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Jan Ströher

Jan Ströher

Posts composed by Jan Ströher

Vaonis Vespera I now 10% off

February 21 2024, Jan Ströher

The first Vespera model from vaonis is now available for the special price of € 1349.-, so a 10% discount on the regular price. This offer is only valid for item #74053 and of course while supplies last! A smart telescope combines modern telescope technology and sensor technology in an easy-to-use system.

Vespera combines the following characteristics in a highly portable telescope:

Quadruplet Apochromatic Refractor: Vaonis has designed a unique quadruplet lens of 50mm, formed by 2 groups of 2 lenses made with lanthanum glass. Vespera optics is one of the most accurate and powerful optical designs on the market with minimal distorsion, chromatic aberration or astigmatism.

Highly sensitive Sony sensor: Vespera uses one the lastest Sony sensors developed for extreme low light. Its back-illuminated CMOS sensor offers a 1/2.8 format and a 2.9um pixel size. Vaonis also developed their own electronic card to make sure that heat management stays optimal. A hot sensor means a lot of defects, so the sensor board is designed to dissipate the maximum amount of heat.

Singularity App: Your guide to reach the stars. Singularity is your control room, the place where you decide everything. Very intuitive and user friendly, you can easily access any stellar object of our catalog. You will get personalized recommendations on what to observe according to your geolocation and the astronomical calendar, and notes about the secrets of the Cosmos. Singularity guides you each step of the way on your journey to reach the stars.

Get your own smart observation station now with the special offer price for the vaonis Vespera I!

Meade LX85 and LX90 sale!

February 15 2024, Jan Ströher

From now until March 31, 2024 we are offering you stock models of the LX85 and LX90 series from Meade at special discounted prices.

The LX85 mount is designed for mobile Astrophotography. With its powerful servomotors and Meade Smart Drive technology, it follows the rotation of the sky and keeps the telescope aligned with the desired object for long exposure times – without flipping during meridian transit!

 

Meade telescope N 200/800 LX85

 

The models in the LX90 series are among the most widely used systems by advanced amateur Astronomers. There is a good reason for this: The system is so compact that the smaller models are ideal for mobile Astronomy, whereas the large instruments also fit into a garden or club observatory.

Meade telescope ACF-SC 254/2500 UHTC LX90

Various models of both series from our warehouse are now available at a special price until March 31, 2024 – only while supplies last!

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 versionsGEM45G GoTo LiteRocGEM45 GoTo LiteRoc with carry caseGEM45-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!

Unistellar smart telescopes now with a free solar filter and backpack!

October 17 2023, Jan Ströher

The manufacturer Unistellar is running a special promotion until 05 November, in which its eQuinox 2 and eVscope 2 smart telescopes are being offered with a free solar filter and backpack.

With every purchase of one of the two models, you will get a solar filter worth €249 and a matching backpack worth € 359 completely free!

eVscope 2 and eQuinox 2 on special offer

This promotion is only valid for the above-mentioned Unistellar models and finishes on 05 November 2023.

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:

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)

August promotion: iOptron CEM40 now at reduced prices

August 2 2023, Jan Ströher

CEM stands for centre-balanced equatorial mount, that is a mount supported at its centre of gravity, thanks to its design. This means that a lighter counterweight can be used, and it offers an excellent ratio of mount weight to carrying capacity: a CEM with a relatively low own weight can carry a comparatively heavy optic.

We are now offering the CEM40 series of mounts from iOptron at reduced prices for a limited time until 31 August!

The CEM40 mount weighs just 8.2 kilogrammes, but can carry optical instruments and accessories weighing up to 18 kilogrammes. This excellent payload/weight ratio of 2.5 is the reason why the CEM40 is so versatile. You can transport them to the best dark sky observation sites, or mount them on a small column in your garden observatory.

The following models in this series are available in August at a discount:

CEM40 GoTo with LiteRoc tripod and carrying case – 63903

CEM40 GoTo LiteRoc – 62121

CEM40 GoTo with tripod – 61904

CEM40-EC GoTo high precision encoder with LiteRoc tripod – 62122

CEM40-EC GoTo high precision encoder with tripod – 61906

As always, this promotion is on a “first come, first served” basis and only as long as stocks last!

Promotion period: 01 to 31 August 2023.

Meade LX85 & LX200 on special offer

July 26 2023, Jan Ströher

From 15 July up to and including 31 August 2023, we are offering the following models in the LX85 and LX200 series from Meade at special summer-saver prices:

N 200/800 Astrograph LX85 GoTo for €2,799 instead of €3,299

This Newtonian is a compact, very fast device (f/4.0 focal ratio) for high-resolution astrophotography with short exposure times. It is especially suitable for large emission nebulae and galaxies. Despite the fast focal ratio and its optimisation for photographic purposes, it is also a pleasure to use for visual purposes – especially for deep sky objects! The large focuser with 1:10 fine adjustment ensures a bright image field and precise focusing. The secondary mirror struts are kept extra thin to cause as little obstruction in the light path as possible, which results in better contrast. With a generous 83.2 millimetre of back focus, there is enough working distance for other accessories, such as a coma corrector or filter wheel. Astrophotography with this fast focal ratio will definitely require a good coma corrector to obtain sharp and point-shaped stars across the entire field of view. A coma corrector may not be necessary for this Newtonian when combined with smaller camera sensors or for purely visual use.

