Equipment

This is a Televue TV-140 on an Astro-Physics 900 GTO mount. The TV-140 is an 5.5” F/5 APO refractor. It equipped with a RoboFocus stepping motor on the rack and pinion focus knob. I use a Televue 3.5” extension tube to achieve CCD focus while minimizing draw tube extension. This picture was taken in the back yard, before the observatory was built and was my usual imaging location.

This is an Optical Guidance Systems RC-10x, a 10” F/9 Ritchey-Chretien design with a carbon fiber tube. It is equipped with a secondary focuser that is stepper motor actuated and controlled by the RoboFocus controller. I use the AP rack and pinion focuser to set the optimal back-focus point for optional focal reducers and do all fine focus via the secondary focuser. At the back of the telescope is an SBIG ST-8E NABG CCD camera with an SBIG CFW-8A filter wheel. The camera and focuser arrangement can be seen here. This picture is looking down into the observatory deck. The Pier-Tech 2 is visible and in its fully extended position. For CCD imaging, it is usually in its fully retracted position. All power supplies are located below the deck in an area that is accessible by lifting up a portion of the carpet and an access panel. The telescope is controlled remotely from my office in the house. The cable run is approximately 60 feet. When parked, the telescope is horizontal, pointing north, on the west side of the mount. This allows it to clear the roll-off roof, which is just visible in the right background.