Player One Phoenix Filter Wheel - 5x2"
- Accommodates five 2-inch mounted filters
- Automates filter changes for imaging sequences
- Designed for LRGB and narrowband astrophotography
- USB connectivity for software control
- Robust, lightweight construction
The Player One Phoenix Filter Wheel provides a robust, automated solution for managing your 2-inch filter sets. Its 5-position carousel is designed specifically for 2-inch mounted filters, enabling seamless transitions between broadband (LRGB) and narrowband (SHO) targets without disassembling your imaging train.
The Phoenix filter wheel is built around a 5-position carousel, ideal for a complete LRGB imaging set plus a specialty filter like H-alpha, or a dedicated trio of SHO narrowband filters. Using 2-inch filters is critical for imagers using full-frame or large APS-C sensors, as it helps prevent vignetting that smaller 1.25" filters would cause, especially in faster optical systems.
This filter wheel is designed to integrate directly into your automated imaging workflow. Connected to your PC via USB and controlled through standard ASCOM drivers, the Phoenix allows your acquisition software to handle all filter changes automatically. This is essential for unattended imaging sessions, allowing you to program a full night's sequence of different targets or filter types and let the system run without manual intervention.
The Player One Phoenix 5x2" Filter Wheel has a 5-position carousel designed to hold five standard 2-inch mounted filters.
For a galaxy target like the Andromeda Galaxy (M31), a standard LRGB (Luminance, Red, Green, Blue) filter set is ideal. The 5-position carousel of the Phoenix wheel allows you to load all four filters and still have one slot free for a narrowband filter, such as H-alpha, to capture star-forming regions within the galaxy's arms.
Yes, the Phoenix wheel is an excellent choice for narrowband imaging. You can load it with the three primary "Hubble palette" filters (Hydrogen-alpha, Oxygen-III, and Sulphur-II) to capture the intricate details of supernova remnants like the Veil Nebula (NGC 6960). The remaining two slots could be used for other narrowband filters or left empty.
A 5-position filter wheel represents a trade-off favoring a more compact, lightweight, and often more affordable design. It's perfect for imagers who primarily use one set of filters (e.g., LRGB or SHO) at a time. If you need to have LRGB and a full set of narrowband filters loaded simultaneously, a wheel with 7 or more positions would be more suitable.
Most modern electronic filter wheels, including the Player One Phoenix, are powered directly through the USB cable that connects them to your computer. This simplifies cable management by avoiding the need for a separate 12V power supply.
Yes. Player One provides ASCOM drivers for their hardware. As long as you have the correct driver installed, any ASCOM-compliant software, including popular choices like N.I.N.A., Sequence Generator Pro (SGP), and SharpCap, can control the Phoenix filter wheel for automated imaging sequences.
| Filter Capacity | 5 Positions |
| Supported Filter Size | 2" Mounted |
| PC Connection | USB |