OctoPlus5010N (for 10inch tube)
Lacerta OCTO-PLUS 2-inch eyepiece slide for Newton (guided on 8 ball bearings, with 1:10 microfocus unit and 2" self-centering eyepiece sleeve)
The OctoPlus is the successor of the Octo60mic.
Larger bearings, improved mounting at the base - even more stable!
The large preload makes the focusing doughy as if damped by oil, and effectively prevents slipping - a completely new focusing feeling!
The Octo60mic is a proven eyepiece extension, but development continues - its successor is the OctoPlus.
The most important innovations: Larger bearings, more stable fastening at the base, extension tube only 0.2mm smaller than the body (no incidence of light).
The Octo (Latin eight = 8) was developed because we did not find a usable cheap eyepiece extension on the market,
and it still is today. The new Newton extracts from Taiwan and China also have crucial weaknesses.
They are all unsuitable for our photonewtons, which are supposed to carry heavier CCDs, and high-priced alternatives.
from the USA would almost double the price of the telescope. Therefore, designer elements were deliberately omitted and a completely new development approached.
The practical result is a completely stable eyepiece extension, which cannot be bent even under a load of several kg, and in which the GPU coma corrector and the screwed camera are almost permanently installed. When we say "stable", we don't mean "hopefully nothing bends", but REALLY stable.
Technical data:
TheOctoPlus consists of 4 components (see picture below):
-- Part1: Eyepiece extension body with extension tube and gear rack including microfocus
-- Part2: screwed intermediate ring with 12mm light path (can be removed, the Octo will then be 12mm shorter!)
-- Part3: Clamping ring insert with 20mm length
-- Part4: Self-centering clamp with "Captains Wheel" knobs
- Focusing distance: 20mm
- Light path of the intermediate ring (removable): 12mm
- Basic body without Part2, Part3, Part4: min 54,5mm, max 74,5mm
- Reduced overall height without Part2: min 65mm, max 85mm
- Standard height with all 4 components: min 78mm, max 98mm
- Overall height with second (additional) intermediate ring: min 90mm, max 110mm
- each additional intermediate ring (Part2) increases the overall height by 12mm
- Base plate: There are 2 different plates, one with curvature for 8" (235mm) and one for 10" (283mm) tube - please select and specify when ordering!
The hole distances are Skywatcher compatible!
Weight: 995 grams (standard configuration with one intermediate ring, incl. base)
Base hole spacing: 82mm (transverse) 88mm (oblong)
Base plates: There are 2 different plates, one with curvature for 8" (235mm) and one for 10" (283mm) tube - please select and specify when ordering!
The hole distances are Skywatcher compatible!
Weight: 995 grams (standard configuration with one intermediate ring, incl. base)
Base hole spacing: 82mm (transverse) 88mm (oblong)
Installation of the OctoPlus:
The body of the OctoPlus is screwed to the base via 4 Allen screws, which are accessible from the underside of the base. First hold the OctoPlus with base over the hole in the tube where it is to be mounted and check from the inside of the tube whether you can see and tighten the 4 Allen screws from there. If the tube hole is larger than 80mm, this should be possible. Then detach the body of the OctoPlus from the base and screw the base to the tube first. Afterwards you can fasten the body via these 4 screw connections which are accessible from the inside. Note that the body can be fixed in 4 positions offset by 90°!
If the fastening screws are not accessible within the tube, the focus shaft housing must be removed (4 screws at the bottom next to the locking screw). After mounting, the friction of the shaft must be readjusted - first loosen the grub screw in the middle a little and do not tighten the focus shaft housing too much with the 4 screws, and then adjust the friction with the grub screw in the middle - please do not tighten too much! The brake screw is on the side, it is not the grub screw in the middle.
Frequently asked question: How do I determine the required height for photographic and/or visual use?
PHOTOGRAPHIC: Please note that the overall height of the OctoPlus eyepiece extension for photography is optimized for the use of coma correctors, especially for the GPU. These correctors usually have 55mm backfocus, which means that you should plan another 55mm light path over the eyepiece extension. Many coma correctors additionally shift the focus position outwards or inwards (typical: 5mm for GPU and MPCC). The standard focus position with GPU corrector is 140mm above the tube, so it is guaranteed that the GPU corrector does not protrude into the beam path. Short-sized correctors such as the MPCC tolerate a lower focal position, but should be extended at the bottom with M48 extensions to ensure guidance through the slip fit in the OAZ tube of the Octo.
VISUAL: To use the telescope visually, the coma corrector in the eyepiece extension can be equipped with an eyepiece adapter (e.g. M48508 or T2508, and then, if necessary, A508317null). Without coma corrector you need M48 extension sleeves under the eyepiece adapter M48508 for guiding in the OAZ tube, and the different focal positions of the eyepieces can be easily controlled by pulling out and clamping the extensions in different ways. This makes you completely flexible and does not require extra extension sleeves with a defined length.
How does the OctoPlus work?- 2 bearing blocks with 4 ball bearings each (2x4 = 8 = Octo) hold the eyepiece extension tube, it has precise guidance and no play in any direction. The preload of the bearings is so high that even a 2.5kg weight does not slip against the zenith. The focusing movement is damped and doughy like in oil. For the further braking effect, either a live focus motor or the manual brake screw, which presses directly on the focus shaft and not on the extension tube, is responsible. This makes tilting and slipping impossible. Also not with several kg load (tested with a Moravian camera up to 4kg).
- The OctoPlus was built with an extra wide slanted rack. There is no "mirror shifting" as it happens with some other, otherwise good rack pull-outs. Austrian precision work!
- the blocks of the 8 extra-large ball bearings are adjustable, in order to always achieve the correct guidance of the OAZ tube. The preload is adjusted by us before delivery. The adjusting screws on the side ensure that the extension tube runs backlash-free in the OAZ without the transport shaft exerting any pressure. This is only responsible for the movement of the tube. The mechanical separation of these two factors makes the OAZ really stable and precisely foksable.
- The focus wave is stabilized so that it has no lateral play (if you pull the focus buttons).
- The clamping is done with a CenterLock clamp with a long guide path on the optimally shortened OAZ tube. The advantage: High clamping force, but the rotation position of the correrectos is freely adjustable.
- The GPU coma corrector is no longer screwed together, but held in place by the 50.8mm slip fit of the entire extension tube. Always on axle, but freely rotatable! Any remaining play due to the tolerance can be eliminated with a strip of adhesive tape.
- The filter thread of the GPU coma corrector is accessible from the tube.
- the OAZ tube can be optimized in length so that nothing protrudes into the beam path
- the base plates for the tube (base) have the curvature for 8" (235mm) or 10" (283mm) tubes (please select!) and the holes are 1:1 compatible with SkyWatcher
- 1:10 microfocus included, also with motorized versions
- Mounting of our MFOC focus motor (standalone or controllable via Ascom) possible
ATTENTION: the OctoPlus eyepiece extension is NOT a Crayford extension, so tightening the adjustment screw on the focus shaft does NOT result in tighter running! The lateral brake screw or the live focus motor is responsible for an increased braking effect!
Scope of delivery- Extract with 1:10 gear reduction
- base plate(for 10inch tube)
- 2" Eyepiece sleeve, self-centering
Note: We can offer different bases for the focuser. Please contact us if you have any questions.
