What is TMB?

[willis]

This is what I have learnt from Internet, in particular Cloudy Nights, Astromart, TMB Optical etc. Hope this can help to clarify what are TMB, TMB/APM, APM/TMB, APM/LOMO, APM/LZOS, A&M/TMB etc.
Since the name “TMB” is legendary, it is worth to know what it means. TMB is the short form of Thomas M. Back (1957-2007), one of the prominent optical designers. http://www.tmboptical.com/ In order to have superb telescope, the basics are optical design, glass, polish and quality control. The reason why “real TMB” is excellent is that it meets all 4 basic requirements. About the optical design, there should be no question about this. Thomas Back is a world class optical designer. About the glass, most people think that Fluorite is the best glass material. Thomas Back found that’s not the case after long investigations like Edison, in fact the three elements in the triplet are different. The best glass he found is OK-4 SD glass which is from Russia and LZOS (LZOS is the source of high quality glass in Russia) http://www.unitedweb.de/apo/theorie/, http://www.unitedweb.de/apo/theorie/tmbFAQ.pdf. LOMO is the second big optical company in Russia . TMB 80/480 & TMB 80/600’s lenses are made by LOMO. In fact TMB had explained in final post in CN. The current 80/480 & 80/600 are in fact redesigned by LOMO in 2003. To be exact, they are APM/LOMO 80/480 & APM/LOMO 80/600. But some people keep on calling them APM/TMB 80/480 & APM/TMB 80/600. In his final post, he was very sick at that time already, he listed all his designs. This post is being locked by CN and is an important TMB reference now. http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbarchive/ ... in/1163855 I could not find all three elements are in the Internet. Maybe it is commercial secrete. About the polish, LZOS & LOMO hand craft the lens to military standard in Russia. Last but not the least, the quality control, all the LOMO & LZOS lenses are inspected by APM to ensure the quality, say at least of 95% Strehl ratio. So we have APM/TMB which the heart of LZOS LOMO. In addition APM gives all the test report to their customers. However, when Thomas Back took APM/LZOS & APM/LOMO and served as sole dealer in US, he kept all the reports.
After Thomas Back passed away, his brother found the name “TMB” is in fact a cash cow. He ruled TMB optical and used cheaper Asian manufacturers, to make “TMB” and flooded the market with those cheaper Asian products. APM did not want to have his high quality optics being mixed up with the new cheap Chinese named TMB scopes and removed all TMB names from the website, sticker, lens cells etc. This is business world… As now u can see there are lots of cheap TMBs, not only telescope, but a few hundred dollars china made TMB eyepieces etc. http://www.tmboptical.com/ In order to avoid confusion, some telescope makers just avoid the name “TMB”, meaning of cheaper Asian products. That’s why we have APM/LZOS, APM/LOMO etc. The most import point is that the soul is TMB, optical design & glasses which are selected by Thomas Back. In fact some other telescope makers use LZOS & LOMO lens to make telescopes, say Italy’s A&M/TMB. http://www.opticstar.com/Run/Astronomy/ ... _10_1_2_30 To differential the original TMB & new TMB, may be called the new one TMB/TMB. For more discussions, see this CN link:
http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthreads/ ... ost2959613

[社長]

謝謝Willis花時間整理好這份詳盡資料，對不少人來說，今天仍很混淆TMB, APM等的稱謂，希望這個文件作為一個參考。

可能傳統地緣關係，香港不少同好較熟悉日本高橋望遠鏡，有個別進階愛好者則有些Astrophysics (包括我的老師)，甚至冷門一點的TEC，對APM (或他們口中的TMB)，名字很熟，也從外國論壇如Cloudynights.com或內地論壇都知道這個品牌備受追捧，但實際接觸機會不多。

但事實上，作為香港及中國區總代理，僅過去一年經我親手引進的APM-TMB望遠鏡，論數量論金額都不算少，例如：

我為內地朋友進的 APM-TMB 304 f7.5 APO 折射鏡 (今年中付運)
內地機構進的 APM-TMB 304 f12 APO 折射鏡 (易手器材，由第三者代辦)
我為內地朋友進的 APM-TMB 254 f9 APO 折射鏡
我手上的 APM-TMB 254 f9 APO 折射鏡
保良局顏寶鈴書院 APM-TMB 228 f9 APO 折射鏡
我的現正使用的 APM-TMB 203 f7 APO 折射鏡
我為內地朋友進的 APM-TMB 203 f7 APO 折射鏡
我為澳門一所中學引進的 APM-TMB 152 f8 APO 折射鏡

