Innovations Foresight ONAG

[Hans Tucker]

Anyone using the ONAG from Innovations Foresight and can comment on it performance

http://www.innovationsforesight.com/

or, has a thread already been started discussing this item.

[PRejto]

Just search "ONAG" and there are a lot of hits. The one long thread about it is here:

http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=80881&highlight=onag

If you go to my page at pbase under equipment there is a picture of the ONAG on my TEC140. And, two of the images there were with the ONAG M83 and M16 FL=1740 mm.

I am using the ONAG with my TEC140 when I increase the focal length with a barlow. I've had pretty good success with it but it may be better suited to an SCT type scope with bigger aperture and plenty of back focus. The refractor has plenty of back focus but there are issues with IR passing through an APO. It works for sure but I've found guiding focus to be more fussy and difficult than I hoped for. I'm told it is fine with an SCT type, but even so the focusing is just by a draw tube. A helical focuser can be added but only if there is enough back focus and ability to move the imaging camera an equal distance away from the ONAG.

On the positive side finding a guide star is quite easy compared to using an OAG! And there are arguments presented on the ONAG website that guiding in the IR can offer benefits. One member here at IIS said he was going to try to prove or disprove those assertions by using an IR filter on an OAG. It would be an interesting experiment that has yet to be carried out. I'm told there are plans to motorize the stage for the guide camera. That will certainly improve the ONAG for remote usage. Another option rather than hunting for guide stars by moving the stage by hand might be to use a much larger chip in a guide camera. I must say I have been contemplating whether the new Skyris 274M with a chip size of 1600x1200 would be a solution? Expensive solution and not sure about drivers and sensitivity compared to the usual guide cameras. For sure with the ONAG one needs a very sensitive guide camera like the ST-1 or Lodestar.

What scope are you contemplating for the ONAG?

Peter

[coldlegs]

Hans
Never had a problem with my ONAG. There's no image degradation at all. If you're thinking of putting it on a newt then you will need a lot of back focus to cope unless you have an oddball home brew focuser like mine (http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/attachment_browse.php?a=140489)
Most people put it on SCTs where the back focus is less of a problem. Adjusting two focusers at the same time can be a bit of a pain and the guide scope focuser adjustment is awkward but you get used to it.
Cheers
Stephen

[Hans Tucker]

Thanks Stephen for your info



Thanks Peter for pointing me to the thread on this topic. I had intended to look at using this on a TEC160FL & FSQ-106ED with a SBIG ST-8300 and an STV. I might sell the STV and go with a 8300OAG and either a loadstar or ST-i

[gregbradley]

Oooh. A TEC160FL. One of the worlds great scopes! Have fun with it.

Greg.

[Hans Tucker]

If the unpredictable Melbourne weather will allow me.