EFW. atik V starlight express

[Scott]

I'm in the throws of deciding which filter wheel to buy and with the starlight express weighing in at £170 cheaper than the atik, I'm wondering what those who have/do own one think of theirs and if anyone has owned both then all the better  .

Of course I'd love to save me some money, but not at the expence of owning a lemon. 

ok, I'll sit back and let the games begin  

[kirkster501]

I can't comment on the Starlight.  However, I have the Atik EFW2 and it has never let me down.  If you have a Atik camera is there any point in risking incompatibilities?  Just a thought.....

[ChrisLX200]

They are both good wheels, and when I bought my EFW2 not too different in price either from what I can remember so I don't know why the Atik wheel costs so much more now. Anyway, I went with Atik because I had an Atik camera, and I read a thorough review which had impressed me.  At that price difference today my decision might be different

ChrisH

[ollypenrice]

I use both, side by side, for hundreds of hours per year.

In one side there's an SXVH36 with SX wheel and in the other an Atik 11000 with an Atik wheel. While I will give it to Atik for the cameras (because the Atik has dessicant chamber and chip window heater and the SX has neither and sometimes fogs up) the wheels are both good. A significant bonus with the Atik wheel is that you can rotate the camera orientation on the wheel. This can be very handy for keeping the wheel away from a position of mount collision while being free to orientate the camera as you wish relative to the sky.

Personally, like Steve (Kirkster) I would not want to mix makes. I like Artemis Capture and love the sequencer running with the Atik wheel.

Olly

[steppenwolf]

I have owned the ATIK EFW2 but tested a couple of versions of the SX wheel and both makes are excellent but for pure engineering quality, ATIK have surpassed themselves with the EFW2.

[nightster]

Can't comment on the Atik. I really enjoy using my SX.  I was very budget see sensitive and the savings allowed me to get another NB filter.  I like the modular design for the thread adapters. T thread, M48, SCT adapters avail, maybe more.  Also there are adjustment screws that allow you to rotate camera position. But that is more a one time adjustment, can't use that to rotate ccd easily.  I've had good luck with the drivers on win7 and win10.  Only one cable, USB, is a plus.  I use a 90degree USB B plug and plastic self stick wire guides to keep cables tidy. I setup and teardown so I have to remove the FW frequently. I found some T thread caps (1 male, 1 female) and cap the wheel before storage. APT and SGL worked flawlessly with it. Artemis will not control the wheel (Atik: please allow ASCOM drivers.) I has a solid fit and finish, all mating surfaces are tight. My 460 attached without an issue but I read that some CCD, depending on their design may interfere with the three grub screws on the aft adapter plate. Review both devices technical drawings to ensure clearance otherwise you may need to add spacers or modify the screws to allow clearance. 

As always, due diligence now to limit surprises later.  Good luck, either choice should be good.

[MattJenko]

I have had a couple of SX wheels. One thing is the large range of adaptors for direct attachments to the SX filter wheels, which makes them multi purpose, as well as the additional carousel options and easy swapping. Also, I had a problem with one of mine (self inflicted: USB cable catching on mount) and the support from Terry was excellent and fast. Even upgraded my board as part of the fix.

[geordie85]

34 minutes ago, MattJenko said:

I have had a couple of SX wheels. One thing is the large range of adaptors for direct attachments to the SX filter wheels, which makes them multi purpose, as well as the additional carousel options and easy swapping. Also, I had a problem with one of mine (self inflicted: USB cable catching on mount) and the support from Terry was excellent and fast. Even upgraded my board as part of the fix.

I have to agree with this. I also damaged my filter wheel which I bought 2nd hand, so no warranty at all. After a few emails with Terry I returned my filter wheel to be fixed. I was told it would cost between £20 and £50 depending on the damage.

A couple of weeks later there was a knock at my door. It was a DHL driver with my filter wheel in hand. SX had fixed and returned my filter wheel free of charge.