We are proud to inform you that 6 of our iStar dielectric BK7 diagonals using super massive 12mm mirror polished to minimum standard of PV/10 are   now   used   by   NOAO   (National Optical Astronomy Observatory)

www.noao.edu

  Our diagonals were not chosen because of low cost but rather for its superior quality both optically and mechanically. Our BK7 dielectric diagonals were tested against the best and most expensive models currently obtainable. iStar diagonals have the best price to quality ratio. This is why they are becoming increasingly popular by both amateurs and professionals around the globe. At this moment we have BK7-Basic models in stock for only 115 dollars!

Well all I can say is the great. I am a planet and moon viewer .This very demanding on internal glare control and light scatter because the moon is bright in a 8 inch refractor. Having test them against my current diagonals a 99% dielectric W.O. and a Quartz Astro Tech. It was amazing to see detail on the half moon as if it was new to me. I have been viewing for over 44 years. Since I have been retired/disabled I have logged some serious time at the eyepiece several 4 to 7 hours per night for 4 to 5 days in a row. All this winter a weekend Warrior astronomer will never get that kind of eyepiece time. I have been blessed with a cool dry season this year and last year also. I can't wait to view again with the new diagonal Summers are brutally hot and the insects will not let you view here in summer. So winter fall and spring are my time here in South East Texas. Ever once in awhile a company comes along that I get this feeling these are some great people behind this company. Yours is one of them. I can't wait to see what is next! I just wish I could help more. I don't get on the forums and post my opinions because most of the guys on there are arm chair critics. Most of them will never get off the dang computer and go out and look. I have personally dispelled many of their whining complaints about a lot of things. Like this is to heavy oh if it were only lighter or shorter focal length etc. Some of these people you could never make happy. Make 8 inch F/9 refractor is not to heavy not at all theses guy's must have trouble unloading groceries out of the back of the auto when their wife gets home from the store.

I digress However I think we are in the photographic age of Astronomy. I am not. I want my mind to retain the memories of those great nights of the wonders of the heavens. I say give long and well corrected doublets your bringing this to market is absolutely awesome. Your R30 and R35 configuration are unique. Just don't let the arm chair critics talk you into short focal lengths. An 8 inch F/15 R35 should be a killer visual instrument. There is nothing like refractor views. They are the single ended tube amps in a solid state world. I am going to build my next scope with this in mind as big as I can afford god help you if I ever win the Lotto. :-) I understand you guys may be working on some eyepieces I am very interested in this. I would also like to see a first rate finder scopes in 50mm 60mm 80mm and yes 102mm blacken inside flocked first rate glass. Heck it all starts with us finding said object to look at in a bigger instrument. I will be ordering more of your diagonals soon.

I have an 8 inch F/9 ACH a 6 inch F/15 and I am building a 6 inch F/5 ACH now. I got the lenses before your company came along sorry about that. Make next refractor will be something in the 10 to 12 inch range on a huge German EQ. That way the 8 inch F/9 can be my finder and my 6 inch F/5 my guide scope wide angle scope. Well keep at the already great work you have done. Just never forget we should never let the camera have all the fun. Life is about making memories and I can think of no better way than at the end of A great Refractor in the quite hours of the morning in the dark looking at at the Wonders of the night sky knowing that just to see this magnificence is truly a blessing.

Kelly

N5STK

409 548 5838

Once again, International Astrofest 2013 in Kensington, London was a very successful event. The organisers stated that the visitor numbers were at an all time high, encouraging in view of the UK’s double-dip recession, indicating that astronomers will always take the opportunity to further their experience.

Peak 2 valley Instruments, representing iStar Optical in the UK, this time had a double stand in one of the best positions at the exhibition. On display was a Perseus 150mm aperture F10 achromat, an Asteria 127mm F12 anastigmat and  150 mm achromat and anastigmat lenses.

We demonstrated the iStar OTAs on the new Astromount which has a load capacity of over 75 kilos. In a country where the NEQ6 mount is generally considered to be large, tube weight is an issue and so there was a lot of excitement when we introduced the concept of the iStar TCR skeleton tube refractor. Many visitors took information about the TCR and have promised to visit the new International Astronomy Show in May where we hope to have a 150mm F12 TCR on display for the first time.

