Sky and Telescope - November 2015 - 58

S&T Test Report

Thanks to internal wiring and a variety of connectors built into
the MyT's base (top) and saddle plate (above), it's relatively easy
to run power and computer cables to telescopes and cameras on
the mount. Two of the autoguiders used by the author were powered by their USB connections, but the cooled autoguiding camera seen in the accompanying photographs requires 12 volts DC.
Because it draws more current than is available from the MyT's
12-volt outlet on the saddle, the author used a separate power
cable that he threaded through the MyT's internal passageways.

corresponds to the corners of the CCD, is still greater
than 70%, making the overall system vignetting easily
corrected with standard ﬂat-ﬁeld calibration performed
during image processing.
As the astrophotography with this review attests,
the NP127ﬂi delivered excellent star images across the
full frame of the KAF-16803 chip. Furthermore, all the
images here were taken on nights when the telescope
was focused only once at the beginning of the imaging
session and left unchanged regardless of the ﬁ lter or
ﬁlters used during the night. For general astrophotography, I can't ask for better performance from a 5-inch
f/5.35 system than I got with the NP127ﬂ i.
While all the images here were made with the FLI ProLine 16803 camera we borrowed for this review, my strongest endorsement for the camera comes from having used
the same model in my backyard observatory since late
2010. It has been hands-down the most trouble-free, highend camera I've tested. I can't recall a single image that
was lost because of a problem with the camera. Even on
those occasional nights when extreme dewing conditions
caused condensation to form on the CCD-chamber windows of some of my other cameras, the ProLine soldiered
on without missing a beat. As such, you can consider my
thumbs-up recommendation of the ProLine 16803 camera
to be based on years of use rather than months.
This was, however, my ﬁrst experience with FLI's Centerline Filter Wheel and Atlas Focuser. While both worked
ﬂawlessly, depending on the software you use to control
this setup, you may have to upgrade to the latest version
to access all 10 ﬁlter positions. I only used the wheel's
ﬁrst six slots, and had no problems accessing them with
Diﬀraction Limited's MaxIm DL version 5.23 or Software
Bisque's TheSkyX Professional supplied with the MyT.
Initially I controlled the Atlas Focuser manually
from my laptop computer, ﬁnding it very accurate and
consistently able to return the camera to pre-determined
positions. But after a bit of trial-and-error tinkering with

Left: Elevation of the MyT's polar axis can be set to its approximate position with this quick-release mechanism, but to prevent
it from becoming wedged in place, both ends of the stainless-steel bar seen here should be fully seated in their respective slots
before any weight is placed on the mount. Fine elevation adjustments are made with the large hand knob. Right: Little details such
as arrows next to the tripod levels indicating which leg to adjust when leveling the mount are indications of the care that went into
designing the MyT and its accessories.

November 2015 sky & telescope

Sky and Telescope - November 2015

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Sky and Telescope - November 2015