Archive for the ‘Astro-Imaging’ Category

Orion X-Y Guide Star Finder Review

Review of Orion X-Y Guide Star Finder.

Price: 229.95 USD
Manufacturer: Orion
Orion X-Y Guide Star Finder – Product Warranty: One year
Type of Product: Astro-Imaging > Imaging Accessories

Deep-sky imagers know that finding a suitable guide star can be a pain. Physically moving your guide scope by adjusting the guide scope rings is unwieldy, at best. With the X-Y Guide Star Finder you won’t have to. It enables you to move the autoguider (or guiding eyepiece) around within the guide scope’s focal plane, bringing more potential guide stars into view and speeding up the process of guide star acquisition. In fact, it obviates the need for adjustable tube rings altogether, eliminating a potential source of image-ruining flexure. With the X-Y Guide Star Finder, you can use fixed tube rings for your guide scope instead – a much more secure configuration. Anyone who uses a separate guide scope in their imaging setup will benefit from the X-Y Guide Star Finder. Its precision X-Y fine-adjustment knobs provide lateral travel of up to 1.1 inches. The unit’s 1.25″ barrel fits into the guide scope’s focuser. An optional 2″ barrel is also available (#5270), which allows a wider range of adjustment. The guide camera nosepiece or guiding eyepiece attaches via a 1.25″ barrel with a thumbscrew lock. This is a mechanical adapter, made of machined, black-anodized aluminum; it does not contain any optics. Requires approximately 38mm of inward focus travel. Dimensions: 3.8″W x 3.8″H x 2.75″L (nosepiece to eyepiece holder). Weighs 13 oz. Made in the USA. One year limited warranty.