Player One Phoenix Filter Wheel - 8×1.25"
- Holds eight 1.25" mounted filters
- Automates filter changes for complex imaging sequences
- Ideal for LRGB, SHO, and other multi-filter palettes
- USB powered and controlled
- Compact and lightweight design
The Player One Phoenix Filter Wheel automates your imaging sessions by holding up to eight standard 1.25" mounted filters. This capacity allows you to load a full complement of LRGB and narrowband filters (like Ha, SII, and OIII) simultaneously, enabling complex, multi-wavelength imaging projects without manual intervention during a clear night.
With eight available slots, the Phoenix filter wheel eliminates the need to swap filters mid-session. You can configure your imaging software to automatically cycle through luminance, red, green, and blue filters for full-color targets, and then switch to narrowband filters for emission nebulae, all within the same automated sequence. This not only saves time but also reduces the risk of dust contamination or disturbing your optical train.
This wheel is specifically designed for the widely available 1.25" mounted filter format, making it a cost-effective choice for building out your filter collection. The 1.25" format is an excellent match for cameras with smaller to medium-sized sensors, such as those with APS-C diagonals or smaller, ensuring minimal vignetting and maximizing the value of your filters.
Choosing a filter wheel often comes down to filter size versus capacity. The Phoenix 8x1.25" wheel offers an extra slot compared to common 7-position wheels, which is a significant advantage for imagers using multiple narrowband filters alongside LRGB.
The trade-off is clear: for maximum filter flexibility with smaller sensors, the 8-position 1.25" wheel is superior. For full-frame imaging, a wheel with larger 36mm filters is necessary, despite the lower capacity and higher cost.
The Player One Phoenix filter wheel is designed to hold up to eight standard 1.25" mounted filters. This allows for extensive filter combinations, such as LRGB, Ha, SII, OIII, and a spare slot for another filter like H-beta or a UV/IR cut filter.
Vignetting depends on your camera's sensor size and your telescope's focal ratio. The 1.25" filters in the Phoenix wheel are generally free of vignetting on cameras with sensors up to the APS-C format (approx. 28mm diagonal), especially with slower telescopes (f/7 or higher). For full-frame sensors (42mm+ diagonal) or very fast optical systems (f/4 or lower), you may see some corner darkening, and a wheel using larger 36mm or 2" filters would be a better choice.
For a broadband target like the Andromeda Galaxy (M31), an 8-position wheel allows you to capture standard LRGB (Luminance, Red, Green, Blue) data and also capture Hydrogen-alpha (Ha) data in the same session without swapping filters. The Ha filter will reveal the vibrant red star-forming regions within the galaxy's spiral arms, adding critical detail to your final image. The extra slots remain free for other filters, like a light pollution filter.
No, this filter wheel is designed specifically for 1.25" mounted (threaded) filters. Unmounted filters, such as 31mm or 36mm disks, will not fit and require a different type of filter wheel carousel designed to clamp them in place.
The Player One Phoenix filter wheel is controlled via a USB connection to a computer. It is compatible with standard ASCOM drivers, allowing it to be controlled by popular astrophotography software such as N.I.N.A., Sequence Generator Pro (SGP), SharpCap, and others that support the ASCOM platform.
Yes, it's an excellent match. An EdgeHD 8" operates at f/10 (or f/7 with its reducer), which is a slow-to-moderate focal ratio. When paired with a typical planetary or deep-sky camera (up to APS-C size), the 1.25" filters will not cause vignetting. The eight filter slots are perfect for capturing galaxies, nebulae, and star clusters through the EdgeHD 8" optics.