The leaves and prices are falling this autumn!
You can find our colorful selection of special offers here in the shop. Get them now!
The offer is valid from September 23rd to November 28th, 2024 and only while supplies last!
Posts Tagged 'mount'
iOptron CEM40 + GEM45: Now at great bargain prices
June 1 2024, Jan Ströher
Take a look at the impressive technology of the iOptron CEM40 and GEM45 mounts, now available at reduced prices for a limited time. Convince yourself of their versatile features and excellent weight-to-payload ratio.
The iOptron GEM45 mount has a sleek design and an excellent weight-to-payload ratio, plus an integrated electronic polar finder, user-friendly locking levers, internal cable management, a versatile self-centering saddle, an energy-saving stepper motor drive system and an advanced GoTo system with over 212,000 objects plus optional Wi-Fi.
The CEM40 weighs just 8.2kg, but can support optical instruments and accessories up to 18kg. This impressive ratio of 2.5 between payload capacity and weight makes the CEM40 so versatile. You can transport it to the best observation sites under dark skies or set it up on a small pier in your backyard observatory.
We are having the iOptron CEM40 and GEM45 mounts on sale until 31 July!
Make your choice now. As long as supplies last!
EQ-AL55i Pro: New mount for small optics and DSLR cameras from Skywatcher
April 22 2024, Stefan Taube
The Skywatcher brand has been offering small mounts for travelling and photography with camera lenses for years under the name Star Adventurer.
The technology and design of these successful models can be found again in a new mount that has a load capacity of 10 kilograms and can therefore also carry somewhat larger optics: Skywatcher mount EQ-AL55i Pro SynScan GoTo WiFi
This versatile mount is equipped with an adjustable counterweight bar. This allows use at all latitudes from 0° to 90° and avoids the problems that arise with many mounts outside our mid-latitudes. It is an ideal travelling mount!
The EQ-AL55i is fully controlled with a smartphone via the built-in Wi-Fi module and the free SynScan Pro app. This app is available for iOS and Android.
You can find more information about this mount here in the shop.
Mounts with strain wave gear from ZWO, iOptron and PegasusAstro
April 19 2024, Stefan Taube
Innovative manufacturers have been offering astronomical mounts with a special drive design for a few years now. You can find these in the shop under the Harmonic / Strainwave link.
These mounts are equipped with a so-called strain wave gear. It is also known under the protected brand name Harmonic Drive.
The advantages are:
- High load capacity with low dead weight
- High torsional rigidity: no counterweights required
- Relatively inexpensive, as industry standard
- No swivelling error (“backlash”)
- Very high reduction ratio
- Compact dimensions
- Maintenance-free and backlash-free in the long term
The strain wave gear is used for the axes of industrial robots, among other things. It is therefore a standard and does not need to be specially developed and built for astronomical mounts.
Although the periodic gearbox error is also high for strain wave gears, the error typical of worm shafts, which occurs when the direction of rotation changes (“backlash”), is eliminated. This means that the strain wave gear reacts immediately to the control impulses, so that the periodic error can be compensated very well by autoguiding.
For large mounts, such as the Skywatcher EQ-8, the mounts from 10Micron or the CGX-L from Celestron, a worm shaft is still the first choice, because optics with a long focal length require a very low periodic gear error and a counterweight cannot be dispensed with for heavy optics, even with a strain wave gear. In addition, the advantages of strain wave gears in terms of compactness, weight and price are lost as soon as a mount with a high load capacity is required.
There is therefore an ideal range of load capacity in which mounts with a strain wave gear can play to their strengths. The requirements for mobile astrophotography with small to medium-sized optics fall within this range. The harmonic mounts from brands like iOptron, PegasusAstro, RainbowAstro and ZWO are designed precisely for these requirements.
You can find all mounts with strain wave gear under the Harmonic / Strainwave link in the shop.
Typical strain wave gear to industry standard
New Sphinx mount from Vixen: SX2WL WiFi
January 25 2024, Stefan Taube
With the SX2WL model, the Japanese manufacturer Vixen is launching a new mount in the Sphinx series.
The SX2WL is the first Sphinx mount to be equipped with a Wireless Unit. It generates a local WLAN so that the mount can be controlled via a smartphone, using the free STAR BOOK Wireless App. This App offers all the functionalities of the previous STARBOOK TEN with manual controls simply via your smartphone. This significantly reduces the power consumption of the mount!
