William Optics RedCat 71 with iOptron CEM26 Equatorial Mount & ZWO ASI585MC-PRO Imaging Bundle!

This amazing imaging bundle comes complete with everything you need to start doing astrophotography right out of the box!  Includes:

• William Optics RedCat 71 APO Refractor
• iOptron CEM26 GoTo Equatorial Mount, AccuAlign Polar Finder & LiteRoc Tripod
• ZWO ASI585MC Pro Cooled Color Camera
• ZWO ASIAIR Mini Smart WiFi Controller
• ZWO 12V 5A AC to DC Adapter for Cooled Cameras with a US Plug
• ZWO ASI120MM Mini Monochrome Guide Camera
• Optolong L-QEF L-QUAD EnHance 2" Filter
• Svbony SV165 30mm f/4 Mini Guide Scope

About the William Optics RedCat 71...

The William Optics RedCat refractor continues to be immensely popular, but if you'd like more aperture, a 71 mm f/4.9 RedCat is now available!  This beautifully designed Petzval astrograph sports four optical elements in a three group configuration (2-1-1).  The doublet front group is made of FPL-53 glass, followed by one central element and a rear lens.  This optical design produces a flat image plane on its own, with an image circle of over 45 mm, without the need for a flattener.  With an image circle this big, the RedCat 71 is compatible with full frame or APS-C sensors.

The William Optics Cat71 comes with a built-in Bahtinov mask to assist in focusing, and a calibrated helical focuser.  The lockable helical focuser has a large surface area that makes it easy to focus, even with gloves.  It's gear ring has 153 teeth, which is more precise than most camera lenses.  Behind the focuser is a camera angle rotator with tension knob and a tilt adapter, which ends in M48 threads.

The RedCat 71 comes complete with a saddle handlebar on top.  This handle accepts accessories such as a finder or guide scope but is raised above the focuser enough to serve as a carry handle. A pair of super sturdy mounting rings are also included and attach to an Arca Swiss/Vixen style plate, making it easy to connect the Cat71 to a telescope mount or heavy-duty camera tripod.

When you're not using your telescope, you can store it in the included soft carry bag!

Specifications:

Focal Length:  348 mm

Diameter:  71 mm

Focal Ratio:  f/4.9

Image Circle:  >44 mm

Focuser:  Helical with 2GT Gear Ring

Tube Length with Dew Shield:  435 mm

Weight of OTA:  2.8kg / 6.2 lb.

Weight of OTA with Hardware:  3.7kg / 8.2 lb.

About the iOptron CEM26 Center Balance GoTo Equatorial Mount...

• Center-balanced Equatorial Mount (CEM)
• Great for Visual Use and Astro-Imaging
• Large, Easy, Quick-lock Gear Clutches
• Built-in AccuAlign Optical Polar Finder
• Max Payload of 26 lb (11.8 kg)
• Mount weighs only 10 lb (4.5 kg)
• Precision Stepper Motor - Precise Go-To
• Includes Go2Nova 8409 Controller/Technology
• +/- 10 arcsecond PEC
• Permanent PEC (PPEC)
• Includes Built-in Wi-Fi & ST-4 autoguider port
• Includes Premium LiteRoc 1.75" Tripod

Like their predecessors, the CEM26 mounts were designed with portability in mind, weighing in at only 10 lb. But, it can support up to a 26 lb payload an incredible 2.6 mount weight-to-payload ratio. The key to providing such an impressive ratio is the "CEM design" which focuses the mount and payload weight directly on the center of the tripod rendering “natural stability”. The center-balanced design mount puts the weight of the payload at the center of gravity allowing for greater mechanical mount stability. Other features include an adjustable counterweight bar to prevent obstruction with the tripod. And polar aligning is quick and accessible all the time, because the polar scope is not blocked by the declination shaft.

In addition, iOptron has added features for convenience and functionality. A positive lock gear engagement system (easy to use even when wearing gloves), built-in Wi-Fi, enabling unparalleled connectivity, and recordable permanent periodic error correction (PPEC) to repeat optimal PEC training sessions. The CEM26, Model C26B3 Center-balanced Equatorial Mount from iOptron delivers precise pointing and accurate tracking. The CEM26, Model C261B3 sets a new standard for compact equatorial GoTo mounts.