A lot of interest was shown in our prototype “RefleX” folded refractor, which utilises carbon fibre tube, oversized 97% reflective mirrors and, of course, iStar achromats or anastigmats as standard. This project will become a standard line in 150mm and 204mm apertures should the level of interest warrant further development work.

Of course, we were not blessed with a visit from the late Sir Patrick Moore and although Brian May and Professor Brian Cox gave lectures they did not have time to tour the exhibition.

Widescreen Centre had a lovely APM 10inch refractor on show at over £40000, but apart from this the iStars definitely drew the attention.

Additionally, as no other manufacturer is offering Rx Technology anastigmats, the promise of better than ED performance with the Raycorr corrector was of major interest. Again, customers are hoping we can have the correctors and lenses available for the IAS show in May.

If, as seems likely, the UK economy turns around this year then the unique iStar Rx Technology, Raycorr correctors and TCR lightweight telescopes will offer very affordable, top quality refractors that will be, in our opinion, unmatched by any other refractor manufacturer.

Images and a handout from the show are attached.

Rx TECHNOLOGY

ONLY FROM iStar Optical

R30 AND R35 ANASTIGMATIC DOUBLETS

 PRODUCE REDUCED CHROMATIC ABERRATION AND IMAGE SPOT SIZE

 COMPARED WITH ACHROMATS

1.

COUPLED WITH THE RAYCORRTM CORRECTOR

 THE PERFORMANCE IS NEAR APOCHROMATIC  –BETTER THAN FLUORITE ED DOUBLETS AND

APPROACHING THAT OF FLUORITE TRIPLETS

SEE SPOT DIAGRAMS

2.

FASTER COOLDOWN TIME, REDUCED WEIGHT AND SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER COST THAN  APOCHROMATS OF SAME APERTURE

3.

Rx TECHNOLOGY - THE PRESCRIPTION

FOR OPTICAL EXCELLENCE

I should start by saying something about the WSP venue that unless you have been there you wouldn't know. Yes, it's a great time. Yes, warm balmy weather on the beach, eating and drinking astronomy and telescopes for a week, every telescope brand and configuration imaginable, Astro Vendors with all the goodies, thousands of dollars worth of astro prizes given away and the camaraderie that comes with being with 400 astronomers. Here is the amazing part of being there: the skies in the Florida Keys are rock steady. Unless you look at the stars on the horizon, it is nearly impossible to discern scintillation. For years I have told the general public that the way to tell the difference between planets and stars is the planets don’t twinkle. This does not work in the Keys. What do you think you get when you combine a high quality iStar refractor with ultra steady skies? I’ll tell you, some fantastic observing and imaging. We had 5 nights of clear steady skies. I didn’t get much sleep. Also, we’re camping so not much sleep is expected anyway.

How did the scopes perform? Well, starting with the Phantom 152 Fluorite the planets looked phenomenal! So much detail even on tiny Mars. Jupiter’s bands and Saturn’s rings never looked better. I posted a collage on the iStar Scope Club web site. As far as DSOs, Orion was amazing. Orion has always been my favorite. I guess because it’s never looks the same to me. Scopes, magnifications, locations and conditions render it different every time. It stood out from the background sky like 3D. With an 82 degree field at 91X using a 13mm Nagler Type 6, the nebula seemed to “hang” in front of the background sky. I wish I had at least a DSLR to image it but I don’t think it would have been the same as being there.

The Asteria 127-12 R30 certainly exceeded my expectations. Can a 5 inch scope show a lot of detail in the planets and brighter DSOs?  I will echo the sentiments of nearly everyone who looked through it, “I can’t believe a 5 inch scope can show that much detail!” The false color is minimal. One individual with a highly trained eye said he barely noticed it. Even a refractor snob like me could easily look past it. The contrast the Asteria delivers is the ticket. The E and F stars of the trapezium do not require averted vision. The scope really delivers on planets like Jupiter and Saturn. The compact size and relatively light weight would allow a much smaller mount than I used. A Celestron CGEM, Orion Atlas or Vixen mount just to name three, would be more than enough. I can honestly say the Asteria has made a believer out of me when it comes to R30. I can’t wait to see what the new Raycorr is going to do.

