Pegasus FocusCube v3 Universal

Introducing the Pegasus Astro FocusCube 3, our cutting-edge solution for achieving fast, reliable, and precise focusing of your telescope in the ever-evolving field of astro-photography. In an era where fast optics and advanced camera devices are essential, maintaining accurate focus is paramount.

Below features collectively make FocusCube 3 a versatile and user-friendly device for achieving accurate and repeatable focus in astronomy, catering to both automated and manual control preferences.

Fast and Precise Focusing: Swift and accurate focusing for modern telescopes and cameras.

Automated Focusing with Temperature Compensation: Maintains optimal focus by automatically adjusting for temperature changes.

High Torque Motor: Can lift up to 6 kg even when pointing at zenith.
Low Backlash: Minimized play for precise focus v-curve points.

Universal Bracket: Fits various focusers (4mm to 8mm couplers included).

Digital Temperature Sensor: Monitors ambient temperature changes.

USB-C Connectivity: Single cable for power and data.

Wi-Fi Enabled: Hotspot and wireless 2.4GHz client support.
Web Browser Access: Control via web browser on any device, making it OS-independent.

ASCOM Alpaca Support: Seamless integration with popular software.

Firmware Upgradability: Future-proof with software updates.

Optional External Hand Controller: Ideal for visual observers who prefer manual control.

Adjustable and Universal Bracket for Seamless Focuser Compatibility
This versatile Universal bracket features custom-made holes and rails, meticulously designed to ensure
seamless integration with any telescope system.
Whether you have a refractor, reflector, or any other telescope type, the FocusCube 3’s bracket can be effortlessly adjusted to meet your exact needs.

High resolution Geared Stepper Motor
Equipped with a high-resolution stepper motor coupled with a robust gearbox, delivering an exceptional level of torque that can effortlessly lift and support telescope equipment weighing up to 6 kg, even when pointing at the zenith. What sets this motor system apart is its meticulous attention to precision, as the backlash has been meticulously minimized to achieve very low values.

Solid motor couplers in package
Package features a selection of five solid motor couplers, each featuring a different bore size. This thoughtful provision allows you to precisely match the coupler to your telescope focuser’s shaft, ensuring a secure and snug fit.

With options ranging from 4mm to 8mm couplers, you have the flexibility to seamlessly integrate the FocusCube 3 with a wide range of telescope setups

USB & Wi-Fi Connectivity
The FocusCube 3 offers streamlined convenience with a single USB-C cable for both power and data, reducing complexity in your telescope setup. Additionally, it’s Wi-Fi enabled, allowing you to control and monitor focus remotely from your mobile phone.

Notably, you can operate it simultaneously with USB or Wi-Fi, providing flexibility and ease of use for astronomers, all from the convenience of your smartphone.

Successful installation on the following telescopes.
The installation of the Universal L bracket on a wide range of telescope focusers has proven to be exceptionally straightforward and swift, ensuring a hassle-free experience for users.

Baader Diamond Steeltrack
Baader Steeltrack
Explore Scientific Focuser
Askar Telescopes Focusers

MoonLite Focusers
Skywatcher Esprit Series Focuser
Starlight Feathertouch Series
Stellarvue Focusers
Takahashi FS-60, TSA-120, Epsilon Focusers
Takahashi FSQ & TOA Focuser
Vixen ED81S
William Optics GT71
William Optics RedCat

Accurate and Repeatable Focus V-Curves with FocusCube 3
FocusCube v3 Harmonizes with Leading Imaging Suites – NINA, SGPro, Voyager, APT, MaximDL, and More!”

Effortless V-Curve Autofocus: A Piece of Cake with FocusCube v3

The V-Curve results achieved with the FocusCube 3 are consistently accurate and reliably repeatable every time the autofocus routine is initiated.

The FocusCube 3 offers a hassle-free “focus and forget” operation, allowing you to set their focus parameters and continue you observations without constant manual adjustments.

ASCOM Alpaca Native Support
FocusCube 3 offers Alpaca native support and a convenient web interface for easy smartphone control of your device.

ASCOM Alpaca outshines classic ASCOM drivers with its platform independence, modern web standards, streamlined installation, remote control capabilities, extensibility, and open-source options. This ensures superior compatibility and user-friendly performance, making it the preferred choice for advanced astronomy applications.

FocusCube 3 comes equipped with an integrated web server that seamlessly communicates with Alpaca clients natively. This integration enhances the user experience by providing easy access to telescope focus control through ASCOM Alpaca but also monitoring from any device with a web browser such as a smart phone.

Connect to the FocusCube hotspot for instant access to your focuser’s control.

Upon connecting to the FocusCube hotspot, the focuser control is automatically spawned for immediate use. Furthermore, you can conveniently access it from any web browser by simply typing “focuscube.local” in the address bar.

This feature is operating system-independent and functions seamlessly alongside USB control and the EZY hand controller plug-in, providing flexibility and convenience for users across various setups.

Software

Pegasus Astro Unity Platform, our comprehensive application designed to support all current and future products in a single, modern interface.
Our modern frontend provides comprehensive control over all Pegasus Astro devices, ensuring a user-friendly experience. In addition, our REST JSON API opens the door for third-party software developers to seamlessly interact with our products, enhancing their versatility and compatibility.
Continuously driven by customer feedback, we are committed to ongoing development, with a host of innovative features slated for future releases.

Technical Specification
Type Value
Supply Voltage From USB (5V)
Current 900mA @ 5V
Motor Output None, The stepper motor is built-in
USB Connectivity USB-C socket (USB2)
Thermal Sensor Resolution 9-bit Celsius temperature measurements
Power Input Connector USB-C Socket
Motor High resolution geared stepper motor
(Step Angle (Deg) 7.5 / 120 Gearbox
Dimensions 59 mm x 50 mm x 44 mm
Weight 260g (enclosure with electronics)
Operating Tempetature -20 °C to +80 °C

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!

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