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!
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Stefan Taube
Posts composed by Stefan Taube
Blog Archives
WAVE-Mounts from Skywatcher with Strain Wave Gear
August 21 2024, Stefan Taube
The new WAVE mounts from Skywatcher incorporate industry standard strainwave gears. This gear design impresses with its excellent load capacity to weight ratio, its compact design and its favorable price.
Skywatcher offers two models:
- WAVE-100i Strainwave GoTo Wi-Fi with 10 kilograms load capacity
- WAVE-150i Strainwave GoTo Wi-Fi with a load capacity of 15 kilograms
Mounts with strain wave gears do not require counterweights. This makes them very portable and also suitable for travelling. An optional counterweight is available for the two new models, which can be used to increase the load capacity even further. This considerably extends the range of optics and applications that can be used.
The new tripod for these mounts is also noteworthy. The WAVE Carbon tripod can also be used with the WAVE SA column extension for the popular Star Adventurer series of photo mounts.
Both models of the new WAVE mounts are available with or without tripod and can be found here in our shop.
Only in August: Omegon telescopes with smartphone adapter for free!
August 1 2024, Stefan Taube
In August you will receive a practical smartphone adapter for free on a selection of Omegon brand telescopes!
This offer is valid for the models:
- Omegon Telescope N 114/900 EQ-1
- Omegon Telescope AC 70/700 AZ-2
- Omegon Telescope AC 90/1000 EQ-2
- Omegon Telescope N 150/750 EQ-3
Also for the special starter sets:
- Omegon Telescope Set N 114/900 EQ-1
- Omegon Telescope Set N 150/750 EQ-3
- Omegon Telescope AC 70/700 AZ-2 Set
With this adapter you can attach your smartphone directly behind the eyepiece of the telescope. This allows you to set the focus correctly and take pictures without blurring. This works particularly well with the Moon, but also with the bright planets Jupiter and Saturn!
Saturn will be very easyily to spot in September, followed by Jupiter in December. So now is a good time for an Omegon telescope with smartphone adapter.
The adapter is included automatically with the telescope, so you don’t have to order anything else.
Promotion period: August 1st to 31st, 2024. Take advantage now!
New telescopes of the NexStar SLT series from Celestron
July 15 2024, Stefan Taube
Under the name NexStar SLT (Star Locating Telescope), Celestron offers computer-controlled telescopes that allow access to the night sky without any prior knowledge.
Two models with the very popular Schmidt-Cassegrain optics are now available in this series:
Schmidt-Cassegrain optics have a long focal length, which is ideal for observing the moon, planets and planetary nebulae at high magnification. Nevertheless, the tube is very short and easy to transport. The closed tube protects the mirror from dust. SC telescopes are stable in adjustment and show an image without colour errors – this is also ideal for planetary observation.
You can find all models in the NexStar SLT series here in the shop.
Skywatcher telescopes at a special price – ideal for beginners!
May 27 2024, Stefan Taube
You can now purchase selected Skywatcher telescopes at a special price:
- Telescope AC 60/700 Mercury AZ-2 at a special price of only 89,- Euro! You save 26,- Euro!
- Telescope N 76/700 Astrolux AZ-1 at a special price of only 99,- Euro! You save 36,- Euro!
- Telescope N 114/1000 SkyHawk EQ-1 at a special offer price of only 189,- Euro! You save 40,- Euro!
- Telescope N 130/900 Explorer EQ-2 with motor for 279,- Euro! You save 86,- Euro!
Take advantage of these favourable prices now for your entry into astronomy: The offer is only valid while stocks last!
By the way, we also offer other telescopes and mounts from Skywatcher at a special price: You can find all items here in the shop!
Celestron RASA 800 AVX with autoguider: A powerful package for astrophotography!
May 13 2024, Stefan Taube
The Celestron brand has put together a package comprising the f/2.2 RASA 800 astrograph, the tried-and-tested Advanced VX mount and the new StarSense autoguider camera.
Save money with the set: Celestron Astrograph S 203/400 RASA 800 AVX autoguider
RASA stands for Rowe-Ackermann-Schmidt-Astrograph:
- Super-fast optics for extremely short exposure times!
- Excellent focussing mechanism!
- Quiet 12V MagLev fan allows optimal air cycle in the tube
The StarSense autoguider offers many advantages:
- Automatic alignment and support during polar alignment
- Precise GoTo: Improves the positioning accuracy of your Celestron mount!
- Autoguiding: Tracks celestial objects precisely, for pinpoint stars even on long-exposure astrophotos!
You do not need a separate laptop for the StarSense autoguider, but can simply operate it via the NexStar hand control.
As a set you save money compared to the sum of the individual prices! The offer is only valid until 15 June 2024, grab it now here in the shop!
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
Dobsonian telescope with over 30 centimetre mirror from Bresser
April 3 2024, Stefan Taube
Dobsonian telescopes are simple in design and intuitive to use. They are therefore particularly popular with newcomers to astronomy and occasional observers. But experienced amateur astronomers also love this type of telescope, as the simple design allows the use of a large mirror at a fair price.
The traditional Bresser company now offers a Dobsonian telescope with a 305 millimetre mirror diameter in its Messier series: N 305/1525 Messier Hexafoc
This model also shares the special advantages of the Dobsonian telescopes in the Messier series:
- Newtonian optics with parabolic primary mirror
- Large altitude wheels and azimuthal needle bearing for movements without jerking
- Tube with tube clamps: The telescope can be finely balanced. It is even possible to use the optics on a different mount.
- The supporting box can be assembled in just a few minutes using metal furniture connectors.
- A suitable filter for observing the sun is already included in the scope of delivery.
The tube of the largest model N 305/1525 Messier Hexafoc is made of fiberglass and is therefore relatively easy to transport.
You can find more information and the current price for this 12-inch telescope here in the shop.
New member of the Celestron NexStar Evolution family
March 25 2024, Stefan Taube
The popular Nexstar Evolution telescopes from Celestron have a new addition: It’s a five inch telescope!
The NexStar Evolution 5 is even more compact and less expensive than the other models in this series. However, it has everything that characterises a NexStar Evolution telescope:
- High-quality optics in a Schmidt-Cassegrain design. This design is compact, closed and very easy to use. The long focal length is ideal for observing and photographing the moon and planets.
- The telescope is equipped with motors and computer control (“GoTo”). This means that even beginners can find all attractive celestial objects.
- The telescope can be controlled with the hand controller or via smartphone and the SkyPortal app from Celestron. To do this, the telescope generates a Wi-Fi signal so that you can connect your smartphone to the telescope.
- The NexStar-Evolution has an integrated lithium iron phosphate battery (LiFePO4) with a battery life of approx. 10 hours.
- The telescope can be disassembled into three parts. This makes it easy to transport and fits in any car boot.
You can find the NexStar Evolution 5 and all other models here in the shop.