Accessories

BrightStar (BS-Astro) Modular Flip Mirror - £99

Advanced flip mirror system that allows flipping between camera and eyepiece to precisely centre an object at high power. Useful for correcting GOTOs and high power planetary imaging, where the field of view is small. The use of T threads throughout makes this very versatile, adapters are available for most camera and scope fittings. The unit is supplied with a 1.25" nosepiece, helical focussing 1.25" eyepiece holder and a rear male T thread and locking ring for camera orientation. This unit has a high quality mirror and can double as a diagonal. Can be collimated by the user.

ASA .73x Reducer / Corrector for Newtonians - £739

This radical new reducer / corrector from ASA (Astro Systeme Austria) gives new power to owners of fast (F3 - F5) Newtonians, enabling the gathering of data quickly in our fickle conditions. F3 becomes F2.2, F4 = F2.9, F4.7 = F3.4 and F5 becomes F3.65.
Coverage is excellent for cameras with the Kodak 8300 Sensor (Atik 383L+, QSI 583, ST-8300, QHY9), and by adjusting spacing slightly it can cover an APS-C sensor except for the corners.
The correctors are optimized for a bandwidth of 400 to 700nm and above. Every lens used is carefully checked and any which lie outside of strict tolerances is discarded.

Quick Specs (Model 2KORRR)
Reduction ratio is .73x to .75x
Needs around 90mm back focus - check!
Fits inside a 2" focuser with rear T thread fitting
Rear spacing (flange to focal plane) is 62mm to 65mm
Use a 7mm T spacer with Canon DSLR and T ring.

Link to this product's datasheet.

ASA .77x Reducer / Corrector for Standard SCTs - £399

This useful new reducer / corrector from ASA (Astro Systeme Austria) enables owners of previous generations of Meade and Celestron Schmidt Cassegrain telescopes, to upgrade their images to the level of the latest ACF and Edge HD models, in terms of centre and edge correction.
This corrector is a quantum leap forward in performance compared to present F6.3 designs!

Quick Specs (Model 2SCKORR)
Reduction ratio is .77x, corrects for coma, field curvature and chromatic aberration.
Suitable for standard Meade and Celestron SCTs, not ACF or Edge HD
Fits inside a 2" focuser with rear M48 thread fitting and front 48mm (2") filter thread.
Rear spacing (flange to focal plane) is 97mm

Link to this product's datasheet.

Tele Vue Paracorr Type 2 - £460

 

Obtain refractor like star images from your fast Newtonian (F3 - F8) for spectacular astro photos and wide field views.

Works with eyepieces (1.25" & 2") and cameras alike.

Recommended for use with sensors up to APS-C size. Star size at the image plane can be less than .001" over the full frame for an f/4.5 mirror! Spacing from last lens surface to imaging plane should be 55mm ± 4mm for best performance.

Image scale (and F number) is increased by about 15%.

 

Variable Power Focal Reducer .4x to .8x (1.25") - £24

If used with a webcam or DMK this simple and cost effective device works at around .5x reduction. Used with a short C mount adaptor and a Mintron or Watec it provides .6x to .66x reduction and .4x to .5x with the longer C mount adapter. For DSI, QHY and other cameras the exact reduction ratio varies with the spacing from the CCD chip, if sufficient focus travel is available. This depends on the telescope and can be altered by using different adapters. The reduction ratio is variable from about .4x to .8x Larger and "slower" instruments (F7+) such as SCT's and MCT's really benefit from using this focal reducer and achieving focus with them is not usually a problem. Brightens images and increases field of view with almost all scopes. Increased FOV makes GOTO's more reliable and reduces the visibility of tracking errors. Can be used visually in many eyepieces and accepts 1.25" eyepiece filters. In our tests this reducer outperformed other 1.25" reducers on the market in terms of image quality.

Meade F3.3 Reducer - £135

Reduces f/10 SCT's to between f/3 & f/5 for fast imaging. Works well with modded webcams & astrovideo cameras but not for use with large CCD's or visually.

