Atik Horizon II Mono CMOS Camera

The Atik Horizon II is the follow up to the first Atik CMOS Camera developed for deep sky astrophotography. Whilst maintaining the core elements of the initial Horizon such as its 16MP CMOS sensor with a 21.9mm diagonal, its evolution comes in its variety. Now offering three modes – Normal, PowerSave, and Fast – the Horizon II can produce the highest quality images in PowerSave mode and boasts an increased frame rate in Fast mode.

This makes Horizon II one of the most versatile cameras you can buy; suitable for deep sky, planetary or EAA imaging.

The Atik Horizon II is the follow up to our first ever CMOS Camera. It houses a 16MP sensor with exceptionally low read noise and incredibly fast read speeds. With our signature Atik blend of form and function, the Atik Horizon II provides a sensitive, high megapixel sensor at a competitive price point. This makes it a great option if you're looking to upgrade from DSLR, or have system that would benefit from shorter exposure times.

16MP 4/3" CMOS sensor

256mb DDR3 Image Buffer

~1e- Read Noise

Cooling ΔT=>-40°C

USB 3.0

New Horizon II Modes

PowerSave Mode - Allows for the highest quality images to be taken.

Fast Mode - Takes advantage of the on board DDR memory to return a constant stream of images. Fast mode increases the frame rate of the Horizon II to 8FPS. This can increase to 100FPS through the use of subframing, and reaching 300FPS when used with Dusk.

With extensive experience in both hardware and software design, the Atik Horizon II continues its development in the world of deep-sky optimised CMOS cameras.

Mechanically, the Horizon II is based on our estblished 4-Series cameras, known for their power and adaptability. With a cyclindrical case measuring 74mm in diameter and 130mm in length, it's compatible with HyperStar systems from 8". The slight size increase on the 4-Series is to house a huge cooling delta of -40°C below ambient. This keeps thermal noise under control, wherever in the world you image from.
Advanced Hardware Deserves Advanced Software

The Atik Horizon II is natively compatible with our Infinity live stacking software to give you incredible views of the night sky in a near real-time environment. Not only is this great for video astronomers and public outreach, it also makes getting into astrophotography a breeze. Our on-the-fly image processing gets you up and running quickly, minimising the learning curve many people experience. However, our advanced functions ensure you are always in control as you steer your way through the night sky.

Live continuous stacking

Flexible histogram control, including auto-stretch functions

Live YouTube broadcast integration

Interactive session replay

Focus assist and monitoring tools

Save to FITs, PNG, JPG and TIFF formats

The Horizon II is also fully compatible with our renowned Artemis Capture and Dusk imaging software that gives you full control over your imaging. We also supply a full ASCOM driver so you're free to use it with your preferred astroimaging software. When used with Dusk, the Horizon II can not only be used as a cooled deep sky imaging camera but can also be used for high speed planetary imaging with frame rates reaching 300 frames per second using the ROI function.
Amp Glow Control

From the outset, the Horizon II has benefited from a built-in 256mb DDR3 image buffer to remove amp glow and other artifacts caused by data transfer over USB2, all while preventing issues with dropped frames. This makes for a seamless and fast imaging experience, whether you're taking advantage of the flexibility and low cable weight of USB2, or the fast speeds of USB3.

Our experience of working with demanding scientific applications has given us an advanced understanding of sealing techniques. This understanding allows us to create a condensation free environment, and means your desiccant lasts much longer between recharges. We're using the same quartz fused cover glass as our Atik 383L+ camera to prevent condensation forming on the outside of the glass when the camera's cooled. This added level of performance and reliability means you can spend less time maintaining your equipment, and more time imaging with it.

Technical Specification
Sensor Type: Panasonic MN34230 4/3" CMOS
Horizontal Resolution: 4644 pixels
Vertical Resolution: 3506 pixels
Pixel Size: 3.8 µm x 3.8 µm
ADC: 12 bit
Readout Noise: ~1e- at x30 gain
Gain Factor: Variable 1 - x60
Full Well: ~20,000e-
Dark Current: 0.016 e-/pix/s at -10°C
Interface: USB 2.0 or USB 3.0
Power: 12v DC 2A
Maximum Exposure Length: Unlimited
Minimum Exposure Length: 18µs
Up to 300FPS (with region of interest) and 8 FPS full frame.
Cooling: Thermoelectric set point with max ΔT=>-40°C
Weight: approx. 525g
Backfocus: 13mm ±0.5
Thread on front: M42x0,75

System Requirements
Windows 10/Win8
USB 2.0 or USB 3.0 port

What's in the box?
Camera body with 2" adaptor
USB 3.0 cable
1.8 metre battery power connector
CD-ROM with drivers, software and user's manual (PDF)
Quickstart Guide (paper)
Desiccant port tool
Our highly acclaimed software is also available from our Downloads page.

A universal (110-230V) power adapter is optional.

Some items that are showing as in stock are in stock at our holding warehouses, not at the shop. To double check the stock levels at the shop, please contact us on 01909774369 or sales@rothervalleyoptics.co.uk.

The delivery times for most items is 1 - 2 days but again, please double check stock levels on important orders before placing an order via the website.

