Cover Pages Issue 11:1 - Astronomy Technology Today

ContentsCover Story Images - 33The background image of the Rosette Nebula is one of the full-field frames taken by Craig Starkon the first night of imaging with his Borg 101ED f/4 astrograph and a CCD-labs Q8-HR one-shotcolor camera. Other equipment used includes a Takahashi EM-10 Temma German Equatorial Mount,an 8x50 finderscope converted into an imaging guide-scope with guiding performed with aFishcamp Starfish guide camera and Stark Labs' PHD Guiding program. The resulting image wascaptured and processed using Stark Labs' Nebulosity software.The Rosette Nebula is a large, circular cloud of gas and dustthat is associated with the open star cluster NGC 2244, havingan apparent dimension greater than one degree across, aptlydemonstrating the expanse of imaged field of which the veryfast Borg 101ED f/4 astrograph and large format CCD-labs Q8-HR combination is capable. Total exposure time for the backgroundimage was in excess of 2 hours.In the foreground is shown the Borg 101ED with optionalStarlight Instruments Feather Touch focuser and 4-element EDsuper reducer with built-in filter holders and camera rotator. Soconfigured, the Borg 101ED f/4 astrograph has an effective focallength of 410 mm, is a mere 520 mm in overall length, andweighs just 2.3 kilograms (5.1 pounds).In This Issue8 Editor’s NoteWe Get Mail!By Gary Parkerson33 The Borg 101 ED F/4 Astrograph“It’s a Borg – Resistance is Futile!”By Craig Stark41 Pier Tech’s Star TravelerMobile ObservatoryAn Observatory That can be Drivenat 60mph Down the Highway!By Vito Rotondi47 APM’s MaxLoad Alt-Az MountKnowing Something SpecialWhen You See it!By Mark Riek51 Observational Astronomy ForThe Visually-ImpairedTechnical Advances and MainstreamProducts Help a Dedicated AstronomerRemain an Active and EngagedObserverBy Mark Stephenson55 Tele Vue’s EthosIf Tele Vue Introduced an Eyepiecewith a Wider Apparent Field of View,it would have to Come with aRear-View Mirror!By Vic MenardASTRONOMYTECHNOLOGY TODAYYour Complete Guide to Astronomical EquipmentPIER TECH’S STAR TRAVELER MOBILE OBSERVATORY • APM’S MAXLOAD ATL-AZ MOUNTOBSERVATIONAL ASTRONOMY FOR THE VISUALLY-IMPAIRED • TELE VUE’S ETHOSRIGEL SYSTEMS’ RS SPECTROSCOPE • VIXEN’S NEWTONIAN REPLICA TELESCOPEVolume 2 • Issue 4April 2008 $5.00 USThe Borg 101 ED F/4 Astrograph“It’s a Borg – Resistance is Futile!”59 Viewing in SuburbiaPoor Skies Don’t Have to KeepYou from Observing!By Erik Wilcox61 Rigel’s Systems’ RS-SpectroscopeThe Affordable Solution to Decodingthe Messages in StarlightBy David Snay65 Return of the Original “Newtonian”Vixen Optics Introduces HistoricallyCorrect Replica of Isaac Newton’sOriginal Reflector TelescopeBy Brian Deis68 Astro Tips, Tricks, andNovel SolutionsThink Betsy Ross’s Mob Cap forCleaner OpticsBy Robert RoyceIndustry News11 SHUTAN CAMERABob Shutan Receives LakeSkyStar for Support of LCAS11 SKYSHED PODAdds New Options for POD14 ASTROPHOTO INSIGHTMAGAZINEAnnounces a New Websiteand Service Levels16 STELLAR PIERSA New Source for TelescopePier Solutions17 DENKMEIER OPTICALAnnounces Product Enhancements18 SKY CHANNELSLive Deepsky Network18 BURGESS OPTICALRefinements Announcedfor Burgess/TMB PlanetaryEyepieces19 STARIZONAIntroduces Website Dedicatedto HyperStar Imaging19 ATTCorrections19 CAMERA CONCEPTSMoves to New LocationAstronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY 5

