Sky & Telescope - April 2020 - 63

NEW PRODUCT SHOWCASE
u HEAVY-DUTY MOUNT

Sky-Watcher announces its most advanced German equatorial mounts to date: the
EQ8-R and EQ8-Rh (starting at $4,050 and $7,100, respectively). These new mounts
feature whisper-quiet dual belt drives combined with hybrid stepper-motors that
provide increased accuracy when slewing and guiding. The mount head weighs 56.8
lbs and is capable of bearing an instrument load of 110 lbs, not including the counterweights. Both mounts include a new cable management system with four USB 3.0
ports, three 2.1-mm power ports, and three serial ports that helps to prevent cable
snags during operation. The EQ8-Rh incorporates a Renishaw incremental encoder
on its RA axis, virtually eliminating periodic error. Both mounts are controlled with
Sky-Watcher's upgradable SynScan Go-To hand paddle with a database of more
than 42,000 objects. Each mount ships with two 22-lb counterweights. An optional
heavy-duty portable pier tripod and polar-alignment scope are each available at an
additional cost.
Sky-Watcher USA
475 Alaska Ave., Torrance, CA 90503
310-803-5953; skywatcherusa.com

t CLIP-IN FILTERS

Astronomik now offers a series of clip-in filters for the Canon EOS R-series mirrorless cameras. The EOS R XL Clip-Filter series is designed to
minimize vignetting introduced into the camera's light path by the clip-in
system. They are compatible with Canon's new EF-M lens system as
well as the older EF-series lenses using a proper lens adapter (see page
64). Choose from 15 passbands ranging from a clear filter that protects
a modified sensor from dust (starting at €109.00) to several narrowband
wavelengths useful for imaging nebulae.
Astronomik
astronomik.com

u PLATE-SOLVING SCOPE

Celestron rolls out its newest telescope innovation, the StarSense Explorer DX
130AZ ($399.95). This 5.11-inch reflector uses patent-pending technology to offer
precise navigation with the help of your smartphone. Simply install the StarSense
Explorer and SkyPortal apps on your compatible device and place the device in the
telescope's smartphone docking port. The app will determine the exact location
and direction that the telescope is pointing by analyzing short exposures with your
phone's camera. It then identifies star patterns in its internal database, no matter
where it's pointed in the sky, without the need of a complex alignment routine. The
StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ includes a red-dot finder, 25- and 10-mm eyepieces, and an aluminum tripod. No additional power is necessary. Requires devices
with Android 7.1.2 and later or iPhone 6 and newer phones.
Celestron
2835 Columbia St., Torrance, CA 90503
310-328-9560; celestron.com

New Product Showcase is a reader service featuring innovative equipment and software of interest to amateur astronomers. The descriptions are based largely on
information supplied by the manufacturers or distributors. Sky & Telescope assumes no responsibility for the accuracy of vendors' statements. For further information
contact the manufacturer or distributor. Announcements should be sent to nps@skyandtelescope.org. Not all announcements can be listed.

sk yandtelescope.org * APRIL 2 02 0

http://www.skywatcherusa.com http://www.astronomik.com http://www.celestron.com http://www.skyandtelescope.org

Sky & Telescope - April 2020

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