The delivery costs for courier next day are for mainland UK only. If you live in the Scottish Highlands/Islands, Channel Islands or Northern Ireland, then a shipping surchage will apply. please contact us for prices. Smaller items can still go 1st class via Royal Mail.

Please note that if you are wanting to take advantage of our Saturday and Sunday timed services or next day pre 12 or pre 10:30 services, you MUST check that the stock is here at the shop before placing orders. Also, orders using the Saturday and Sunday services must be placed before 1pm the previous working day. Also, please remember to check that the stock is here at the shop before placing orders. If the stock is not at the shop, we won't be able to ship on any of the timed services. 

Please note International customers will need to contact us for a shipping price prior to ordering via the website. We don't ship all items internationally. It is at our discretion what we ship outside of the UK. This all depends on the size and weight of the items. Please get in touch with us for any postage costs. Please note we do NOT ship telescopes or heavy items outside of the UK. This is due to massive postage costs and problems regarding returns.

If you have any questions regarding stock levels or delivery, please get in touch.

Zygo Interferometer Testing For ED Refractor Telescopes!

We are extremely pleased to announce our Zygo Interferometer is now installed and ready for use! Our experienced staff can test refractor lenses up to 120mm aperture and provide a comprehensive 2 page report showing the optical quality and Strehl ratio, plus much more information. We are using the very latest Zygo MX software to provide a more detailed report compared to other standard reports.

The interferometer is essentially a measuring instrument. Within the interferometer is a calibrated laser that is pointed through the optical test surface, then onto a high quality reference sphere, then back through the test subject then to an internal camera which gives us the measurement on the screen. From this, we can adjust the position of the test optic and the reference sphere to obtain a perfectly calibrated system. The more central the laser to the test optic and then on return, the better and more accurate reading and measurement we can take. This takes a lot of adjustment to get the best results from the optical surface. Once the measurement has been taken, we are provided with a series of results that show the optical quality of the surface plus other information. Continue reading for an explanation of the individual values and you can also see a test report that was done on one of our RVO Horizon 60 OTAs. 

We are offering certain telescopes with a Zygo test at an extra cost. Mainly ED doublets and triplets. All available telescopes with a Zygo test report are listed here. Just select Zygo Test Report from the drop down box at the top of the listing and we will test the optics in house and provide a full 2 page report with your scope. This will show you the optical quality of your telescope optics. We can also offer this service on your refractor telescope. Please get in touch for more details about this. 

At Rother Valley Optics, one thing we pride ourselves on is customer service and quality of our equipment. When we test your telescope, we will ensure that it is of the highest quality otherwise, we will reject the scope under our strict quality control and test another model for your peace of mind. One of the main values to look at when testing a refractor is the Strehl ratio. The higher this number, the higher quality lens you have. At Rother Valley Optics, we will guarantee the highest possible Strehl ratio for your telescope.  We will aim to provide 0.95 Strehl or higher on Takahashi, RVO Horizon, William Optics and many more! Generally, the higher the Strehl ratio, the lower the Astigmatism and Coma meaning a better image quality from your instrument. 

Other measurements such as the PV and RMS are important too. With these measurements, the lower the number the better as it shows less curvature on the lens. The flatter an optical lens, the better it will perform. The PV rating (Peak To Valley) is a measurement from the highest point (Peak) to the lowest point (Valley). From this we get the RMS (Root, Mean, Square). This is a similar figure to the PV and measured exactly the same way. The RMS is basically an average height difference from the PV so again, the lower the better. As you can see form the example below, we measured an RMS of just 0.027 wave which is a very good value.

We also measure the Power with our systems which is essentially the error from the reference sphere to the test optic. The reference sphere we use on our system is a very high quality sphere so the closer to zero the Power, the less error between the 2 elements thus ensuring a higher quality optical surface. 

You will also see some more values such as Astigmatism and Coma. Again, these are measured by the interferometer when we take measurements of the optical surface after adjustment. These are values which ideally would be at 0 but as our test optics are all curved lenses, there will always be astigmatism and coma present. The lower the number, the less of these aberations you will effectively see but with most refractors, you can buy field flatteners which will compensate for the coma anyway. The astigmatisms value is explaining the error between the symmetrical curvature of the lens. Basically, no lens will be perfectly symmetrical, the lower the astigmatism, the more symmetrical the lens surface is. 

Once the Zygo test report has been completed, the optical alignment is thoroughly tested and tuned to ensure they are spot on before they leave us. 

All available telescopes are on the website at the link below and ones we've tested already that are available straight away are also listed.

https://www.rothervalleyoptics.co.uk/zygo-tested-refractors.html

Here is an example of the test what we provide. This was a test on one of our Horizon 60 ED OTA's.

For any questions about this amazing new service, please either call 01909774369 or email sales@rothervalleyoptics.co.uk.

Are you interested in this product but would like to speak to someone with some more information? Simply fill in the form below and we will get back to you as soon as we can!

* Name

Please enter your full name

* Telephone Number

Please input your telephone number here

* Model Number

Please enter the model number which is just above

Additional Information

Please include any information here that will help our staff members assist your query

*

Please add the two numbers

SubmitSubmit