The scope of delivery includes an 8×50 finderscope, a 35mm extension tube (important for visual use), a 26mm Super Plössl eyepiece, as well as a fan to ensure faster cooling for the primary mirror.

The LX85 mount is designed with mobile astrophotography in mind. With its powerful servo motors and Meade Smart Drive technology, it follows the rotation of the night sky and keeps the telescope aligned with the selected object for long exposure times – without the need for a meridian flip!

Meade LX85 Newtonian 200/800

 

ACF- SC 203/2032 UHTC LX85 GoTo for €3,669 instead of €4,580

With its Schmidt-Cassegrain design, this telescope leaves nothing to be desired: SC telescopes are suitable for all applications. No matter whether you want to observe planets, distant nebulae, or galaxies, whether purely visually or also for photography: anything is possible with a SC telescope!

The compact optics ensure low leverage stress on the mount and mean that the telescope is easy to transport. Focussing is carried out internally and is so adjustable that, even with astrophotography accessories attached, focusing is not a problem.

The LX85 mount is particularly lightweight and therefore ideal for mobile use either in the garden or at an observation location under particularly dark skies, and the GoTo AudioStar control helps you to correctly align the telescope and it automatically tracks your chosen observation object. This makes it ideal for beginners! The LX85 mount can be used with most commercially available telescopes up to 15kg in weight.

We have significantly reduced the prices of the following models from the  Meade LX200 series :

ACF-SC 305/3000 12″ UHTC LX200 GoTo without tripod for €6,399 instead of €7,999

ACF-SC 254/2500 10″ UHTC LX200 GoTo for €5,279 instead of €6,619

ACF-SC 305/3000 12″ UHTC LX200 GoTo for €7,679 instead of €9,589

Meade ACF-SC 203/2000 8″ UHTC LX200 GoTo telescope

 

ACF-SC 203/2000 8″ UHTC LX200 GoTo for €5,119 instead of €6,419

ACF-SC 203/2000 UHTC LX200 GoTo without tripod for €4,479 instead of €5,590

ACF-SC 254/2500 UHTC LX200 GoTo without tripod for €5,269 instead of €6,190

The LX200 series of telescopes are among the systems most widely used by experienced amateur astronomers. There is a good reason for this: the LX200 series combines coma-free ACF optics with a stable fork mount and modern electronics. The system is so compact that the smaller models are ideal for mobile astronomy and the larger instruments suit relatively small garden or club observatories.

In addition to the advantages of the telescopes themselves, the LX200 series offers other useful features: the primary mirror lock prevents image shift and holds focus during long exposure times. The high-quality worm gear on both axes ensures smooth running at all speeds. Thanks to SmartDrive, the periodic worm error is permanently corrected (PPEC).

All models covered by this summer sale are available from stock! This promotion is valid until 31 August 2023 only while stocks last!

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!

HEM27 – the new iOptron mounts featuring top-class technology!

June 3 2022, Jan Ströher

The recent trend towards hybrid Harmonic Drive mounts is not without reason: they are compact, light, can be used on camera tripods and yet have a high load-carrying capacity, which is far superior to the more basic camera mount. In addition, they are equipped with all the technical features of a large equatorial mount. Due to their design and mechanical construction, they also do not require any counterweight(s) – a further advantage for transportation. This is why the term “hybrid” is used: you have all the advantages of a camera mount, such as quick assembly, easy transportation, compactness and precise tracking of the night sky. All these features are then combined with the advantages of larger equatorial mounts, such as GoTo functions, a hand controller with object catalogue, permanent drive gear error correction (PEC), various tracking modes and a high payload capacity in relation to its own weight – all without a counterweight bar with corresponding counterweight. These mounts’ mechanics provide the perfect balance for your telescope.

HEM27 on camera tripod

iOptron is continuing this trend and introduces yet more innovation with the new HEM27 series. The series consists of three variants: a classic HEM27, one with iPolar and an EC version.

iOptron thereby offers a selection of hybrid mounts to suit all requirements. All HEM27 mounts have a low dead weight of just under 4kg, but a load-carrying capacity of up to 13.5kg! This means that they can also be used for telescopes that would normally only be found on mounts in the mid-range weight class. So you can use a telescope weighing 5–6kg and still have sufficient capacity for astrophotography equipment. This means that you have the choice of a much broader range of telescopes with the HEM27 compared to regular camera mounts, which usually have a load limit of 3–5kg.

A carrying case is included with the HEM series

iOptron has equipped this series with the well-established Go2Nova® software and a database of 212,000 objects – just like the larger CEM and GEM series of iOptron mounts. The internal cable management provides security and order, and a dual saddle plate allows the use of Vixen/GP and Losmandy prism rails. An ST-4 autoguiding port is available as well as built-in WLAN, a bubble level and an emergency brake system which stops the mount if the power supply is interrupted abruptly. When you continue, the location memory means that the mount does not have to be re-aligned and re-programmed for your location. As you would expect from iOptron: all HEM27 models feature extremely quiet and smooth stepper motors.

The HEM series will be available in summer. You can find first details here at Astroshop!