We had a steady stream of observers for four nights. Two guys came by all four nights. Guess they just couldn’t get enough. One of them will be representing us as a new dealer in the Netherlands. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the clear nights and excellent views. I think we may have even created a few refractor aficionados in the process. If you think a refractor may be in your future, you would do well to think iStar.

Mike Harden

We are happy and proud to announce our own iStar Optical Crayford focuser. It is manufactured by iStar here in the United States. It is a 2.5 inch, crayford style, dual speed, fully rotatable, 4.5 inch baffled draw tube with brass compression ring. EVERY part is CNC machined including the knobs. Whatever isn't made of stainless steel has been anodized. It is robust, well built and tested to hold 5 pounds. It threads directly into our backing plate. No reduction ring is required. This focuser will be included with every new iStar telescope. However, we will continue to offer reduction rings for those customers who want the Moonlight or Starlight focusers. The iStar focuser is also available separately at $288. It can be retro fitted to any iStar scope sold in the past.

Two New Telescope Lines

ASTERIA

If you have been following the revitalized trend of long focal length refractors, you’ve surely noticed that iStar Optical is leading the way. Consistent with this trend, iStar recently announced a new series of long focal-length achromatic refractors that it has named the Asteria line.

What makes these new long-focus refractors so special? One answer is the new R30 material incorporated in the doublet that makes the lens behave in a decidedly favorable way, including a reported 30-percent reduction in chromatic aberration and spot size. In other words, an f/12 Asteria is tested as demonstrating the color correction of a standard f/15.6 doublet.

There are currently two apertures to choose from: a 127-mm f/12 and a 150-mm f/5. Soon, all iStar achromats will feature the R30 option, including apertures from 127-mm up to 250-mm. Better yet, the R30 option adds only about 25 percent to the cost of iStar’s standard achromatics and achromatic doublet telescopes are less expensive than apochromatic refractors of the same aperture.

The Asteria line features a greatly improved achromatic doublet that falls into the anastigmat group. Unlike traditional Fraunhofer doublets that are corrected for spherical aberration and coma only, the Asteria doublet is fully corrected for coma, spherical aberration and astigmatism.

FORFAX

What if you could get the color correction of an Apo triplet and the long focal length of an achromatic doublet in one telescope? Now you can! iStar Optical has introduced the Forfax line oflong focal length apochromatics. iStar reports that its new Forfax LTT 140 F12 has been independently tested and found to provide a “color free” image at any magnification and on any bright object.

In a side-by-side comparison of the new Forfax and two premium Apo telescopes, the Forfax was equal to or greater than each in color correction and contrast. While this scope can be used effectively for deep-sky objects, it absolutely excels at planetary viewing. Short focal length Apo refractors offer no more than a degree or two of knob rotation to keep the planet in focus, while the far greater depth of focus of the slower LTT 140 F12 offers several degrees of rotation, reducing the constant in-and-out-of-focus sensation typical of fast telescopes.

iStar Optical has announced the opening of a new facility in Southwest Florida. Coming on board to oversee sales and operations is Mike Harden of Fort Myers. Harden brings plenty of experience to this telescope manufacturer with a Bachelors degreein business, 17 years supervising an optical laboratory, 4 years as the sales manager of a large astronomy company and a lifelong passion for the hobby.

iStar is moving its assembly and distribution from the Czech Republic to the United States. This move will increase productivity, improve distribution and establish a much needed presence in North America.

The current iStar line of telescopes includes eight models and 31 different configurations, ranging from simple modified-Fraunhofer doublets tohigh-tech 7-element astrographs.

With apertures from 127mm to 250mm, lens elements from flint-and-crown to fluorite, and focal ratios from f/5 to f/15, iStar has the telescope to fit every need and budget.

