magnilux - Astronomy Technology Today

PROTOSTAR’S FLOCKBOARD
Image 5
in the FlockBoard once it was
installed. I did, however, test a
scrap out to evaluate the “pokeability”
of the board and it was
quite easy to do. I did have to
cut a hole out for the focuser, as
shown in Image 4. Again, it was
a very smooth operation. A fresh
utility knife blade always helps.
I have to admit that working
with the ProtoStar FlockBoard
was a bit anticlimactic. The
preparation took longer than the
actual installation. I put the primary,
focuser and end rings back
on. That was it; I had a flocked
telescope. The resulting reduction
in reflectivity of the telescope’s
inner wall is illustrated by
the two pairs of before and after
images in Image 5. The difference
is dramatic.
As for the flocking’s impact
on the scope’s performance, that
will take a while to fully evalu-
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