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Skywatcher AZ-5: The new azimuthal mount for small optics

September 29 2017, Stefan Taube

A small all-around mount for nature observations and star gazing. It does not always have to be the biggest telescope, many times you just want to have a glance at the Moon, planets or the Milky Way. For this purpose, the new mount AZ-5 Deluxe from Skywatcher is just ideal!

This mount is able to carry optics of up to five kilogrammes, whereby the standardised prism rail connection also accepts telescopes from manufacturers other than Skywatcher. With an optionally available L-holder one can also connect binoculars or a spotting scope with a camera screw.

The AZ-5 Deluxe is equipped with a friction clutch for quick adjustment of the desired object: Simply apply slight pressure to the tube to move the optics to the right direction. Sensitive fine tuning and tracking is then accomplished via two flexible shafts. The mount and optics rest on a sturdy aluminium tripod.

The mount can also be used for nature observations. The fork arm can be adjusted in various positions, so that looking down into a valley is also possible.

Skywatcher also offers the AZ-5 Deluxe in a set with different optics. We would like to briefly introduce these sets:

The Explorer-130PS AZ-5 is a Newton telescope. Telescopes of this design offer the largest aperture for your money. They gather more light from faint star clusters and galaxies than other telescopes of the same price range.

This telescope in combination with the mount is well suited for beginners who would just like to watch, but not take any photos, and who are looking for a simple instrument for occasional observing sessions on the balcony.

The name Startravel-102 AZ-5 stands for an achromatic refractor. This optical system is slightly more expensive than the Newton, but has some advantages. The refractor provides sharper images, because it has no secondary mirror in the optical path.

Even experienced stargazers may have lots of fun with this instrument, because it is very quickly set up for use and then enables the observation of large sky fields (“Rich field”) and comets. Equipped with a 45°-Amici-Prism, it is well suited for nature observations.

The Maksutov Skymax-127 AZ-5 has been a very popular instrument for many years. With its large focal length, it brings the Moon, planets or other objects very close, even on a bright day, with sharp contours.

In combination with a motorised mount, this telescope’s optics are highly suitable for photographic purposes. Looking at it this way, the set Skymax-127 AZ-5 is an investment in the future or a supplement, if you already have an astronomical mount, but would additionally like to have a light AZ-mount and Maksutov optics.

Tags: Skywatcher, telescope, Telescope Accessories, Mount
Posted in New Products »

Good things always return: The ETX-125 telescope from Meade

June 29 2017, Stefan Taube

It is available again, the ETX-125 from Meade. Easy to transport, versatile in use and computer controlled – this made the ETX-125 a classic in the past!

The advantages of the Meade ETX-125:

Compact Maksutov optics: Longer focal length despite the short tube. Ideal for watching the moon and planets, but also for observing nature in the daytime. The robust Maksutov is stable in adjustment and, due to the closed tube, has a well protected mirror.
With its opening of 127 millimetres, it is the biggest optics of the ETX series and also suitable for watching objects beyond our solar system: The Orion nebula, the big star cluster M13 in the Hercules constellation, and many other objects.
The optical tube is fixed in a bracket mount. It reliably carries the optical system, its motors in both axes align it with the desired observation object and track the telescope in line with any rotation of the sky. The integrated battery compartment provides the required electric current for the motors during outdoor use. However, the ETX-125 can also be powered via an optionally available power supply unit.
The tube is actually fixed in the fork, but the fork can be removed from the tripod for easier transportation. The steel pipe tripod carries the telescope without any negative wobbling. Another special feature: The tripod comes with an integrated equatorial wedge. This makes the azimuthal bracket mounting an equatorial GoTo mount, as is needed for astro photography.

And all this for a fair price!

The Meade ETX-125 is a GoTo telescope. This means that it is equipped with computer control, which makes it possible for beginners to find and identify objects in the sky.

The telescope is controlled via the new AudioStar-Handbox:

With AudioStar, you can choose from 30,000 celestial objects. However, the control also suggests objects for watching. A special feature of AudioStar is the audio output. It provides interesting information about the chosen object – however, only in English.

The compact, robust and computer controlled Meade ETX-125 also convinces in its new design!

Tags: telescope, ETX-125, MEADE
Posted in New Products »

Now available: the new CGEM II mount from Celestron

May 17 2017, Stefan Taube

The American telescope manufacturer Celestron has revised their work horse for astrophotographers. The CGEM II is very popular, and rightly so, because when it comes to load bearing capacity it has a lot of reserves as compared to the smaller Advanced VX mount; but it is cheaper than the big CGX. In the field of equatorial GoTo mounts for mobile astrophotography the CGEM II takes a middle position.

The new CGEM II not only looks very trendy, but it also features a few real innovations when compared with its predecessor.

New powerful motor electronics with the latest firmware.
USB 2.0 port on the hand controller. This way you can simply connect the hand controller to a PC for software updates.
PPEC (Permanent Periodic Error Control) ensures precise tracking.
Autoguider port. Indispensable for sophisticated astrophotography!
Tracking beyond the meridian.
The mounting saddle accepts prism rails acc. to Vixen and Losmandy standard. No adapter required.
Improved tripod with height marks: This makes it even easier to place the tripod horizontally.

With this mount, the telescope, camera and guider may have a weight of up to 18 kg. This leaves a really big tolerance range.

We offer the CGEM II, but also as a set together with the Schmidt-Cassegrain optics with apertures ranging from 8 to 11 inch (~200 to 280 millimetres): CGEM-II telescopes.

Combined with the classic SC-telescopes this provides you with excellent astronomical equipment which will give you joy for the rest of your life! If you have extra spending money, you should consider the CGEM II with EdgeHD. This variant of the Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope already has the correction optics for the unavoidable coma error integrated, allowing you to take sharp photos right to the edge.

Whatever you will decide, with the CGEM II you can’t go wrong!

Tags: Celestron, telescope
Posted in New Products »

Celestron CGX: a mount close to the limits of perfection

February 27 2017, Stefan Taube

The Celestron brand once again has set the standard for hobby astronomers: The new CGX-mount combines the current technical standard with a well thought out product design – and all for an reasonable price.

Some special features of the CGX-mount:

Toothed belt drive and spring pressure mechanism: The belt drive minimises the gear play when changing the direction of movement (“backlash”). The spring pressure mechanism ensures uniform contact pressure between the worm gear and shaft, reducing friction and optimising the operation of the gear – also evident by the reduced noise level.
Optical encoders register the position of the mount. The motors can then be stopped before the mechanical slew limit is reached and approach their home position. The mount is able to track objects up to 20° above the meridian.
Internal wiring: Only the power supply cable and the cable to the hand control box are exposed. However, the sockets for these exposed cables are arranged in such a way that they do not need to move with the mount.

Large handles: Transport handles ensure easy transport, but all clamping levers are also designed for operation with gloves.
Compact design: The saddle plate position near the right ascension axis gives the mount very favourable oscillation characteristics. The declination motor serves as a counterweight.
Latest variant of the Nexstar+ control with internal clock to save the last settings and USB-port for simple software update.

Further information on our CGX product page.

The CGX-mount is available on its own or as a set with the well-established Schmidt-Cassegrain optics from Celestron. You can find all variants under the link CGX-Telescopes.For ambitious astrophotographers we highly recommend the CGX 925 in its Edge HD version. The most reasonably priced and recommended combination of SC-optics and mount for beginners is the CGX 800.

However, due to the dual Vixen/Losmandy saddle plate you can easily combine almost any other optic from other manufacturers with the CGX-mount.

Tags: Celestron, telescope
Posted in New Products »

Celestron Astro Fi: beginner telescopes with App

January 16 2017, Stefan Taube

It all started with the NexStar Evolution: Celestron had this telescope series equipped with WIFI. This enables you to connect your tablet or smartphone with the telescope. This not only gives you the opportunity to control your telescope without cables, you can also utilize all functionalities of the free-of-charge App Celestron SkyPortal: Your display screen uses an appealing planetarium view to show the current view of the sky and provides you with a lot of background information. The most popular objects are available as images and even an Auto-Guide (in English).