Contributing WritersBrian Deis is the owner of Vixen Optics and has been an amateur (although his wifesays obsessed) astronomer for the last 30 years. He started out with a departmentstore telescope and eventually aperture fever took over. He is active in astronomyoutreach and has given hundreds of multimedia lectures to school groups and otherorganizations.Vic Menard has been an amateur astronomer since 1967. In 1983, he founded The LocalGroup of Deep Sky Observers, an astronomy club in the Sarasota - Bradenton (Florida) area. Hewas the founding president of Tectron Telescopes in 1987. With Tippy D’Auria, Vic co-authoredPerspectives on Collimation, in 1987. The fourth edition was released in 1998. After almosttwenty years observing with various 20- and 22-inch telescopes, Vic compiled The List (MyFavorite Deep-Sky Go-To Tour) which was published in 2001 in Amateur Astronomy magazine.ContentsNew Products20 ASTRO HUTECHTwo New Borg Mini-AstrographsAre Now Available20 ASTROSYSTEMSLED Red Crank Flashlight22 DAYSTAR FILTERSIntroduces New SolaREDiSeries TelescopeMark Riek is the owner of Teton Telescopes located in Rigby, Idaho.He has been an an avid astronomer for many years and is a self labeled“equipment junkie.”Robert Royce is president of R.F. Royce - Precision Optical Components located in Northford,Connecticut. Having begun as an amateur telescope maker at 13, he went to Itek Laboratoriesafter high school in 1965 where he worked on a variety of optics up to 60 inches in diameter. In1998 he entered the optics business full-time and began the present company. Since then hehas worked for a variety of government and private customers, as well as supplying amateurastronomers with specialty optics of all kinds.Vito Rotondi is a degreed mechanical engineer, living with his family in Illinois wherehe operates Pier-Tech Inc which he started in 1999. Vito was awarded a US patent(US Patent#7,048,238) for a height adjustable telescope pier for use in astronomy in2006. Since starting his company, Vito has added fifteen new products to the Pier-Tech product line.David Snay is a retired software engineer living in central Massachusetts. Hegraduated from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and has been an astronomerand astrophotographer for more than 10 years. David currently pursues fine artphotography, specializing in traditional black/white images.Craig Stark, Ph.D. is, by day, a professor whose research involves trying to pullfaint signals out of noisy, moving images of people’s brains. By night, he is anamateur astrophotographer and operates Stark Labs which provides software to helpusers pull faint signals out of noisy, moving images of the heavens.Dr. Mark Stephenson is a Senior Research Audiologist at the National Institute forOccupational Safety and Health, where he coordinates the Institute’s research toprevent occupational hearing loss. Prior to joining NIOSH in 1993, he served for 20years in the United States Air Force. He has been an amateur astronomer sincechildhood. He and his wife Carol are currently active members in their localastronomy club, the Mid-Western Astronomers.Erik Wilcox works for a natural foods distributor in South San Francisco, California,and is a long-time moderator on the popular astronomy forum, “Cloudy Nights.”He enjoys star parties and public outreach and, in addition to amateur astronomy,he spends his time playing in a rock band.23 GLATTER COLLIMATIONA BLUG for Closed Tube Reflectors25 ADVANCED TELESCOPE SYSTEMSPortable and Permanent Piersfor the Astro-Physics 3600GTO25 VIXEN OPTICSAnnounces New 30x125Binocular Telescope26 MEADE INSTRUMENTSCORPORATIONAnnounces an ACF Version of itsPopular LX90 Series27 WILDCARD INNOVATIONSEncoder Kits for the 16-inchMeade Lightbridge29 CATSEYE COLLIMATIONIntroduces SummitObserving Chair30 HOTECH CORPORATIONIntroduces the Astro Aimer G331 AURORA ASTROOffers TwoNew Sky Charts31 UNIVERSITY OPTICSNew 2.2 Klee Barlow31 AGENA ASTROPRODUCTSIntroduces GSO Dual SpeedFocuser Upgrade Kit6 Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY