Dec08

ASTRONOMY

TECHNOLOGY TODAY Your Complete Guide to Astronomical Equipment

THE RIGEL SYSTEMS QUIKFINDER • THE ORION ATLAS MOUNT AND EQMOD NEW TWISTS ON OLD PROBLEMS • FROM THE KITCHEN TO THE FIELD THE MOONLITE CR MOTORIZED FOCUSER

The LHIRESS III Spectograph High Resolution Spectrography For The Masses Volume 2 • Issue 12 December 2008 $5.00 US

Contents Industry News

Cover Story -33 The Lhires III spectrograph is pictured superimposed on an image of the star that is the favorite target of many Lhires users, our sun. Although the Lhires III is typically used to display spectra and the wealth of information that reveals, it can also be used as a spectroheliograph to scan the sun and capture data that is subsequently translated through processing to rebuild detailed images of the sun similar to that which decorates the cover. Although the cover image of the sun displays its Ha spectrum, the Lhires grating can be positioned to target any spectrum and is therefore capable of revealing detail not available in this Ha view of the sun.

11 OPTICAL MECHANICS, INC. To Conduct Mirror Coating Study

12 TEETER’S TELESCOPES Back In Production

In This Issue 8

Editor’s Note Things I Learn At Star Parties

By Gary Parkerson

33 The LHIRES III Spectrograph High-Resolution Spectrography for the Masses By “Barlow Bob” 41 The Moonlite CR Motorized Focuser The Perfect Accessory for Optimizing an Imaging Newtonian

By John Moody 47 The Rigel Systems QuikFinder The “Quik” Tool For Finding Your Way Around the Night Sky

By Don Schwab 51 The Orion Atlas Mount and EQMOD Uncle Rod Gets Deforked By “Uncle Rod” Mollise

68 Astro Tips, Tricks, and Novel Solutions From The Kitchen to the Field

By Gary Parkerson

14 SKY-WATCHER Revamps Sky-Watcher ED Refractor Line 15 ASTROPHOTO INSIGHT MAGAZINE Offers Midwest Astro-Imaging Conference DVDs 15 SKYSHED OBSERVATORIES POD To Be Featured On Entertainment Tonight 16 CCDWARE Offers Expanded Product Suite 17 EXPLORER SCIENTIFIC Teams with David H. Levy on Comet Hunter RFT 18 SIERRA STARS OBSERVATORY Rigel Telescope Joins Sierra Stars Observatory Network 19 ORION TELESCOPES & BINOCULARS Widens Premium Lines with 110-mm f/7 ED Refractor

61 New Twists on Old Problems Four Products That Dare to Deviate from the Norm

By Erik Wilcox and Gary Parkerson Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

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Contributing Writers

Contents New Products 21 PACIFIC DESIGN Offers New “Nix-Dew” Shields

“Barlow Bob” is a Central New York banker, with a passion since 1990 for promoting amateur solar astronomy and spectroscopy. He is a member of the Rockland Astronomy Club in Suffern, NY. For the last 17 years, he has provided safe solar observing through a variety of solar filters and spectroscopes at the NEAF Northeast Astronomy Forum. In 2004, he created the NEAF Solar Star Party

“Uncle” Rod Mollise, despite a demanding day job as an engineer with an aerospace firm, still finds time to teach astronomy to undergraduates at the University of South Alabama, write books and magazine articles about astronomy, and observes. He also maintains the website http://skywatch.brainiac.com/astroland/index.htm.

John Moody is a computer programmer/analyst who became interested in astronomy as a youngster when a family friend/amateur gave him a homemade Newtonian scope. He got back into the hobby a few years ago and was bitten by the imaging bug. When not imaging the sky from Panther Creek Observatory in Southwest Missouri, he can be found observing visually, drag racing, tinkering or taking non-astro photos.

22 ASTROSYSTEMS New Primary Mirror Cell 23 SCOPESTUFF Compression Ring Adapters for Synta Refractor Focusers Are Back 24 SMART ASTRONOMY Introduces Sterling Series Plossls

Don Schwab has been fascinated by the night sky all of his life and as he states “Nothing sums up my feelings better than the words of the late Thomas M. Back ‘Don’t worry about what telescope you own, or its quality. Just get out under the night sky and enjoy God’s wondrous universe.’”

e d t

Erik Wilcox has been observing the sky for more than 20 years. In addition to being a longtime moderator on the popular astronomy forum at www.cloudynights.com, he recently started a new forum at www.starstuffforums.com. When he’s not viewing the sky, he sings and plays guitar in a rock band.

26 ASTRO-PHYSICS Adds 2.7-Inch to 6x7 Adapter to Arsenal of Versatile Tools 28 OPTEC New IFW 3-inch Filter Wheel

SUBSCRIBERS

30 EXPLORER SCIENTIFIC Introduces 82 degree Series Eyepieces

can now renew their subscription online!

For more information go to our website. www.AstronomyTechnologyToday.com 6

Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

31 CELESTRON SkyScout Expansion Cards Now Available 31 AURORA ASTRO Offers Complete Telrad Chart Series

The Supporting

CAST

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Starizona www.starizona.com page 3 Stark Labs www.stark-labs.com page 23 Starlight Instruments www.starlightinstruments.com page 16 Stellar Technologies International www.stellar-international.com page 44 Stellarvue www.stellarvue.com page 29 Telescope Stability Systems www.telescopestabilitysystems.com page 15 Taurus Technologies www.taurus-tech.com page 22 Tele Vue Optics www.televue.com page 70, 71 Unihedron www.unihedron.com page 55 Van Slyke Instruments www.observatory.org page 17, 25

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ASTRONOMY

TECHNOLOGY TODAY

Volume 2 • Issue 12 December 2008 Publisher Stuart Parkerson

Managing Editor Gary Parkerson

Associate Editors Russ Besancon Karol Birchfield Jessica Parkerson

Art Director Lance Palmer

Staff Photographer Jim Osborne

Web Master Richard Harris

3825 Gilbert Drive Shreveport, Louisiana 71104 info@astronomytechnologytoday.com www.astronomytechnologytoday.com Astronomy Technology Today is published monthly by Parkerson Publishing, LLC. Bulk rate postage paid at Dallas, Texas, and additional mailing offices. ©2008 Parkerson Publishing, LLC, all rights reserved. No part of this publication or its Web site may be reproduced without written permission of Parkerson Publishing, LLC. Astronomy Technology Today assumes no responsibility for the content of the articles, advertisements, or messages reproduced therein, and makes no representation or warranty whatsoever as to the completeness, accuracy, currency, or adequacy of any facts, views, opinions, statements, and recommendations it reproduces. Reference to any product, process, publication, or service of any third party by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not constitute or imply the endorsement or recommendation of Astronomy Technology Today.

The publication welcomes and encourages contributions; however is not responsible for the return of manuscripts and photographs. The publication, at the sole discretion of the publisher, reserves the right to accept or reject any advertising or contributions. For more information contact the publisher at Astronomy Technology Today, 3825 Gilbert Drive, Shreveport, Louisiana 71104, or e-mail at info@astronomytechnologytoday.com.

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Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

Editor’s

Note

Gary Parkerson, Managing Editor

THINGS I LEARN AT STAR PARTIES I haven’t made it to as many star parties this year as I would have liked, but noticed at most I did travel to that attendance was down a bit from previous years. There’s no doubt that record fuel prices and a general sense of economic uncertainty caused many to save the cost of attendance, but I still worry as I witness what appears the ever-increasing average age of attendees that interest in our favorite activity may decline irrevocably if we don’t take even more steps to promote its popularity. I don’t mean to suggest that all should have an active interest in astronomy, but I do want all to know that active, meaningful enjoyment of astronomy is readily available to them. This is a subject I’ve covered before here, but a recent experience was so encouraging that I hope you won’t mind a bit more.

I attended the Deep South Regional Star Gaze at the end of October and it was blessed with perfect weather each and every night (and day, for whatever that’s worth). DSRSG combines comfortable facilities, enviably dark skies, and the classic brand of hospitality bred only into us southerners (braggin’s another cherished southern cliché;-).

It is held at camp Ruth Lee, a Camp Fire USA facility 45 miles north of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and within an easy drive of New Orleans. The location is far enough north of the gulf coast that it was spared the worst of the hurricanes that visited the state in recent years, so it continues its primary mission of serving the youth of a 13 parish area of south Louisiana.

My only regret for DSRSG 2008

was that there were few children in attendance – despite the facility’s focus on serving youth, it was for the better part of a week inhabited by a group of folks who are far closer to my advancing age than that of those few children, and in this DSRSG is, unfortunately, not unique. But, before my first night there had hardly begun, I’d found reason for encouragement in the form of Heather LeBlanc. Heather is a young teacher of fifth grade students in Luling, Louisiana, and was there with her husband, and her first scope, a Celestron NexStar 130 SLT (more on that later), a recent gift.

Indeed, DSRSG 2008 was Heather’s first star party.

I had the good fortune of setting up next to Heather and was well positioned to witness the steady stream of veteran observers who shared their knowledge, and to overhear the excellent questions she had for them. Heather had obviously been doing lots of homework before her first major outing with her new scope and was clearly making the most of the dark skies and collective wisdom of her fellow star partiers. I wondered a little about the hours she spent recording copious notes during the day, but thought it better not to pry at the time.

Heather’s enthusiasm was as contagious as any I’ve confronted in my astronomy travels and I couldn't have found a more pleasant, and as it turns out helpful, star party neighbor. I delivered the Celestron CG5GT mount that I mentioned last month to Jim Osborne at DSRSG and we set it up Saturday evening to try it out with his scope. I demonstrated the little I’d managed to

learn about the alignment routine and basic go-to functions of the CG5, but was unable to answer questions about its more advanced capabilities as those arose during the night. Fortunately, Heather’s computerized Celestron Newt featured the same hand control and software version as the CG5. Before the night was over, that astro-newbie was showing both Jim and this would-be master of astro tech more than a thing-or-two about the functions of that control system. And yes, for those who suffered through last month’s editor’s note, she’d already learned the names and locations of far more alignment stars that I’ll ever manage.

As for the NexStar 130 SLT, it’s not often that I get to use what the market positions as entry level scopes, so I had little reason to anticipate their capabilities. The 130-mm Newt was surprisingly capable. The views exceeded by far any expectations I had for an f/5 Newt matched with Plossl eyepieces sans coma corrector. Stars were surprisingly sharp across more of the field of view produced by the included 25-mm Plossl than not, go-tos were consistently near the center of that same field of view, and tracking just as accurate. The scope even produced impressively contrasty detail when it targeted Jupiter. I’m going to have to pay a lot more attention to “entry level” scopes in the future if the 130 SLT is any indication of what manufacturers are now accomplishing on that end of the equipment spectrum.

And as for Heather’s extensive note taking, her motive was hinted at in a post-event email exchange - she was simply preparing to better share every exciting detail of the weekend with her students. So the initial discouragement I felt for the scarcity of children at DSRSG was shortsighted. Many children will benefit from Heather’s experiences there, just as they do when each of us find opportunity to encourage kids to explore their universe and share views through our beloved telescopes.

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With the advent of the CCD camera, amateurs are exploring the skies to an ever increasing level of precision. This new level puts a higher demand on the precision of the equatorial mounting. Many of the finest imagers today have been using our GTO mounts as a solid platform for a wide variety of instruments.

For moderately large instruments, the ultimate in capacity and portability is the 1200GTO.

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INDUSTRYNEWS

OPTICAL MECHANICS, INC. To Conduct Mirror Coating Study James Mulherin, President and Master Optician of Optical Mechanics, Inc. (OMI), recently announced its plans to conduct an extensive, long-term study into the longevity of aluminum reflective coatings.

There are several types of aluminum coatings available for astronomical mirrors and these mirrors are used and stored in a variety of environments, factors that are expected to impact the longevity of aluminum reflective coatings. Environmental factors impacting this longevity include, but are not limited to, humidity and pollutants in the atmosphere and the storage environment.

Environmental factors often vary as a function of climate and storage practices.

Examples of general climate types include the Desert Southwest (mostly dry, yearly monsoon), MidWest (warm, humid summer, cold winter), and Gulf Coast (hot, humid summer, mild humid winter).

Some telescopes reside in permanent installations such as a dome or roll-off roof observatory, while others are stored in a trailer, garage, basement, or climate controlled house.

OMI’s proposed experiment seeks to determine the general rate of deterioration of each of several coating types in various environments.

Because of the diversity of environments, it is not expected that a hard rule for longevity can be established. However, it is OMI’s hope that the data obtained from various climates will allow it to arrive at a fairly representative life expectancy and to provide additional information on the effects of specific climate and storage conditions. OMI also hopes to better gauge how much longevity projections should be expected to differ from the average due to a particular environmental factors.

Details of the study are quite interesting

and will be covered in full in a future feature article. OMI anticipates as many as 100 participants, each of whom will receive a kit containing six mirror coating samples. Each sample will measure 1 inch by 3 inches and participants are asked to have the samples “live” with their scopes, experiencing the same environmental conditions that the telescopes experiences when in use and in storage. The six samples will include one IBAD (Ion Beam Assisted Deposition)-Bare Aluminum, a second with Non-IBAD-Bare Aluminum, a third with IBAD-Protected Aluminum, a fourth with Non-IBAD-Protected Aluminum, a fifth with IBAD-Enhanced Aluminum and the final with Non-IBAD-Enhanced Aluminum.

The entire kits will be returned to OMI periodically for inspection and reflectivity measurement taken prior to and after cleaning, allowing OMI to determine the loss of reflectivity due to dust and other contaminants and to formulate better recommendations for cleaning frequency.

Once all data is collected, OMI hopes to be able to answer the following questions: 1. How does the reflectivity of each coating decrease with time?

2. How do environmental conditions affect the reflectivity of each coating? 3. How can one tell when it is time to recoat a mirror?

Pictured is OMI’s Airco-Temescal FCE 4800 coating machine that will be used to prepare the more than 600 1-inch by 3-inch test samples to be distributed to study participants.

