Hyperstar

[TrevorW]

This is just a matter of interest but has anyone on this site purchased one of these to convert their SC to a f/2 focal ratio and if so was it successful

Cheers

[TrevorW]

No takers has anyone heard of this accessory and it's potential for astrophotgraphy

Cheers

[Ian Robinson]

No.

Does same job as a Fastar converter on non-Fastar compatible SCTs.
http://starizona.com/acb/hyperstar/whatis.aspx
http://starizona.com/acb/hyperstar/index.aspx

Looks like a handy bit of kit if you've got a low footprint CCD.

[AlexN]

I would love one, but the cost is rather high... The ability to capture detail and depth in dim targets like the horse head in 30 second subs would be fantastic.. imagine what you could do with 10 minute subs! :D that being said. I bought my C11 for its long focal length... Hyperstar would defeat the purpose of that entirely...

The C11 with Hyperstar becomes F/1.8, hence giving me ~504mm focal lenght.. Which whilst for some targets is fantastic... M31 would fit completely in to frame of the QHY8, and with 11" of aperture sucking light down at F/1.8 you could get yourself a fantastic image, But what about when you point it at NGC1365? you have yourself a tiny little bluish/grey spot in the center of a massive star field... Hardly what you want from 1365...

You can remove it and go back to F/10 with relative ease... If you perform the modification to allow you to use hyperstar, your warranty on your scope becomes void instantly.. Not the best plan... not to mention that if you have hyperstar mounted, and your cameras cables tangle up somewhere somehow, expect to hear the corrector plate shatter under the first sign of strain.... $4000 telescope down the drain with not a leg to stand on warranty wise.

[Ian Robinson]

Probably worth having if your SCT is old and no longer covered by any warantees.

[AlexN]

Indeed... I've considered it many times.. And have spoken to Starizona about it also, The general consensus is as above, wait till the warranty runs out, then go for your life!

[TrevorW]

At $695US I thought it would be a relative cheap way of getting a fast astrograph. Also wouldn't they have considered the stress on the corrector plate when designing it.??? seems logical to do considering its made for SCT

Anyhow just a thought and I now how you like your toys

;)

[AlexN]

Unless your SCT is farstar compatible (Some C8's and C14's are) you also need the $350USD Hyperstar conversion kit.

~$1100USD on top of a $4000AUD SCT doesnt spell cheap in my opinion... Also, the conversion kit is the part that voids the warranty on said $4000AUD SCT. $5700 AUD would buy you a very nice 2nd hand Tak FSQ106, (maybe even new when the dollar rises) Or a 2nd hand Tak Epsilon 180...

Im not discounting the Hyperstar, Im just saying that for the money, there are better options... Yes if you already have the SCT and its out of warranty, then ~1100USD is a good price for a fast astrograph (that is incredibly hard to focus)

They did consider the stress on the Corrector, hence why there are warnings on the hyperstarimaging forums and the starizona site reguarding how careful you must be not to scratch the corrector during fitting the hyperstar unit, and how carefully you need to manage your cables so as to avoid any possible snags that may shatter the corrector, they recommend a rigid dew sheild to prevent walking past it and knocking the hyperstar unit, thus breaking the corrector...

Its a lot of risk... (but as I said, I've been in contact with starizona a few times and would defintitely be interested once the warranty on my C11 runs out... )

[Lester]

Do a search titled Hyperstar, and you will find others on this forum that have used it.

I have thought about this option for my LX200 14", and may go this way in the future.

[netwolf]

Depending on your Imaging CCD sensor size you might be better of with a Optec Nextgen or similar quality 3.3 Focal Reducer. The Hyperstar has long been on my wish list but as Alex has pointed out I am concerened about the stress on the Corrector. I have the SXVF-H9 now and i chose this body for its slim design for a future hyperstar use but i think i will stick with F6.3 and maybe a F3.3 in the short term future for now. Some very pretty pictures have been produced using a Hyperstar C8 and Qhy8 combo, and the do tempt me so.