Celestron now offers this technology also for reasonable starter telescopes. At present this series Astro Fi consists of four different instruments:

Newton telescope N 130/650 AZ GoTo Astro Fi 130

Refractor N 90/910 AZ GoTo Astro Fi 90

Maksutov telescope MC 102/1325 AZ GoTo Astro Fi 102

Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope SC 127/1250 AZ GoTo Astro Fi 5

Our tip: The Astro Fi telescope with SC optics.

The model Astro Fi 5 mentioned last is particularly interesting. With its aperture of 5 inches it is already relatively fast. However, the telescope is very compact and thus only has a minor leverage effect on the tripod. The closed tube protects the main mirror against contamination. Moreover, SC optics show a high adjustment stability. Despite their compact design and the high focal length, SC optics are highly suitable for taking photos of moon and planets – a well suited camera is the NexImage 5.

As already described before, all four Astro Fi telescopes generate a WIFI for the control via the SkyPortal App. In contrast to the NexStar Evolution, Celestron delivers the Astro Fi without an additional manual control box.

Just like the bigger Celestron telescopes, the Astro Fi also come with the SkyAlign technology. This is a particularly simple technique for aligning the computer control to the actual night sky and your station. At the beginning of your stargazing session you must align the telescope to three bright celestial objects, that is all. The telescope uses the angles between the objects and the GPS-data from the smartphone or tablet to calculate the actual view of the sky. After this short procedure you can automatically approach any object that the SkyPortal-App shows you. All you must do, just touch the object on the touchscreen.

The special feature of this SkyAlign method is the fact that you even don’t need to know the names of the three bright objects you use for initializing the control. For beginners this is a great help, but it is also a useful feature for experienced stargazers, because at dawn the number of visible stars is often too low to assign the correct names.

The Astro Fi telescopes are equipped with a battery compartment. However, the best power supply method surely is the LiFePO4 powerpack from Celestron.

Tags: Celestron, telescope, Astro Fi
Posted in New Products »

Celestron Inspire: New ideas for starter telescopes!

October 17 2016, Stefan Taube

My first telescope was a small, 60 millimetre refractor on a very wobbly azimuthal mount with a wooden tripod. Even though it was only a very simple piece of equipment, I had fun with it right from the beginning. I can still remember the fascination when looking at the Orion nebula for the first time. Even today I gladly use this simple achromatic telescope to watch sunspots – obviously through a solar filter!

However, such reasonable starter telescopes do not have to be wobbly! Telescope manufacturer Celestron shows that even budget-priced refractors on azimuthal mounts can feature exquisite product design. The new Inspire series features a few really innovative improvements.

This starts with a solid steel tripod. The accessory plate, which also stabilizes the tripod, no longer needs to be unscrewed after a star gazing session (the screw required for this purpose will sooner or later be lost in the grass anyway). Just simply open the interlock instead and fold down the tripod including the accessory plate. It has never been more convenient to set up or disassemble a tripod!

Apart from this, the clamping screws for the extendable tripod legs point inwards to make sure that you will not accidentally get entangled with your trousers.

Further features of the Inspire series:

The newly developed red dot finder comes with target circles instead of an annoying centre mark.
The Amici prism ensures an upright image, so that daytime nature observations are also possible.
The focusing screws of the focuser are big and have a good grip to allow the use of gloves.
The dust protection lid for the eyepiece also serves as a smartphone adapter. All eyepieces included in the scope of delivery can be clamped into this lid, just like the smartphone. This allows you to use your smartphone to take magnified photos of the Moon and planets through the eyepieces.
The mount is equipped with an integrated red light lamp. The diffuse light of this lamp illuminates the accessories plate without dazzling the eyes. However, you can easily pull the lamp out of the mount to use it as a pocket torch.

Currently, Celestron offers three models of the Inspire series

AC 70/700 AZ Ins pire The most budget-priced model.
AC 80/900 AZ Inspire The good aperture ratio suppresses colour related faults, perfect for the Moon, planets and for twin stars.
AC 100/660 AZ Inspire The model with the largest aperture.

Each of these three models is far better than my first telescope, but I still had a lot of fun with it!

