Antilhue - Chile

Equipment
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Telescopes

From 2002 through 2004, the main telescope was the model AP155EDFS by Astro-Physics , a 155 mm (6.1") f/7.2 apochromatic refractor with as second telescope its smaller brother: the Traveler, a 105 mm (4") f/6 apo.

In November 2002 experiments were started with a model MN106 Maksutov-Newton telescope made by Intes Micro (Moscow). It has a 254mm (10") aperture and 1408 mm focal length (f/5.5).

In August 2003 a 14.5" Ritchey-Chretien telescope was put in use.  Manufactured by RCOS  this instrument features dual f/9 and F/15 ion-milled optics by Aries (Ukraine).  A 130 mm f/6 Astro-Physics apochromatic refractor rides piggyback.

Then, in 2006 the TEC APO200FL, a 200 mm f/8 apochromatic refractor by TEC Telescope Engineering Company  was added to the line-up.

Mount

Astro-Physics' AP1200GTO mount carries the smaller refractor telescopes with grace and ease and achieves an impressive sub-arcsecond guiding performance.

An 18" flat plate carries the rings for the AP155 . A dovetail bar allows the Traveler to ride the main refractor and permits easy balancing in declination. A smaller dovetail bar on top of the Traveler can carry a piggyback camera or other accessories.

When needed, this combination can be quickly exchanged for the 8" TEC refractor.

The MN106 Mak-Newt has recently been moved to an ALT ADN-5 mount controlled by FS-2 electronics.

The RCOS RC telescope is mounted on an Astro-Physics AP1200GTO mount and is housed in a separate 12 foot clamshell dome by Astro-Haven.

 

Imaging equipment

SBIG ST-10XE NABG CCD camera with CFW-8 colour filter wheel.

SBIG STL-11000 ABG large format CCD camera

LRGB filter sets and narrowband filters by Custom Scientific,  Astronomik and Tru-Balance.

Field flatteners and focal reducers by Astro-Physics, RCOS and TEC.

Philips Toucam PCVC 740K webcam for solar system imaging.

Optec TCF-S, Robofocus and Starlight Instruments electronic focusers.

Pentax 67 (medium format) and Pentax Spotmatic (35 mm) for film.