(香港中文大學數年前也自行引進了APM-TMB 175 f8 APO 折射鏡，我當時還不是代理)

另外我為其他學校、私人引進(包括東南亞的同好)、早前及本月會到的好一批 130 f9.25、130 f6、115 f7、105 f6.2、100 f8、80 f7.5、80 f6等，唯一沒有引進過的，只是175 f8、180 f7、以及全球最大的APO折射鏡 503 f12型號。

要知道目前能供應203 (8英吋)口徑以上的APO折射鏡，除APM外，就只有高橋、從前的Pentax (現已停產望遠鏡及公司售予Hoya)，而高橋不早前才首次接單生產第一台300APO折射鏡，而APM-LZOS生產最大的APO已達503口徑。

所以我的看法是，從數量、口徑、增長率及美譽度來評價，APM-TMB (或叫APM-LZOS、APM-LOMO)的APO折射鏡，都是現時天文圈內一股很重要的參與力量。

上兩幅很經典的照片，是去年一批APM 254、228、203運抵時，於白鷺湖天文台拍的照片。Libby手持的是Astrophysics 130折射鏡，我在2000年登記排隊，於2009年初拿到名額，最後把名額送給人家，拿回來開箱看看數分鐘就寄走了。
http://hk.myblog.yahoo.com/galaxyscient ... le?mid=294

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[dormitory]

刚刚一字一句地拜读完 对APM TMB有了很多的了解 感谢作者分享

[社長]

可細讀這篇Thomas Back (TMB)生前的測試報告，包括了我在用的203 f7、以及品牌內最高修正度的130 f9.25，這台鏡在香港有一台，在超可見光譜內達至繞射極限，而且Polychromatic Strehl特別高，按Thomas Back說，是全球生產型折射鏡中最高水平：
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/tmboptical/message/30184

香港有一台用在一個小學校圓頂內：
http://hk.myblog.yahoo.com/galaxyscientific/article?mid=462

[Nebulas]

前几天看《大决战-辽沈战役》，社长的这组镜子显示简直可以组成一个轰天的炮兵连队了。

这篇介绍很不错，之前我也是很疑惑，不过一想类似 BSD 操作系统，也是三个人的名字组合。

没有想到出自一个人的。

[社長]

Massimo Riccardi 是行內有名的光學設計師，Astrophysics的RH攝星儀就是出自他的手筆，他也為APM做不少設計，包括為意大利一位用戶修改了Thomas Back的設計，出品全球最大的510 f12.5 APO折射鏡，
viewtopic.php?f=13&t=92

以及期待已久的0.75x Super ED reducer：
viewtopic.php?f=21&t=611

最近跟他談起TMB設計、LZOS造工的APM折射鏡有何特別之處，能夠動輒出品200以上，甚至304、510口徑的折射鏡，他的回覆值得細味。所以我一直說，Thomas Back的設計只是故事的一部份，因為LZOS要按每一次鑄造出來的玻璃系數把TMB的設計微調才可造鏡，所以每一個鏡頭都可說是獨一無二的：

viewtopic.php?f=22&t=595

看Massimo的說法：
------------------------------------------
I know in detail how the TMB triplet work and are made and what I can say you is that there are no “magic” mating glass. They are made all from Lzos catalog.

About the high performance you refer and that astonish you they are mainly due to :

- a good design
-an high quality manufacturing
-high quality centering (cell)
-high quality glass homogeneity .

Melting homogeneous glasses in large diameter is one of the major problem when dealing with large diameters and this is why you don’t see large size apo from well-known manufaturers : they are not able to find large blanks having high index homogeneity across the diameter.

If you don’t have such guarantee you will not get any fine apo even if you have a ultra-performing design and if you are a ultra-skilled optician.

As confirmation please notice the fact that chengdu Fpl51 equivalent glass is not reliable in size larger than 120-130 mm because chengdu likely (at the moment ) don’t have the necessary know-how for melting it in the right way in big size.

[Lewis]

社長,

Willis is the guy who love to write paper.