Optical Design |
Schmidt-Cassegrain |
Clear Aperture; Primary Mirror Diameter |
305mm (12″); 314mm (12.375″) |
Focal Length; Focal Ratio |
3048mm; f/10 |
Near Focus |
(approx.) 75 ft. |
Resolving Power |
(arc secs.) 0.38 |
Optical Coatings |
MgF2 on correcting plate (2-sides); standard aluminum on primary & secondary mirrors |
Ultra-High Transmission Coatings |
optional at time of purchase |
Limiting Visual Magnitude |
(approx.) 15.0 |
Image Scale |
(degs./inch) 0.48 |
Maximum Practical Visual Power |
750X |
35mm Angular Film Coverage / |
0.45° x 0.65° |
Optical Tube Dimensions |
(dia. x length) 13.6″ x 25″ |
Secondary Mirror Obstruction |
(dia.; %) 4.0″—11.1% |
Telescope Mounting |
heavy-duty fork type; double tine |
Setting Circle Diameters |
Dec.: 5″; RA: 8.75″ |
RA and Dec. Motor Drive Systems |
both axes: 185-speed, microprocessor controlled, 12v. DC servo motor; 5.75″ LX worm gear with Smart Drive software |
Hemispheres of Operation |
North and South, selected by GPS or user |
Primary Mirror Lock |
included (progressive tension) |
Zero Image-Shift Microfocuser |
included (4-speed) |
GPS Alignment |
included (16-channel GPS receiver, electronic sensors for true-level and North,with magnetic declination compensation) |
GO TO Pointing Precision |
2-arc mins. (1-arc min. in HP-mode) |
Slow-Motion Controls |
manual and electric, RA and Dec. |
Bearings |
Dec.: 3 x 1.83″ dia. ball bearings; RA: 1 x 4″ dia. and 1 x 2.25″ dia. ball bearings |
Autostar Hand Controller |
Atmel 89C451 & PIC16C57 microcontrollers; 2 line x 16 alphanumeric character display; 20-button keypad, red LED backlit |
Main Telescope Controller |
distributed intelligence architecture using 8 networked microcontrollers (Motorola 68HC11, Atmel 89C451, 3 x PIC16C62, 2 x PIC16C54, Sony digital signal processor); 3.5-Megabyte flash memory, field reprogrammable, 32K RAM |
Batteries; Battery Life |
(approx.) 8 x C-cells (user-supplied); 20 hrs. |
Onboard Celestial Object Database |
147,541 objects |
Slew Speeds, RA and Dec. |
0.01x to 1.0x sidereal, variable in 0.01x increments; 2x, 8x, 16x, 64x, 128x sidereal; 1°/sec. to 8°/sec., variable in 0.1° increments |
Tracking Rates |
sidereal, lunar, or custom-selected from 2000 incremental rates |
Materials: Tube Body; Mount Castings |
aluminum; aluminum |
Primary & Secondary Mirrors |
Pyrex® glass, grade-A, fine-annealed |
Correcting Plate |
clear float glass |
Telescope Dimensions, swung down |
15″ x 20″ x 37″ |