Due to the nature of the subject, the OMI study is, of necessity, a long term one and could run five years or more. Participants will, therefore, be making a significant commitment by assisting in the study.

All readers are invited to participate in the long term coating study. If you are interested, please join the OMI Coatings Yahoo discussion group at http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/ group/OMIcoatings. Participants are not required to have an OMI coating on their telescope mirror, as all samples to be studied will be provided in the kits supplied by OMI.

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Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

Many Dobsonian fans have, in recent years, bemoaned the fact that Teeter’s Telescopes had ceased production. Its principal, Robert Teeter (“Rob” to his astronomy friends), had ended his too-short career as a manufacturer upon completing college and starting a career in environmental science. Fortunately though, Rob’s completion of the Stellafane Donation Scope project (see our cover story) not only rekindled demand for his premium Dobsonians, but also convinced him that limited production of his designs was still feasible, despite his demanding schedule.

Teeter’s Telescopes has begun production of a limited number of 12.5-inch Dobs with initial deliveries anticipated for just prior to Christmas 2008. Rob plans to begin production in January of 2009 of a run of 15-inch f/4 to f/5 Truss-Dobs which will have an estimated completion date in early April. Anxious buyers are already starting to claim these, but as of press time for this issue, there were still a few slots left to be filled.

Teeter’s Telescopes currently offers several primary mirror options, including its “house special” Waite Research, LLC, products that are produced near Teeter’s in New Jersy. For more information, please visit www.teeterstelescopes.com.

INDUSTRYNEWS

SKY-WATCHER Revamps Sky-Watcher ED Refractor Line Due to the unobstructed design and resulting text-book like diffraction patterns, Apochromatic refractors produce among the sharpest, highest-quality optical images, aperture for aperture, of any telescope optical system. While the cost is expensive compared to Newtonian reflectors of similar aperture, during those cherished moments of transparent and stable air, the Apo refractor delivers the closest experience to being there that most human beings may ever know.

The APO experience, if not priceless, is at least worth every bit of the cost of admission.

Sky-Watcher has taken its ED refractor lines to another level with the introduction of its new Black Diamond ED Series. SkyWatcher reports that the new design virtually eliminates the secondary, residual “false color” often present in two-element lens

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Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

designs. Sky-Watcher advises that its Black Diamond refractors utilize a second lens element made from FPL-53, which is difficult to fabricate into a lens. Hence the cost of manufacturing the lens systems is comparatively high. Because of its low dispersion properties, Sky-Watcher uses the term “ED” to signify that “Extra-low Dispersion” characteristic.

Each and every lens element fabricated for the Black Diamond ED Series refractors is individually inspected for purity and absence of striae and other image-degrading imperfections. Each is then pitch polished

to exacting fabrication and performance standards by opticians utilizing state-of-theart methodology and rigidly controlled optical testing procedures. The result is high-quality, diffraction-limited optics performing to the theoretical limits of their respective aperture sizes. All lenses are uniformly air-spaced in precision cell housings.

The new Sky-Watcher Black Diamond ED Series refractors are available in configurations of 80 mm f/7.5, 100 mm f/9, and 120 mm f/7.5. For full specifications of each of these new refractors, please visit www.skywatchertelescope.net.

INDUSTRYNEWS

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Print and Online Issues Now Available!

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ASTRONOMY

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SKYSHED OBSERVATORIES POD To Be Featured On Entertainment Tonight The astronomy products industry serves such a narrow niche of enthusiasts and professionals that it is a rare event indeed when one of its products or personalities is featured in the national or international media.

But such coverage is once again in the works in the form of an Entertainment Tonight Canada segment featuring SkyShed POD and its owner/developer, Wayne Parker.

As a member of the popular rock band, Glass Tiger, Parker is no stranger to publicity and of the ET segment he observed, “I figure if it’s good for POD, it’s good for astronomy. We’ve got a very long way to go before observatories become a standard feature of backyard landscapes.”

The ET program is scheduled to film as this issue of ATT goes to print, so broadcast

dates have not been determined as this announcement was written. However, further details will be made available on the SkyShed POD Yahoo discussion group and can be followed at http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/ group/ skyshed-pod/.

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15

INDUSTRYNEWS

CCDWARE Offers Expanded Product Suite CCDWare, an industry leader in CCD image acquisition and processing software for the amateur astrophotography community, recently announced the immediate availability of two new offerings.

First, its new CCDWare Product Suite combines licenses to its popular PEMPro 2.0, CCD Navigator 1.0, CCDInspector 2.0, CCDAutoPilot Professional 4.0 and CCDStack 1.0 software at a suite price that represents a significant discount from the total of the prices of the software if purchased individually – a reduction of approximately 25 percent.

CCDWare’s PEMPro is designed to simplify analysis and correction of mount periodic error, ease polar alignment, and analyze the mount declination backlash. It provides extensive support for go-to and non-go-to mounts alike, as well as CCD cameras and Windows compatible video devices and webcams.

CCDNavigator allows astrophotographers to plan imaging sessions by exploring more than 23,000 deep-sky objects from 18 celestial catalogs.

It features more than 500 full-color thumbnails to help the user choose the most interesting targets each and every night. Its advanced planning tools permit the user to take full advantage of every minute of dark sky.

CCDInspector assists astrophotographers with assessing and tuning performance of optical systems with realtime optical analysis technology. Users can precisely collimate optical systems with the CCD in place and in focus.

Plus, CCDInspector provides 3D field curvature maps, visual FWHM displays, detailed analysis of the quality of FITS images, and much more.

With CCDAutoPilot, CCDWare provides astrophotographers the tools

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Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

essential to image acquisition and automates key functions of that process without requiring the user to learn complex scripting or specialized languages.

Its simple to use Windows interface allows the user to easily focus, track and expose deep-sky targets for maximum results.

CCDWare’s CCDStack is an image processing program designed specifically for astrophotographers. It provides all tools essential to creating the best images from raw data and features calibration, de-blooming, alignment, data-rejection, and image stacking. It also includes built-in DDP technology, next-generation deconvolution, and support for full color imaging.

CCDWare also announced that its CCDIS/P Plug-In for CCDStack brings the new registration algorithm that is included in CCDInspector 2.0, also at a reduced price. This option will be very attractive to those who want the registration capability now, but can wait until later for the full CCDInspector package.

Astrophotographers will also be interested to learn that a free CCDNavigator tutorial is now available at the CCDWare website. It demonstrates the full breadth of catalog selection as well as the scope of target planning offered by this amazing tool.

For more information, please visit www.ccdware.com.

INDUSTRYNEWS

EXPLORE SCIENTIFIC Teams with David H. Levy on New Comet Hunter RFT We were pleased to report in the September 2008 issue of ATT the return of Scott Roberts to telescope manufacturing with the launch of his new venture, Explore Scientific, which recently announced its first major astronomy instrument.

That product is the result of a unique collaboration with an equally unusual goal.

Roberts explained, “For us at Explore Scientific, developing a telescope with comet discoverer and author David Levy was a dream come true. Levy has spent a lifetime inspiring people of all ages to look at the stars through his comet discoveries, writings, and lectures. His dream to show people the beauty of the night sky has culminated in the formation of a non-profit organization devoted to outreach in astronomy, called the Sharing the Sky Foundation (www.sharingthesky.org).”

He continued, “But outreach on a global scale takes sustained effort and money. Our company shares David's dream.

So we embarked on a project to co-design a telescope with him that could help support Sharing the Sky through the sale of the product. Called the David H. Levy Comet Hunter, the instrument is a rich-field telescope (RFT), capable of showing faint objects over a wide field of view (generally two degrees or more). Comet

hunters like Levy use RFTs to visually sweep the sky for comets, but this type of telescope is also preferred for observing all types of faint, deep-sky objects such as nebulae and galaxies.”

The Comet Hunter comes standard with a two-inch, 30-mm focal length eyepiece with a wide 70-degree apparent field. This eyepiece, combined with the short focal length of the telescope, produces an amazing 2.86-degree true field of view with a 6.2-mm exit pupil.

Sometimes called visual equalization magnification, using the right low-power eyepiece will produce an exit pupil that nearly matches the fully-dilated eye. This allows viewers to see to the faintest observable limit of the telescope’s aperture, which is critical for searching for faint objects such as distant comets. Roberts selected a 30-mm eyepiece as standard equipment because the exit pupil it produces comes close to that of the average fully dilated human eye.

“We wanted much more than just another wide-field telescope,” said Roberts. “Most RFTs, while perfect for comets, nebulae, and galaxies, are not optimized

for high-magnification observations of planets.

Our challenge was to design a portable instrument that has enough aperture to observe the broad range of celestial objects with an optimized optical design to serve as a true RFT that can also work well for high-magnification observations of planets. We also wanted the telescope to serve as a serious optical solution for astro-imaging. In short, we wanted a telescope that could do almost anything; a telescope that would be perfect for beginners to advanced astronomers alike.”

To solve the problem, Explore Scientific chose a Maksutov-Newtonian optical design.

The Maksutov corrector lens is a solution that produces round star images that are well corrected from center to edge. Durable Enhanced Multilayer Deposition (EMD™) Coatings, with a multicoated Maksutov corrector lens and enhanced coatings on the primary and secondary mirrors, deliver bright, high-transmission images across the visual spectrum.

Aside from the fact that this is a fantastic visual instrument, the Comet Hunter, with its fast f/4.8 focal ratio, light-weight zero-expansion carbon-fiber tube, and two-speed focuser, is a true astrograph, perfect for use with popular CCD astro-imaging cameras. Each Comet Hunter special edition telescope will come with a certificate signed by David Levy.

More details about the product and its role in Levy's outreach program will be posted at www.explorescientific.com in the coming weeks.

Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

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TECHNOLOGY TODAY

SIERRA STARS OBSERVATORY Rigel Telescope Joins Sierra Stars Observatory Network Beginning in October 2008, Sierra Stars Observatory (SSO) network customers have had access to an additional telescope, a 0.37-meter f/14 Classical Cassegrain located in Sonoita, Arizona.

All SSO users now have the option of selecting the University of Iowa’s Rigel Telescope as a backup to take images scheduled for the SSO 0.61-meter telescope located in California when that telescope is down due to weather or other reasons. Users can also schedule images to be taken directly on the Rigel Telescope just as they now can on the original SSO telescope.

For backup images for the SSO telescope, shutter times on the Rigel Telescope are increased to provide a comparable signal to noise ratio (SNR) to the larger telescope.

In addition to RGB filters, the Rigel telescope also includes H-Alpha and OIII filters. This will open up new opportunities for science and

D O B S E R VAT O R Y

Our newest offering, the Dobservatory is specifically designed for the low pivot point of DOBs allowing you to view near the horizon. The Dobservatory is available in sizes from 7'6" x 7'6" to 15'6" x 15'6".

esthetic image data.

Said SSO Director, Rich Williams, “We are excited and proud to offer such a fine scientific instrument as the second observatory in the growing Sierra Stars Observatory Network. The two SSON telescopes will expand the total number of usable nights for our customers, ensuring that they get more uninterrupted data runs throughout the year.”

You can find out more about the Rigel Telescope at www.sierrastars.com.

The Home Model is the perfect design of form, function and, of course, pricing with every feature you’ll need for the ultimate in observing! The Home Model is available in sizes from 7'6" x 7'6" to 15'6" x 15'6".

HOME MODEL

From Maine to California, Montana to Texas, BYO builds the highest quality roll-off roof observatories on the market today. We are now beginning our 6th year of providing turn key observatory solutions throughout the U.S. and have gained experience second to none.

Why Backyard Observatories?

ORION TELESCOPES & BINOCULARS Widens Premium Refractor Lines with 110-mm f/7 ED Refractor It seems only yesterday that Orion Telescopes & Binoculars thrilled refractor enthusiasts with its fully equipped, affordably priced Orion Premium 102-mm f/7 ED Refractor. Now, as if that wasn't enough, Orion has set the bar even higher with the recent introduction of the Orion Premium 110-mm f/7 ED Refractor.

Orion choose the designation “Premium” as the best description of the level of craftsmanship and performance that this versatile new refractor achieves. Its air-spaced, fully multi-coated 110-mm (4.3-inch) doublet lens features an element finely crafted from high quality ED glass to significantly reduce chromatic aberration and the associated color fringing around bright objects.

The high-performance scope was designed with a moderate focal ratio of f/7, yielding a focal length of 770 mm and a versatile scope that is well suited for both imaging and visual observation.

The aluminum tube is strategically baffled to minimize stray light and optimize contrast, and the tube and lens shade sport a durable finish in classic refractor white.

The smooth 2-inch Crayford focuser

included with the telesscope is precision machined from aluminum and offers dualspeed focusing with an 11:1 fine focus ratio for great precision. It handles heavy cameras and accessories and features an engraved millimeter scale on the focuser drawtube – a real plus for imagers.

The new telescope also includes a retracting lens shade, thread-on objective cover, deluxe tube rings, a finder scope base and an 8-inch dovetail mounting plate that is compatible with most Orion equatorial mounts.

The Premium 110-mm f/7 ED Refractor is priced at $999.95. For more information visit www.oriontelescopes.com.

CLUB MODEL

Our Club Model is quite probably the largest home observatory available and more bang for the buck than anything else out there! The Club Model is available in sizes from 16' x 20' to a whopping 24' x 32'!

WWW.BACKYARDOBSERVATORIES.COM • 330-667-3214 WWW.M1OASYS.COM

More options, Most roll-off roof experience, 25 years construction experience, Turn-key installation, Ever customizable designs, Highest quality residential specs (not shed type construction), Heavy duty industrial capacity roller system design, Exclusive m1 OASYS roof automation, Standard and Heavy Duty roof motor designs, Big Bear Piers, Warm/Control room options, Plans available created by an experienced builder/astronomer with DIYers in mind, Our observatories have been chosen 10 to 1 over other commercially built observatories at Deerlick Astronomy Village.

