for Astro Physics 130mm
|
The Kendrick Kwik Focus is a multi purpose tool that is indispensable for anyone wanting to get optimum
performance from their telescope and the best possible focus they can achieve.
The Kwik Focus can also be used to determine if your telescope's optics are properly aligned and collimated.
By observing the out of focus star images through the Kwik focus you can bring your telescopes optics into
accurate alignment. |
It can be used to easily and quickly achieve critical focus for astrophotographers, CCD imagers and observers. We believe it is
the easiest product to use on the market to achieve accurate focus.
By purchasing our solar filter inserts the Kwik Focus can now be used as an off axis solar filter. Full aperture solar filters
will often give a poorer image than a smaller filter because of the secondary obstruction and poor seeing conditions caused by the
suns heating of the atmosphere. An off axis filter removes the image degrading influence of the secondary and minimizes the
effects of atmospherics turbulence to give a better solar image.
Constructed of aluminum and powder coated black, it is elegant in both concept and design. It can also be used a lens cap when
your telescope is not in use. When using it as a lens cap the three plastic plugs that come with the Kwik Focus are placed into
the three holes on the front of the device.
We have 52mm and 82mm solar filter inserts available for our popular Kwik Focus. Now your Kwik Focus can be quickly and easily
converted to a solar filter. Unscrew the filter from the Kwik Focus and it is back to being a focusing aid. Available in visual
and photographic versions.
The Kwik Focus works by projecting three images onto the focusing screen of your camera, imaging chip of your CCD camera or your
eyepiece. As you come closer into focus the three images tighten up and eventually merge. When the images have merged you are now
at the optimum focus your system can accomplish. As this is a mechanical focus, your eye can no longer compensate for slightly out
of focus images. Remove the Kwik Focus and shoot, image or observe. It is that easy.
Unlike other focusing systems on the market, you can use the moon, planet or any other object that is at least 6th magnitude to
focus on and focusing is achieved with considerably more ease.
With the "Kwik Focus" on the end of your telescope all point source objects will form THREE round images. Turn the focus
adjustment in the direction that brings the images closer together. When the images overlap each other and become one, you are
focused at the best your lens system is capable of. You will find this is easier as power is increased. You can focus right on a
planet or the moon and not have to move back and forth between a bright star and the planets. (As other products on the market
require). No doubt, you have seen articles that recommend, under certain conditions, stopping down your telescope for better
viewing and to help increase contrast and reduce glare. The cap can be left on to do just this while viewing a bright object like
the Moon, which has the added benefit of helping to save your dark adapted eyes. It may also eliminate the need for a neutral
density filter.
Other benefits of this device include:
* Making the splitting of double stars easier.
* Eliminates difraction from the secondary mirror (in SCT's and Newtonians)
* Can cancel out most of the problems associated with mirrors that have turned edges or zonal errors.
* Can be used as an off axis aperture mask to diminish the effects of poor to medium seeing.
"Kwik Focus" may also be used for prime focus on your scope if you want to photograph any nebula. Simply point your camera and
scope at the closest sixth magnitude star or brighter near the object of your choice and adjust your focus so all double image
star points become single points of light. Take a little extra time here because your star images are very small compared to
planet images. When you have finished focusing, do not forget to remove the "Kwik Focus Cap" for maximum light for the camera.
Double star watchers will find "Kwik Focus" helpful in that you will get better resolution of close stars and better colors. The
Kwik Focus can also be used as a step down mask to cut down glare when observing the moon. It also acts as an off axis aperture
mask. As an aperutre mask the cap can be rotated until the best surfaces of the mirror are beneath the holes in the Kwik Focus
cap. Planetary observation is enhanced by the reduction of the effects of nominal seeing, lengthening the focal ratio of your
telescope and eliminating the light scattering effect of the secondary mirror.
The Kwik Focus is presently only available for the Meade ETX, Celestron C5, Astro Physics Traveler, 130mm and 155mm refractors,
Televue 101,the Meade 7" Maksutov-Cassegrain and 8", 9.25", 10", 11", 12" , 14" and 16" Schmidt Cassegrain Telescopes.
Below are pictures of a portion of the moon taken through a 16" F4.5 Newtonian by an individual who had never done
astrophotography before. He was asked to focus as best he could without using the Kwik Focus. In the second photograph he took the
same shot, this time using the Kwik Focus. The results were dramatic. Both of these photos are details taken from a photograph
with a slightly wider field.
HOW TO FOCUS A CCD CAMERA
For CCD imaging use the following process for quick and easy focus.
FIRST TIME:
Step 1.
Place the Kwik Focus over the front of your telescope. Set your CCD camera to its coarsest binning, which would be 3 x 3.
If you are using the ST7 or ST8 use the 27 micron pixel size. Using a 2nd magnitude or brighter star, start to focus on the star
using the softwares focusing mode. An exposure of 0.11 to 0.5 seconds should suffice. Continue adjusting focus until the duplicate
star images converge on your monitor.
Step 2.
Set your CCD to its finest binning, which would be 1 x 1 or the 9 micron pixel size for the ST7 or ST8. Using a 4th or 5th
magnitude star and the same exposure times as described above, adjust your focus until the images converge again on your monitor.
Step 3.
If you have a digital focus counter, record the focus position for future reference. A digital focus counter is highly
recommended for users of Schmidt Cassegrain Telescopes or any other tlescope with an internal focusing mechanism. If your focuser
is external then measure the distance from the back-plate of the OTA to an easily accessible spot on the CCD and record this
measurement.
SUBSEQUENT TIMES:
Skip step 1. Using your previously recorded focusing measurements, set your CCD camera in position. Repeat step 2.
The first time procedure should only take 30 to 60 minutes. All subsequent setups should only take 10 minutes at the most.
HOW TO FOCUS A 35mm CAMERA
Procedure for 35mm or larger cameras
Place the Kwik Focus over the front of your telescope. With your camera in the focuser look through the view finder and begin to
bring the images into focus. You will see multiple (3) images of all objects in the field of view. As you focus the images will
tighten up and converge. The point where the images converge is the point of precise focus. Remove the Kwik Focus and begin to
shoot. Very easy, very quick and very effective!
COLLIMATING
The Kwik Focus can now be used as a collimation diagnostic tool and for collimating. To determine if your telescope needs
collimating, put a reasonably bright star (5th magnitude or brighter) in your telescopes' field of view with the Kwik Focus on the
front of your telescope. With a fairly high power eyepiece (150x to 250x) in your focuser, move your focuser from "inside focus"
to "focus" to "outside focus". All three images should converge perfectly on top of one another. If they do not, your optics are
out of collimation and are contributing to your focusing problems. Seeing conditions will determine just how much magnification
you can use when collimating so work within the limits of your sky conditions.
The Kwik Focus works very well in collimating if you have a fast telescope (F5 or faster). It still works well on longer focal
lenghts but we recommend after collimating with the Kwik Focus that the single star collimation method be used to bring your
telescope into fine collimation.
If you have determined that your telescope is out of collimation and you want to use the Kwik Focus to bring it into collimation
you need to do the following procedure:
Place the Kwik Focus on the front of yor telescope, following the steps described above. Remove the Kwik Focus each time you need
to tweak the collimation screws. Replace the Kwik Focus and go through the focusing procedure again to recheck collimation. Do
this until you have a perfect image.
These two drawings indicate how an uncollimated and a collimated image may appear in your telescope as seen through the Kwik
Focus. The center star is at focus and the two either side of it are inside and outside focus. The top drawing depicts an
uncollimated telescope and the bottom drawing is a collimated scope.
|
