http://www.skyandtelescope.com.au 39SIMAGING PLANNER
Skyhound, a purveyor of planning software for amateurs,
unveils SkyTools 4 Imaging (starting at US$199.95). The
program helps to take the guesswork out of your imaging
by calculating the exposure times necessary to adequately
expose for a given target using virtually any camera, telescope
and filter combination. SkyTools 4 Imaging also helps you
maximise your efficiency by informing you when your target
is optimally placed in the sky to image. It can also generate
plans that can be directly imported to the popular observatory
control program ACP, and it can also generate plans for
iTelescope.net. SkyTools 4 Imaging automatically keeps track
of your progress on astrophotography projects that span
multiple nights, including extensive mosaics.
Skyhound skyhound.com
XBUDGET ED REFRACTOR
Astro-Tech reintroduces a 100-mm doublet in
its popular line of ED doublet refractors. The
AT102ED (US$599) is a 100-mm f/7 refractor
that incorporates one element of FK-61 extra-
low-dispersion (ED) glass to produce sharp,
colour-free views for amateurs on a tight
budget. The scope includes a dual-speed,
2-inch focuser and 1¼-inch eyepiece adapter,
both of which utilise brass compression rings
that won’t mar the barrels of your eyepieces
or other accessories. All optical surfaces are
multicoated to virtually eliminate reflections
and provide high-contrast views. Each scope
includes a pair of hinged tube rings, a 20-cm
Vixen-style dovetail mounting plate, and a
fitted lens cap.
Astro-Tech astronomics.com
XCOOLED CMOS
QHYCCD announces a new model in its COLDMOS camera
series: The QHY294C (US$999) is a 14-bit, back-illuminated
CMOS camera for deep sky astrophotography. The camera
is designed around the^4 / 3 -format Sony colour IMX294 BSI
CMOS sensor with a 4,164 × 2,796-pixel array (11.6 mp)
measuring 19.28 × 12.95 mm with 4.63-micron-square
pixels. Its dual-stage thermoelectric cooling is capable of
stable temperatures of 35°below ambient,
producing low-noise images
through its USB 3.0
interface with additional
proprietary QHY
amplifier glow
suppression. The
unit is capable of
recording 16.5 full-
resolution frames
per second, and more
using on-chip region-
of-interest. An internal
256-megabyte DDRIII image
buffer ensures no frames are
dropped during downloads. Each camera comes with a
1-metre, 12V threaded power cord, a 1.5-m USB 3.0 cable
and a 2-inch nosepiece, plus a CD with camera drivers
and control software. Visit the manufacturer’s website for
additional details and accessories.
QHYCCD qhyccd.comNew Product Showcase is a reader service featuring innovative equipment and software of interest to amateur astronomers. The descriptions are based largely
on information supplied by the manufacturers or distributors. Australian Sky & Telescope assumes no responsibility for the accuracy of vendors’ statements.NEW PRODUCT SHOWCASE