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Antares Ball Bearing Tube Rotatators

These ball bearing tube rotating rings allow your Newtonian telescope
to be rotated smoothly and easily to orient the eyepiece to a usable
position. Standard ring spacing is 9.45 inches. CG5 type dovetail is
standard, other types are also available. With friction device.

The rings can not be opened, so tube fittings may need to be removed
from the tube to slip the rings on.

Delivery time is currently about 4 weeks from order. Rotators are made
to order, so your exact tube diameter must be provided.

The rotators should now be shipped with the new ScopeStuff developed
friction system installed, which allows continuous thumbscrew adjustability
from freely rotating to completely locked, and anywhere between. See below.

#TRDB is a black anodized machined solid aluminum dovetail bar that
replaces the original cast dovetail. Supplied with stainless steel
replacement hardware.


Click on image to enlarge:



Rotators With CG5 Type Dovetails:



---------------------- NO LONGER AVAILABLE ----------------------


Prices include shipping in the USA!

Ordering Information

Will objects stay centered when I rotate?
(Or will these work with my goto scope?)

These tube rotators are precise enough to not induce significate runout when
rotated. If the optical axis of your scope is perfectly aligned with the mechanical
tube axis, then objects will remain centered in the view when you rotate the
scope. Being the optical and mechanical axes of Newts are probably not perfectly
aligned as delivered from the factory, objects will wander as you rotate. With
medium to wide field eyepieces this is not a problem, but with higher power
views the object may leave the view when the tube is rotated.

Goto mounts are sensitive to misalignments. If you mark a home position on
the rotator and do your goto alignment at the home mark, you can depend on
goto's working when rotated to that home position.

Most scopes can be adjusted so the optical and mechanical axes are aligned,
but the procedure isn't simple. Tube rotators are one of the tools used in the
alignment process. Much simpler is to just accept that any tube rotator is likely
to demonstrate misalignment of the optical to mechanical axes of your scope,
and enjoy the benefit of having the eyepiece at a comfortable position!


Mechanical Details:

#ARRS-90, 93 and 97: 8.9 lbs, 12.5" long, 13" major diameter


ScopeStuff developed friction/lock assembly:


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