The iOptron CEM26, Model C261B3 Equatorial Mount is equipped with the latest advanced GOTONova GO-TO technology, which means it is now one of the most powerful and accurate GO-TO mounts available. Its database includes over 212,000+ objects! The Go2Nova Hand Controller is intuitive and very easy to use. Its large 4-line LCD screen simplifies the process of setting telescope parameters and locating objects, to make the astronomer's task even easier.

This CEM26 mount has an AccuAlign Optical Polar Scope installed for quick and easy polar alignment. It also includes a Premium LiteRoc 1.75" heavy duty stainless steel Tripod.

What's In The Boxes?

This model includes: A CEM26 Center-Balance Mount Head, CW shaft, 10 lb Counterweight, Go2Nova 8409 Controller/Technology, Cord for Controller, Integrated AccuAlign Polar Scope, Premium LiteRoc 1.75" Tripod.

Specifications:

About the ZWO ASI585MC Pro Cooled Color Camera...

The ASI585MC Pro is a new ZWO deep sky camera based on the 4k SONY CMOS sensor with a 1/1.2″ format and 2.9μm pixels. It has a super high sensitivity and a large resolution of 3840*2160 (8.29MP in total). It also features high transmission speeds – In high-speed mode, the fast frame rate can reach 47fps at full resolution! Being an entry-level DSO camera, it offers great advantages of high cost-effectiveness.

Note:  External power supplies are needed for all ASl cooled cameras (which we include in this bundle!. We recommend you use a 12V@3A~5A DC adapter (D5.5×2.1mm, center pole positive) or a lithium battery with 11-14V to power the camera. You can also use ASIAlR to power the cameras. Be aware that using a power supply out of this voltage range will probably lead to irreparable damage to the camera.

One Camera for All

The STARVIS 2 technology brings ASI585MC Pro more advanced imaging performance compared to other cooled cameras. Its high frame rate makes it not only suitable for DSO photography but also solar/lunar/planetary photography. STARVIS 2 was developed by SONY and evolved from STARVIS. It is the latest technology with a wider dynamic range and super-high sensitivity beyond the human eye. Benefiting from it, ASI585MC Pro’s sensitivity and signal-to-noise ratio is greatly improved.

Large Full Well Capacity

The back-illuminated structure improves the camera’s full well capacity. Even with unbinned 2.9μm pixels, ASI585MC Pro has a full well capacity of 47ke-, nearly 4 times that of the last-generation sensor IMX485. A larger full well capacity gets the camera higher efficiency in collecting light, can effectively restrain the highlight area from being overexposed, and also can improve the signal-to-noise ratio.

Zero Amp Glow

ASI585MC Pro exhibits extremely clean dark frames with zero amp glow! No matter how long the exposure and how high the gain value is, you can easily get clean and smooth astro images!

Note: This feature is implemented directly at the hardware level, it does not require software control.

512MB DDR3

ASI585MC Pro uses a USB 3.0 interface, along with the built-in 512MB DDR3 cache, ensuring high-speed, smooth, and stable data transmission.

USB 3.0 Port & USB 2.0 HUB

USB 3.0 Port: Provides 5Gb bandwidth to allow ASI585MC Pro to run at 47fps at 8.29MP full resolution (10bit, high-speed mode).
USB 2.0 HUB: Can be used to connect various kinds of USB devices such as EFW, guide camera, and EAF.

Two-stage TEC Cooling

Thanks to the two-stage TEC cooling, ASI585MC Pro can lower the CMOS sensor temperature to more than 35 degrees Celsius below ambient temperature, which can greatly reduce dark current generation and sensor noise even during extended exposure times.

*The Delta T 35℃ is tested at 30℃ ambient temperature. It might get down when the cooling system is working for a long time. Also, as the ambient temperature falls, the Delta T would decrease.

Below is the dark current curve of ASI585MC Pro at the temperature from -20℃ to 30℃.

Camera Performance

Low read noise, High dynamic range

The camera has a built-in HCG mode, which can effectively reduce read noise at high gain and allow the camera to maintain the same high dynamic range as it does at low gain.

When the gain reaches 252, the HCG mode will be automatically turned on and the dynamic range reaches a level close to 11bit. The read noise in this case can be as low as 0.9e.

QE (Quantum efficiency)

Based on ZWO's testing results, the QE peak value of ASI585MC Pro is 91%.

