| The SBIG CFW-10 filter wheel with ten 1.25" filter slots and four tri-color imaging filters is designed for use with SBIG ST-7/8/9/10/2000 USB-version CCD cameras. It replaces the front cover plate of the CCD camera. The filter wheel includes a high quality optical glass window with superior antireflection coatings that replaces the optical window built into the normal camera face plate. When installed in place of the camera face plate, the filter wheel housing between the camera and the telescope is only about 0.6" thick. This takes up the minimum amount of back focus possible and normal 35mm camera lenses may be used with the filter wheel in place. A windowless version is available on a special order basis. The windowless version attaches to the camera by replacing the T-Thread D-Block on SBIG cameras or through a T-thread coupler with non-SBIG cameras. This increases the effective filter wheel thickness to 0.76", cutting into the available back focus when compared to this windowed version. The CFW-10 comes standard with four 1.25" SBIG RGBC filters for tri-color imaging. This leaves six additional 1.25" filter slots available for user-supplied filters (such as H-alpha, Oxygen III, and Sulfur II line-band filters for specialized applications) mounted in standard 1.25" cells. We particularly recommend the Astrodon and/or Schuler filters available separately on this website. A version of the CFW-10 is available without filters (#CFW10NF) for those who already have their own imaging filters available. The CFW-10 uses a closed loop stepper motor to control the ten filter positions. Filter selection is controlled by the camera control operating software. The filter wheel interfaces with SBIG USB port-based cameras through the camera’s I2C-AUX port, obtaining both power and control commands from the camera, with no additional power or cable to the computer required. For SBIG parallel port-based cameras, power is obtained from a separate user-supplied 12V DC power source and control is through a serial port (RS-232), requiring an available serial port on your computer to control the CFW10 through a separate serial cable. The front aperture of the CFW-10 contains standard T-threads. This allows the filter wheel to be used with an optional T-thread to visual back adapter (#TVB) for a secure connection to Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes. For attachment to other telescope types, an optional 1.25" nosepiece or 2" nosepiece may be used, or any adapter with male T-threads. A custom camera lens adapter will be available for many 35mm Nikon, Canon, Olympus and other lenses.
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