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Robert,
I am in deep with CFW's. When I first had this hair-brain idea of getting a mono camera, I found the cheapest wheel I could get, a Sirius Optics wheel, which had RGB filters in it. I bought it from Adorama in NY via an e mail friend. It was the simplest way to buy it, but this friend has been slow in posting it, so I have yet to see it. The Sirius is a manual wheel, but at US$200 complete (with filters) I felt it was great value.
BUT........ in between times I found a used Homeyer MFW (Motorized Filter Wheel). It was US$450, and had the True Technology filters installed. Given that I reckoned on about US$150 for filters, and about US$350 for a motorized wheel I grabbed it.
Now I have both the manual (well I will when it arrives) and the motorized.
OK, to your query.
I would not want to do too much imaging with a manual wheel. The image sits pretty good at about 6 -7 metres focal length as I image, (OK it is on an AP600E mount) but the window of opportunity with Jupiter seems to slam shut quickly.
Mike has the ideal setup to suggest yay or nay for a manual wheel. I suspect that it will suffice this Jupiter apparition, but by the next he will have either motorized this one, or found a motorized one. I recall him imaging without a tracking platform, but that changed after a while!!!!
The Homeyer is simple, but nice. It has/had some quirks.
Both sides of the wheel have a simple 35mm approx female thread. Andy Homeyer is a great guy to deal with and provided that they were in fact 1 3/8th"x40 threads. He was more than happy to supply whatever adaptors I needed. In the end I visited a local old codger who makes threads and stuff for me. He made the required C to Homeyer thread and also the required Homeyer to 1.25" adaptor. I am set. The DMK is mounted, and stays on the wheel.
Second quirk is that the wires/cabling Andy Homeyer uses is stiff, hell is it stiff. It does not want to bend at all. The cold freezing temperatures I have been imaging in this week are not helping either. I have replaced the 12 volt wire, and also the serial input wires, these being simple two core and within my basic wiring ability. The main 7 core one will have to wait until Robby returns home.
So..........
The options are about this, off the top of my head.
True Tech Supa Slim like Rumples has.
SBIG CFW8 or CFW10.
Homeyer MFW.
Optec IFW (find a price first, and make sure you are seated).
Manual wheels, like the Atik, Sirius, Apogee and others.
The Sirius I have (or don't have as the case may be), will be available if/when it arrives. I am sure they can be modified, heck Davo is the guy to ask there.
There will no doubt be others, but that may help with whatever you are contemplating.
Gary
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