Astrofest Brief Report

[NickH]

For some reason I cannot post to the events section, so sorry if this is in the wrong area

First of all thanks to Steve and Ted at Telescope House for their kindness, and the invite/pass. Hope that you guys have a good days business/session today (Saturday), and also to Steve Chambers of Artemis again for the kind invite, and the great looking stand filled with many great pics taken with the Artemis and Atik cameras.

Product highlights (new stuff!)

1: The new Artemis/Atik 285 based camera using USB 2.0 in a 4021 style case. Integrated autoguider port, USB 2.0 download, and get this...even quieter than the original 285 if that is possible.. looks great

2: The 100mm full aperture etalon by Ken Hugget. A 0.7A full aperture etalon system, which, even with an almost blank disc, was really good to look through....and get this, you can double stack it.. 0.5A at that aperture, and it's FULL aperture too..

3: A new LHires spectroscope Lite version . £875, but looks really interesting and promising, and open to modding to make it do things which the bigger version does, but for a lot less money

4: A new borg like turret system by on the house of optics stand by Tom Bray...rock solid, looks very nice, for those who want the Borg turret type functionality, but with a more solid backbone

5: The ETHOS EP....wow...and they sold out totally...everywhere...not one to be had...but we saw one...just couldn't buy the bloomin thing, as it was on loan from Televue.....

6: Some lovely Pentax (100mm) and Takahashi scopes... which Wiltshire Astro Society now own (the Pentax 100HDF....oooh nice..., got my eyes on a Tak102 now as well for me...)

7: The Asus EEE laptop on one stand running Sky software, and capable of running all my cameras using XP...I want one more than ever now....loved it...

8: The Atik motorized filter wheel...for that money, there is nothing to touch it...end of story, and ascom compatible USB version is imminent

Was a really good day out..and Friday was a lot lot quieter, so easier to get around.

Best deals at the show..

We (Wiltshire astro society, courtesy of our chairman) picked up a TMB 100/F8 for £1900...yummmmmmmmmmmm (allegedly the best refractor at the event...but we'll see...looks the business though, and optically according to various people is the beez nazzers...), and some corking deals from Astrotrac, Telescope House and others, some good prices on PST's, and binoculars.. some cracking proces on the WO stuff on Ian King stand, and generally good reductions on many products all round.

Thanks to everyone for the warm welcomes, and if you have not yet been...well, see you next year I guess!