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m1 OASYS A Backyard Observatories Exclusive! The m1 OASYS system is the ultimate Roll-OffRoof Observatory Automation/Security System. This very flexible and robust system is a must-have tool for anyone wishing to secure, monitor, and remotely control their telescope observatory and best of all, you can install it yourself! Go to www.m1oasys.com for more info.

Factory authorized sales and installations of Technical Innovations’ Home Dome, Pro Dome and other fine observatory products.

FACTORY INSTALLATIONS

BACKYARD OBSERVATORIES

NEWPRODUCTS

PACIFIC DESIGN Offers New “Nix-Dew� Shields Pacific Design, best known for its comprehensive lines of premium spacesaving, soft-sided padded telescope and tripod covers, recently introduced its new "Nix-Dew" series of moisture and light shields. Each Nix-Dew Shield is formed from durable ABS with a nonreflective, flat-black finish that eliminates reflections while the shield serves to block unwanted light and moisture condensation.

Nix-Dew shields are equipped with Velcro release and store flat when not in use. Pacific Design's Nix-Dew Shields are designed and constructed with the same high level of care and craftsmanship as its popular soft cases. The shields are available in standard sizes to fit most popular scopes that feature moisture attracting corrector plates, with custom sizes available for less

typical applications.

Pacific Design's cases and covers are also available in custom, made-to-order configurations, assuring that there is a Pacific Design Soft Case to fit your most challenging applications. The cases are constructed of heavy, water-resistant 1000 denier Cordura Nylon, with a 210 denier linings, and integrated webbing

handles and convenient anchors for optional shoulder straps.

Prices for standard sizes of the new Nix-Dew shields range from $15 US for the C90/ETX90 model to $75 US for the very large C14 model, and each carries a limited lifetime warranty. For a complete list of standard sizes, please visit www.casesandcovers.com.

Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

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NEWPRODUCTS

ASTROSYSTEMS Image 2

Offers New Primary Mirror Cell AstroSystems, one of the largest suppliers of telescope building components, has introduced a new line of computer designed primary mirror cells.

The premium quality cells are made from a frame of 1-inch thick, 22-ply aircraft plywood in the 10- to 16-inch versions and 1.4 inch thick, 26-layer aircraft Image 1

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Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

plywood with the 18- to 32-inch versions, for optimum strength and rigidity.

The cells use computer designed, 6061T6 aluminum flotation system that utilizes 27-point flotation on the 24- to 32inch cells, 18-point flotation on the 16to 22-inch cells and 9-point flotation on the 10- to 15-inch cells. The flotation points allow the primary to truly float, supporting it evenly and aiding in cooling. This design approach thermally isolates the primary mirror and minimizes cool down time, especially on larger mirrors.

New to mirror cell design is AstroSystems’ exclusive MTS (mirror transport system). Simply back down the collimation knobs and the mirror gently comes to rest on three cushioned transport pads.

All collimation bolts are set in flush with the back of the mirror cell for a clean look.

While observing, the mirror supported by the cell stays accurately positioned from horizon to zenith with AstroSystems’ fully adjustable, stainless steel sling which provides proper edge support without sag or stretch. Edge slings are the choice of opticians and professional observatories, because they ensure the best resolution the optic is capable of producing.

Image 1 shows the front view of the primary cell and Image 2 demonstrates the tailgate function of the assembled primary cell.

All cells have precut mount positions for the fans and control plate for ease of installation of the optional cooling system on the 10- to 22-inch cells, while the 24- to 32-inch cells include the cooling system as a standard feature. It is highly recommended that you purchase the cooling system if you observe from a site that has daytime to nighttime temperature changes of more than 20 degrees.

Tailgate mounting hardware is also available.

Prices range from $350 US for the 10-inch version to $900 for the 18, but ATMs can save thirty to forty percent by assembling and finishing the cells themselves. For detailed specifications and pricing of each standard size, please visit www.astrosystems.biz.

NEWPRODUCTS

SCOPESTUFF Compression Ring Adapters for Synta Refractor Focusers Are Back Just at the height of demand, one of ScopeStuff ’s most popular items was discontinued by the original manufacturer.

Finally, in response to popular demand, ScopeStuff has introduced an updated version of the Synta refractor focuser adapter.

This compression-ring style visual back replaces that which comes standard on Synta refractors that have 2-inch draw tubes, such as the Orion 80ED and 102, 125 and 150 refractors from Orion, Celestron, Sky-Watcher, TAL, and Antares. It also fits Vixen’s ED80-SF. The ScopeStuff FAS2 adapter fits draw tubes with male threads that measure 2.2 inches in the outside dimension.

The compression ring design holds

diagonals more firmly than bare set screws, while preventing the risk of dings and scratches that set screws also present.

The ScopeStuff adapter is designed to yield the lowest possible profile to maintain as much infocus as possible. The adapter is precision CNC machined from high-grade aluminum for square and centered alignment, then anodized black and fitted with a brass compression band. Nylon thumbscrews are standard, but brass replacements are also available for an additional $4.50 US. The ScopeStuff FAS2 focuser adapter ships within the U.S. for a total price of $39. For more information, please visit www.scopestuff.com.

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NEWPRODUCTS

SMART ASTRONOMY Introduces Sterling Series Plossls SmartAstronomy (SA) has announced its introduction of a new line of eyepieces that is dubbed “SA Sterling Series Plossls.”

The eyepieces’ design utilizes high-grade lens elements with 40 layers of fully multicoated optics, yielding a reported 98-percent penetration. SA reports that this advanced method of coatings yields supersharp, flat images of any object, from galaxies to the planets. The unique construction creates unusually sharp looking eyepieces as well, and ones that offer a 55-degree apparent field of view.

Each of the 8 available focal lengths incorporates strategic baffling, with edge-blackened lenses, leaving virtually no ghosting or internal reflections. The unique design also eliminates the need for rubber eye guards, a feature that is sure to

please purists. All barrels are threaded to accept 1.25-inch and 2-inch filters, as applicable, and dust caps are included with all eyepieces to protect the lenses.

Focal lengths range cover Plossl standards of 4 mm to 40 mm, while maintaining the 55-degree apparent field in each.

Introductory pricing ranges from $34.95 US for the 4-mm version to $84.95 US for the 2-inch format 40-mm eyepiece. For more information, please visit http://yhst1469288697390.stores.yahoo.net/index.ht ml or simply enter “SmartAstronomy” in your favorite search engine.

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Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

NEWPRODUCTS

ASTRO-PHYSICS Adds 2.7-inch to 6x7 Adapter to Arsenal of Versatile Tools Astro-Physics’s new 2.7-inch to 6x7 adapter greatly increases the versatility and functionality of A-P imaging systems.

The adapter was designed to couple larger-format CCD cameras, such as the SBIG STL series and full frame DSLRs, to focusers and accessories that have the female A-P 2.7-inch thread. These include all A-P focusers, any other focuser that has an adapter with A-P’s 2.7-inch female thread, large Meade SCTs with A-P’s ADASCTLM27 adapter, and A-P’s Photo-Visual Telecompressor (27TVPH).

The new adapter offers these and other advantages: (1) allows the use of the A-P adapters that were designed for the Pentax 6x7 bayonet system (used with A-P’s Field Flatteners) to be used without an A-P Field Flattener; (2)

allows the A-P Photo-Visual Telecompressor (27TVPH) to be used with a wide variety of film, digital and CCD imaging cameras; (3) maintains the full 2.7-inch unobstructed light path and does not vignette (this is particularly useful when combined with the Telecompressor (27TVPH) for connection to cameras); and (4) allows for easy framing of the image with hard-coupled configurations to the SBIG STL cameras, or to ST series cameras employing the AO-8 or AO-L adaptive optics units.

The ADA2767 adapter is black anodized, and the inner 2.7-inch clear opening features knife-edge baffles that are painted flat black. The adapter is approximately 0.85 inch in overall length, but adds just 0.20 inch to the light path. It is priced at $75 US. For more information on this new

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Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

adapter, including a detailed diagram of some of the many configurations it accommodates, please visit www.astrophysics.com.

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NEWPRODUCTS

OPTEC New IFW 3-inch Filter Wheel Systems Optec recently reported that components for its new IFW 3-inch filter wheel systems are back from anodizing and are being assembled for delivery.

The new massive 7-pound “Intelligent Filter Wheel” system can support three different styles of filter formats: 9-position 50-mm round, 6-position 50-mm square and the new standard 5-position 58-mm square to accommodate the largest CCDs. The wide variety of adapters and mounts offered by Optec will allow this unit to attach to most telescopes and cameras and it is also compatible with the Optec Pyxis 3-inch and the TCF-S3.

Like its smaller cousin, the Optec IFW, the IFW 3-inch uses the same cables and control box. And as with the IFW, the IFW 3-inch filter wheel changes easily with a wide door for access – there is nothing to remove from the instrument train except the wheel itself.

This larger cousin to the IFW 2inch was designed to meet the demands of ever increasing CCD sensor sizes.

The new IFW 3-inch (which boasts a full 3-inch clear aperture) supports a large variety of filter sizes with the ease of selection that is the hallmark of the popular IFW 2inch system.

When used with 3-inch couplings to the telescope and instrument package,

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Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

either 58-mm or 50-mm square filter wheels can be used. These adapters and couplings are the same as those used with the Optec TCF-S3 and Pyxis 3-inch instruments. Removing and installing a different wheel is as easy as with the IFW 2-inch – a side door is opened and the wheel removed after releasing the center axis hub. After the HOME serial function or HOME button is pressed, the wheel ID is identified and the new stack of filter names is available to the control program or display on the control box.

For the 50-mm and 58mm square filters, three filter wheels with unique ID are possible, while there are two wheels available for the 9-position 50-mm round filters.

Image 1 shows the telescope side view with the 3.6-inch I.D. Optec telescope adapter and 58-mm filter wheel inside.

Image 2 offers a camera side view showing the filter hub release knob, connector, and 3-inch I.D. adapter. The access door is partially opened to show the ease of accessing the filter wheels.

The IFW 3inch is a massive unit that measures 10-inches on a side and is 2.5-inches thick, including both the telescope and camera side adapters. At 7 pounds, a large telescope and very capable telescope mount are required. The typical IFW 3-inch selector system is priced at $3,100 US. For more information, please visit www.optecinc.com.

STELLARVUE ADVANCED SERIES

STELLARVUE DOUBLET REFRACTORS SV70ED Priced from $399 SV80/9D Priced from $399

OUR FINEST APO TRIPLETS Deliveries begin this year on the most advanced apo triplet refractors we have ever made, the Stellarvue Advanced Series. Working in partnership with LZOS, the largest optical manufacturer in Russia, Stellarvue has developed these telescopes over a three year period to provide the highest level of visual and photographic performance.

SV80ED Priced from $699 SV102ED Priced from $995

SV102ABV Priced from $2195 STELLARVUE HAND CRAFTED APOCHROMATIC TRIPLET REFRACTORS

Stellarvue embarked on this long term project to produce the highest quality apo triplet refractors second to none. We made a decision to pull out all the stops, improve on every area of performance and leave nothing out. We realized that this would result in telescopes that would have to sell for a slightly higher price, but we decided that if we were going to leave a legacy, this would be it.

Since these telescopes are assembled at our facility in California one at a time, we can customize them to meet your requirements at no additional cost. This includes custom tube length to meet specific needs (bino-viewing or astro-photography), custom tube diameter for lighter weight, and custom labeling. We make these for you. So once you order, Stellarvue’s owner, Vic Maris, will contact you personally to discuss your requirements. We promise, you will obtain the finest apo triplet refractor made to meet all of your specific needs.

CUSTOMIZED PERFECTION

SV115T Apo Triplet Priced from $2995

SV90T Fluorite Apo Triplet Priced from $1995

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SV160 Oil Spaced Apo Triplet Priced from $8990

NEWPRODUCTS

EXPLORE SCIENTIFIC Introduces 82 Degree Series Eyepieces

Using advanced computer design, combinations of low-dispersion, highrefractive index optical glasses, and durable multilayer deposition coatings, Explore Scientific has created the new 82° Series of extreme wide-field eyepieces, all of which are optimized to produce high contrast and resolution with superior flat field characteristics.

The visual effect of these eyepieces, with their long eye-relief and 82° apparent fields of view, is truly a full-immersion experience. The user's eye is relaxed, allowing easy use of the averted-vision technique to study faint detail across the huge field of view.

Plus, with ultra-wide eyepiece designs, such as the ES 82° Series Eyepieces, users are freed of the uncomfortable sensation of viewing target objects through a dark tunnel, a sensation that can lead to eyestrain as the eye attempts to accommodate the unnatural perspective. The ultra-wide visual angles provided by the ES 82° Series eyepieces permit the eye to relax and scan the field, a process that the eye-brain system defaults to naturally when studying and

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Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

recording detail.

Each eyepiece is meticulously assembled into precision machined metal lens barrels that maintain perfect alignment of the optical train for years of rugged use in the field. The 82° Series eyepieces are equipped with a twist-up rubber eyeguard that can be set to the exact height required for maximum user comfort and, as experienced astronomers know, eye comfort is critical when trying to observe at the visual limits of the telescope.

To keep internal reflections to a minimum, all internal surfaces of the eyepiece barrel are finished in flat black, as are the edges of the lenses themselves.

Each 82° Series eyepiece carries Explore Scientific's exclusive five year limited warranty.

The 82° Series is available in focal lengths of 4.7, 6.7, 11, 14, 18, 24 and 30 mm, with eye relief ranging from 13 mm in the 18 to 21 mm in the 30. The 4.7-, 6.7-, 11-, and 14-mm 82° Series eyepieces are priced at $149 US, the 24 at $299 US, and the 30 at $349 US. For more information, please visit www.explorescientific.com.

NEWPRODUCTS

CELESTRON SkyScout Expansion Cards Now Available Among the many useful features of Celestron’s SkyScout is the built-in SD card slot for optional SkyScout Expansion Cards that provide for convenient addition to the knowledge base of the SkyScout Personal Planetarium.

Two such cards that are now available are one entitled Astronomy For Beginners and another under the enticing banner, All About the Stars.