About the ZWO ASIAIR Mini Smart WiFi Controller...

The ASIAIR Mini is 42% smaller and 21% lighter than the ZWO ASIAIR Plus, and has been redesigned with eMMC top performance, including 119 MB/s average read time and 65 MB/s average write speed. Just like the PLUS, along with the free ASIAIR app, the ZWO ASIAIR Mini can handle most any astrophotography process from your smartphone or tablet!  It is compatible with most ZWO ASI & Mini cameras, a whole slew of Canon and Nikon DSLR and mirrorless cameras, and more than 400 equatorial mounts, as well as the ZWO EAF, EFW, and more!  Simply plug your compatible devices into the ASIAIR Mini, go to your installed ASIAIR app, and start imaging deep-sky objects or the planets, auto-guiding, autofocus functions, and more!

Other functions you can do on the ASIAIR app include focusing, polar alignment, filter switching, auto guiding, auto-run & more. 

The ASIAIR Mini has an enhanced antenna with a dual-band 2.4G/5G WiFi network that has a 20 m working range, normally at 2.4G.  Keep in mind that while the 5G network is faster, it doesn't have the working range of the 2.4G network.

There are lots of easy to use interfaces on the sides of the ASIAIR Mini body:

• 1 Power Jack
• 4 USB2.0 Ports
• 1 DSLR Shutter Release Port
• 4 DC 12V
• 1 USB Type C Port (a USB-C to USB-A cable is required)

*You can monitor devices plugged into each of the DC 12V ports in the App via the DC 12V Outputs Control Switch.  From the screen you can see working status, voltage use, WiFi Network, power consumption & real life temperature.

What's In The Box?

• ASIAIR Mini Body
• DC 0.5m Male Cable (2 ea)
• DC 1m Male Cable (2 ea)
• DC 1.5m Male-Female Extension Cable (1 ea)
• ASIAIR Plus Quick Start Guide

Minimum System Requirements

IOS/ipadOS - OS version 12 and up, iPhone 6s or later, iPad, iPad mini, iPad Air & iPad Pro

Android - OS version 8 and up, All Android phones and tablets with RAM of 4GB or higher

About the ASI120MM Mini Mono Guide Camera...

The ZWO ASI120MM Mini monochrome planetary camera & guide scope uses the AR130CS CMOS sensor, with its 3.75 um pixels in a 1280 x 960 array, to produce images with low read noise and high dynamic range.  The peak QE, or quantum efficiency of the ASI120Mini is almost 80%.

The camera provides 12-bit ADC and up to 35 FPS (frames per second).  

The ZWO ASI120MM Mini sports one USB2.0 type C port. Type C ports are well suited for mobile phones because of their worry-free connection; it doesn't matter which way you turn the cable to plug it in, unlike a Type A or Type B cable.  For guiding, you can connect the camera to the ST4 type guide port, located above the USB2.0 port on the back of the 120Mini.

The ASI120 Mini is a great camera for those new to imaging.  It can be focused just like an eyepiece.  This little camera works well with an OAG, or off-axis guider, and since the ASI120Mini has a larger focus range than normal ASI cameras, it will be way easier to find focus between your guide camera and imaging camera at the same time. By the way, you can use the ASI 120 Mini with the optional ZWO 60 mm Guide Scope or the Mini Guide Scope!

Please Note:  Main image shows two views of the ASI120MM Mini, but you only get one camera. :-)

ZWO ASI120Mini Specifications

• Sensor: 1/3″ CMOS AR0130CS(Mono)
• Resolution: 1.2Mega Pixels 1280×960
• Pixel Size: 3.75µm
  
• Exposure Range: 64µs-2000s
• ROI: Supported
• Non-volatile memory/On camera storage: Built-in total 192K byte user-accessible space(image size up to 480X320)
• ST4 Guider Port: Yes
• Focus Distance to Sensor: 8.5mm
• Shutter Type: Rolling Shutter
• Protect window: AR coated window
• Operating System Compatibility: Mac, Windows, Linux
• Interface: USB2.0
• Bit rate: 12bit output
• Adaptor:1.25″ / M28.5X0.6
• Dimension: φ36mm X 61mm
• Weight: 60g or 3.1 ounces (without lens)
• Working Temperature: -5°C—45°C
• Storage Temperature: -20°C—60°C
• Working Relative Humidity: 20%—80%
• Storage Relative Humidity: 20%—95%
• Binning 1×1
• 1280X960@35FPS
• 1280X720@46FPS
• 1024X768@54FPS
• 800X600@90FPS
• 640X480@118FPS
• 320X240@224FPS
• Binning 2×2:
• 640X480@35FP
• More resolutions can be user defined

About the ZWO 12V 5A AC to DC Adapter for Cooled Cameras...