Sky-Watcher 2" Field Flattener - £69 - Now in Stock

Superb quality, non-focal reducing Field Flattener optimised for DSLR imaging on refractor telescopes with focal ratios of between f/5.5 to f6.0. Will also provide much improved results on refractors with focal lengths narrowly outside this optimised f/range. Integral T-Ring adaptor thread. High quality CNC machined body with gloss black anodised finish.

Sky-Watcher 0.85x Reducer - £164

Select your reducer and/or T ring0.85x Focal Reducer/Corrector for Evostar-80ED DS-PRO0.85x Focal Reducer/Corrector for Evostar-100ED DS-PRO0.85x Focal Reducer/Corrector for Evostar-120ED DS-PROCanon M48 T-ringNikon M48 T-ring

Designed for serious Astro-Imagers. Optimised for the Evostar-80ED PRO, Evostar-100ED PRO and Evostar-120ED PRO this superb quality accessory effectively reduces the telescope's focal length by a factor of 0.85x and provides much improved field-edge correction. For DSLR cameras use in conjunction with SkyWatcher’s M48 Canon or Nikon T-ring.

TS 2" Field Flattener for f/5 to f/8 Refractors - £199

 

A flat field imaging corrector for ALL refractors with a 2" focuser, producing pinpoint stars from centre to edge! The flattener has an optical diameter of 45.5 mm and offers reduced vignetting compared to narrower T2 types. Fitting is M48 at both ends.

For most refractors the optimum back focus distance is 109mm from the M48 thread to the camera's sensor. Experience has shown that the flattener has a large tolerance for deviations from the ideal distance. A 5% deviation does not cause any deterioration of the image quality in an APS-sized sensor. For smaller sensors somewhat larger deviations may be acceptable, but please bear in mind that for the best resolution the distance should be set as precisely as possible. For refractors with a fast focal ratio we recommend a longer back focus distance of approximately 120-123mm. Please ask if unsure about adaptation and spacing!

Intes Mikro 0.8x focal reducer - £229

 

This focal reducer has been designed for Intes Maksutov-Cassegrains but works very well with other Maksutov Cassegrains (f/9 and slower) and flat-field systems like the GSO RCs. Build quality is typically Russian but optical quality is very good.

The reduction ratio is 0.8x so an f/12 system is turned into an f/9.6 system. This reducer performs best with sensors up to APS-C format. The standard distance between the reducer's SC thread and sensor is 70mm, increasing this leads to an increased compression factor.

Field curvature is not effected, a curved field remains curved and a flat field remains flat.

Free aperture is 48mm - better than T2 systems offering a maximum 38mm

Threads are SCT female on the telescope side and SCT male on the camera side.

Intes Mikro 0.6x focal reducer - £229

Designed for Intes Maksutov-Cassegrains but works very well with other Maksutov Cassegrains (f/9 and slower) and flat-field systems like the GSO RCs. Build quality is typically Russian but optical quality is very good.

Reduction is 0.6x, so an f/12 system is turned into a f/7.2 system. Works best with sensors up to APS-C format. The standard distance between the reducer's thread and sensor is 70mm, increasing this leads to an increased compression factor.

Field curvature is not effected, a curved field remains curved and a flat field remains flat.

48mm aperture, threads are SCT female on the scope side and SCT male on the camera side.

T Thread to 1.25" Helical Fine Focuser - £39

 

A helical 1.25" fine focuser with 6mm range, optical depth ranges from 28mm to 34mm, base is a female T thread.

1.25" eyepieces & nosepieces are held by a brass compression ring, tensioned by three screws.

You can achieve precise focusing with Schmidt Cassegrain and Maksutov scopes especially, one turn gives just 4mm of focus travel.

Perfect for visual use and for making spotting scopes and guiders from lenses, when used with the right adapters. Focuser top rotates, this needs to be considered when used with cameras.