Going well beyond simply showing users the locations of objects in the night sky and identifying those objects, Astronomy For Beginners answers such questions as: How were the planets formed? How fast is the speed of light?

How far away is our closest neighboring galaxy? Topics include: objects in the sky, exploring the origins of a variety of celestial objects; astronomical distances, pro-

viding perspective of the shear vastness of space; star hopping, teaching the secrets seasoned astro-explorers use to navigate the night sky; and astro trivia, fun and informative questions about the most famous celestial objects.

All About the Stars answers such wide-ranging questions as: What will happen when the Sun runs out of energy? Why are stars different colors? What happens when galaxies collide? Topics include: the color of stars, teaching the secrets revealed by star color; luminosity and magnitude, touring stars that are hundreds of times brighter than our Sun; stellar evolution, exploring stars of every stage of the stellar life cycle from formation to supernova; and more astro trivia.

Each SkyScout expansion card is

AURORA ASTRO

Don’t Buy Disappointment

Offers Complete Telrad Chart Series Jim Bielaga, owner of Aurora Astro Products of Everett Washington and author of the Multiple Deep Sky Objects Telrad Charts, recently announced the completion of that popular series with the publication of the fourth and final installment, the Fall collection. The 70 charts of the Fall collection are laminated and then spiral bound to provide for ease of use and optimum longevity.

Each page presents a detailed chart of the sky that surrounds a centered, target object, overlayed by the Telrad reticle symbol for scale, together with a catalog number of the object, constellation, magnitude, size, distance in light years, and coordinates in RA and Dec, along with a concise description of the target objects.

Each of the four seasonal collections is priced separately for $29.99 US, and the entire four part series can be purchased for $100 US. For more information, please visit www.auroraastro.com.

priced at $24.95 US and available from Celestron dealers worldwide. For more information, visit www.celestron.com.

The Half Hitch Delivers Solid Satisfaction Shake-free focusing and tracking from a mount weighing just five and a quarter pounds • • • • • • • • • • •

CNC machined and anodized Backlash-free motion controls No clutches or counterweights Vise-like dovetail system included Two-axis balancing keeps your scope on target without heavy friction Disc brake for changing eyepieces Rigid cross-braced design Precision encoder installation and folding DSC bracket Excellent tripod clearance means no column extension needed Preloaded Timken bearings mean no slop Centerline loading for superior stability and performance from your tripod

Don’t skimp on one of the most critical components in your telescope. Get the most from your expensive premium optics.

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31

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www.astronomytechnologytoday.com

The LHIRES III Spectrograph High-Resolution Spectrography for the Masses By “Barlow Bob”

The light which we so painstakingly bring to sharpest focus with telescopes not only composes images of stunning detail and beauty, but also carries with it a surprising wealth of hidden information.

When dispersed into a spectrum, that light reveals such details as chemical composition, temperature, pressure and relative motion of the light source.

Scientists have long relied on spectroscopes to observe such spectra and spectrographs to image it and most large research telescopes are equipped with spectrographs with which researchers routinely measure composition of specific light sources and their relative velocities as indicated by the Doppler shift of spectral lines.

Spectroscopy is much like archeology or the forensic pathology of criminal case studies. From the most basic clues revealed in spectra, an astrophysicist attempts to glean the root of the

phenomena. Today, almost all professional trography with amateur-sized telescopes. observations are done in spectroscopy.

Yes, high-resolution spectroscopy, the While spectroscopy and spectrogramessage from the stars, is now accessible phy have historically been the province of to you through the Lhires III Spectrowell funded research institutions, that, graph. like so many other categories of the cur“LHIRES” is an acronym for Littrow rent, dynamic astro-equipment industry, High Resolution Spectrograph, where is changing. There are now a number of affordable options for low- to medium-resolution spectroscopy and spectrography, making this additional avenue of astronomical investigation available to all amateur astronomers.

Among the new spectrography options is the Lhires III, a sophisticated spectrograph that is opti- “Barlow Bob” is shown with his Lhires III in visual standmized for high-resolution alone mode and mounted alongside the 'Bob-O-Scope,’ his spectroscopy and spec- Tele Vue Apo based Ha dedicated solar scope.

Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

33

THE LHIRES III SPECTROGRAPH

Conceptual schematic of the Lhires III.

“Littrow” refers to the basic design of the instrument. The Lhires III is a product of Shelyak Instruments Company (www.shelyak.com) of Revel, France, which company is named after Shelyak (Beta Lyrae), the second brightest star in Lyra, itself an intriguing spectrography subject.

Company principals Francois Cochard, a mechanical engineer, and Olivier Thizy, an electronical engineer, teamed with amateur spectroscopy expert, Christian Buil, in designing the Lhires III. The project was an outgrowth of a May 2003 meeting in Oléron at which the need for availability of high-resolution equipment to the amateur market became obvious. With the support of the Associ-

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ation des Utilisateurs de Dé- Color CAD cutaway schematic of the Lhires III. t e c t e u r s from f/8 to f/12, in order to collect and Electroniques (AUDE), the trio developed concentrate sufficient light. It is typically the design of a Littrow high-resolution shipped with a standard grating with spectrograph of which the Lhires III is the 2400 lines per mm, but gratings of lines third and most recent version. Earlier verper mm of from 1200 to 150 are also sions were distributed through AUDE as available. With the 2400 line per mm end user assembled kits. grating, the instrument achieves a resoluThe Lhires III spectrograph is optition (λ/Δλ) of 17000 around Ha and dismized for use with the popular Schmidt persion of 0.012nm (with 9μm pixels).

Casssegrain telescopes (SCTs) of apertures A neon calibration lamp is also interanging from 200 mm to 300 mm (8 grated into the spectrograph for reference inches to 12 inches), but can also be used emission line comparison and the instrusuccessfully with most other standard telment is designed to accommodate a wide escope designs, including refractors and range of detectors including CCD camNewtonians, provided that these instrueras, DSLRs and webcams, and even has ments are operating at focal ratios ranging

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THE LHIRES III SPECTROGRAPH

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Using a Lhires III in combination with a vidio camera or webcam, the user can record video of spectra while scanning the sun's surface, then rebuild the image through processing. Because the user can position the grating to any wavelength desired, it is easy to target any required spectrum. Details of these techniques are available from the Shelyak Instruments website "resources" pages, as well as from a number of other sources.

provision for a second guide camera. The spectrograph measures 250 mm by 200 mm by 83 mm (approximately 10 inches by 8 inches by 3.25 inches) and weighs 1.6 kilograms (approximately 3.5 pounds).

This sophisticated product is easy to

use visually when observing the spectra of the Sun. On a sunny day, I observed the thick, dark Frauenhofer absorption lines of H-alpha in the red, sodium in the yellow and magnesium in the green portion of the solar spectrum. There were also hundreds of thin lines of various solar el-

Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

35

THE LHIRES III SPECTROGRAPH

This monochrome spectroheliogram was taken with the Lhires III and a Watek 120N

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THE LHIRES III SPECTROGRAPH ements and additional elements in the atmosphere of the Earth. This summer, I shared my Lhires III spectrograph at several local northeast amateur astronomy star parties and there was extremely positive response from all amateur astronomers who observed the solar spectra through this product.

The Lhires III spectrograph is designed to capture images of the spectra of stars and other celestial objects using one of a number of detector camera options.

With it, you will easily be able to determine the chemical composition and metallicity of stars. Population I stars, like the Sun, are rich in metal (i.e. non hydrogen or helium atoms), while Population II stars are poor in metal and very old. You will also be able to demonstrate evidence of the Doppler effect of red shift expansion movement, stellar temperature, density and pressure, as well as spectral double stars, carbon stars and Wolf-rayet stars.

When taking an image of a planet or star that rotates quickly, you will even see that the Frauenhofer lines are noticeably slanted instead of perpendicular.

During one of my demonstrations of visual spectroscopy uses of the Lhires III, several amateur astronomers held their digital cameras over the eyepiece and were able to capture meaningful images of the solar spectra. This is not your father’s spectrograph! I have owned several grating and prism spectroscopes since 1990, starting with what I can best describe as a “Fred Flintstone” product and then advanced to a Pebbles Flintstone version, then a George Jetson and finally an Elroy Jetson.

On that scale, the Lhires III is no less than the Great Grandson of Elroy Jetson!

The Lhires III has been used successfully in spectroheliographic mode and detailed information on the technique is available from the website of the Astronomical Ring for Access to Spectroscopy (ARAS), www.astrosurf.com/ aras/lhires3/intro.htm. The ARAS site also details a number of scientific programs for the Lhires III, including Ha emission sur-

veys of high-luminosity supergiants, observations of hot and massive stars, as well as surveys of Be stars, RS CVn stars and spectroscopic doubles.

My interest in the Lhires spectrographs began several years ago when Ralph Marantino and Chuck Higgins told me about a French astronomy club that was selling a spectrograph kit. Unfortunately, these kits were sold out by the time we decided to order one. Then last year these same fellows told me that a more refined, ready-to-use version (the Lhires III) of the product was being manufactured by Shelyak Instruments and I arranged to take delivery of one at the Northeast Astronomy Forum (NEAF) 2008. NEAF, sponsored by the Rockland Astronomy Club(www.rocklandastronomy.com), is considered by most to be the world’s largest trade shows of amateur astronomy products – large enough to attract a number of international concerns, including Shelyak Instruments. I was therefore able to visit in person with Olivier Thizy there

Lhires III mounted on a C11 with CCD imager in the detector position and webcam in the guide position.

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THE LHIRES III SPECTROGRAPH and benefited greatly from his personal instruction and advice.

Shelyak instruments also manufacturers the Lhires Lite spectroscope. This is a less expensive although sturdy educational spectrograph designed for safely observing the solar absorption spectra.

Educators can also use this product to observe the emission spectra of street lights and Geisler tubes filled with various gas elements. As with the more sophisticated Lhires III, the Lhires Lite accepts a number of detector camera designs.

In my humble opinion, the Lhires III is one of the most unique advanced amateur astronomy products introduced in recent years and I encourage you to try this fascinating new astro tool for yourself! I've personally witnessed the excitement of advanced amateur astronomers and teachers alike at the prospect of using this research quality spectrograph.

While the Lhires III, and even more affordable Lhires Lite, may not be for every individual, it should be high on the wish list of amateur astronomy clubs that aspire to providing the most effective and comprehensive public outreach services, as well as in the technology budgets of middle schools, high schools and colleges.

I can simply think of no more effective or convenient way to provide practical demonstration of one of the key methods science employs in investigating the universe.

The Lhires III and Lhires Lite cost no more than what many of us are already conditioned to investing in quality telescopes and represent similarly sound and lasting investments in unique, next generation products. I am confident that the Lhires III and Lhires Lite have the potential to spark new interest in amateur spectroscopy, similar in impact to that of the introduction of the affordable Coronado H-alpha filters which so quickly renewed amateur interest in observing the Sun. While the Lhires III spectrograph was specifically designed to image spectra of

38 Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

THE LHIRES III SPECTROGRAPH

Lhires III mounted on a C11 with video camera in the detector position.

stars, I have taken great pleasure in observing the bright emission spectra of street lights through that instrument as well and enjoy comparing that spectra to those of traditional celestial targets. After all, a photon-deprived amateur astronomer who travels long distances to attend a star party at a dark site usually has an observing plan – even for nights when clouds conceal everything else. If I visit Hawaii, I plan to bring my Lhires III with me on the obligatory pilgrimage to the Keck Telescopes. Who knows? The pros there might even let me attach this ultimate amateur spectrograph to one of their ultimate professional telescopes.

The Lhires III, Lhires Lite, together with a large selection of related accessories, are available in the U.S. from Adirondack Video Astronomy (www.astrovid.com), and internationally directly through Shelyak Instruments at www.shelyak.com.

The Lhires III is priced at $3,295 US and the Lhires Lite at $1,395 US.

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The Moonlite CR Motorized Focuser The Perfect Accessory for Optimizing an Imaging Newtonian

By John Moody

If you do any astrophotography, you know that one of the most difficult aspects of capturing great images is getting precise focus. You also know that not all focusers are created equal. Although the quality of focusers that come standard on scopes has improved greatly over the last few years, and is still improving, most of them are not designed with astrophotography in mind.

Many of them are usable, but are less than perfect or present specific issues that make them difficult or inconvenient to use. Some are simply not usable at all due to an inability to support the weight of a camera and related accessories, lack of in- or out-focus travel, etc.

For these and other reasons, it is often necessary or desirable to upgrade to an aftermarket focuser. Having been bitten by the astrophotography bug and having a scope with a focuser that was functional, but not ideal for the purpose, I soon found myself in the position of wanting a more suitable focusing solution and began the search for a new focuser to replace the original rack and pinion unit that came with my Orion 8-inch f/4.9 Newtonian.

After looking at several options, I decided on the Moonlite CR for several reasons. Moonlite offers enough spacers and adapters to make installation easy on a wide variety of scopes, including my Orion. The Moonlite CR also looks great and functions well, and seemed to me to be the best mix of price and performance that fit my budget. I

T

had the opportunity to try some aftermarket focusers, including a CR, on the scopes of local club members and felt that, for the price, the CR was hard to beat. Also, I needed a focuser with a low enough profile to allow me to reach focus with a DSLR, Tring and 2-inch to T-mount adapter and after looking at install kits, spacers, and specs on the Moonlite website (www.focuser.com), I reached the conclusion that the CR would be just the right height.

The original focuser on my Orion scope was too tall to accept my 2-inch to Tmount adapter and required that I use instead a T-mount adapter that was supplied with the stock focuser and that screwed to the top of the draw tube in place of the eyepiece adapter (See Image 2). Since I find and frame my targets using an eyepiece, this meant that after doing so, I had to unscrew

the visual top from the drawtube and screw on the T-adapter top with the Canon T-ring then attach the camera to the T-ring. Besides being a very unhandy process, it also meant I had to loosen the tiny setscrews on the Tring to rotate the camera if I wanted a different orientation. The whole process was frustrating and greatly increased the chances of something going wrong like bumping the scope, etc.