Tags: Celestron, telescope, Inspire
Posted in New Products »

Omegon apochromatic telescope 102 mm and 127 mm Triplet: The “People’s Apo” has been improved

October 10 2016, Marcus Schenk

Whoever looks through an apo for the first time is usually thrilled. Twin stars, star clusters or planets: for these objects, an apo – without any doubt – takes the pole position. The two best-sellers from Omegon are the 102 mm and the 127mm Triplet apos – part of our product range since 2010! Now they have been revised and considerably improved. And best of all: The price has not been changed.

Just learn what has been changed to make this equipment more impressive than ever for amateur astronomers:

1. Adjustable lens cell

In the past telescopes were obviously adjusted, but any re-adjustment was very difficult. At least, you really needed to know what you were doing. This has now changed! We have developed a completely new and temperature compensating lens cell, which makes adjusting as simple as riding a bike – okay, maybe almost as simple. Four adjustment and fixing screws help you to adjust the eyepiece. This is easily done with an open end spanner, using the North Star as a reference.

2. Finder base

The finder base with double-T profile was swapped for a standard Vixen-style base. You can now mount almost any finderscope or LED finder. This gives you more freedom of choice, because in the past only a few models fitted correctly.

3. Suitable for binocular attachments

Not everybody uses them, even though they really elicit a WOW-effect during observation. Binoculars allow you to watch with two eyes and give you plastic impressions. They are particularly fantastic for watching the Moon and planets. For problem-free use of a binocular the tube has been slightly shortened to provide more focusing space for the connection. Now you can use a binocular with diagonal mirror.

4. Reinforced prism rail

During the constant assembly and disassembly of a telescope, the prism rail suffers a lot. The screws of the mount repeatedly dig into the soft aluminium and leave scratches and sometimes even deep notches. We have now reinforced the prism rail of your apo with a stainless steel plate, so that it can still be used for many years to come. Scratches and deep notches are a thing of the past.

5. Retractable dew-shield

The dew-shield is now extendable and retractable and no longer attached.

By the way: Each apo now comes with a measurement protocol as a standard. Furthermore, we check the adjustment of each telescope and include a test image of the adjustment. But did you know, that, on request, we will also check your telescope on our optical bench? From the star test in autocollimation up to the interferometric test.

Tags: Omegon, telescope
Posted in New Products »

Telescope configurator with new telescopes: 6 steps to your dream telescope

August 15 2016, Marcus Schenk

Optics, mounts and accessories: For two years you have been able to use the Astroshop.de telescope configurator to custom compile your own telescope, and now we have considerably extended the configurator’s functions. You can now choose from 12 different telescopes and adapt the telescope to even better serve your needs.

In the past, you have had to content yourself with the telescopes on offer. Why not switch things up and make buying a telescope a more personalised experience? This is what we at Astroshop.de thought, too, when we designed the configurator. We started with two Newton telescopes.

Now, the Advanced Telescope Series offers a full range of new reflectors and refractors:

2 Newton optics with parabolic mirrors with 152 mm and 203 mm aperture
3 Maksutov optics with 100 mm, 127 mm and 152 mm aperture
3 Dobsonian telescopes with 152 mm, 203 mm and 254 mm aperture
4 achromatic refractors with 90 mm, 102 mm, 127 mm and 152 mm aperture

Would you like to give it a try and take a look at the telescopes? This way to the telescopes!

How to start telescope selection

It’s fun to play with the configurator. What might my telescope look like? Which mounts and accessories are important to me? Do I prefer a simple or a more sophisticated eyepiece?

Simply click on this link and start configuring your dream telescope by first choosing the optics. The overview shows all available optics including basic prices. Step by step, you now make your way to mounts, focusers, eight different finderscopes, eyepieces and other accessories.

When it comes to accessories, you may even skip individual steps; for example, if you already have good eyepieces. This means that you are almost entirely free in your selection.
And the best part is: You can activate or deactivate your selection with a tick on the right. You can see in real-time how the prices change in the top right corner. This way, you not only choose each individual telescope component, but you also have full control over pricing.

Protection against unsuitable combinations

One of the most important prerequisites: the tubus needs to match the mount. How quickly do you accidentally place too large an optics on too small a mount. Using a 6” refractor, for example, on a small EQ-300 mount would be an unstable and shaky affair, as if you were using a telescope on a sailing ship in heavy seas. To avoid this, not every tubus can be combined with every mount. In this case you won’t see a tick but a cross next to the item.