MicroFocuser upgrade for Crayford Focusers - £59.99

This 1:10 upgrade unit fits the following telescopes:
-- All Crayford focusers with four base screws at a distance of 33 x 22 mm
-- Skywatcher ED Refractors, Newtonians, Dobsonians, Black Line telescopes
-- Vixen ED 80 and ED 100 and Orion USA ED Refractors, Newtonians, Dobsonians,

Easy installation, the focuser doesn't need to be dismantled, adjustable and supplied with instructions. Overall stability of the focuser is increased, a load of more than 3 kg can be supported without problems. Motorization is possible, as the base plate is a similar thickness to the original.

Skywatcher Auto-Focuser - £44.95 (includes delivery!)

 

Electric focus motor for accurate focusing with the minimum of vibration. Dual speed push-button operation (fast & slow).

Can be used with the following Skywatcher telescopes and their Celestron and Orion equivalents: Evostar models 90/102/120/150, Startravel models 80/102/120/150, Skyliner models 150/200/250 & Explorer models150/200/250. Can be adapted to many other scopes!

Can be used very effectively with the DC focus controller, see our combo pricing below.

Hitec Astro DC Focus Controller - £69.00

Hitecastro are delighted to announce details of their newest focus controller, HitecDCFocus.  We believe we have produced the finest digital DC focus controller available. HitecDCFocus is specially designed and extensively tested to support the 'Skywatcher', 'JMI' and Meade #1209 zero shift focusers.  Sockets for the motors are standardised on the high quality CNC machined housing.  Additionally manual focus buttons are included so you can use your HitecDCFocus unit even when its not connected to a PC.

Of course, it's when connected to a PC via USB2.0 that HitecDCFocus comes into its own.  The specially written software provides exquisite control over your focus motor.  The minutest of focus motion can be achieved by adjusting the parameters of the software to your needs.

Our bundled dedicated software provides a vast amount of options to satisfy the most demanding of astronomers.

Everything from the speed of the focuser to the frequency the motor operates at can be controlled.  We have developed a 'simulated' step mode which emulates a stepper based control in function.  It should be clearly noted that all DC motors are NOT capable of repeated absolute positioning. Unlike stepper motors which can be commanded to move a fixed number of steps, DC motors can only be turned on and off for a period of time.  This limits the use for autofocusing.  We have tested this with autofocus software and got very good results.  If the highest level of autofocus is what you want we recommend our new range of stepper motor based controllers which will be available very shortly.

Where our DC focuser excels is in providing the finest hands off control over your focus procedure.  The DC motor can either be slewed by pushing the buttons on either or software or the unit itself.  Depending on the settings you can either operate in continuous mode where the focuser will move until the button is released or our simulated step mode allows the focuser to be moved in equal steps for each push of the button.  The amount the focuser moves for each step is fully controllable through the speed and steps parameters of the software.  During development we were amazed at just how small a movement could be achieved using the software.  This far exceeds what can be done by hand focusing and makes the process of accurately focusing a CCD camera simple and painless (well as painless as your local seeing conditions will allow!!)

We think planetary imagers will be particularly interested since anyone who's tried to focus on planets at high magnifications will know that even touching the telescope causes impossible vibration of the image. By reducing the speed of the focuser and adjusting the frequency of the motor to suit your setup you can achieve vibration free focusing even at the highest of F ratios.

We havent forgotten about visual observers.  Again focusing at high magnifiactions can be achieved even with the highest power eyepieces.  The addition of slew buttons on the unit itself means that even if you don't wish to take a PC to your dark site, you can use HitecDCFocus.  If you do bring a PC, the integrated night vision mode will help ensure your dark adaptation is not compromised.

We've published an ASCOM compliant driver to compliment the software bundle. This allows HitecDCFocus to be used with any software which supports the ASCOM standard such as MaximDL. CCD Soft, Focus Max etc. (Please see the caveat regarding autofocusing).