I also decided that I would like to try a motorized focuser. Part of this decision was driven by the fact that I had started imaging with a low-end, small-chip CCD camera and a mount that was not really up to the task of supporting an 8-inch Newtonian for imaging, which resulted in blurry, rapidly shifting images when trying to focus by hand. An early experiment with a home made motorized focuser showed a vast imAstronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

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THE MOONLITE CR MOTORIZED FOCUSER rics (brightness or FWHM numbers) then standing up and making an adjustment to focus, sitting down again, examining an image or focus metrics and so on – usually for 20 or 30 minutes – before achieving what I deemed acceptable focus.

I figured that with a motorized focuser I could at least remain seated and just press buttons on a hand controller!

Also, since the critical Image 2: The Motorized Moonlite CR Installed (Note That Unfocus zone on fast focal like the Model Shown Here, the Most Recent Version of the DC Servo Drive CR Features a Polished Aluminum Motor ratio scopes (the preferred Housing and 1/8-inch Mini Jack Connection to the Rigel Systypes for imaging) is typitems nFOCUS controller) cally very small (about provement. Another reason I wanted a mo.002 inch on my 8-inch f/4.9) and it is torized focuser was that I was now using a pretty hard to control movements that small DSLR controlled by computer and I found by hand, I felt the motorized focuser would myself sitting in front of the computer and be more accurate and repeatable. There is examining images or looking at focus metalso the option of upgrading to an auto-

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Setting Circles, And More!

Image 3: The Rigel nFOCUS Hand Controller.

mated focusing environment by simply adding a controller (Moonlite MF2/James Lacey “Lazy Focus”) and appropriate software if I wish. Since purchasing the CR, I have upgraded from a Canon 300D to a spectrum enhanced 40D with “live view.”

This feature allows me to see what is essentially “live video” of what the camera sees, either on the camera LCD or my computer screen. This is an even more convenient method of focusing as it is very natural and similar to focusing an eyepiece during visual observing. I can see my focus changes in real time and simply adjust until I get the smallest, brightest pinpoint stars possible. The combination of motorized focusing and live view is really hard to beat.

My only reservation regarding the motorized option was that the focuser can no longer be operated manually once the motor option is installed. Since I do use the scope for occasional visual observing and I do acquire and frame my targets visually with an eyepiece, I worried about whether I would like having to use the hand controller to do all focusing. As it turns out, due to the Rigel Systems dual-speed controller, this has not been an issue at all – more on this later. The motorized option also meant that I couldn’t get the focus/shaft lock since it is only available with the dual-speed option which the motor replaces, but this lock isn’t really necessary with the motorized focuser since the

THE MOONLITE CR MOTORIZED FOCUSER only way to move focus, other than intentionally, would be to have the drawtube friction adjusted too loosely for it to function properly anyway.

Because the Moonlite focuser has a flat base, it was necessary to order the appropriate adapter to fit it to my telescope’s tube and, since different scopes have different ranges of focus height, some spacers are usually needed as well, unless you are custom building and can therefore arrange to have the focal plane in just the right spot to allow mounting the focuser directly to your scope.

Moonlite offers a wide range and variety of adapters, spacers, drawtubes and kits; enough to allow mounting its focusers to any popular commercial scope. Moonlite even devotes a page on their website to explaining how to easily determine which parts you will need.

Moonlite also sells pre-configured kits that contain the appropriate adapter and spacers required to duplicate the focus range of the original focusers of various popular scopes. If there is no kit shown for your specific scope, the basic process is to pick a mounting adapter to fit your tube’s radius, then the correct spacer(s) to achieve the same racked in height as stock and a drawtube long enough to duplicate the stock racked out height. If you are an imager there may be an exception to this and that would be if your original focuser needs to allow more travel in one direction or the other (usually in) to come to focus with your camera and accessories (filter wheel, adapters, etc) as was the situation with my scope. In this case you will need to determine the component combination that will allow your camera equipment to come to focus rather than that which will duplicate the stock travel.

In my case, I determined that the tube adapter for Orion Newtonians would be just about right with my camera and camera adapter without using the spacer that comes with the Orion kit. I ordered the focuser, “large format” adapter kit (consisting of a tube adapter and a 1-inch spacer) and the Motor Focus option from Moonlite’s web-

Image 4: Image of the Horsehead Nebula region taken John’s Moonlite CR equipped Orion 8-inch Newtonian.

site and received the unit three days later.

Upon initial examination I was very impressed with the appearance and build quality of the focuser. Installation was very easy.

The instructions consist of only a single page and are not extremely detailed, but focuser installation is not that difficult a task and requires no more. Basically, it consists of removing the screws fastening the original focuser to the tube, then connecting the Moonlite focuser to the appropriate spacers and/or adapters, then fastening the adapter to the tube using the stock focuser mounting holes. This is assuming that there is an adapter available for your particular scope.

If not, you may have to drill some holes to mount the focuser adapter to the scope tube.

Also, if you have a Newtonian and it doesn’t already have a 2-inch focuser, you might have to enlarge the drawtube hole as well.

An important point to remember during installation is being sure to take precautions against dropped hardware and tools or debris from drilling that can damage lenses or mirrors. In the case of my Newtonian that meant covering the secondary mirror

and keeping the tube oriented with the open end tilted slightly down so any dropped items would not fall into the primary mirror. Some may prefer to simply remove the mirrors or lenses altogether.

I ended up installing the focuser using only the adapter that fit the existing holes on my scope and did not use the 1-inch spacer included with the Orion mounting kit because I needed more in travel with the camera and 2-inch to T-adapter (See Image 2). Instead, I purchased 1.25-inch and 2inch extension tubes (like Barlows with no lenses) to allow me to reach focus with my eyepieces. Installation of the new focuser is an appropriate time to make sure it is centered over the secondary mirror and perpendicular to the tube if you have a Newtonian and for making sure it is square with the tube on most other types of scope.

Once I had the focuser installed I was anxious to see how I was going to like motorized focusing. In short, I really like it! The Rigel Systems nFOCUS controller (See Image 3) is very adjustable and, best of all, if you are moving the focuser at low speed,

Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

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THE MOONLITE CR MOTORIZED FOCUSER

Image 5: Fine galaxy detail and sharp stars of Leo Triplet region demonstrate focus achieved using the Moonlite CR motor focus option.

you can instantly switch to the pre-set high speed by pressing the opposite direction button. As soon as you release the other button

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Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

it goes right back to low speed. This allows the user to set the low speed so fine focus can easily be achieved and still have access

to a high speed to get you close without having to reset anything.

The high speed is fast enough and controllable enough that you can quickly and easily achieve rough focus, then use the low speed to fine tune it. The low-speed setting can range anywhere from just slightly slower than high speed to one that is so slow you have to watch the drawtube for several seconds to detect any movement.

At high speed it takes about 12 seconds to move my drawtube through its full travel of 2 inches. If you are used to manual focusing for visual observing, you may think this sounds slow, but I experimented with the original focuser that came with my scope and the absolute fastest I could rack it fully in or out was 4-5 seconds and this was when moving my fingers as fast as I could, much faster than I would ever attempt in actual use. Also, you will not often find yourself moving a focuser through the full length of its travel. In actual use, I find I can achieve visual focus with an eyepiece about as quickly as I can with a manual focuser.

It is much easier to achieve “perfect” focus with the camera using the low speed mode than it was with the original focuser focusing manually. I can detect no motion or shift in the image during focusing. Since I am using a software focusing routine to achieve focus, the motorized focusing option has the added benefit of allowing me to remain seated at the computer while I adjust focus with the hand controller and check the results on screen as opposed to standing up, adjusting focus manually, turning to the computer screen, triggering a focusing exposure, checking the results, turning back to the focuser, adjusting again and repeating the entire process until I have “perfect” focus. The controller is also much more consistent and repeatable than my fingers.

I have been using my CR/Motofocus focuser for more than two years now and am still quite happy with it. I have used it in conditions ranging from extremely muggy 90-degree (F) nights to wintry nights in the upper teens when my scope tube, focuser, camera and computer were all covered in

THE MOONLITE CR MOTORIZED FOCUSER frost and can detect no noticeable difference in its performance, speed, lifting capacity, or reliability.

The telescope is now routinely stored in my roll-off roof observatory, so the focuser is subject to wide temperature and humidity swings. The anodized finish and stainless hardware have not weathered at all; the focuser is just as shiny as the day I got it (when I can be bothered to brush the dust off ).

Plus, I still have not changed the batteries in the nFocus controller!

Since I am primarily an imager I don’t focus as much as a visual observer would, and given the frequently unsuitable weather of my location and the fact that I usually only image on the weekends and holidays, I am probably getting better battery life than usual, but am still pretty impressed. I feel the cost of the focuser was money well spent and that it has improved my imaging (See Images 4 and 5), not to mention making the entire experience much more relaxing and enjoyable.

Nothing is perfect, of course. I wish the

large format adapter had a lower profile so I could have a little extra in-travel for certain accessories and, most of all, I wish the compression ring drawtube option didn’t add 3/8 inch to the racked in height, because I had to do without the compression ring option to be able to reach focus with my particular 2-inch to T-adapter.

The adapter-to-scope mounting screws (and nuts) are stainless and, while stainless has advantages, I prefer black oxide for screws and nuts that protrude into the telescope tube. I therefore replaced the included attachment screws with black oxide. I also added some large diameter washers to minimize “dimpling” of the telescope tube.

The inside of the drawtube has a fairly shiny black-anodized finish and will probably need flocking, but this same finish on the outside of the drawtube contributes to the smoothness of the focuser. It would be pretty difficult to put different finishes on the outside and inside of the tube, so I can see why Moonlite leaves it to the user

to flock or otherwise modify the inside of the drawtube.

I also wish that the cable connecting the hand controller to the motor were a bit more flexible and that the size and shape of the hand controller fit my hand better. Similarly, I find the on/off switch on the hand controller to be a bit stiff. But, these are all really minor issues and do not outweigh the many advantages of the motor driven Moonlite CR. I would certainly recommend the Moonlite focuser to anyone who wants a very nice, affordable upgrade to their original focuser and would also recommend the motorized option, especially to anyone using the focuser primarily for imaging. If you plan to use the Moonlite focuser mostly for visual work, you might sometimes wish you could just grab the knob and focus – especially if you frequently use eyepieces that are far from parfocal – but with the ease of switching between high speed and low speed modes, I think the motorized option would be good for the visual observer as well.

Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

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The Rigel Systems

QuikFinder The “Quik” Tool For Finding Your Way Around the Night Sky

by Don Schwab

I had always used either a right-angle or a straight-through magnifying finder scope. After all, it seems like there’s one included with every new telescope package purchase. Just fasten the finder to the main optical tube assembly (OTA), align, and you’re good to go!

The problem is, I still had to get into my “contortionist’s mode” to point the OTA in the general direction of the intended target. I tried a <5-mw green laser mounted on the OTA. This worked fine for getting the object into the field of the finder scope, but I do have a couple of airports in the vicinity and was getting a little nervous about using the laser in the area.

So I began thinking of a red-dot finder, but had never had the opportunity to use one. After quite a bit of research, I eventually decided to give the Rigel Systems QuikFinder (RQF) a try. The high profile and the light weight of the unit appealed to me.

I purchased my particular RQF from Agena Astro for $42 with free shipping. The finder arrived within a week and, you guessed it, the clouds came with it! Oh well; this gave me time to become familiar with

the RQF and to decide how to best mount base on the focuser of the telescope. Image it to my scope.

3 shows my adapter fastened to one of the The finder comes with the two bases provided bases. shown in Image 1 to accommodate tubes Ready-made bases that serve the same of varying diameters. Once the appropriate function as my home-brewed adapter are base is permanently mounted on your also available from sources such as scope, the finder easily “snaps” securely into ScopeStuff. Additional standard bases are it. Removal for transport or storage is also a available from Rigel Systems dealers for breeze once you get used to the small release tab located near the bottom of the unit.

Image 2 shows the RQF removed from the base. You can see that the 3-volt coin cell battery is easily accessible for replacement. Rather than drill holes to mount the base on my Celestron C80ED, I chose to make a simple adapter to fit the standard Vixen-style finder Image 1 - Unpacking the RQF and the Included Mounting Bases.

Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

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THE RIGEL SYSTEMS QUIKFINDER

Image 2 - The Bottom of the RQF Sans Mounting Base

those who prefer to use the RQF on more than one scope. They measure 2.5 inches long by 2 inches wide by 0.5 inch high.

With a base on each scope, the Rigel Quik

48 Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

Image 3 - RQF with Home-Brewed Mounting Adapter

Finder can be easily and quickly swapped between scopes in a matter of seconds.

The lightweight QuikFinder is 4.5 inches tall by 1.4 inches square and made

Image 5 - Closeup of the RQF Controls

from, what appears to be, a very rugged plastic. Though I’m normally very careful with my gear, I’m sure it could withstand a drop or two without serious damage.

THE RIGEL SYSTEMS QUIKFINDER

Image 4 - The Dual-Circle Illuminated Reticle

With the standard unit, a 3-volt, longlife, lithium battery is used to power the LED for illumination of the reticle and is included in the price. The RQF projects two red circles, in focus with the stars, on the night sky. I prefer to use the both-eyesopen method when using a straight through finder and I find myself using the same method with the Rigel Quik Finder.

Image 4 shows the reticle consisting of an inner 0.5-degree red circle and an outer 2-degree red circle. Some users will find this to be a very helpful feature when “guesstimating” the sizes of and distances between objects.

Once the RQF is mounted on your scope, it's time to align it to match the view in your eyepiece. This is probably the simplest alignment on a finder that I’ve seen yet! I’m not saying that I’ve used a large variety of finders, but of those I have used, the QuikFinder certainly ranks as “Quik” and easy.

As you can see in Image 5, there are various control knobs on the unit. It just so happens that the controls end up on the opposite side of the RQF, away from the observer and towards the sky, when the finder is mounted on the scope and ready for use. I’ve read some complaints about this feature being uncomfortable for some users, but after using

the controls a few times and becoming familiar with them, I’ve found them to be very user friendly and not a problem at all.

