What is the main advantage of installing the Feather Touch Micro Focuser on my Celestron C14?
The primary advantage is gaining dual-speed, zero-image-shift focusing. It replaces the coarse, single-speed stock knob with a mechanism that allows for extremely fine and repeatable adjustments, which is essential for achieving sharp focus during high-magnification visual observation and astrophotography with the C14.
Is the Feather Touch FTM-C14 difficult to install?
No, installation is straightforward for most users. The Feather Touch Micro Focuser is designed as a direct replacement for the factory knob on your C14. It typically requires only simple hand tools, and Starlight Instruments provides detailed instructions to guide you through the process.
Will this focuser completely eliminate the "image shift" or "mirror flop" on my C14?
Yes. Image shift is caused by the primary mirror tilting as it's pushed and pulled by the coarse stock focuser. The Feather Touch allows for such minute and smooth adjustments that this tilt is not induced, keeping the image stable in the eyepiece. It is the definitive solution to this common SCT issue.
How does the Feather Touch FTM-C14 help with planetary imaging on a C14 at f/11?
At the long focal length of a C14, especially when imaging planets like Jupiter or Saturn, the seeing is rarely perfect and the focus point is incredibly precise. The Feather Touch's fine focus knob lets you make tiny adjustments to follow changes in atmospheric seeing and achieve critical sharpness that the stock focuser simply cannot. It keeps the planet stable on the small sensor of a planetary camera, preventing you from losing the target while focusing.
Can I still use the original focus knob after installing the Feather Touch FTM-C14?
No, the Feather Touch Micro Focuser assembly replaces the original factory knob on your Celestron C14. You will use the new dual-speed coarse and fine knobs for all focusing adjustments.
When trying to collimate my C14 on Polaris, the stock focuser makes it jump. Will the FTM-C14 help?
Absolutely. A stable star image is crucial for accurate collimation. The Feather Touch FTM-C14 allows you to achieve perfect, sharp focus on Polaris without any image shift, giving you a solid, motionless diffraction pattern to work with. This makes the entire collimation process faster and far more accurate.