All telescopes are designed in houseby engineer and iStar owner, Ales Krivanek, and lens designs are by iStar master optician, Zdenek Rehor. Final assembly is performed in Florida where each telescope is individually tested to meet strict specifications and standards.

Dealers in the US include Oceanside Photo and Telescope in California and Starizona in Arizona.

International dealers are located in the UK, Italy andJapan, with more coming on board soon.

iStar Optical will be attending the 28th Annual Winter Star Party held outside Marathon, Florida USA. The Florida Keys have some of the steadiest skies in North America. Beautiful keys surrounded by water, warm temperatures and clear skies draw hundreds of astronomers in February when the rest of the country is in the dead of winter. If you’re attending, be sure to stop by and take a look at the latest offerings by iStar Optical.

iStar Optical would like to announce the addition of OPT Telescopes to its family of dealers. Most of you know OPT as a reputable astronomy source located in Oceanside California USA. OPT is among the largest stocking astronomy dealers in North America. Adding OPT Telescopes to our dealer network shows iStar Optical’s determination to provide better service and increased distribution to its customers.

 What if you could get the color correction of an APO triplet and the long focal length of an achromatic doublet in one telescope? Now you can! Introducing the Forfax line of long focal length Apochromats from iStar Optical. The Forfax LTT 140 F12 has been independently tested and found to provide a “color free” image at any reasonable magnification (3,0D) and any bright object including Full Moon and Vega.  In a side by side comparison of the new Forfax and two premium APO telescopes, the Forfax was equal to or greater than each one in color correction and contrast. Heart of all current Forfax models is a second generation, patent pending Lanthanum Super APO triplet. iStar Optical designed the compact 140 F/12, medium-large 160 F/12 and huge, observatory class 250 F/14,5. To this existing line of Forfax APO refractors we are going to ad 120 F/10, 140 F/10, 160 F/10 and 180 F/10 models under Philotes scope line.

While all Forfax Super APO scopes can be used for Deep Sky objects, they absolutely excel at planetary viewing. Short focal length APO scopes offer no more than a degree or two of knob rotation to keep the planet in focus. The longer focal length LTT 140 F12 offers several degrees of rotation reducing that constant in and out of focus object.

   If you have been following the revitalized trend of long focal length refractors, you’ve surely noticed that iStar Optical is leading the way. Consistent with this trend, iStar recently announced a new series of long focal-length achromatic refractors that it has named the Asteria line.

 What makes these new long-focus refractors so special? One answer is the new R30 material incorporated in the doublet that makes the lens behave in a decidedly favorable way, including a reported 30-percent reduction in chromatic aberration and spot size. In other words, an f/12 Asteria is tested as demonstrating the color correction of a standard f/15.6 doublet.

There are currently three apertures to choose from: a 127-mm f/12, 150-mm f/5 and a whopping, observatory class 250-mm f/11. Soon, all iStar Achromats will feature the R30 option, including apertures from 100-mm up to 250-mm. Better yet, the R30 option adds only about 25 percent to the cost of iStar’s standard Achromats and achromatic doublet telescopes are far less expensive than Apochromatic refractors of the same aperture.

The Asteria line features a greatly improved achromatic doublet that already falls into the anastigmat group. This wasn’t possible in the past due to the lack of availability of a modern and/or unique glass types. Unlike traditional Fraunhofer doublets that are corrected for spherical aberration and coma only, the Asteria doublet is fully corrected for coma, spherical aberration and astigmatism. This great optical improvement over a standard doublet will for sure please thousands of amateur astronomers who always wanted a good quality Achromat but couldn’t get over the increased false color. Now, in our all new Asteria line of telescopes you not only get a greatly reduced Chromatic Aberration, but also over 30 percent reduction in spot size which translates into substantially increased resolution both visually and in CCD or DSLR photography. But this is not all! All Asteria Anastigmatic doublet lenses are designed for the red wavelength. Why?  The human eye is least sensitive to red color. So instead of getting a bright purple blue fringing, like in most other doublets and practically all older lenses you get a gentler deep reddish-lavender with a hint of purplish further away from the center. iStar proudly introduces this new, greatly improved doublet as a lens in cell or an OTA.