In short, HitecDCFocus is a quantum leap in functionality and useability from the standard motor hand controllers and when it comes to a comparison with manual 'hand' focusing, well there simply is none!!  Once you've focused with our controller you will never want to touch your telescope focus wheel ever again!

 

 

 

Auto-Focuser and DC Focus Controller Combination - £109

Get PC controlled hands free focusing at a bargain price!

TS Monorail Focusers - £169.00

Select modelTS Monorail 2 inch focuser for Newtonians - no base - £169.00Base for tubes with D= 160 - 205mm - £15.00Base for tubes with D = 205 - 260mm - £15.00Base for tubes with D = over 260mm - £15.00 TS Monorail 2 inch focuser for Refractors (86mm) - £169.00TS Monorail 2 inch focuser for Refractors (96mm) - £169.00 TS Monorail 2 inch focuser for SCT - £169.00

 

Advantages of the TS Monorail focusers

• Higher load capacity. Instead of using roller bearings on the opposite side of the focuser drawtube the bearings are located on the focuser's steel rail. This allows for more focuser friction without distorting the focuser drawtube
  
• Precisely aligned focusing drawtube, no loss of alignment when tightening the locking screw
  
• Smooth focusing motion even under heavy loads of up to 4kgs
• 1:10 dual speed microfocuser for fine focusing
  
• Fits the existing base of Meade/GSO/TS Crayford focusers

Supplied with 1.25" adaptor - both 2" and 1.25" focuser tubes use a compression ring

2" Newtonian Focuser - Further Specifications

• Focuser diameter: 82mm
• Height without base: 70mm
• Focusing range: 50mm
• Supplied without a base, please select an appropriate base (if required) at checkout.
• Each base can also be used on larger tubes, but shouldn't be used on smaller tubes.

2" Refractor Focuser - Further Specifications

• 86mm version fits Celestron, Skywatcher and Orion tubes with 86mm flange and 90mm tube diameter
• 96mm version fits Celestron, Skywatcher and Orion tubes with 96mm flange and 102mm tube diameter
• Focus travel: 50mm, with mm and inch scale
  
• Minimum height from telescope flange to 2" barrel: 91mm or 94mm (depends on version)
  
  

2" SCT Focuser - Further Specifications

• Minimum length from telescope flange to 2" barrel: 112mm
• Travel: 50mm, with mm and inch scale - 2" SC thread with 360° rotation
  
• We do not recommend this focuser for fork-mounted SC telescopes, it would hit the base of the fork mount at higher elevations.
  
  

Baader Steeltrack Focusers - from £199.00

Select modelBaader Steeltrack 2 inch focuser for Newtonians - £199.00Baader Steeltrack 2 inch focuser for SCT's - £219.00Baader Steeltrack 2 inch focuser for Refractors - £219.00

Common Specifications

• Crayford focusers with stainless steel running rails for the roller bearings
• Stainless steel running rail for the focusing spindle
• All contact points between drawtube and focusing mechanism are stainless steel. This results in a much higher load capacity and smoother focusing motion. This also offers a longer life span of the entire focuser assembly.
• Locking screw with anti-scratch tip
• 1:10 professional grade microfocuser with all stainless steel mechanism
• drawtube is carefully blackened inside and has anti reflection ridges
• the 2" eyepiece clamp uses a compression ring for secure and scratch-free grip of the eyepiece
• The main axis of the focuser can be adjusted to offer a perfectly focused photographical field from one edge to the other.

2" Newtonian Focuser - Further Specifications

• focus travel: 30mm
• minimum height above the tube: 50mm
• universal adapter plate for various telescope diameters included
• 2" eyepiece clamp with compression ring and cutout for the low-profile 2"-1.25" adapter. The locking screw of the adapter sinks into this cutout and therefore doesn't add to the optical length of the focuser. The entire 2"-1.25" adaptation consumes only 1mm!

