Orion Telescopes and Binoculars Orion HDX 12″ Truss RC Ultimate Astro-Imaging Package is an observatory caliber package of products that offers the best imaging tech available from Orion.
The Orion HDX 12″ Truss RC system is centered around the Orion 12″ Truss Tube Ritchey-Chretien Astrograph which utilizes hyperboloid primary and secondary mirrors made of low-expansion quartz glass with 96% reflectivity for bright imaging performance. With a 12″ (304mm) aperture, the f/8 Ritchey-Chretien optics are housed in a thermally stable carbon fiber Serrurier-design truss tube assembly.
The Serrurier open tube truss system is thermally very stable, minimizing the effect of ambient temperature changes on the telescope’s focus. The Serrurier system utilizes two sets of opposing truss tubes on either side of the declination pivot plane, which keep the optical elements parallel to each other no matter how the telescope is oriented, thus keeping optical collimation precisely intact. Stainless steel ball and socket hardware connects the truss tubes to the telescope’s three large CNC-machined aluminum support plates.
The 12″ optical tube is paired with the Orion HDX110 EQ-G GoTo Equatorial Mount and Pier, a massive mount designed to hold the heaviest of equipment. The mount provides exceptionally low, typically +/-3 arcsecond tracking before correction (PEC) and a 110-lb. instrument capacity. The mount features robust, state-of-the-art electronics, including high-resolution, micro-stepped stepper motors and patented dual-encoder technology that allows both automated GoTo operation and manual slewing, without losing the GoTo alignment.
Once a successful alignment has been completed, you can loosen the RA and DEC clutches and manually reposition the mount and attached telescope while still maintaining the GoTo accuracy once the clutches are relocked. Available permanent periodic error correction (PPEC) improves the HDX110 Mount’s already impressive native periodic error even further, and the PEC is saved for future observing/imaging sessions.
Included is the Orion StarShoot G10 Deep Space Color Imaging Camera, a one-shot color CMOS chip that excels at seeing very faint objects in a short exposure, and offers adjustable gain to boost the sensitivity in a given exposure. The camera is based on the Sony IMX294CJK Type 4/3 14-bit CMOS chip, with 4.63 micron pixels, and a factory spec’d 10.7M effective pixel array. Multiple resolution/aspect ratios are available, and the effective pixel array is maxed out to 4128×2808. Exposures from 0.1ms-1000s and up to 30+ fps means you can shoot planets as well as nebulae.
The StarShoot G10 features a two-stage regulated thermo-electric cooler with fan, capable of reaching ~35º C below ambient, which dramatically reduces noise. And the USB 3.0 interface provides exceptionally fast frame rates and downloads. Power for the camera electronics comes through the USB port, and the TE cooler is powered by an included AC adapter.
For precise polar alignment the StarShoot P1 Polar Alignment Camera is included in the package. The P1 performs a precise polar alignment in just a few minutes time, with an accuracy of up to 30 arcseconds. The camera is pre-focused, has an 11×8 degree field of view, and is sensitive enough to easily see Polaris, Sigma Octans, and several stars around the pole. And it works in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Once you’ve polar aligned and are ready to image, the included StarShoot AutoGuider Pro & 60mm Guide Scope Package locks onto a nearby star, ensuring a sharp photograph with tight round stars.
To power the setup through the night Orion includes the Orion Dynamo Pro 155Wh AC/DC/USB Lithium Power Supply. A perfect companion to the HDX and G10, the 3.3-lb. lithium power supply features three 12V DC ports, three USB ports, and one three-prong AC output port to keep all your equipment running in the field. A total of three female cigarette socket adapters are included with this package.
The full Orion HDX 12″ Truss RC package includes:
– 12″ RC telescope
– HDX EQ mount
– HDX pier
– 22.3-lbs counterweights (x3)
– G10 Camera
– 60mm Guidescope
– StarShoot Autoguider Pro Camera
– P1 Polar Alignment Camera
– P1 adapter for HDX mount
– Dynamo Pro Lithium Battery
– Cigarette lighter socket adapters
You can learn more at Orion’s website.
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