The SX2WL is ideal for mobile astrophotography: It can carry up to 12 kilograms, but weights only 7 kilograms. Due to the design of the Sphinx mounts the motors act as counterweights and only a light additional counterweight is required.
Like all Sphinx mounts, the SX2WL also impresses with its high quality standards Made In Japan!
You can find more information and the current price here in the shop.
GEM45 – save now in our clearance sale!
November 9 2023, Jan Ströher
From 1st to 30th November (inclusive) we are offering iOptron’s GEM45 mount in our clearance sale for amazing prices. This mount is available in four different versions: GEM45G GoTo LiteRoc, GEM45 GoTo LiteRoc with carry case, GEM45-EC GoTo LiteRoc and, the basic version, the GEM45 GoTo LiteRoc.
The iOptron GEM45 is the next generation equatorial mount ! Due to its functionality and technology, it is a first-class, medium-sized mount.
iOptron GEM45 with LiteRoc tripod
The GEM45 is not just a pretty face…
The mount has a compact design and an extremely good weight-to-load ratio – the 7 kilogram mount can precisely and securely carry a load of up to 20 kilograms! With its built-in electronic polarscope (iPolar) correctly aligning the mount (polar alignment) is child’s play – even if the Pole Star is not visible. Thanks to their large clamping levers, the gears can also be easily loosened or tightened even when wearing gloves. Internal cable management prevents tangled cables or cables being torn out. The universal self-centring mounting saddle takes both Losmandy-style and Vixen-style dovetail rails. The mount uses a reliable stepper motor drive system with low energy consumption and a database of over 212,000 objects. The integrated GPS, as well as the large hand controls with optional WiFi, provide additional comfort.
You can only secure this excellent mount, providing you with decades of fun and reliability, at this amazing price during our clearance sale!
This offer is only valid on qualifying items from 01/11/2023 to 30/11/2023 and as long as stocks last!
Special autumn promotion on the iOptron CEM26!
October 1 2023, Jan Ströher
iOptron’s sophisticated and mechanically excellent centre-balanced equatorial mounts (CEM) provide a very precise foundation for (mobile) astrophotography and observation. We are now offering you a special promotion with attractive prices on models in the CEM26 series from iOptron from 01 to 31 October. The CEM26 is the lightest and most compact model in the range. They are very transportable but can still carry up to 12kg payload. As with the larger CEM mounts, the CEM26 features the perfect relationship between weight and payload. The key to this optimised ratio is the centre-balanced equatorial mount (CEM) design developed by iOptron, which directs the combined mount and payload weight to the centre of the tripod to create a natural centre of gravity. Building on the product expertise gained from previous CEM models, the CEM26 has additional features to ensure maximum convenience during use. It also includes an integrated Wi-Fi system, as well as permanent periodic error correction (PEC).
CEM26 from iOptron
In terms of functionality, the CEM26 delivers precise pointing and highly accurate tracking of selected objects, setting new standards for compact, medium-sized equatorial GoTo mounts. Equipped with the latest Go2Nova® technology, it is one of the most powerful and accurate GoTo mounts on the market today!
Secure your preferred version of the CEM26 as part of our autumn promotion – choose from three models: all are available for immediate delivery from stock!
CEM26 in a carrying case
This promotion is valid on the selected models from 01 to 31 October or as long as stocks last!
The iOptron GEM28 on special offer in September
September 1 2023, Jan Ströher
The summer is coming to an end and in most places the holiday season is also almost over… but there are still reasons for us to look forward to the coming autumn, astronomically speaking. Firstly because it gets dark earlier, which means we have longer nights for our hobby, and secondly because the GEM28 mounts from iOptron are available at affordable prices in our special September promotion – and the full range is available from stock! The GEM28 is perfect for mobile astrophotography. It can carry up to 13kg, but its compact design and low weight means that it can be taken almost anywhere. Compared to iOptron’s centre-balanced CEM mounts, the GEM series is a classic equatorial mount featuring the latest technology and a slim design. The GEM28 has been on the market for around two years, and enjoys great popularity among both astrophotographers and visual observers who are looking for a very good EQ5-class mount.
GEM28 GoTo iPolar LiteRoc
You can save a lot of money in September on these GEM28 models:
- GEM28 GoTo iPolar LiteRoc (product 69717)
- GEM28 GoTo LiteRoc (product 69705)
- GEM28 iPolar 1.5″ Tripod (product 73450)
- GEM28 AccuAlign 1.5″ Tripod (product 70618)
As always, the following applies to this offer which ends on 30 September: the items included in the offer are available from stock only while stocks last!
