Equipment rental is available to East Valley Astronomy Club (EVAC) members. Equipment rental rate is $25/week for up to four weeks at a time. The following equipment is available:
- Telescopes
- Celestron C-8 with Nexstar GoTo mount (Telescope Package SCT01)
- Celestron 10″ Dobsonian Telescope (Telescope Package DBB01)
- Imaging Packages
- SeeStar S50 All-In-One smart telescope (Imaging Package S50)
- Planetary & Moon Imaging Kit (Imaging Kit 01)
- Visual Filters Kit
- Twelve 1.25″ filters for deep sky objects (Filters Kit VFR01)
EVAC Equipment Restrictions and Requirements
- Must be EVAC member in good standing (dues are current).
- Rent is on a weekly basis and not to exceed four consecutive weeks.
- Equipment Pick-up and Drop-Off location and times will need to be coordinated with the EVAC property manager.
- Rental fee is due upon pick up of equipment.
- A security deposit is required for equipment being rented (see equipment details for amount).
- Each package has an associated Rental Agreement that must be completed and signed.
Select THIS LINK to submit a request to reserve equipment.
Celestron C-8 with Nexstar GoTo Mount
Select THIS LINK to submit a request to reserve equipment.
This is a 8″ Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope, mount and tripod along with all the basic accessories (eyepieces, finder scope, etc.) required to start observing.
SOLAR WARNING Never look directly at the Sun with the naked eye or with an optic (unless you have the proper solar filter). Permanent and irreversible eye damage may result. Never use your optic to project an image of the Sun onto any surface. Internal heat build-up can damage the optic and any accessories attached to it.
Telescope Kit Details
- $500 Security Deposit required. Deposit will be returned upon return of equipment and payment of any outstanding balance.
- Rental Agreement (Word)
- NexStar SE Complete Documentation (PDF)
| Ref ID | Item | Resource | Replacement Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| SCT01-01 | Telescope Carry Case | $200 | |
| SCT01-02 | Celestron C-8 Optical Tube Assembly | $450 | |
| SCT01-03 | Celestron Nexstar Mount | $250 | |
| SCT01-04 | Celestron Tripod for Nexstar | $75 | |
| SCT01-05 | Telrad Finder Scope | $35 | |
| SCT01-06 | Celestron 1.25″ Star Diagonal (94115-A) | $25 | |
| SCT01-07 | Celestron 1.25″ Visual Back | $20 | |
| SCT01-08 | Celestron 1.25″ 8-24mm Zoom eyepiece | $75 | |
| SCT01-09 | Celestron 1.25″ 40mm Plossl eyepiece | $35 | |
| SCT01-10 | Bubble Level | $5 | |
| SCT01-11 | TalentCell: Battery Pack | Power Supply Manual (PDF) | $45 |
| SCT01-12 | TalentCell: Power Supply | $15 | |
| SCT01-13 | TalentCell Power Supply: Cable | $10 | |
| SCT01-14 | Accessory Tray/Leg Brace | $20 | |
| SCT01-15 | Leg Brace Locking Knob | $10 | |
| SCT01-16 | Hand Controller Bracket | $25 | |
| SCT01-17 | Optical Tube Assembly Cap | $50 |
Celestron 10″ Dobsonian Telescope
Select THIS LINK to submit a request to reserve equipment.
This is a 10″ Dobson telescope and base along with all the basic accessories (eyepieces, finder scope, etc.) required to start observing.
SOLAR WARNING Never look directly at the Sun with the naked eye or with an optic (unless you have the proper solar filter). Permanent and irreversible eye damage may result. Never use your optic to project an image of the Sun onto any surface. Internal heat build-up can damage the optic and any accessories attached to it.
Telescope Kit Details
- $500 Security Deposit required. Deposit will be returned upon return of equipment and payment of any outstanding balance.