2" Refractor Focuser - Further Specifications

• focus travel: 81mm
• minimum length (without optional tube adaptation): 80mm
• 2" on 1.25" adapter with compression ring included
• telescope adaptation via dovetail. Inside diameter 72mm. Optional adaptors are available:
  Celestron, Sky-Watcher, ... 100mm and larger refractors, Skywatcher ED80, etc. (BA 295 7085)
  M68 x 1 and M80 x 1.5 thread fitting (also BA 295 7085)
  Celestron Onyx refractor with 77mm dovetail (BA 295 7086)

2" SCT Focuser - Further Specifications

• focus travel: 30mm
• telescope adaptation via large 3.3" SC thread (fits Meade and Celestron) as well as the common 2" SCT thread.

Dual-Speed 2" Crayford Focuser for Sky-Watcher Refractors - £129.00

 

A high quality CNC Machined 10:1 dual-speed Crayford focuser designed as a direct replacement/upgrade for the rack & pinion focuser supplied with the Sky-Watcher Evostar-102/120/150, Startravel-102/120/150 and Evostar-80ED/100ED/120ED Refractors. Will accept both 1.25" and 2" standard format eyepieces. Features adjustable tension and locking clamp and indexed drawtube.

Dual-Speed 2" Low Profile Crayford Focuser for Newtonian Reflectors - £129.00

 

A Low Profile CNC machined 10:1 dual-speed focuser designed for Newtonian Reflector telescopes of 9" to 15" aperture, and accepts either 1.25" or 2" eyepieces. Provides an exceptionally smooth focusing operation with the utmost precision, with the aid of its fine-focusing facility. 24mm indexed Drawtube.

Dual-Speed 2" Crayford Focuser for SCT Telescopes - £129.00

 

A high quality CNC machined 10:1 dual-speed focuser designed as an upgrade for Schmidt Cassegrain Telescopes. Accepts either 1.25" or 2" eyepieces. Provides an exceptionally smooth focusing operation with the utmost precision, with the aid of its fine-focusing facility. Indexed Drawtube.

Heavy duty guidescope rings - from £49.95

Select SizeGuidescope rings - inner diameter 100mm £49.95Guidescope rings - inner diameter 130mm £59.95

 

Very heavy duty black anodised Aluminium guidescope rings, much more solid than usual types!

Standard 1.25 inch Nosepiece for T thread cameras (Atik, Lumenera etc) - £15

This is the standard nosepiece for QHY, Atik, Lumenera and other cameras with a female T thread. The nosepiece is male T thread to male 1.25" and connects any T thread camera to a 1.25" focuser.

Baader RCC Off Axis Guider - £134

40° swivel Off Axis Guider (OAG) with T2 thread connection. This OAG was developed especially for the RCC I Rowe Coma Corrector (for Newtonian Telescopes). Using this OAG and a Baader T ring, you can guide any DSLR camera with no additional extensions of rings, or "Off Axis" by using a reticle eyepiece or LVI Smartguiders. (You'll also need a T-ring to connect your dSLR to the T-thread. It's specific to each camera type/brand.) The ideal chip spacing arises automatically by the optical height of the T-ring and the RCC OAG.

Brightstar Astro Off Axis Guider - Only £94 Delivered !

The Brightstar Astro Off-Axis Guider lets you image and guide simultaneously through the same telescope eliminating the need for a separate guidescope,saving equipment weight and setup time. Imaging and guiding through a single telescope eliminates tracking problems such as differential flexure and mirror shift. Compatible with autoguiders featuring T-threads or 1.25" nosepiece, as well as 1.25" illuminated reticle eyepieces. Works verry well with the QHY5 and QHY5v. Attaches to any 2" focuser via the included 2" nosepiece, or onto any T-thread equipped rear-cell. Includes T-extensions of three different lengths (7mm, 17mm, and 30mm) to accomodate different camera/guider combinations and has prism tilt adjustment and more than 100 degrees of radial adjustment for easy guide star location. Built-in coarse and helical fine-focus adjustments allow focus of autoguider relative to camera. Requires a minimum of 32mm inward focus travel, depending on configuration. Not recommended for reflectors due to their limited focus travel, use the TS 9mm OAG instead. Brightstar make many accessories for famous names and this item is also available as the Orion Deluxe Off Axis Guider.

