60 ASTRONOMY • OCTOBER 2019
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MallinCam
SkyRaider DS10cTEC
The first of two new imagers introduced by
MallinCam in 2018, the SkyRaider DS10cTEC
is aimed at photographers who want high-
resolution, wide-field images of celestial tar-
gets. To achieve that, the DS10cTEC uses Sony’s
10.7-megapixel IMX294 Class 1 CMOS color
sensor. Fan-assisted passive cooling and a
unique active convective cooling system combine to cool the sensor without
physically contacting it, avoiding the damage CMOS sensors can suffer from
conventional active cooling systems commonly used in CCD imagers.
$1, 399.99 • http://www.mallincam.net
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MallinCamSkyRaider DS287c
MallinCam’s second new imager, the DS287c, is
designed for real-time viewing, making it perfect
for outreach programs at schools, planetaria, and
public star parties. It uses Sony’s IMX287 CMOS
color sensor. The sensor’s superb sensitivity means
that even moderately bright deep-sky objects can
be viewed on a computer screen with exposures of
less than five seconds. The DS287c’s aluminum
body fits into any 1¼" focuser using the supplied
adapter. Also included are a 78-inch (2 m) guiding
cable and a heavy-duty 15-foot (5 m) USB 3.0 cable.$439.99 • http://www.mallincam.net
20
Meade LX85 Series —
70mm Astrograph
Meade’s LX85 German equatorial mount is sold with
several different optical tube assemblies, including the
impressive 2.8-inch f/5 apochromatic refractor. The
heart of this refractor is a fully multicoated quadruplet
objective lens constructed from FPL53 ED (extra-
low-dispersion) glass. The quadruplet design offers
remarkable contrast and sharpness, while correct-
ing for spherical and chromatic aberrations,
astigmatism, and coma. An oversized
dual-speed focuser is threaded for attach-
ing a standard T-mount camera adapter. For
advanced astrophotography, the LX85 drive
system includes permanent periodic error
correction and an integrated autoguider port.
A polar alignment scope is sold separately.
$1, 899 • http://www.meade.com
19
Meade LX65
Series —
8-inch ACF
Last year, Meade unveiled a
new series of four catadioptric
telescopes in its LX65 series.
Like the others, the 8-inch model
comes secured to the one-armed
LX65 go-to alt-azimuth mount
and matching stainless steel
adjustable tripod. The mount
incorporates built-in GPS and
has a unique dual saddle for
attaching a second scope weighing up to
7 pounds (3 kg). The included go-to hand con-
troller comes preprogrammed with over 30,000
celestial objects, along with Meade’s AudioStar
system. The scope features Meade’s Advanced
Coma-Free optical system to deliver coma-free
pinpoint star images and a f latter field than tra-
ditional Schmidt-Cassegrains. The company’s
Ultra-High Transmission Coatings further
enhance images.$1,199 • http://www.meade.com
21
OmegonMount Mini Track
LX2
Thanks to modern digital
imaging technology, amazing
detail in Milky Way star clouds
can be captured with just a
camera lens. But the old-school
problem of tracking the sky to
counteract Earth’s rotation still exists. Of the
many skytrackers sold today, the Omegon Mini
Track LX2 is unique in that it requires no electri-
cal power. Simply place it on a tripod, secure
your camera to a ball-head mount (sold sepa-
rately), and align the Mini Track to the North
Celestial Pole following the instructions. Then
pull the cord to wind it up, and the mount’s
internal clockwork movement will start accu-
rately tracking the sky for up to 60 minutes. Need
more time? Just pull the cord again to start over.
The Mini Track LX2 is strong enough to hold
cameras weighing up to 4.4 pounds (2 kg), yet it
weighs less than a pound (0.5 kg).$129 • http://www.omegon.eu