- Rental Agreement (Word)
- Setup Instructional Video (MP4)
| Ref ID | Item | Resource | Replacement Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| DB01-01 | Celestron Dobsonian C10-N Optical Tube Assembly | C-10 Manual (PDF) | $900 |
| DB01-02 | Optical Tube Assembly Cap | $30 | |
| DB01-03 | Dobsonian Base and Cradle (Plywood) | $200 | |
| DB01-04 | Optical Tube Assembly Carry Bag | $25 | |
| DB01-05 | Accessories Carry Case | $20 | |
| DB01-06 | Celestron 1.25″ 8-24mm Zoom eyepiece | $110 | |
| DB01-07 | Celestron 1.25″ 40mm Plossl eyepiece | $70 | |
| DB01-08 | Telrad Finder Scope | $35 | |
| DB01-09 | Blower Bulb | $5 | |
| DB01-10 | Lens Brush | $5 | |
| DB01-11a-f | Base Frame Bolts (6) | $4/each | |
| DB01-12a,b | Saddle Set Bolts (2) | $5/each | |
| DB01-13 | OTA eyepiece plug | $5 | |
| N/A | Telrad Batteries (2 AA) | $3 |
SeeStar S50 All-In-One smart telescope
Select THIS LINK to submit a request to reserve equipment.
When paired with your smartphone this small compact unit can be used for imaging the sun, moon and deep sky objects including globular clusters, galaxies and nebula.
SeeStar Kit Details
- $500 Security Deposit required. Deposit will be returned upon return of equipment and payment of any outstanding balance.
- Rental Agreement (PDF)
- SeeStar s50 Manual (PDF)
- SeeStar s50 Quick Guide (PDF)
- SeeStar s50 Safety Guidelines (PDF)
- SeeStar Tips, Tricks, and Tutorial (YouTube)
| Ref ID | Item | Description | Replacement Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| S50-01 | Seestar Case | Case used to house the Seestar and associated equipment | $50 |
| S50-02 | Seestar S50 unit | Seestar s50 Smart Telescope | $500 |
| S50-03 | Tripod | $50 | |
| S50-04 | Seestar Solar Finder | Starizona SeeStar Solar Finder | $20 |
| S50-05 | USB Power Adapter | $15 | |
| S50-06 | Solar Filter Case | $10 | |
| S50-07 | Quick Guide | $5 | |
| S50-08 | Safety Guidelines | $5 | |
| S50-09 | 128GB Thumb Drive | $25 | |
| S50-10 | Solar Filter | $20 | |
| S50-11 | 2″ Filter Adapter | $10 | |
| S50-12 | USB-C Power Cable | $10 |
Images Taken by SeeStar S50 (Click on thumbnail to see full image)
Imaging Kit 01: Imaging kit for Planetary & Moon Imaging
Select THIS LINK to submit a request to reserve equipment.
This imaging kit contains all the hardware (except for the telescope) and software you need to experiment with astrophotography. The kit is ideal for photographing the planets and the moon and might be able to be used on a few bright deep sky objects. The primary components of the kit include a camera (QHY 5-11c), a Laptop computer, Flip Mirror, 12mm illuminated reticle and associated cables. The laptop computer contains all the software needed to capture and process the images/video captured to produce a final image.
SOLAR WARNING Never look directly at the Sun with the naked eye or with an optic (unless you have the proper solar filter). Permanent and irreversible eye damage may result. Never use your optic to project an image of the Sun onto any surface. Internal heat build-up can damage the optic and any accessories attached to it.
Imaging Kit Details
- $500 Security Deposit required. Deposit will be returned upon return of equipment and payment of any outstanding balance.
