Pegasus SmartEye - The next phase of astro maybe?

[Elp]

Credit to the YT channel for getting an in depth talk with Pegasus:

For those impatient, Smarteye discussed within first 4 mins or so (likely $1500 USD, Dec 24 release), Powerbox Adv 3, then lastly Nyx 88 mount (likely $1600 USD).

[tomato]

I wonder if FLO discussed it when they visited Tele Vue? I’d love to hear  Al Nagler’s thoughts on it.

[Don Pensack]

electronic eyepieces that capture the image for download to a viewing device have been around for decades.

They did not incorporate the viewing screen into the eyepiece, and I recall them being wired, not wireless.

This might be the first example of an eyepiece that has an internal screen and can project the image wirelessly to a tablet, phone, or computer.

I saw a MallinCam on a big dob with a small tablet view screen hung on the scope in maybe the '90s?

This is only a very small step from that.

[Elp]

The Nikon eyepiece in the Evscope did this prior. Screen inside eyepiece and WiFi projection to the Evscope app.

 

[ecormier]

On 10/04/2024 at 20:16, Ags said:

Yes exactly, and while it is capturing relatively long (a second or two?) exposures, your nose is bumping the smart eyepiece....

Perhaps the idea is to let it stack enough frames before viewing.

On 10/04/2024 at 19:50, Ags said:

No. Just no.

Why open the telescope box, set up the telescope outside, and look at dim fuzzy objects, when you can look at the colorful pictures on the telescope box instead?

I think for some, it will preserve the "magic" of looking through an actual telescope versus looking at a captured image on a tablet. It may become a crowd pleaser at public outreach events where they don't have to use averted vision to see what would otherwise be an amorphous colorless blog (e.g. galaxies).

Small refractors are suddenly going to outperform large dobsonians if one doesn't care that they're seeing the same photons that originated from the celestial object.

I know some prefer the "connectedness" of being in direct visual contact with the object (I'm one of them), but I don't think this product is aimed at us.

[ecormier]

On 10/04/2024 at 08:17, Rob said:

I can see its still patent pending also. Just find the concept fascinating

As a guy who likes to tinker and sometimes dreams of selling my own astro-gadgets, I hate that patents are issued for just bundling together pre-existing ideas. I don't see what really revolutionary in this idea and I'm surprised it hasn't already been done.

[Louis D]

15 hours ago, ecormier said:

Perhaps the idea is to let it stack enough frames before viewing.

How on Earth does this work on an undriven mount?  Can it do track and follow to present a motionless image?

[Louis D]

15 hours ago, ecormier said:

I think for some, it will preserve the "magic" of looking through an actual telescope versus looking at a captured image on a tablet. It may become a crowd pleaser at public outreach events where they don't have to use averted vision to see what would otherwise be an amorphous colorless blog (e.g. galaxies).

I remember a guy pulling out a white phosphor night vision device (I'm sure it was ex-military by the looks of it) at a star party and placing it over a Plossl eyepiece (simply hand held over it).  Without it, we really couldn't see any nebulosity in whatever nebula it was that night.  With it, the nebulosity was blatantly obvious in real time.  Of course there was the usual scintillation of the image, but it was tolerable.  It actually reinforced the impression of viewing in real time, not of viewing a captured image.

Why won't an astro company simply sell a white phosphor night vision device adapted for visual use?

[Elp]

Because good ones are very expensive? Not that it's usually a factor in this hobby. Patents might also currently be protected.

Edited Friday at 12:43 by Elp

[Louis D]

36 minutes ago, Elp said:

Because good ones are very expensive? Not that it's usually a factor in this hobby. Patents might also currently be protected.

US defense contractor made ones are very expensive, but so are US made AP telescopes.  I would think some Chinese or other Asian manufacturer could make them for a fraction of the price.  They wouldn't even have to be the latest and greatest tech.  White phosphor NV tubes 20 years ago were already very good.

[TiffsAndAstro]

On 10/04/2024 at 11:34, Cosmic Geoff said:

I understood this part, Sony IMX533 Color CMOS sensor but otherwise am not sure how the thing works, or how much it costs.

It's an eye and it's smart. 

If the display's boot up animation is eye of sauron they might as well print money.

[TiffsAndAstro]

1 hour ago, Louis D said:

How on Earth does this work on an undriven mount?  Can it do track and follow to present a motionless image?

Some Pentax DSLRs  15 years ago could. A bit. In a weird flicking mirror type way. For a couple of seconds....

 

[Elp]

44 minutes ago, Louis D said:

US defense contractor made ones are very expensive, but so are US made AP telescopes.  I would think some Chinese or other Asian manufacturer could make them for a fraction of the price.  They wouldn't even have to be the latest and greatest tech.  White phosphor NV tubes 20 years ago were already very good.

When I was briefly contemplating getting a night vision monocular there are quite a few on the market, from cheap to very expensive. After seeing a number of reviews it turned out the ones which give the type of results I wanted were in the thousands, and usually ex military equipment. I doubt small companies would invest the R&D into such things with the tech as it is at present. But as you say, NV has been around for a while, I'm sure there are people on here that have NV devices for observing.

 

Edited Friday at 14:05 by Elp

[Don Pensack]

1 hour ago, Louis D said:

I remember a guy pulling out a white phosphor night vision device (I'm sure it was ex-military by the looks of it) at a star party and placing it over a Plossl eyepiece (simply hand held over it).  Without it, we really couldn't see any nebulosity in whatever nebula it was that night.  With it, the nebulosity was blatantly obvious in real time.  Of course there was the usual scintillation of the image, but it was tolerable.  It actually reinforced the impression of viewing in real time, not of viewing a captured image.

Why won't an astro company simply sell a white phosphor night vision device adapted for visual use?

They do.  TeleVue sells just exactly that, direct to American-only consumers.

https://www.televue.com/engine/TV3b_page.asp?id=36

But, Gen.3 night vision technology is protected by law.  It cannot be exported.  You are not even supposed to show a foreigner the NVD.  There are restrictions for transport--You cannot leave the country with the device.

You used to have to sign an affidavit for its future use on a Gen.3 device before you could buy one, but I don't know if that requirement is still in force.

Edited Friday at 14:24 by Don Pensack

[JAC51]

Gen 3 night vision is available made in France by ovni-nightvision 

€7000 to €11000 for mono incl tax but they will export outside of the EU 

Years ago I remember son a forum someone saying that if you take a Gen3 tube into the US it becomes subject to US law?

[Louis D]

56 minutes ago, JAC51 said:

Gen 3 night vision is available made in France by ovni-nightvision 

€7000 to €11000 for mono incl tax but they will export outside of the EU 

Years ago I remember son a forum someone saying that if you take a Gen3 tube into the US it becomes subject to US law?

Then I guess the marketer would need to get ahead of the law and bring to market a Gen4 or Gen5 tube that would put the US military-industrial complex to shame. 😁

[Don Pensack]

Look up FLIR night vision.

https://www.flir.com/discover/marine/technologies/thermal-vs.-low-cost-night-vision/

[Louis D]

12 hours ago, Don Pensack said:

Look up FLIR night vision.

https://www.flir.com/discover/marine/technologies/thermal-vs.-low-cost-night-vision/

I'm well aware of FLIR.  I'm just not sure if looking at astronomical objects in the IR wavelengths would feel quite the same.  I know that plenty of professional astronomy actually happens at IR wavelengths.

Now, if a manufacturer came up with a way to combine multiple wavelengths in real time, presenting and/or combining those revealing the best contrast and detail based on AI-assisted algorithms, then we'd have a revolutionary leap in observing.