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Starlight Instruments 3.5" End Cap w/ 3.0" Compression Ring Opening
The Starlight Instruments 3.5" End Cap provides a robust, non-marring connection for your 3.0" accessories. This adapter is specifically designed for the Starlight Instruments 3.5" series of Feather Touch focusers, enabling you to securely attach large format cameras, field flatteners, or other 3.0" barrel components to your imaging train.
Secure Your Imaging Train: Adapting 3.5" Focusers to 3.0" Accessories
This end cap is the essential interface for connecting modern 3.0" imaging accessories to a Starlight Instruments 3.5" Feather Touch focuser. It replaces the focuser's standard end cap, providing a large, secure 3.0" opening that is critical for avoiding vignetting with full-frame or larger sensors while maintaining perfect alignment.
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Direct Fit: Threads directly onto the drawtube of a 3.5" Feather Touch focuser, ensuring a solid, flex-free connection.
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Compression Ring: The compression ring clamps evenly around your 3.0" accessory barrel, giving a more secure grip than simple set screws.
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Heavy-Duty Support: Engineered to hold heavy imaging trains consisting of cameras, filter wheels, and adaptive optics without flexure or sag.
Collimation and Tilt
Achieving a perfectly flat field requires precise alignment of the entire optical train. Starlight's focuser manual says most of its end caps have 3 set screws for collimation adjustments, but it does not state this for this end cap, so ask us if tilt adjustment at the end cap matters for your setup.
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What focusers is the Starlight Instruments 3.5" End Cap compatible with?
This end cap is specifically designed for the Starlight Instruments 3.5" Feather Touch focuser series, such as the FTF35xxB-A models. It threads directly onto the focuser's drawtube, replacing the original end cap.
How does the compression ring on this 3.0" end cap help when imaging with a heavy camera like a ZWO ASI6200MM Pro?
The compression ring provides a full-circumference grip on the 3.0" barrel of your camera or accessory. This distributes the clamping force evenly, preventing the accessory from tilting and holding it more securely than single-point set screws, which is critical for maintaining collimation with a heavy imaging train.
Why would I use this 3.0" compression ring end cap instead of a threaded adapter?
A compression ring offers more flexibility. It allows for easy rotation of your camera to frame your target and is quicker to attach and detach accessories. While a threaded connection is also secure, this 3.0" compression end cap provides convenience without sacrificing a solid mechanical connection.
I'm using a large refractor with a 3.5" Feather Touch focuser and a 3.0" field flattener. Is this the right part?
Yes, this is the exact component you need. The Starlight Instruments 3.5" End Cap with a 3.0" compression ring opening will thread onto your focuser's drawtube and allow you to securely mount your 3.0" field flattener, maintaining the rigidity of your imaging system.
Will this Starlight Instruments end cap mar the barrel of my expensive 3.0" accessories?
It uses a compression ring, so the ring rather than a screw tip makes contact with your accessory's barrel, which helps prevent scratches.
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| Kind |
other (state): focuser end cap with 3.0in compression ring |
| Telescope-side connection |
thread: other (state): 3.5in Feather Touch drawtube (end cap thread); gender: None |
| Camera-side connection |
thread: 3in barrel; gender: clamp |
| Warranty |
2 years |
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3.5" End Cap w/ 3.0" Compression Ring Opening
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- Starlight Instruments 2-Year Warranty
