What is the purpose of the Star Analyser 200 mounting kit?
It lets you mount a Star Analyser 100 or 200 in front of a photo lens. The kit holds the grating's 1.25" filter cell in a 65 mm square mounting plate, adds two thickness plates, and includes a locking ring that fixes the orientation of the spectrum on the sensor.
Do I need this mounting kit for my Star Analyser 200?
You need it to use your Star Analyser in front of a camera lens, or in a filter wheel made for unmounted drop-in filters. On a telescope, the Star Analyser's 1.25" cell screws into a camera nosepiece or a 1.25" filter wheel without this kit.
How does the mounting kit help me get a spectrum of a star like Vega (Alpha Lyrae)?
The kit holds the Star Analyser in front of your camera lens. Spectra of bright stars can be taken this way, with best results on a tracking mount. Imaging Vega through the grating spreads its light into a spectrum showing the hydrogen Balmer absorption lines typical of an A-type star.
Is the Star Analyser 200 mounting kit compatible with a filter wheel on my SCT?
Only for wheels made for unmounted drop-in filters, and only with enough clearance. In a filter wheel with 1.25" threaded slots, the Star Analyser 200 screws in directly without this kit.
Does the mounting kit include the Star Analyser 200 grating itself?
No, this product is only the mounting kit (mounting plate, two thickness plates and locking ring). The Star Analyser 200 diffraction grating must be purchased separately.
How does the Star Analyser fit in the mounting kit?
The Star Analyser stays in its 1.25" filter cell. The 65 mm square mounting plate (29 mm hole) holds it in front of the lens, the two thickness plates (37 mm hole) add spacing, and the locking ring for the 1.25" filter holder fixes the orientation of the spectrum with respect to the sensor.