- Rental Agreement (PDF)
- Imaging Kit Instructions (PDF)
| Ref ID | Item | Resource | Replacement Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| IMG01-01 | Carry Case | All imaging kit equipment fit into this case | $45 |
| IMG01-02 | Laptop | DELL Inspiron 7348 | $250 |
| IMG01-03 | Keyboard | RedDragon Kumara Model K552 RGB | $30 |
| IMG01-04 | Camera Tin | Contains Imaging camera and 12mm eyepiece | $5 |
| IMG01-05 | QHY5L-II-C Camera | QHYCCD Color Imaging Camera Specifications: Color Camera |Pixel size = 3.75um 1280 x 960 pixels | 1.2 Megapixels USB2.0 interface | Data Bit Depth = 12 bit Optical format = 1/3” | $150 |
| IMG01-06 | 12mm Eyepiece | Baader Illuminated Reticle with LED | $85 |
| IMG01-07 | 10′ USB 2 Cable | $15 | |
| IMG01-08 | Flip Mirror | Orion Imaging Flip Mirror | $45 |
| IMG01-09 | Wireless Mouse | Leadsail 2.4Ghz Wireless mouse and dongle | $15 |
| IMG01-10 | Laptop Power Supply | $25 | |
| IMG01-11 | Laptop Power Supply Cable | $10 | |
| IMG01-12 | 1.8x Barlow Lens | $25 |
Additional Online and Resources and References
| Resrouces | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Astronomy Tools: Field of View | Website | Visual representation of what the target will look like for your system. Choose the Imaging Mode tab, Select the Object, your telescope, the camera (QHY – 5L-II-M/C) and finally select the “Add to View” button to preview the image. |
| Sharpcap to capture planets (6 min) | YouTube Video | AstroLaVista: Overview of sharpcap for capturing the planets. |
| Moon (26 min) | YouTube Video | Small Optics: Start to finish tutorial Utilizing an Equatorial mount with reflector telescope and astronomy camera, showing capturing the video in field, and processing the captured video to obtain a final image. |
| Venus (13 min) | YouTube Video | Late Night Astronomy: Utilizing DSLR Camera and Alt/Az mount with 8” Dobsonian to image Venus then process the video to obtain a final image. |
| Saturn (18 min) | YouTube Video | Late Night Astronomy: Utilizing DSLR Camera and Alt/Az mount with 8” Dobsonian to image Saturn then process the video to obtain a final image. |
| Deep Sky with SharpCap Live Stacking (20 Min) | YouTube Video | How to utilize “Live Stacking” in SharpCap for deep sky objects |
Visual Filters Package VFR01: Filters for Deep Sky Objects
Select THIS LINK to submit a request to reserve equipment.
Rental Description.
Filter Kit Details
- $500 Security Deposit required. Deposit will be returned upon return of equipment and payment of any outstanding balance.
- Rental Agreement (Word)
- Filters Info and Evaluation Worksheet (PDF)
Special Thanks to the following companies for contributing filters
- Thousand Oaks Optical (Based in Arizona) – for Thousand Oaks filters
- Astronomik: www.astro-shop.com for Astronomik filters
- DMG for discounting the NPB filter
| Ref ID | Item | Description | Replacement Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| FR-06 | Green Tool box | Contains all Filter rental equipment | $20 |
| FR-02 | 1.25″ Multiple 9-Filter Wheel | Can be used for comparing filters | $105 |
| FR-04 | Lens Brush | Use to clean filters if needed | $10 |
| B-05 | Blow Bulb | Used to clean filters if needed | $10 |
| FR-01 | Large Filter Case | Used to store small filter cases | $10 |
| FR-03 | Small Filter Cases with Wrench | Allen wrench used to open Filter Wheel | $10 |
| B-01 | Baader Skyglow filter | Broadband: Baader Moon & Skyglow filter in case | $95 |
| B-02 | Astronomik CLS filter | Broadband: Astronomik CLS-CCD filter in case | $100 |
| B-03 | Orion Skyglow filter | Broadband: Orion Skyglow filter in case | $45 |
| B-04 | Lumicon Deep-Sky filter | Broadband: Lumicon Deep-Sky filter in case | $140 |
| N-01 | 1000 Oaks Narrowband filter | Narrowband: Thousand Oaks Optical LP-2 Narrowband filter in case | $90 |
| N-02 | Astronomik UHC filter | Narrowband: Astronomik UHC filter in case | $100 |
| N-03 | DGM NPB filter | Narrowband: DGM NPB Nebula filter in case | $75 |
| N-04 | Orion UltraBlock filter | Narrowband: Orion UltraBlock filter in case | $75 |
| S-01 | 1000 Oaks O-III filter | Singleband: Thousand Oaks Optical LP3 Oxygen filter in case | $90 |
| S-02 | 1000 Oaks H-Beta filter | Singleband: Thousand Oaks Optical LP4 Hydrogen Beta filter in case | $90 |
| S-03 | Astronomik O-III filter | Singleband: Astronomik Oxygen filter in case | $80 |
| S-04 | Astronomik H-Beta filter | Singleband: Astronomik Hydrogen Beta filter in case | $90 |
