The tube is constrained by roller bearings so that it cannot move laterally but can freely move in and out over a range of more than 30 mm with respect to the focal plane. One end of the leadscrew has a retainer that allows the leadscrew to rotate in a bearing attached to the focus tube. The leadscrew threads into a block that is attached to the focus tube housing. When the leadscrew rotates clockwise seen from the camera, it is pulled into the threaded block and the camera is translated toward the primary mirror. One turn of the screw advances the camera

A focus motor drives a bevel gear that engages a matching gear attached to the leadscrew that moves the camera. Since the screw has 32 threads per inch, one turn advances the camera focal plane 794 microns. The bevel gear and screw are clearly seen in this picture of the CDK20N Apogee camera.

When the motor assembly is removed the bevel gear may be rotated by hand to focus the telescope manually. At f/6.8 for the CDK20's, one turn of the focuser bevel gear will change the diameter of a stellar image by 794/6.8 = 117 microns. Since the Apogee cameras have 9 micron pixels, the change in the apparent image size is approximately 13 pixels per turn. In typical seeing we can adjust best focus for point spread functions of the order of 1 to 2 arcseconds, or 2 to 3 pixels. The focus can be optimized with final adjustments of the order of 1/8 of a turn.

Motor and Encoder

The CDK20 focuser motor is a DC servo with an integral optical encoder. A stock Celestron small telescope mount motor has been augmented with a machined plate to attach it to the focuser. The bevel gear, approximately 1/2 the diameter of the matching gear on the focuser, engages the focuser gear. There is a shaft extension that positions the motor gear. On the CDK20's the spacing may require shims. The motor assembly is shown below.