Astronomy – October 2019

62 ASTRONOMY • OCTOBER 2019

27

QHYCCD

PoleMaster

Electronic

PolarScope

One of the most daunting tasks faced by anyone who

uses a portable German equatorial mount (GEM)

for astrophotography is aligning it to the celestial

pole. QHYCCD’s PoleMaster helps ease this stress.

Designed to work with today’s most popular GEMs,

the PoleMaster attaches in front of the polar axis, in

place of an optical polar scope. To use it, roughly aim the

mount toward Polaris. The PoleMaster’s integrated cam-

era then captures images of Polaris as well as the sur-

rounding field of fainter stars. Based on the location of

those stars, the included Windows-based software cal-

culates the position of the North Celestial Pole and

determines where the right ascension axis is aimed. The

software then displays a screen showing the locations of

both points. Polar alignment is achieved by adjusting the

mount until they overlap. Visit the company’s website to

find a dealer near you.

$269 • http://www.qhyccd.com

28

Revolution Imager

Fine Finger Feather Focuser

I love simple, inexpen-

sive gadgets that solve

long-standing chal-

lenges. For years, own-

ers of many popular

catadioptric telescopes

have lamented their

inability to focus per-

fectly using the stock

focuser knob, especially

at high magnifications.

Many have spent hun-

dreds on aftermarket

focusers to fix the prob-

lem. Revolution Imager has introduced a simpler, cheaper solution: the

tongue-twisting Fine Finger Feather Focuser. Press the fine focus lever

over the telescope’s standard focusing knob. Then, with the touch of a

finger, gently push the end to make fine adjustments. Afterward, slide the

focus lever off and use the integrated 1¼" dust cap to store it in the back

of the telescope or in your eyepiece tray. Four sizes are available: two for

different Celestron SCTs and two for Meade ACFs.

$19.99 • http://www.revolutionimager.com

30

Sky-Watcher

Evostar 150DX

Sky-Watcher’s 5.9-inch f/8 Evostar 150DX

refractor is a great example of a midpriced

refractor that delivers top-notch performance.

One of the two elements in the apochromatic

objective lens is made of extra-low-dispersion

glass to help muff le unwanted chromatic aber-

ration while enriching contrast and clarity.

The resulting images are tack sharp with

excellent contrast and plagued by minimal

false color. Sky-Watcher includes a dual-speed

3.4" rack-and-pinion focuser, rotatable tube

rings, a Losmandy D-style dovetail plate, and

more with the 150DX.

$3,200 • http://www.skywatcherusa.com

29
Sky-Watcher

AZ-GTi Mount

A multipurpose mount, Sky-Watcher’s

AZ-GTi is designed for anyone looking

for a compact go-to travel mount for

small scopes weighing up to 11 pounds

(5 kg) or a camera-tracking platform for

creating video time-lapse sequences. The

AZ-GTi features an integrated interval-

ometer for triggering a DSLR’s shutter

at a preset 60-second exposure setting.

The mount’s built-in Wi-Fi allows wireless

control with a smartphone or tablet using the

free SynScan app (iOS and Android).

$379 • http://www.skywatcherusa.com