This adapter provides a controlled 12 Volts at 5 Amps for supplying power to the TEC cooling system of any ZWO cooled camera. Great for any astronomy component that requires a regulated 12V power supply.

About the Optolong L-QEF L-Quad EnHance 2" Filter...

The Optolong L-Quad Enhance Broadband Filter is designed for light pollution suppression with color cameras.  The L-QEF is a quad bandpass filter lowers the light generated by mercury and sodium lamps as well as natural skylight.  When used with a color CMOS camera, contrast is enhanced and objects are more distinct.  The filter provides better color balance while improving resistance to light pollution.  This 2" L-Quad filter can be used for wide field astrophotography and deep-sky objects like nebulae, galaxies, star clusters and more.  It maximizes the color balance of nebulae, galaxies and other broadband spectral targets.

Major Emission Lines of Nebulae:

H-a - 656.3nm

H-b -486.1nm

OIII - 495.9nm

OIII - 500.7nm

Major Emission Lines of Artificial Light Pollution

Hg - 435.8nm, 546.1nm, 577nm, 578.1nm

Na - 598nm, 589.6nm, 615.4nm, 616.1nm

Features of the L-Quad Enhance 2" Filter

• Cuts out light pollution from mercury and sodium lamps and produces a nice broadband image with minimal color cast;

• Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR);

• Near IR cut-off to 1000nm, reducing the effects of IR noise;

• L-QEF has more than 90% transmittance of the nebula emission lines at H-Beta/OIII/H-Alpha/SII, with cut-off depth from OD2 to OD4, thus providing a significant increase in resistance to light pollution. L-QEF is good for night sky from Bortel 1 to Bortel 7 levels; (Bortel 8, Bortel 9 environments are not  recommended);

• Suitable for wide range of deep sky targets: it covers most nebulae, galaxies, star clusters, reflected and emitted line signals astronomical objects with higher contrast and rich details while maintaining excellent color balance.

 Technical Data

• Substrate:  Optical glass
  
• Thickness:  1.85 mm
  
• Surface Quality: 60/40 (Refer to MIL-O-13830)
  
• Fine-optically polished to ensure accurate 1/4 wavefront and < 30 seconds parallelism over the both surfaces
• Blocking Range:  300 nm - 1000 nm
  
• Blocking Depth:  OD2 - OD4
  
• Parallelism: 30s
  
• Multi-layers of anti-reflection coating
• FWHM:  Quad bandpass filter

About the Svbony SV165 30mm f/4 Guide Scope...

The Svbony SV165 Mini Guider is a great choice for pairing with the SV305 cameras as well as cameras from ZWO, QHY, Orion, and more!  It is thoughtfully made, with large adjustment knobs that are easy to use even when you have gloves on!  

The SV165 has an aperture of 30 mm, a focal length of 120 mm, and a focal ratio of f/4.  The doublet optics are broadband fully multi-coated for clarity and brightness.  Back focus length is 26 mm.

The camera end of the guider has 1.25" & M42*0.75 threads, making it compatible with a wide range of cameras.

The helical focuser has a 45mm focus stroke, allowing for easy and precise adjustments, and with fast f/4 optics, you'll have a nice wide field of view to help you center targets quickly.  To focus, simple rotate the red lock ring to loosen the objective section in front of it.  Now focus by rotating the objective, then rotate the red lock ring back into position to secure.

The mounting ring has nylon-tipped screws to keep the mini guider body scratch-free.  Just loosen the knobs to rotate the guider as you wish.  A mounting foot with a UNC 1/4-20 screw hole is included.  Most scopes come standard with a finderscope shoe, making it easy to just slide the foot into the shoe and tighten it down. 

What's In the Box?

• Svbony 30mm Mini Guide Scope
• Dual Ring Bracket with Mini Dovetail
• Two Nylon-Tipped Thumbscrews
• Tool for Screws
• Dust Covers for Both Ends