Sky & Telescope - March 2025 - 67

nights of testing, is that the FOT86 is
designed primarily as a visual telescope,
but one that can be used as an astrograph.
By contrast, the Draco 62 is first
and foremost a photographic instrument
that, unlike some competing small
astrographs, can be used visually as well.
The FOT86 features a dual-speed
(11:1), 2-inch rack-and-pinion focuser.
The focus motion is beautifully smooth,
steady, and precise. It holds 2-inch
accessories with a twist-lock clamp or
collet, rather than set screws pressing
against a compression ring. While the
twist-lock mechanism generally worked
quite well, it didn't always hold accessories
firmly. I often found a star diagonal
and heavy eyepiece would still swivel
when angled to one side even though
I thought I'd tightened it sufficiently.
I had to turn the clamp that extra bit,
sometimes making it difficult to loosen
again. It didn't quite have the same
solidness as the rest of the focuser.
The entire focuser can rotate independently
of the tube to place an eyepiece
at a convenient position. However,
it lacks any camera-angle adjustments
for turning photo accessories independently
of the focuser.
To use the scope for imaging, you
have to install the included 1× field
flattener. This accessory doesn't thread
onto the focuser directly but instead is
held by the twist-lock clamp like any
visual accessory. Rotating the camera
and flattener to frame targets without
turning the focuser requires loosening
the focuser's clamp - a process that
inevitably shifts focus.
While I had no issues when shooting
with my Canon cameras alone, those
who use imaging trains that include
off-axis guiders, filter wheels, and hefty
dedicated astronomy cameras might
find the attachment less secure than the
threaded connections most dedicated
astrographs employ.
Although the top handle is nicely
sculpted to fit the hand, it lacks any
threaded holes for bolting on accessories.
It's milled with a dovetail rail, but
it is the " Picatinny " standard commonly
used for riflescopes. (The name
derives from the Picatinny Arsenal in
New Jersey that developed the mounting
standard.) Only some red-dot
finders repurposed from the hunting
market incorporate such a mechanism.
However, the focuser does have a single
dovetail shoe that accepts the Syntastandard
finders and guidescopes we
astronomers use.
By contrast, the Draco 62's top
handle is machined with a Synta-style
shoe, though it comes with a separate
Picatinny rail as well that can slide into
that shoe. I doubt most astronomers
would ever use that accessory. However,
the Draco 62 lacks an accessory
shoe on the focuser, nor does it have
any place to mount one. As a result,
like the FOT86, the Draco 62 has just
the one Synta-standard attachment
point. A second shoe is often useful for
guidescopes, finders, and especially for
those ride-along control computers so
popular among astro-imagers today.
The Draco has a two-speed (again
11:1) focuser but of the Crayford
design. This type of focuser can be
prone to slippage - however the one
on the Draco scope proved smooth
and precise, with no slippage even
when unlocked. While it offers only 25
mm (1 inch) of travel, I had no issues
reaching focus with either its camera
adapters or with 1¼-inch eyepieces
using the supplied visual back.
The Draco's focuser does have a
smooth camera angle adjuster that
doesn't shift focus when turned. While
the unit has a scale scribed in 1° increments,
there's no index mark to aid setting
the angle - an apparent oversight
in the finishing. The focuser itself is
non-rotating. With such a small scope,
I never found this to be an issue. The
tube can be rotated within its mounting
ring for those who prefer the focuser
knobs on top, perhaps to accommodate
an electronic focuser.
The camera side of the Draco's
focuser has four sets of opposing screws
to adjust the tilt of the rear plate. Thankfully,
I never had to fuss with those;
out-of-the-box images were consistently
sharp across a full-frame sensor.
Unlike the FOT86, the Draco's
camera adapters screw into the focuser's
M64 female threads. Two adapters are
provided: one with M54 male threads
on the camera side, and one with M48
threads. I always shot with the latter.
Each uses a common adapter ring that
accepts standard 2-inch (48-mm)
filters. The front end of the Draco's
dew shield accepts 77-mm lens filters,
though they will be fully exposed to
dew and glare, so would be useful only
pLeft: A dedicated 1× field flattener and M48 and M42 adapter rings on the camera side are included with the FOT86. In addition, a 1¼-inch
visual adapter is supplied but no star diagonal. Right: Accessories that come with the Draco 62 include a star diagonal and visual back, camera
adapters with M48 or M54 camera-side threads, and a 0.83× focal reducer.
sk yand tele scope .o r g * MARCH 2025 67

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