TS Off Axis Guider - only 9mm Optical Depth - T2, EOS or M48 fitting - from £149

 

The TS Off Axis Guider is the lowest profile off axis guider available, making it the perfect OAG for most Newtonians.

Flexure between main and guiding telescopes cannot ruin tracking accuracy if you use an off axis guider. The load on the mount is much reduced and there's no need for a guide scope. Your setup becomes more compact.
You work with the main telescope's aperture and focal length, not with the smaller aperture of a guide scope.

Compared with many simpler guiders the TS OAG not only has a shorter optical depth, but also a larger clear aperture. A "T2 keyhole" is avoided, resulting in better illumination for large sensor cameras up to 45mm diagonal.

Select version and accessories TS Off Axis Guider T-thread fitting £149.00 TS Off Axis Guider EOS fitting £165.00 TS Off Axis Guider M48 fitting £149.00 2 inch nosepiece for TS OAG £16.00 T thread to 1.25 inch eyepiece holder £16.00 Low profile T thread - 1.25 inch eyepiece holder £19.00 Zero Profile M48 (male) - T thread (female) adapter £17.00 Low Profile M48 (male) - T thread (female) adapter £20.00

Pair of 2" Parfocalising Rings - £16

Register the focus point of 2" eyepieces

Set of four 1.25" Parfocalising Rings - £16

Register the focus point of 1.25" eyepieces

100/240V AC Input 12V DC 2A Output psu - £19.99

UK plugged power supply with regulated output of 2A via 2.1mm DC plug. Suitable for small cameras and accessories requiring less than 2000ma (2A) eg Brightstar Mammut L429, some Atik cameras, QHY6, Atik electric filter wheel, Watec and Mintron cameras. Cable length is 5' (1.5m) and DC extensions are available..

Please check your manual or enquire by email or 'phone if unsure of compatability.

100/240V AC Input 12V DC 5A Output psu - £27.99

UK plugged switched mode power supply, with a regulated output of 12V @ 5A via 2.1mm right angle plug. Suitable for many mounts and cameras requiring 5000ma (5A) or less eg Celestron NexStar, CPC, Advanced / CG5 Mounts and SkyWatcher SupaTrak AZ SynScan Goto, EQ5 / HEQ5 & EQ6 / SynTrek / Pro Mounts also QHY & Atik cameras.

If unsure of compatability please check your manual or enquire by email or 'phone.

12v Mains Power Supply for Meade Telescopes - £29.99

This mains power unit is ideal for powering your 12 volt Meade telescope. The unit has a 2500ma rating making it suitable for Meade ETX 90/105/125 LX90 LXD55/75 and LX200 Telescopes. Supplied with a Meade power lead with a right angle plug and mains lead and plug. A high quality compact unit with LED power indicator and suppressed leads to eliminate electical interference.

Output 12 volt 2500ma, Input 220/240 volt, 2 Meter Meade power lead, 2 Meter mains lead and plug.

Canon EOS T Ring - £14.99

 

The standard method of connecting Canon EOS cameras to T thread accessories such as correctors & reducers.

Low Profile Canon EOS T Ring - £19.99

Ultra slim EOS T ring, only about 1mm thick compared to the standard 11mm .

Useful when you need to reduce the length of the optical path - for reducers, correctors etc.

Pentax Screw T Ring - £15

 

Used to connect T thread accessories to M42 or Pentax screw thread cameras, also works with some older Starlight Xpress cameras that use M42/Pentax screw thread.

Pentax K fitting T Ring - £15

 

The standard method of connecting Pentax K fit cameras to T thread accessories such as correctors & reducers.