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Starlight Instruments Feather Touch 3.0" R&P Focuser

Starlight Instruments Feather Touch 3.0" R&P Focuser

by Starlight Instruments
SKU SI-FTF3015B-A
CA$882.00 - CA$924.00
CA$882.00
CA$882.00 - CA$924.00
CA$882.00
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  • 3.0" Diameter Helical Rack & Pinion Focuser
  • 13-15 pound lifting capacity for heavy imaging trains
  • 10:1 dual-speed reduction for precise fine focus
  • 360-degree rotatable body for easy framing
  • Millimeter scale on drawtube for repeatable focus points
  • Made in the USA
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  • Description
  • FAQ
  • Specifications
  • In the Box
  • Downloads
  • Warranty

  • Starlight Instruments Feather Touch 3.0" R&P Focuser

    The Starlight Instruments Feather Touch 3.0" Focuser is engineered for astrophotographers who cannot compromise on stability or precision. Its helical rack and pinion drive provides a direct, positive engagement with the drawtube, delivering a lifting capacity of 13-15 pounds for the heaviest imaging systems. Combined with a 10:1 dual-speed reduction mechanism, this focuser allows you to achieve critical focus without backlash or flexure, while its 360-degree rotating body makes framing any celestial target effortless.

    Helical Rack & Pinion: A 13-15 Pound Lifting Capacity

    Unlike friction-based Crayford designs, the Feather Touch 3.0" Focuser uses a helical rack and pinion drive. This system provides a robust mechanical engagement that completely eliminates the possibility of slippage, even when the telescope is pointed at the zenith with a 13-15 pound payload of cameras, filter wheels, and off-axis guiders. The result is absolute focus stability throughout your imaging session.

    10:1 Feather Touch Reduction for Critical Focus

    The acclaimed Feather Touch dual-speed system provides a 10:1 reduction ratio, translating ten turns of the fine-focus knob into one turn of the coarse knob. This level of control is essential for high-resolution planetary imaging or when using fast optical systems where the critical focus zone is exceptionally narrow. The mechanism is machined from hardened stainless steel and steel components to ensure zero backlash and a smooth, repeatable response every time.

    360° Rotation for Effortless Framing

    The entire focuser body rotates a full 360 degrees within its PTFE-lined tube adapter (sold separately), allowing you to frame your target perfectly without rotating your entire imaging train. Simply loosen the thumbscrews, orient your camera to capture the ideal composition of objects like the Andromeda Galaxy (M31) or the Veil Nebula complex, and lock it back down. This also allows you to position the focus knobs for comfortable access regardless of your telescope's orientation.

    Millimeter Scale and 3-Screw Collimation for Repeatable Results

    Designed for the data-driven imager, the Feather Touch 3.0" includes features for absolute repeatability. A laser-engraved millimeter scale on the drawtube lets you return to precise focus points for different filters or cameras. Additionally, the focuser's end cap (sold separately) features 3 set screws for fine collimation adjustments, enabling you to eliminate any tilt in your optical train and ensure a perfectly flat field from corner to corner.

    • Internal Baffling: Glare-resistant black baffling inside the drawtube enhances contrast by absorbing stray light.
    • Finderscope Mounts: Two sets of #8-32 UNC threaded holes are provided for attaching a finderscope bracket directly to the focuser body.
    • Gentle on Accessories: Tipped stainless steel set screws secure your equipment without marring eyepiece or camera barrels.

    Feather Touch 3.0" R&P vs. Crayford Focusers: Stability Under Load

    While a Crayford focuser offers a simple, smooth-feeling mechanism, its reliance on friction makes it susceptible to slipping under heavy or off-balance loads. The Feather Touch 3.0" helical rack and pinion design fundamentally solves this problem. Its direct gear-like engagement ensures that the drawtube moves only when you command it to, providing the rigidity and confidence required for automated, multi-hour imaging sequences with heavy equipment.

  • How much weight can the Feather Touch 3.0" R&P Focuser handle?

    The Feather Touch 3.0" focuser has a specified lifting capacity of 13-15 pounds. Its helical rack and pinion drive system is specifically designed to handle heavy astrophotography setups, including large cameras, filter wheels, and off-axis guiders, without slipping or flexing.

    What is the advantage of the Feather Touch 3.0" helical rack and pinion drive?

    The primary advantage is positive, slip-free motion. Unlike Crayford focusers that rely on friction, the rack and pinion physically engages the drawtube, ensuring it cannot slip under heavy loads or when the telescope is aimed high in the sky. This provides superior stability and reliability for long-exposure astrophotography.

    Does the Feather Touch 3.0" focuser include the adapters to attach to my telescope?

    No. This product is the focuser body itself. To install it, you must purchase a separate tube adapter ring specific to your telescope model and an end cap for your desired connection type (e.g., 2" compression ring). This modular design ensures a perfect fit and optimal configuration for your exact setup.

    When imaging the Orion Nebula (M42) with a heavy camera, why is the 360° rotation on the Feather Touch 3.0" useful?

    The 360° rotation allows you to frame complex targets like the Orion Nebula (M42) precisely. You can orient your camera to capture the full extent of the nebula, including the Running Man Nebula (NGC 1977), without having to rotate your entire, potentially heavy, imaging assembly. It makes achieving the perfect composition simple and secure.

    How does the 10:1 fine focus on the Feather Touch 3.0" help when imaging Saturn with a large SCT?

    At the long focal lengths typical for planetary imaging with an SCT, the zone of critical focus is incredibly small. The 10:1 fine focus ratio allows you to make minute, precise adjustments to the focus position, which is essential to resolve fine details like the Cassini Division in Saturn's rings or cloud bands on Jupiter. It eliminates the overshoot and backlash common with standard single-speed focusers.

    What is the purpose of the 3 set screws on the Feather Touch 3.0" focuser's end cap?

    The 3 set screws on the end cap (sold separately) are for collimation and tilt adjustment. They allow you to precisely align your camera sensor so it is perfectly perpendicular to the optical axis. This is critical for achieving sharp stars across the entire field of view and eliminating sensor tilt, which can be a major issue in fast optical systems.

  • Drive Mechanism Helical rack and pinion
    Lifting Capacity 13-15 pounds
    Reduction Ratio 10:1
    Focus Knobs Dual speed coarse/fine
    Rotation 360 degrees (requires tube adapter)
    Draw Tube Scale Millimeter markings
    End Cap Collimation 3 set screws (end cap dependent)
    Finderscope Mounting Two sets of #8-32 UNC threaded holes
    Liner PTFE-lined tube adapter
    Construction Hardened stainless steel, steel, anodized aluminum
    Internal Baffling Glare-resistant black
    Set Screws Tipped stainless steel
    Country of Origin USA (designed, machined, and assembled)

    • Feather Touch 3.0" Focuser Body

      × 1

      Note: Telescope adapter and end cap are required and sold separately.

  • Starlight Instruments 2-Year Warranty