Here it is guys - the world's second only commercially manufactured 20" F/3 Truss Dobsonian and the FIRST to be sold to a customer independent of the telescope manufacturer and/or optician.  The envelope has really been pushed on this scope down to F/3 at 20" of aperture.   That's nearly 1/2" of glass removed in the center of the parabolic "dish" of the primary mirror (as compared to the outer edge). Gordon Waite, of Waite Research, who produced this fantastic mirror explains his test reports:

"As you know, it is far, far more difficult to get a high P-V and Strehl ratio on exceptionally fast mirrors.  But this mirror is excellent!  The wavefront P-V rating, according to FigureXP, is quite a bit better than 1/20th-wave.  The Surface RMS error is only 3.3 nm, and the Strehl ratio is calculated as 0.994 from this particular test.  These would be exceptional ratings for an "easy" mirror, and for a 20" F3, they are very near the limit of possible measurement!"

Gordon also explains that this data is not to be taken as 100% irrefutable, just that his focault tests have derived these numbers.   Gordon's shop standard is 1/10 P-V and the above test results allow him to say that there is an 80% statistical probability that such a mirror will be better than 1/10 P-V.   It may not be better than 1/20 P-V, but it's certainly better than 1/10 P-V and really, at 20" of aperture, anything between 1/20 P-V and 1/10 P-V is phenomenal.  

My own observing sessions with this scope have confirmed that the primary mirror and matching 5.0" minor-axis secondary mirror (also produced by Waite Research) are of exceptional quality.   Even with 25% central obstruction and less than ideal seeing conditions here in NJ of late, the images of Jupiter and the Moon have been striking.   Contrast is actually very good and subtle details in the NEB and SEB of Jupiter are sharp and distinct.   Craters on the Moon are also crisp and the "Straight Wall" is razor sharp.  Upon reading our observing reports, the customer from South Korea who contracted us to fabricate this unique telescope wrote the following:

"I got your e-mail through my iPhone. It make me very exciting!!!I can't express for your detail feedback. During read your e-mail, I got gooseflesh. I really really thanks.!!. You know, I couldn't sleep well after got your e-mail at yesterday because 20inch F3 is first time in my life."

Honestly, I got goosebumps during First Light as well knowing the time and effort that went into polishing this F/3 parabola.   Also knowing that there's only one other Newtonian Truss-Dob of this aperture and focal length on the face of the Earth gave me a feeling of awe.

This scope will be shipping out in approximately 2 weeks time to our customer in South Korea.   We will await his observing reports of this new 20" F/3 against StarMaster and Obsession Telescopes owned by other South Korean amateur astronomers.   With our Dual Boundary Layer Cooling Fans and Dual Under-Primary Cooling Fans, we know our customer will be observing far faster than his observing partners.  :-)