Alignment is as simple as “1-23”...literally. There are three small knobs, set 120 degrees apart, used for the procedure.

Each knob moves the reticle in a different direction, giving you a quick, easy alignment while peering through the wide-open rightside-up view.

Below the small alignment knobs you’ll find the larger on-off knob that also serves as the variable-intensity control for the illuminated reticle (circles). I find this very convenient and the high setting is bright enough for daytime use. Next to the large on-off knob is another small knob which

provides continuous or, if desired, a pulsed illumination of the reticle. All of this in a $42 finder! Not bad.

An optional battery pack, utilizing two AA batteries, is available at the time of purchase, but not sold separately. This option is reported to provide up to 2,700 hours of use – almost 10x the life of the standard lithium coin cell.

I had a chance to look through a large Dobsonian telescope a couple of weeks ago.

A local astronomy club had just received the scope a few days before the evening of their open house and because of their busy schedules, the members had just enough time to set up the scope and quickly attach a lowprofile unity finder on the Dob. It was the first chance that I had to use one of the lowprofile alternatives. In this particular case, I found it very difficult to sight through the finder while “hugging” the telescope and wished that I’d brought along my higherprofile RQF for a comparison between the two. I think the RQF would have made sighting along the OTA a lot easier for the gentleman who was sharing his knowledge with the public.

When observing in cold weather and wearing gloves, the smaller alignment knobs and the continuous/pulse knob may give you a little trouble. However, the on-off/intensity knob is large enough that gloved hands should handle it all right.

If, as was I, you're looking for a zeromag finder that is “quik” to set up, lightweight, and easy to use, the Rigel Systems QuikFinder would be a great choice.

Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

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The Orion Atlas and EQMOD Uncle Rod Gets Deforked By “Uncle Rod” Mollise

Yep, I’ve been de-forked. After thirtyfour years of using fork mounted SCTs, I’m mostly over them thanks to the outstanding Atlas EQ6 German equatorial mount. How did that happen? The process was a gradual one that started with a trip to our local star party, the Deep South Regional Star Gaze, over yonder in Louisiana.

Naturally, down here on the Gulf Coast the weather doesn’t often cooperate.

My wife and constant star party companion, Miss Dorothy, and I were all primed for DSRSG, but so were the clouds. That being the case, I decided we’d “just” take our Celestron Ultima C8, an old-fashioned non-computer fork mount SCT. This particular telescope has been one of our favorites since it came to stay at the Old Manse, Chaos Manor South, back in 1995, but there was no doubt she was beginning to show her age—just like Unk Rod. Out on the DSRSG observing field, despite there being a lot to like about the U8—her accurate Byers worm gear drive and her excellent optics—I couldn’t help dwelling on the limitations of this retro setup. Not only is tipping a scope over on a wedge to point the fork at the North Ce-

lestial Pole for tracking a sure way to induce the shakes, even with the U8’s heavy fork and wedge, it makes for an incredibly uncomfortable way to observe, especially when pointing at targets with northerly declinations. I spent my observing hours at the star party contorting myself like the India Rubber Man. Heck, this poor ol’ Hillbilly was stove-up for a solid week.

Despite my fondness for the U8, I decided right then and there enough was enough. What to do? Sell her on A-mart?

Buy a modern alt-az-mode go-to fork CAT like the Celestron NexStar 8 SE? Perhaps. One thing was sure: there was still a place for an 8-inch SCT in my stable. A C8 (or a Meade 8) is just so darned portable and capable. It did seem a shame to stop using or sell that exquisite Ultima optical tube assembly (OTA). What if I were to buy a go-to German equatorial mount (GEM) and perch the U8 tube on that?

There’s no shortage of GEMs in the $3,000 and under range that are appropriate for the Ultima C8 and the small Apo refractor OTAs I’d use on such a mount. There is the Losmandy G11, the Celestron CGE, the Vixen Sphinx, the Losmandy GM8, the Orion Atlas (Synta

EQ6), and the Orion Sirius (HEQ5), just to name some of the most popular and sturdy contenders. I eliminated the G11 and CGE in short order. I didn’t need quite that much mount. Meaning cheap ol’ Uncle Rod didn’t want pay for this class of GEM. The GM8? Nice one, but a wee bit on the small side for the price if ’n you ask me. I was mightily attracted to Vixen’s Star Book-equipped Sphinx, but a price that approached that of the CGE and G11 and a build way closer to the GM8 than the G11 dissuaded me.

Which left the Orion Synta-made pair, the Atlas and the Sirius. Visiting Orion’s website allowed me to eliminate the Sirius in fairly short order. Nice enough, nicely priced at $1149 for the goto hand controller equipped version, and certainly more than capable of supporting the scopes I had in mind. Howsomeever, I saw that a mere 350 more George Washingtons would get me the go-to version of the Atlas. Not only did the Atlas feature an additional 10-pounds of payload capacity, its tripod, a 2-inch diameter steelleg rig, seemed more desirable than the 1.75-inch version shipped with the Sirius.

Before clicking that consarned “add to shopping cart” button on Orion’s website, Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

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THE ORION ATLAS AND EQMOD

Image 1. Like Christmas at Chaos Manor South! The Atlas Boxes Arrive.

I set out to do a little research on my provisional choice. When I’m considering a new piece of gear, the first thing I do is hit the Yahoogroups, Cloudy Nights, and As-

52 Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

tromart. Doing so has made me a more informed buyer and has sometimes saved me from outright disaster. What I was reading about the Atlas on these venues

seemed quite positive. Most owners were satisfied with the mount. While not equal to the G11 or CGE in build quality, its performance, it seemed, was similar to that of those two twice-as-expensive GEMs. I paid particular attention to CCD images taken using the Atlas and OTAs similar to what I’d be packin’; I was frankly impressed.

I was pretty much sold on the Atlas, but there remained one more decision to make: buy the mount without the SynScan go-to hand controller (HC) for $1199.00, or pay $1499.00 for the model with the SynScan? Formerly, this was an easy choice to make. If you wanted go-to, you bought the go-to version. Almost invariably, a non-go-to GEM could not be upgraded to computerized pointing, or doing so was a difficult and expensive proposition. The situation is different with the Atlas (and its sister, the Sirius). The non-go-to mounts contain electronics identical to that of the go-to jobs. Plug the SynScan HC into a non-go-to mount and

THE ORION ATLAS AND EQMOD it becomes a go-to. At first the choice seemed clear: sure, I’d buy the version with the HC. I wanted go-to from the get-go.

But then I started hearing about EQMOD. What’s an EQMOD? If you’re a Celestron owner, that’s easy to answer. EQMOD (http://eq-mod.sourceforge.net/) is like NexRemote. If you’ve never used the Celestron program, EQMOD is still easy to explain. What it is is a special ASCOM telescope driver, a program that allows astronomy software (like Starry Night, for example) to talk to the Atlas. EQMOD is different from other ASCOM drivers in one way, though; it doesn’t just allow a PC program to communicate with the mount’s hand controller in order to send the scope on go-tos, it takes the place of that hand controller. Yep, you can leave the HC at home; all you need is a laptop PC. A serial cable from the computer is plugged into the hand control port on the Atlas, and the scope is aligned and go-tos executed from the ASCOM driver window and a planetarium program runnin’ on the PC. If all EQMOD did was replace the hand control, it would be a remarkable piece of programming, but it does way more, adding features lacking in the SynScan HC and improving mount go-to and guiding accuracy. One of the greatest things about EQMOD? It is free. It’s also, unfortunately, like NexRemote, for Microsoft Windows only.

What else does EQMOD do to improve the Atlas experience? You can use a wireless video/computer game joystick or gamepad as a hand controller. This was one of the things I really liked about NexRemote. It’s so nice not to be tethered to the scope with a cable anymore. After thirty years of playin’ ring-around-the-rosy with HC and drive corrector cords, I was ready for a change. In addition to slewing with the joystick, EQMOD allows you to map gamepad buttons to various mount functions, so it’s possible to do an alignment without having to walk

back and forth between the mount and the PC. Which gamepads? EQMOD will work with almost anything, wired or wireless, from fancy Logitech joysticks to Xbox controllers. Me? I went down to Walmart and bought a twenty buck wireless joystick (yeah, I buy near about everything from Wally World).

Works great.

Image 2. The Orion SynScan Hand Controller What I was equipped mount after all. The program learning about EQMOD left me in a will work every bit as well with the (curdither as to what to do. It sounded so rent) non-go-to Atlas as it will with the gowonderful, and the testimonials to its efto ready model. After much cogitation and fectiveness I found on the I-net were so whining to Miss Dorothy for her opinion, convincing, that I begun wondering if I I chose to buy the SynScan mount. Why? needed to spring for the SynScan

Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

53

THE ORION ATLAS AND EQMOD

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I reckoned it would be nice to be able to use go-to without a laptop when desired— at public outreach sessions, for example.

The arrival of new astro-stuff at Chaos Manor South is always like Christmas mornin’ with the kids, no matter how big or small that piece o’ gear is. And the Atlas was definitively not small—one look that the boxes UPS deposited on Chaos Manor South’s front porch told that tale. I dug into the tripod box first (it was purty clear which was which). No surprises there.

This 2-inch steel tripod is almost identical to the (good) one that came with our Celestron CG5. “Almost identical” not “identical” because the painted parts of the Atlas tripod were noticeably better finished than those on the Celestron version.

The CG5’s tripod works fine, mind you, but its finish is on the level of “one quick pass with a spray gun.” The Atlas’ black tripod head and leg tips appear powder coated. Also in the box was a tripod spreader (with accessory holes for 1.25 and 2-inch eyepieces) identical to the CG5 item, and something missing from the CG5, an HC holder that slips into a slot on the spreader.

Now, down to bidness: the Atlas itself.

Even before I lifted it from the compartmented Styrofoam it was nestled in, my impression was “heavy.” The mount’s EQ “head” weighs in at close to 40-pounds and looks it, with a sizeable declination housing and a massive RA enclosure. The declination housing is also home to the mount control panel, which includes a rocker-type on-off switch, an autoguide port, a red power LED, and an HC connector. The latter is a real tour-de-force for a mount in this price class. Most makers are satisfied with those dratted little RJ connectors. Not Synta; instead the receptacle for the hand controller is a much better (in my opinion) DB9.

As was the case with the tripod, the Atlas’ GEM head was markedly better finished than the CG5’s. It was also better appointed. The RA and declination locks are metal, not plastic, and a polar alignment

THE ORION ATLAS AND EQMOD scope is included (extra for the CG5). This little borescope is impressive compared to what’s used on the Celestron mount. It screws into place rather than being held in position with setscrews, and thus maintains its alignment much better (the centering of the reticle can be adjusted via setscrews if necessary). Optically it is worlds better, actually featuring some eye relief and a decent field of view. It’s illuminated by a (dim) red LED that comes on when the mount is powered up.

What else is in the box? In addition to a fairly decent manual, there’s the HC, either the SynScan or a dual axis model depending on what you’ve ordered, a pair of Synta’s 11-pound counterweights, a 12vdc power cable, and—get this—a computer cable for the SynScan. This cord, which is used for interfacing the controller to a laptop (though it’s a bit short for that) and for updating the HC firmware is, amazingly, included. Most other outfits make you pay extra. You may also find a coiled cable with RJ connectors on its ends that has no obvious use. This is for connecting the SynScan HC to a Sirius mount and is not used with the Atlas.

The Atlas looked darned good. Was there anything that left me feelin’ a little blue? Not much. One minor quibble was the declination counterweight shaft. It’s pretty skinny, 5/8-inch in diameter— smaller than the one on the CG5. That is necessitated by the fact that it’s designed to slide up into the declination housing during transport, making for a more com-

pact package. Nice idea, but I would have preferred a stronger (and longer) shaft. Another slight downcheck?

The Vixen dovetail saddle looks right skinny on this big dog. Not a problem for me at this point, since the largest OTA I’m placing on the Atlas is a C8, but if I wanted to put a larger scope on it, I’d definitely buy and install one of the Losmandy-format replacement sad- Image 3. Screen Shot from the EQMOD ASCOM Driver. dles available from NEQ6, which features a Losmandy type third parties. saddle and a longer, stronger counterSpeaking of OTAs, how much payweight bar. They have been selling this load will this big boy handle? Orion says mount in the UK paired with a 12-inch “40-pounds.” Me? I think the limit is f/5 Newtonian OTA (!), and I’m told this probably a C11 or (maybe) a Meade 12combo is “OK for visual.” inch SCT. This is mainly due to the Vixen My new mount went together saddle, the small counterweight shaft, and quickly, and, once I’d fixed a problem, I the tripod. Could you trick Atlas out with was able to slew the scope around with the a replacement counterweight shaft, a LosHC, and even do a successful “fake” go-to mandy saddle, and a heavy duty tripod, alignment in the living room. What proband get a C14 on there? Maybe. I think lem? Despite connecting the mount to a that’s probably a wee bit much. How good, strong battery she wouldn’t power about Newtonians? These scopes’ tube up. Did I freak? No. I remembered my Air length means as much as weight, so a 10Force troubleshooting training’s mantra: inch f/5 is probably the realistic upper “Lamp Check, Fuse Check, Cable limit. As this is being written, Synta is Check.” Jiggling the mount’s 12vdc cord preparing to release a new EQ6, the caused the “on” LED to illuminate. Turn-

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THE ORION ATLAS AND EQMOD

Image 4, The Atlas Mounted C8 Ready for Action at Chiefland

56 Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

ing the mount off and back on again left it dead, however. Jiggling brought it back.

Out came the ohm-meter to verify the furnished cable’s polarity (tip positive). This being Chaos Manor South, it only took a minute to dig up another compatible scope power cord. That fixed things. It appeared to me the tip on the supplied cable was a mite too small. An email to Orion brought a replacement in just a day or two, testament, if one is needed, to their fine reputation for customer service.

