Why use a Carbon Fibre tube assembly?
Carbon fibre has excellent thermal and strength for weight properties that make it an ideal material for telescope tube assemblies. The carbon tube has significantly less thermal expansion and contraction than an aluminium tube, yet weighs a fraction of a similarly rigid metal or sonotube (i.e. cardboard) assembly. As a result the telescope will not sag or lose alignment under different orientations or shift focus as the temperature changes during a night’s observing. Note: some SCT manufacturers are now using carbon fibre outer tubes, but still fully mount and move their mirrors along an aluminium baffle tube, totally negating any benefits of a carbon composite tube assembly.Q: With these significant advantages, why aren’t Ritchie Chretien telescopes commonly seen in amateur hands? A: Ritchie Chretien telescopes require extremely tight optical and mechanical specifications, hence take considerable time, effort and not suprisingly, expense to make. They are intolerant of any mechanical
