From: "doobisary" <tjp314@pacbell.net>

Date: May 31, 2012 8:46:17 AM MDT

To: Astro_IIDC@yahoogroups.com

Subject: Stellar Products AO-2 manual, anyone?

Hi:

At RTMC last weekend, I purchased a Stellar Products AO-2 "adaptive optics" from the estate of John Sanford. The unit looks like it was hardly used, maybe only tested once or twice, as the control box looks absolutely new and the cords were neatly wrapped with wire ties and in a box.

I tried it out on my 8" f/6 Optical Crafstmen and my 1970 tricolor C-8, visually, then took an image sequence with it on the OC, which was mounted on an NJP mount that is very stable.

I'm sure I was doing something wrong, because the unit didn't seem to be accomplishing anything in the way of stabilizing the moving image as compared to the views and video I took without it powered on.

I suspect it's very sensitive to centering, but it might also need to be powered on in a special sequence that I'm not getting.

There was no manual with it. Does anyone have one?

It's a very interesting device. I was concerned that, because it's a few inches deep, the backfocus it would add would preclude me using it on my Newtonians - my favorite planetary imaging scopes. But the AO-2 is both a projection and a transfer system. The image is large and essentially parfocal with my eyepieces, so there's no backfocus added and it's quite comfy on my Newtonian focuser. No moving of the primary required - Yay!

Anyway, thanks in advance for any info you might have. (I've tried the email address I have for Antonio Cidadao, who used one of these extensively years ago, but the message bounced).

-Tim.