(Promotion period 01 to 30 September 2023)
New: CQ350 Skywatcher mount with high load capacity!
February 9 2023, Stefan Taube
In the CQ350, Skywatcher has created a heavy mount, which is still suitable for mobile astronomy. Thanks to its load capacity, it sits between the smaller EQ6-R and the larger EQ8-R.
The CQ350 is equally well suited for astrophotography in your own garden as it is for observatories; and thus represents an excellent compromise between mobile and stationary use.
Summary of key features:
- Load capacity up to 35 kilograms
- State-of-the-art computer controls (GoTo) with SynScan V.5 hand control box
- Integrated database containing 42,900 objects
- Toothed belt drive for smooth operation without gear backlash
- Dual dovetail clamp to accommodate all popular telescopes
This quietly operated mount is moved using belt drives with stepper motors in both axes (Encoder resolution: 55,193,600 counts/rev, 0.023 arcseconds). Its quiet operation and high slewing speed makes this mount even appeal to observatories with public guided tours.
The mount comes with counterweights and a tripod. However, the mount can also be purchased without a tripod if you want to use it in a fixed position in an observatory. You can find both versions here in our shop.
New mount from Skywatcher: the AZ-GTiX WiFi
December 5 2022, Stefan Taube
Skywatcher is introducing a new mount from the AZ-GTi series. These altazimuth mounts feature:
- Low weight and compact design
- Motorisation with computer control (GoTo)
- Integrated WLAN to connect to a smartphone or tablet
The new version, the AZ-GTiX WiFi, offers a higher load capacity and two saddle plates for mounting two instruments, for example a telescope and a camera, side-by-side.
The AZ-GTiX mount can be used with any sufficiently-large camera tripod with a 3/8-inch photo thread. Skywatcher also offers the mount in a set with a tripod: AZ-GTiX WiFi with tripod.
The AZ-GTiX mount has a built-in WLAN module so you can control it wirelessly using a smartphone or tablet. All you need to do is install the free SynScan app for iOS or Android. Using its servo motors, the mount slews the telescope to any of the 10,000 celestial objects that you can select via the app.
All mounts in the AZ-GTi series can be found here in our shop.
The PrimaLuceLab experience
November 24 2022, Jan Ströher
PrimaLuceLab, the Italian manufacturer from Porcia, specialises in high-end astronomy accessories. Products includes the high-quality PLUS range of prism rails, support rings and clamps, together with adapters, guiding systems, radio telescopes and a variety of products for holistic astrophotography solutions. PrimaLuceLab’s aspiration is to make astrophotography uncomplicated and accessible for all – this aspiration is fully realised with their specially developed PLAY software and their EAGLE, ECCO, ARCO, GIOTTO and SESTO SENSO series of products. The aim is to create a complete package that functions as simply as possible and makes the technology behind astrophotography as convenient for all users as it can be: a PrimaLuceLab experience, so to say.
PrimaLuceLab EAGLE control unit
When combined with the PLAY software, this system comprising various PrimaLuceLab products offers a complete set-up for all telescope models, regardless of brand. The PLAY software is very clear, user-friendly, offers an all-in-one solution with full ASCOM compatibility and works providing you use at least an ESATTO micro focuser or the SESTO SENSO 2. Instead of various software applications, you have everything combined in one clear and simple solution – indeed the name PLAY suggests the simplicity of the application – which allows even beginners to engage in astrophotography in an uncomplicated (yes, playful) and yet immediately successful manner. All other PrimaLuceLab products can be controlled using this software.
The ESATTO micro focuser
Functionality and technology are continuously tested and further developed by PrimaLuceLab. Products are always checked in the in-house workshop before they are sent to the warehouse or prepared for shipment. I was able to see this for myself during a visit to the company in October 2022. There, the founder and president of PrimaLuceLab, Filippo Bradaschia, gave me a live demonstration of the PLAY software functionality using a complete set-up comprising a Sky Watcher AZ/EQ5 mount, a cooled QHY163 monochrome camera, PrimaLuceLab EAGLE/ARCO/SESTO SENSO products, together with a Sharpstar 80mm apochromatic refractor. I was impressed by the overview of the operation as well as the functionality! The software even replaces the mount’s hand-held control. Filippo Bradaschia compares this to buying an Apple©™product: PrimaLuceLab offers you a complete experience and ensures that the individual components are all compatible with one another: the PrimaLuceLab experience!