Pegasus FocusCube Zero For SCT Telescopes

FocusCube SCT has been replaced by the Focus Cube Zero. Zero allows backlash free movement and is way faster than older motor.

Focus fast, reliable and accurate your Celestron SCT telescope by using the “FocusCube Zero“. The evolution of technology in astronomy requires a system which will assist the focusing of the telescope with great accuracy. Fast optics and modern camera devices require automatic focusing in every small period of time as temperature can affect focal length and modify the optimal focus position. Pegasus FocusCube Zero has been developed to meet all of these requirements.

Designed in high quality with modern electronics, FocusCube can provide digital precise focus control from a PC. Device includes a stepper motor for absolute position focusing. Electronics and stepper motor are enclosed in a compact sized box.

Stepper motor provides high speed, focus accuracy and zero backlash. You only need this device to focus! Attach the FocusCube Zero to your SCT telescope, plug the power, USB cable, download ASCOM drivers or standalone software and you are ready to go!

IMPORTANT NOTE
FocusCube is a standalone device and includes controller functionality.
No physical hand controller is included or required.
DO NOT pair it with the Dual Motor Focus Controller or any other controller in the market.
DO NOT connect this RJ45 port to the Ultimate Powerbox RJ45 Stepper Output
The RJ45 port at the back is only for the hand controller or the included temperature sensor.

Zero backlash stepper motor
Embedded bipolar stepper motor provides a zero backlash movement. Motor is very fast and allows you to quickly move from any focus point to another.

SCT Bracket
A special shaped black anodised aluminium bracket, hard to bend, can be attached to most of the Celestron SCT telescopes. We have successfully installed it on:

Please notice that we provide three different SCT versions
The difference is in the metal pulley bore diameter & the screw length in the package. Please make sure you have selected the correct type for your telescope.

Celestron Classic & EdgeHD 6, 8, 9.25 (SKU:PEG-FCZERO-SCT68925)
Celestron Classic & Edge HD 11 (SKU:PEG-FCZERO-SCT11)
Celestron Classic & Edge HD 14 (SKU:PEG-FCZERO-SCT14)
Celestron RASA 8 (SKU: PEG-FCZERO-SCT68925)
Cellestron RASA 11 (V2 – For V1 you will need Celestron Retrofit Kit) (SKU:PEG-FC2-SCT11)
Celestron RASA 14” (SKU:PEG-FCZERO-SCT14)

Please note that some older SCT series are not compatible with the SCT bracket so contact us with a photo of your telescope focuser if you are not certain that your telescope can accept the SCT bracket.

SCT Bracket was designed to support Celestron SCT Telescopes. Although, we have seen that it perfectly fits on Meade SCT telescopes that have the round focus knob. Please check the image below if your Meade Telescope is the same as the photo’s. For more information please contact us.

Temperature Probe
An external digital temperature sensor input is located near the motor connector. A digital probe of one meter (3 feet) length is supplied. The probe can be placed near the focuser so the exact temperature of the focuser / environment can be seen through the supplied software or ASCOM driver (probe is included in package)

Expansion Port / Manual Focus (optional accessory)
FocusCube includes an expansion RJ45 port at the back of the enclosure. This port provides input for the temperature sensor. An optional hand controller for manual focus control can be acquired for those who might want to add this functionality.

ASCOM supported
The controller is fully compatible with latest ASCOM 6.5

INDI (Open Astronomy Instrumentation) supported
Pegasus Focuscube is fully compatible with INDI. Driver is included in stable libindi.
Official Indi Driver : http://indilib.org/devices/focusers/pegasus-dmfc.html

Standalone program supported
The controller can be operated by our standalone software.
(Only available for Windows)

All required cables are included
A 1.8m USB Type B cable
A 1.5m Cigarette lighter adapter power cable
Firmware upgrade support
Controller firmware supports re-programming via the USB 2.0 connection using upgrade software, for future upgrades which may become available. We constantly receive feedback from our customers and keep updating the firmware and software with new features.

Compact size
52 x 58 x 35 mm / Weight 280g

In the box
FocusCube Zero ✔
SCT Bracket (margatita style) ✔
Temperature Sensor (0.6m) ✔
USB type B Cable (1.8m) ✔
Two Aluminium Pulleys (60 & 40 teeth) and transmission belt ✔
Four M3x6mm length screws (to attach the enclosure on the bracket) ✔
Three metric screws and washers (to mount the bracket on the SCT) ✔

Technical Specifications
Supply Voltage 12V – 13.8V DC
Motor Compatibility Stepper Motor is inside the enclosure
Motor Output None
(Stepper Motor is inside the enclosure)
USB Connectivity USB 2.0 Type B plug
Thermal Sensor Resolution 9-bit Celsius temperature measurements
Power Input Connector 2.1mm Centre Positive Socket
Motor Specs Bipolar Stepper Motor
Zero Backlash
Sep Angle: 1.8 deg
Hold Torque: 0.8Kg/cm
Detent Torque: 0.18Kg/cm
Dimensions
(enclosure only) 52 mm x 58 mm x 35 mm
Weight (including bracket) 280g
Operating Temperature -40 °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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