How was the HC? While it looks similar to the NexStar hand control, they are very different animals. For starters, the NexStar controller operates servo motors; the SynScan runs steppers. While the control layout and shape of the two are similar, the buttons mostly have different legends. The NexStar’s “Undo” key is called “ESC” on the SynScan, for example. The display is about the same, but the Synta offers orangish letters on a bright background rather than the red letters on a light background of the Celestron. It is

neither harder nor easier to read than the NexStar.

Software-wise, the SynScan is a little less sophisticated than the Celestron HC. The SynScan’s tour function and lists of named objects are considerably smaller than those of the NexStar. One thing I missed was the NexStar CG5 HC’s “automatic” polar alignment utility. The lack of that is offset, I guess, by the Atlas’ included and better polar alignment scope. More frustrating was the SynScan’s lack of a true “sync” function. Sync allows you to center an object that was “off ” after a go-to and reset the computer’s model of the sky; ensuring subsequent objects (at least in the general area of the sync) appear in the eyepiece. The SynScan HC does have a similar, if not identical, function, “Pointing Accuracy Enhancement” (PAE).

Y’all know I’m never satisfied with “almost” and “nearly.” I wanted plain, ol’ sync, just like on my Celestron and Meade scopes, not a substitute. That meant gettin’ up to speed with EQMOD, which does

THE ORION ATLAS AND EQMOD feature sync. I’d have to acquire a few more items. In addition to the free EQMOD software, I’d need the ASCOM program, which is also free. ASCOM is not a standalone program, however, and needs a fullfledged astronomy application to work with. Another freeware, Cartes du Ciel (http://www.ap-i.net/skychart/index.php), a PC “planetarium,” works great with EQMOD. I was warned by Atlas users that while EQMOD would work with almost any ASCOM compatible astroware, TheSky 6 is not one of these “almost anys.”

Oh, it’s possible to make EQMOD work with TheSky, but it ain’t easy, and the result isn’t quite as stable as it should be. That’s OK, I love Cartes; it will do just about anything TheSky will do—anything this ol’ boy is likely to need done, anyhow.

Finally, I’d have to connect laptop to scope. In addition to a standard DB9 straight-through PC-style serial cable from a computer store, I’d need to pony-up for one last widget, an EQDIR module. This little gadget, made by Shoestring Astron-

omy and sold for thirty-nine bucks, is attached to one end of the serial cable and translates PC speak to Atlas speak.

Naturally–an’ I ain’t pullin’ your leg–the coming of the Atlas brought scads of clouds. I sat and fretted for derned near two weeks before Miss Dorothy had had enough and finally intoned, “For gosh sakes Rod, put the C8 and the Atlas in the car and drive down to Chiefland.” By “Chiefland,” she meant, of course, The Chiefland Astronomy Village, way down south in the interior of Florida, a spot that offers some of the darkest skies and friendliest folks you will find anywhere. Since Miss D. is always right, what could I do but comply?

Six hours later I was set up on the CAV club field in my accustomed spot.

First surprise after I finished luggin’ Atlas out of the car and onto his tripod? How big this danged thing is. Once I had the C8 mounted, the computer wired up, and was waitin’ for darkness, I took a stroll around the field to relax and talk to some

of my fellow amateurs. Right down the way was a Celestron CGE. What was astounding was how little the hefty CGE EQ head now looked in comparison to the Atlas. That was good, but would Uncle Rod’s bargain basement mount perform anything like a CGE? Only a long evening under Chiefland’s bright stars would tell that tale.

First order of business? Keep It Simple Stupid. I didn’t even switch on the Toshiba laptop; I just hooked the mount to a jumpstart battery pack and let her rip with the hand control. Getting the mount aligned is simple enough and will be second nature if you’ve used any computerized scope. In order to achieve the best go-to and tracking accuracy, you need to, first of all, do a half-way decent polar alignment. That does not mean you spend hours drift aligning. The Atlas polar scope is a good one, easy to use and accurate. If you want real easy, you rotate the RA axis while looking through the polar scope until the Big Dipper scribed on its reticle

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THE ORION ATLAS AND EQMOD

Image 5. Closeup of Atlas Mounted C8 with Imager Installed

is in roughly the same position as the real McCoy. Better? You can “calibrate” the polar scope using the RA setting circle, and set the reticle position precisely by moving the RA to the current hour angle for Polaris (which the hand control can tell you). The process is actually easier than it sounds, but I found the “match the Dipper” alignment method usually more than good enough. However you adjust the polar scope, when you are done you use the mount’s altitude and azimuth adjusters

to place Polaris in the little circle on the reticle. That’s where I ran into my first problem.

It was easy enough to move the mount up or down using the Atlas’ typical GEM “latitude” bolt setup. Left/right was a different matter. This is a heavy mount, and even with just the weight of a C8 onboard, I was soon rippin’ the skin off my fingers trying to move Polaris into the reticle circle using the Atlas’ small plastic azimuth knobs. A quick look at the EQ6 Yahoogroup (made possible by Chiefland’s wonderful on-the-field wi-fi) provided me with a fix: leave the bolt that attaches mount to tripod just slightly loose during polar alignment. Later, back home, I applied a thin coating of bicycle chain grease at the mount/tripod interface and have had no further problems.

Now to get ‘er goin go-to-wise. The next step was to put the mount in its “home position” by moving the scope to 90 degrees declination (pointin’ north, that is) and positioning the counterweight bar down. Despite what you may hear, there is no need to obsess about this, just eyeball it. That done, I powered up and began to do the usual things any HC makes you do: enter time, time zone, DST status, and latitude/longitude. As is the case with most computerized mounts, time and date must be reentered every time the Atlas is turned on. Location must also be reentered if the mount has been moved a substantial distance. It can be left alone if you go from backyard to local dark

site, but if you move from Mobile to Chiefland, yeah, you gotta type that in, too (or pony up for Orion’s GPS receiver).

With data entry complete, it was time to select alignment type. The choices are One Star, Two Star, and Three Star. I picked Three Star, since it’s been my experience that at least one additional star, a “cone alignment” star, beyond the two “normal” alignment stars is necessary for accurate GEM go-to. What that cone star does is provide the mount’s computer with a reading of mechanical misalignments— like the tube not being dead on square to the mount head—that can make go-to accuracy suffer in areas distant from alignment stars. I mashed “Enter” to begin the process, and the Atlas displayed the name of my first star, which I accepted. It slewed to the place it thought that star oughta be (not quite in my 9x50 finder), I centered ‘er up in the finder and the main scope, and we did the same for two more sparklers; the first two being on the east side of the Local Meridian, and the third being on the west. The good part? I was amazed at the quietness of the big mount’s slewing. After years of using a Celestron CG5 and other “coffee grinder” mounts, the Atlas sounded like heaven. The bad?

My go-tos sucked.

Well, not completely. My targets were in the eyepiece when I was close to any of my alignment stars. Stray too far away, though, and despite my Three Star alignment, they began to get progressively off, marching away from the center of the eye-

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THE ORION ATLAS AND EQMOD piece, to the edge of the field, and, near the horizons, toward the edge of the finder field. I’ll admit to being a mite disappointed, but I did not panic.

I’ve found that just about every new scope I’ve owned has required a substantial “commissioning period” to get it up and running right. Eventually, a little poking around on the I-net revealed my problem: rather than blindly accepting the first go-to alignment stars the HC offers, you can and should scroll to more choices.

Picking two widely spaced stars in the east and one in the west that form a nice, big triangle cured my HC problem. That was later, though. On this first run, I figgered I’d just put the hand control down for the moment and play around with EQMOD. I turned off the mount, disconnected the hand control, connected the PC to the Atlas using the serial cable and EQDIR, plugged in my gamepad, and booted Cartes du Ciel v3.0 and the Atlas.

With Cartes showing a simulacrum of

the Chiefland sky, I proceeded to “telescope setup” and went about configuring EQMOD and gettin’ the scope aligned. I had already done basic setup in the daytime, assigning my gamepad buttons to the most important EQMOD functions (“accept alignment star,” and “end alignment” being two biggies). One critically important thing? The latitude and longitude set in EQMOD must be identical to what’s in the planetarium program. Naturally, the mount must be set to home position, just as with an HC alignment. I crossed my fingers and my toes, mashed “connect,” and was relieved that EQMOD didn’t crash immediately (Unk is, shall we say, “computer challenged”). Instead, I noted the telescope cursor on Cartes’ sky was in the general area of Polaris, just as it should be.

Now came crunch time: go-to alignment. Thanks to the reading I’d done on the Internet; especially, EQMOD’s well done faq and Wiki, I knew to choose “n-

star” alignment. This will allow you to add as many alignment stars as you wish, with six, two big triangles on each side of the meridian, being highly recommended. Except… I’d gotten up at 6 am, driven for 6 hours, set up a ton of gear, and that Holiday Inn Express bed in downtown Chiefland was sounding right attractive. I reckoned I’d just choose three stars in the east and see how she’d do.

The actual alignment was duck soup: slew to the stars using the joystick, adjust slewing speed as required with gamepad buttons, center the star in finder and scope, press “accept” on the gamepad, laptop responds with a cheerful beep. But how good? I sauntered over to the computer, moused the cursor over to M35, and clicked “go-to.” Atlas responded immediately with its confident, powerful hum and began moving in what was obviously the proper direction. A look in the eyepiece and? BOOM! Dead center.

Other targets across the eastern side o’ the

Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

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THE ORION ATLAS AND EQMOD sky? Same-same. OK, Mr. Smarty Pants, let’s see how you’ll do on the western side of the meridian. Let’s up the ante another notch, too: out went the 27 Panoptic, in went the 12mm Nagler, and off I sent Atlas to M77. Again, close to the center, even given the higher power and narrower true field. In fact, the Atlas had no problem landing on anything from one side of the sky to the other.

With my go-to gremlins exorcised, I was able to evaluate the mount’s payload performance. Frankly, it didn’t seem to even notice it had a C8 on its back. Vibrations induced by a sharp rap on the tube died out in about a second—when I could make it vibrate at all. Late on this winter’s eve’ a fairly strong north wind whipped up. Again, Atlas wasn’t bothered.

Unfortunately, that change of wind brought rolling ground fog with it. That was alright. I was tired, happy, and satisfied. But still wary; the critical test would come on the next night when I’d slap my Canon Rebel on the C8’s rear cell and try

60 Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

some picture-takin’.

There is no doubt astrophotography is the most stringent test for any mount, but that was why I had bought the Atlas in the first place. Oh, I’m not a master of the art by any means, and you will never find me doin’ 12 hour LRGB exposures. I just need nice, recognizable deep sky images to use to illustrate my books and other work.

To that end, I pack an SBIG ST-2000 for monochrome pictures (Color filters? Moi? Uh-uh!), and a Canon Rebel Xti (aka 400D) to do stacks of relatively short subexposures when I want color. My approach with the Atlas was, as always, to keep things as simple and light as possible.

I’d piggyback a William Optics 66mm ED refractor on the C8 as a guidescope. The guide camera would be my li’l ol’ Meade DSI, which would be under the control of the fantastic freeware program, Stark Labs’ (http://www.stark-labs.com/index.html) PhD Guiding. EQMOD allows “pulse guiding” through the serial cable, but I’ve always done “ST4” auto-guiding, and did-

n’t want to add yet another new something to the mix. I connected a standard SBIG style guide cable to the Atlas’ autoguide input and to my Shoestring guiding adapter which was plugged into the computer’s parallel port.

The imaging camera? I’d do 2 – 3 minute integrations with the Canon, which is all I normally need or want. I did make one concession to the More Better Gooder; I’d operate my DSLR like a “real” CCD cam using Stark Labs other big program, Nebulosity. While that’s one more software application to fuss over, I find it insanely easier to focus using the laptop screen instead of the Canon’s dim, small viewfinder. Nebulosity also allows exposure and other camera functions to be set from the laptop and eliminates any need to fiddle with the Rebel’s small buttons and dials. In my opinion, this is one time when a little more complexity doesn’t just improve final results; it makes the whole darned process easier.

Everything was set up and ready to go

THE ORION ATLAS AND EQMOD

Image 6. Rod's First DSLR Image Using the Atlas/C8 Combination. Nice Round Stars Abound!

as I waited for darkness, feeling maybe a trifle overwhelmed computer-wise. Let’s see, my poor Toshiba was executing Cartes du Ciel, EQMOD, Phd Guiding, and Nebulosity all at the same time—I was afeared she’d burst at the seams. Nothing of the sort happened, though, and when the bright stars finally appeared, I did a three star alignment with EQMOD just as I’d done on the previous evening. When I’d centered the last star, I fired up Nebulosity and got the camera focused, tweaking until a dim star was as small as I could make it using continuous 2-second exposures. That done, I maximized Cartes and sent the scope to M42, which was centered on the screen when I did a short test exposure. Yay-ah, Orion. What better first light image could there be? I then turned to PhD, focusing, “calibrating,” and picking a good lookin’ guide star. After all this messin’ around, the actual picture taking was anticlimactic. One of the beauties of Nebulosity is that you can instruct it to take

a series of exposures without human intervention. I set it up for 20 3-minute “subs,” punched the “go” button, and wandered off to annoy my fellow observers.

The M42 image seen in the picture here was what greeted me on my return – well, not quite; it required a little post processing with Nebulosity’s excellent tools.

The important thing, though? My Orion (this was my very first DSLR image ever, by the way) is not exactly perfect. Far from it. But my primary concern on this initial night was not exposure and aesthetics, but how well the mount guided. That was easy to see: nice, round stars, even given my fair amount of focal length (about 1300mm with the C8 and an f/6.3 reducer/corrector). One other data point? I didn’t drift align or do anything at all to tune up my initial “match the Big dipper” polar scope alignment of the preceding evening.

Whoo-hoo! Success! Uncle Rod, it looked like, was deforked for good, and it had not

cost him 3 grand to do it.