No matter whether you’re a beginner or an advanced stargazer: For hobby astronomers, the telescope configurator is an alternative to the finished telescope sets. It simply gives you more control when purchasing your telescope.

Why not give it a try: configure your telescope now.

Tags: Omegon, telescope, Telescope Configurator
Posted in New Products »

The AZ Pro mount from iOptron: GoTo made easy!

July 11 2016, Stefan Taube

iOptron simply calls it “level and go”, and refers to the very simple routine for aligning the AZ Pro mount in the sky. With this latest innovation, viewing the sky with a computer controlled mount is almost as spontaneously possible as it is with a Dobsonian telescope: No need to exert yourself by going through an arduous procedure, until you can finally start observing!

iOptron Mount AZ Pro GoTo

Just place the AZ Pro mount down horizontally – the integrated spirit level helps you to do so – and switch it on. With the integrated GPS and the sensors, the mount will automatically recognize date, time, location and orientation. Just give the computer approximately two minutes, the mount will then move to a bright object in the sky. Then centre the object in your eyepiece. There is even no need to know the name of the object, a fact that is particularly convenient in twilight. It goes to show how quickly and simply the mount is to align to the sky! You can now choose your observation targets from a huge database, to be sought out by the mount.

With its compact form, the retractable counter weight bar and the stable aluminium housing the AZ Pro mount from iOptron is an ideal travel mount. With the integrated GPS, the “level and go” routine can be executed at any point around the globe. The mount comes with an installed lithium-ion powerpack, suitable for 10 hours running. No need to take another power supply with you, which reduces any additional cable chaos.

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Another positive aspect is the smooth and quiet running of the stepper motors. Your neighbours will be grateful!

The AZ Pro has admittedly been optimized for mobile use, but is still a high quality mount, able to carry large aperture telescopes for visual observation. For photographic purposes this mount can be used for moon and planet photography.

In the field of portable, azimuthal GoTo-mounts the AZ Pro from iOptron currently meets the highest standard.

Tags: iOptron, telescope
Posted in New Products »

Now available: Stargate Dobsonian with 508 millimetre mirror!

June 20 2016, Stefan Taube

With Dobsonian telescopes its the size that matters! These telescopes serve the sole purpose of observation and not photography. The size of the light gathering mirror surface therefore is the decisive criterion. Dobsonian Telescopes from Skywatcher have been very popular for years. The Stargate series from Skywatcher stands for giant Dobsonians with light tube in metal truss tube design.

Telescopes with a high WOW factor!

The first model of this series was the Stargate-450P-Dobsonian, which we can currently offer for €4599.-. You save € 400.- compared with the recommended retail price!

Skywatcher Dobson telescope N 458/1900 StarGate-450P DOB

New to this series is the currently added GoTo variant Stargate-450P with ynscan and its big brother: The Stargate-500P with Synscan – a GoTo telescope with an 0.5 meter primary mirror! In order to be able to fully utilize this big opening, you should be mobile: Two stargazers will be able to conveniently transport and assemble this giant sky eye quickly under a dark sky.

Make use of the night!

The Synscan GoTo system helps you to quickly focus on the desired object without having to search for a long time. For this purpose you can choose from more than 42,000 sky objects in the extensive Synscan database! The motors not only move to the object, they also keep it in the eyepiece. Neither of the two Stargate series Synscan models needs to be manually guided to follow the rotation of the sky.

“Freedom-Find”-Dual-Encoder

The possibility to move quickly from one object to the next and to make large panning movements in the sky is one of the major attractions of all Dobsonian telescopes. This is also no problem with the motorized Stargate models: Simply decouple the motor from the mount with a twist and you will be able tow slew the mount by hand: This is soundless, quick and prolongs the lifetime of the powerpack. Due to the installed Encoders the alignment will not be lost by such a manual movement. Even if you have moved the telescope by hand, the integrated computer will still know to which object the mirror had been aligned.

With the Stargate series Skywatcher offers portable Dobsonian telescopes in a new dimension. Use Stargate to enter into new galaxies!

Tags: Skywatcher, Dobson, telescope
Posted in New Products »