Telescopes/equipment list

The basic setup shows the 16" Cassegrain with corrected prime focus option at f/3 and the fully corrected secondary focus at f/10. It is carried by the extremely accurate ASA DDM85-XL direct drive mount on top of a 12" concrete pier. Good balancing of the system is essential for a perfect tracking As secondary scope a TEC-140 ED or a FSQ-85 ED refractor is mounted via dovetail when needed at the side of the cassegrain.
The corrected primary focus at f/3 carries the STL camera for fast deep sky imaging. A motorised focuser with digital position readout enables exact focusing.
The back view shows the cassegrain focus with the 4" focuser. At the photo rail additional lenses can be piggipacked.
The TEC-140 APO refractor also is used for mobile observing/imaging coupled to an Astrophysics AP-400 mount and a Boxdoerfer MTS4 goto control unit. The TEC-140 is equipped with a medium format field flattener and a 3.5" feathertouch focuser to achieve very precise and stable focusing for imaging. See the setup during my stay in Hakos/Namibia in May 2006 at right.

Equipment List and Manufacturers Links

Main Scope	Cassegrain 400mm by Philipp Keller
Secondary Scopes	TEC 140mm FL980mm (f/7) Apochromatic Refractor with 3.5" focuser Takahashi FSQ-85 ED Refractor (f/5.5)
Lenses	Canon 50mm f/1.4 lens, a fast lens, can be used for astrophotography when stopped down to f/2.8 100mm f/2 lens, a fast lens, can be used for astrophotography when stopped down to f/2.8 200mm f/2.8 lens, my best lens, can be used fully open for astrophotography with the Canon 10D and the STL-11000 Sigma 20mm f/1.8 lens, a good lens for wide fields, when stopped down to f/3.5
Mount	DDM85-XL direct drive mount with precision encoders, 100 kg payload, remote operation capable, integrated mount control
Telescope Control	Autoslew control software by Philipp Keller astrometric syncronisation, unguided operation possible up to 10 minutes
Cameras	SBIG STX-16803 CCD camera SBIG ST-8300 CCD camera Canon 40D DSLR modified DMK 21AU04 Imagingsource webcam
Filters and holders	SBIG STX 5-position 65x65 mm Filter wheel Baader 65 mm CLRGB filter set Baader 7 nm H-alpha narrowband filter 36 mm size. Baader 8.5 nm O-III narrowband filter 36 mm size. Baader 8 nm S-II narrowband filter 36 mm size. SBIG ST-8300 8-position 36 mm Filter wheel Baader 36 mm CLRGB filter set Baader Astrosolar solar filter Baader continuum filter (narrow green) for solar imaging. Atik 5x filter wheel 1,25" for the webcam setup
Heater	Home made heater system by selfregulating heating tape around the primary mirror back side ( and camera) for protection during the wet and cold season, not used during observing!
Eyepieces	40 mm Pentax XL 30 mm Baader Eudiaskopic (2x) 26 mm Meade 4000SP 18,5 mm Erfle from BW-Optik Germany (2x) 12 mm Vixen LV 7 mm Vixen LV
Barlows, converters	Astrophysics 2" apochromatic barlow Televue 1.25" barlow 3x Baader FFC (2 " Fluorit Flatfield Converter) Baader short barlow 1.25"
Bino	BW-Optik Bino (equivalent to Lumicon Bino) equipped with removable 1,8x barlow-corrector