The Atlas, as I said from the get-go, does not represent the high-priced spread, but it’s big, it’s decently finished, and displays bearable periodic error (mine is at around 20-arc seconds of PE). This error is smooth and regular and easy to guide out, and the mount is hefty enough for imaging with anything up to a C11 or an f/5 10-inch Newtonian. If, like your old Uncle, you don’t aspire to being an Astrophotography Ansel Adams, this could be the rig you’ve been hoping – nay, praying – for. Certainly it is the CAT’s meow for visual work, with, as mentioned earlier, even a 12-inch Meade SCT being at least OK for jus’ lookin’ if a few mods are done.

Now, couple the Atlas’ basic sturdiness and reliability with the computer gee-whizzery of EQMOD, and in my opinion you have a system good enough that you may find you don’t need to pine for and save for a member of the 3K squad. That, my friends, is what I call “walkin’ in high cotton.”

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New Twists on Old Problems Four Products That Dare to Deviate from the Norm

By Erik Wilcox and Gary Parkerson

Most of us are creatures of habit and can easily grow too comfortable with the traditional ways of doing things. What follows is a collection of products that take new approaches to the tried-and-true solutions we’ve come to accept as standard and at least one should prove the premise of the opening sentence for most of you. In our individual quests to optimize the equipment we most rely on, it’s very easy to ignore the most basic components. So here are some supporting-cast products that you might have overlooked and that may be just the ticket for making your viewing experiences even more enjoyable.

The Antares Twist-Lock Adapter We were introduced to the Antares Twist-Lock 2-inch to 1.25-inch eyepiece adapter by Manish Panjwani of Agena AstroProducts and first described the new product in an announcement published in the July 2008 issue of ATT. The design seemed likely enough to solve a longstanding problem we’d experienced with many traditional eyepiece adapters that we immediately ordered one from Agena. After months of use, we are now happy to report that the Twist-Lock performs as advertised.

The Twist-Lock mechanism relies on a split compression band of non-marring Poly-propylene material. The bottom “barrel” section of the adapter is anodized black and features a tapered seat that accepts the compression band. The top ring is anodized silver and has female threads that marry to the standard male T-threads in the top of the barrel section. Tightening the silver ring on the T-threads presses the compression band into the tapered seat creating a concentric squeeze around any eyepiece or other 1.25inch barrel accessory you place in it.

Traditional set screw eyepiece adapters, whether equipped with one or two screws, cause the eyepiece or accessory to tilt ever so slightly when fully tightened, thereby defeating some of the benefits of that very skillful collimation you just performed on your scope. The external and internal adapter tolerances cannot be made too tight, or the eyepiece will be frustratingly difficult to insert. So a bit of tilt permitting slack is necessary. Plus, metal set screws tend to cause

unsightly dings and scratches in the chromed brass or anodized barrels of otherwise pristine eyepieces. Many companies

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NEW TWISTS ON OLD PROBLEMS have addressed the later problem by placing brass or bronze “compression” rings in the adapters, but because these merely serve as a protective shield between the set screw or screws and the eyepiece barrel, most designs still cause the eyepiece to tilt a bit when tightened.

The Antares Twist-Lock design uses no set screws and therefore creates no isolated, unbalanced pressure points that can cause the eyepiece to tilt. Instead, the Polypropylene band applies uniform and firm pressure to the entire circumference of the eyepiece barrel. That’s not to say that the earliest version of the Twist-Lock adapter was not without problems. Some users reported that the original compression band was narrow enough that it failed to fully bridge the increasingly popular safety recesses found in most modern eyepiece designs. Antares addressed this by redesigning the Twist-Lock adapter around a much wider (0.6-inch) compression band. But, although we’ve used the original design almost daily for the last several

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months, we've yet to experience this compression band/safety recess mismatch phenomena. There is no doubt however that the wider design will better eliminate once and for all even the potential for this problem.

We've used the Antares Twist-Lock adapter to hold some of the heaviest 1.25inch format eyepieces known to astronomy, as well as with smooth and recessed eyepiece barrels, all without the slightest hint of slippage. It is threaded for 2-inch filters and, although we've by now used most brands of filters with it, we've experienced none that failed to thread easily and securely. Indeed, the only real problem we experienced was retraining our hands to reach for and twist the top ring of the adapter rather than the set screws of the more standard adapters we'd used for years. So, if by now you're thinking that, if there’s a catch, it must be the price, please think again: The Antares 2-inch to 1.25inch Twist-Lock adapter ships for grand total of $29 US.

Farpoint Astronomical Laser Switch - the On-Off Switch Alternative for Glatter Laser Collimators Farpoint Astronomical Research, already well known for such innovative products as the FAR-Sight Binocular Mounting and Target System, has introduced an aftermarket push-button switch for the very popular Howie Glatter laser collimation tools. The replacement switch is constructed with a high-quality aluminum body that matches perfectly that of the premium Glatter tools. The twist though is that there is no twist – the replacement unit features a recessed, push-button, click on/off switch instead of the traditional thumbscrew style switch that is twisted clockwise until it makes contact with the battery to fire the laser and twisted counterclockwise until that contact is broken to turn the laser off. While the standard Glatter switch functions perfectly well, the Farpoint option leaves absolutely no doubt as to whether the laser might accidentally be turned on.

NEW TWISTS ON OLD PROBLEMS

We tested the new Farpoint switches on two Howie Glatter Collimators and they installed and worked perfectly. The Farpoint switch has a firm feel and audible “click” that leaves no doubt as to whether the unit is fully on or off. Additionally, it would be very difficult for the Farpoint replacement switch to be accidentally activated, because the control button is encircled by and recessed in a protective housing. Yet the housing is large enough that the button is easily accessible by even the largest fingers.

The button itself is red, which makes it easy to identify in dim light, and the build quality is what we've come to expect from Farpoint: excellent!

The Farpoint replacement switch does make the Glatter tool a bit taller, since it is physically larger than the standard thumbscrew switch if replaces. Nevertheless, it’s an excellent add-on, especially if you own one of the older Glatter laser collimator designs.

And best of all, it’s available for just $12.95 US from www.farpoint.com.

TrekPod II, XL and TrekPod Go! Being avid hikers, we appreciate good hiking staffs and have invested in several of them over the years. But, we’ve recently discovered a new hiking staff option that serves as far more – within seconds, each of the three Trek-Tech TrekPod lightweight hiking staff versions quickly converts into a competent monopod or tripod, perfect for assisting balance over rocky terrain or for supporting a camera or small scope when it’s time to enjoy or capture the views with which ded-

icated hikers are routinely rewarded.

A magnetized cork palm rest (rubber on the TrekPod XL and Go!) is easily removed to reveal a standard 1/4-20 threaded camera stud. Each is also equipped with Trek-Tech’s industry-first magnetic quick release camera and optical device mini-ball head mounting system that provides instant and secure attachment for a camera, scope or binoculars. While the magnets are very powerful and hold cameras and such securely, a just-in-case safety clip ensures that your expensive instrument won’t inadvertently fall off the mount.

The TrekPod Go! collapses to an airline carry-on compliant overall length of just 22 inches, while the carbon fiber construction of the TrekPod XL keeps its weight to just 22.5 ounces. The integrated tripod legs of each version can be extended in seconds and we've even found the TrekPod very useful for quick looks at the moon and other celestial objects with a spotting scope or small refractor when we’re not hiking. In fact, we often leave a TrekPod set up with a spotting scope attached just for that purpose. After owning and using the TrekPod, we can’t imagine being without one.

Trek-Tech TrekPods and related accessories are available at www.trektech.com with prices starting at $109.99 US. Hotech Astro Aimer G3 We’re not sure which was the first multi-function tool, but one of the earliest in our memories is the Swiss Army Knife. Although none of the multiple tools these “knives” contain

would win a head-to-head competition with their premium standalone counterparts, the Swiss Army Knife succeeds in keeping us from having to carry a full belt of tools when the only carry space available is that shared with other necessities in a single pocket.

And while the multi-function knife’s tools may not be separately the best, they are, as a package, surprisingly competent.

Today we’re surrounded by multi-function tools. Indeed we just discussed the TrekPod combination hiking staff/monopod/tripod. Heck, even the cell phones many of us use today are actually multifunction tools capable of sending and receiving email, Internet access, photography, GPS navigation, television and radio reception, and include MP3 players, along with a growing list of other features that have little to do with person-to-person voice communication.

We were recently introduced to another multi-function tool that at first blush appeared yet another compromise of individual functions for sake of a single, convenient package. But, upon further inspection and subsequent months of regular use, we can now report that the Hotech Astro Aimer G3 multi-function LED/laser light is far more than a sum of compromises.

Indeed, it performs each and every function with admirable competence.

Like its predecessor, the Astro Aimer G3 combines a green aiming laser with a red LED night vision friendly light and a white LED flash. Plus, the G3 is dust and water resistant. Because we reasoned that we would use the red LED of the Astro Aimer most often, we were initially concerned about the risk of inadvertently activating the bright, white light LED by mistake or, heaven forbid, the intense green laser instead.

These concerns proved misplaced however. We've used the G3 for months now without once activating any function other than that we intended.

The two button switches that operate the green laser pointer/aimer are located in a recessed portion of the housing which discour-

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NEW TWISTS ON OLD PROBLEMS

ages unintended contact with either button.

In addition, the “on” button is immediately surrounded by and recessed within a raised shoulder, the height of which is perfectly calculated to prevent unintended activation of the switch while permitting activation by pressing firmly and purposefully with the thumb then releasing. The laser remains lighted for about a minute unless extinguished sooner by pressing the “off” button switch.

The single red LED can be adjusted to three levels of brightness by turning the LED lamp control ring on the front of the device in a counterclockwise direction (from the user’s perspective). Each brightness level

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position of the ring is denoted by a positive click stop.

The dimmest setting is just bright enough for illuminating specific star chart sections. The middle setting is significantly brighter and will easily illuminate an entire, full format chart, while the brightest setting is very bright and can fully illuminate the interior of a tent or small observatory.

Turning the control ring in a clockwise direction activates the three surprisingly bright white LEDs. The single red LED and three white LEDs are enclosed in an optical quality glass window that even boasts anti-reflection coatings. This is one very capable and serious tool!

We initially shared some concern that we might mistakenly turn the LED control ring in the wrong direction, alienating all within shouting distance at a star party, but this simply hasn’t happened. For whatever reason, the control ring directions seem inherently appropriate, requiring little concentration on remembering them.

The G3's housing is well machined and all threaded joints securely sealed with perfectly fitting O-rings. The black finish is

very durable. Despite extensive use, ours would still pass for new.

The bottom of the housing sports a lanyard loop and a logo’d lanyard is included together with a handy protective Neoprene holster with belt strap. On the housing side opposite the laser on and off button switches are two features that are also unique to the Astro Aimer. The first is a female threaded hole that accepts a standard male 1/4-20 threaded camera mount stud, facilitating secure attachment of the device on any camera mount point. Farther down the tube from this threaded hole is located a very powerful, although small, rare earth magnet. The magnet is powerful enough to support the full weight of the Astro Aimer and is installed to secure the device in a telescope laser mount/cradle that Hotech plans for future release.

Once that mount is available, the Astro Aimer can be placed in the mount cradle for use as a telescope laser finder/pointer and then quickly removed for hand held use without disturbing alignment of the laser mount with the optical axis of the telescope.

It's a wonderful idea and we hope Hotech releases the unique mount soon. Until then, the Astro Aimer G3 is, on its own, well worth the investment.

The G3 is powered by a three AAA batteries that are inserted in a clever cartridge that is, in turn, inserted into the rear portion of the device’s housing.

The Astro Aimer G3 is priced at $119.95 US and further information is available at www.hotechusa.com.

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ASTRO TIPS tips, tricks and novel solutions

From the Kitchen to the Field

By Gary Parkerson I didn’t arrive at the Deep South Regional Star Gaze 2008 until Halloweeneve and was immediately greeted with two unpleasant discoveries: nails in one of the old van’s tires and, worse, I’d forgotten to pack Halloween treats for the kids there.

There’s nothing like the bemused grimace with which young trick-or-treaters study an outstretched handful of Fiber One energy bars and geeky astro-tech magazines, to put a neglectful star partier in his place.

Fortunately, others there were far more prepared and even shared some great tricks and treats for us older astro-enthusiasts. Here’s just a few (and all from stuff you might find in your kitchen!)

I’d spent several minutes admiring the Half-Hitch mount which Image 1 Barry Simon, one

Submit Your Astro Tip! Astronomy Technology Today regularly features tips, tricks, and other novel solutions. To submit your tip, trick, or novel solution, email the following information: • A Microsoft Word document detailing your tip, trick or novel solution.

• A hi-resolution digital image in jpeg format (if available).

Please send your information to tips@astronomytechnologytoday.com

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of DSRSG’s organizers, had set up before it dawned on me that the very nice accessory tray at the bottom of the tripod column was actually a pie pan. Barry addressed the need for a place to keep eyepieces and such at hand by simply drilling a hole in the center of a pie pan (and a brand new one by the looks of it!) and placing it over the tripod mount stud and under the column (Image 1).

Gene Dalton was using a new AstroTech Voyager mount at DSRSG and enjoying the ability to hand slew his 80mm refractor and guide it with its slow-motion controls, but worried that the scope might inadvertently collide with the mount base in a moment of inatImage 2 tention. His solution was to place a patch of Velcro on the base and use it to fasten a rolled-up cannedbeverage cozy that was already equipped

with a complimenting piece of Velcro (Image 2). Because he didn’t have to modify the cozy, it’s still available to keep his beverages cool when not protecting his scope (I can’t say the same for Barry's pie pan).

When the stock finder that came with her Celestron NexStar 130 SLT was damaged by a bump in the night, Heather LeBlanc replaced it with a Rigel QuikFinder (RQF) and, when South Louisiana dew fogged up her finder view, Daniel Rothrock was there and Image 3 ready with a solution: he fashioned a dew shield/hood from a rectangle of milk-jug plastic and folded it into a three-sided shape that fit perfectly when inserted between the RQF housing and window (Image 3). Problem solved.

Please let us know what astro-tips you find in your kitchen.

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