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Vixen POLARIE U Star Tracker

by Vixen
SKU ES35491
BARCODE 4955295354917
Sold out
Original price $ 547.99 - Original price $ 547.99
Original price
$ 547.99
$ 547.99 - $ 547.99
Current price $ 547.99

All pricing in USD

Features

  • The POLARIE U is a compact and lightweight star tracker that is ideal for travel, weighing only 570 grams.
  • It has five different tracking speeds to choose from, allowing you to track the stars accurately for sharp images.
  • The star tracker comes with an ST4 Autoguiding port (RA only), enabling autoguiding for more precise tracking.
  • The POLARIE U can be used as a panning mount for time-lapse photography, thanks to its speed adjustment function.
  • Using a smartphone, you can control the shutter release intervals and exposures to take beautiful, sharp pictures of the stars and Milky Way without star trailing.
  • The star tracker has a built-in bubble level and directional scale, making it easy to create stunning time-lapse shots of the night sky.
  • It has a load capacity of up to 3.5 kg, but you can increase the load capacity to up to 6.5 kg with optional accessories.
  • The POLARIE U allows you to take impressive photos that combine stars and landscapes, opening up new possibilities for landscape photography.
  • Its weight has been reduced by more than 20%, while the load capacity has been improved.
  • You can easily program the star tracker's settings, including interval time, exposure, and rotation speed via a smartphone or tablet.

Description

Are you an avid astrophotographer always on the go? Or are you someone who loves to capture the beauty of the night sky while on a vacation? If yes, then you might want to check out the POLARIE U Star Tracker

The POLARIE U is a compact and lightweight star tracker that's perfect for travel. Weighing only 570 grams, it's easy to pack in your backpack or luggage. But don't let its small size fool you. This star tracker is packed with features that allow you to capture sharp and stunning images of the night sky.

One of the standout features of the POLARIE U is its five different tracking speeds. You can choose from 0.5X, 1X, 2X, 4X, and 6X speed. This allows you to track the stars accurately and for longer periods, ensuring that you capture sharp images of the night sky. Additionally, the POLARIE U comes with an ST4 Autoguiding port (RA only), allowing you to use autoguiding for even more precise tracking.

In addition to the functions of conventional star trackers, which track a camera for long exposures, accurately tracking the regular movement of celestial objects, the POLARIE U has a speed adjustment function, which allows it to be used as a panning mount too for time-lapse photography.

Using a smartphone, you can control the shutter release intervals of the images. Through the communication between the smartphone and the POLARIE U Star Tracker, you can control the exposures and take beautiful, sharp pictures of the stars and the Milky Way without getting any star trailing.

If you're into timelapse photography, the POLARIE U is also an excellent choice. It comes with a built-in bubble level and directional scale, making it easy to create stunning time-lapse shots of the night sky. You can also control the shutter release via your smartphone, giving you even more control over your shots.

The POLARIE U has a load capacity of up to 3.5 kg, which is already quite impressive for such a small device. But if you need to upgrade to a higher load capacity, you can do so with optional accessories that allow you to increase the load capacity to up to 6.5 kg.

Overall, the POLARIE U Star Tracker is an excellent choice for astrophotographers who are always on the go. Its small size and lightweight design make it easy to pack and carry, while its impressive features make it possible to capture stunning images of the night sky. So whether you're on a camping trip, a vacation, or simply exploring the outdoors, the POLARIE U Star Tracker is definitely worth considering.

The Vixen POLARIE U Star Tracker in Detail:

Star-scape photography (stars and landscape).
A silhouetted landscape on earth is photographed together with the starry sky. The beauty of a landscape and the starry sky can be shown together on one photo. POLARIE U opens up a wonderful foreign world of star-scape photography and makes this possible for both beginners and advanced photographers.
Conventional telescopic astrophotography photographs a relatively narrow area of the sky. Star-scape photography mainly uses a wide-angle lens and takes impressive photos in which stars, and other celestial targets such as the majestic Milky Way and landscapes are combined. The possibilities of the compositions are endless and a completely new kind of landscape photography opens up.

Weight reduction of more than 20% and improved load capacity.
The structure of the original POLARIE has been completely changed. The distance between the two bearings that support the rotating shaft is about four times the distance of the previous model. This leads to a higher load capacity despite the weight reduction of 20%. The maximum load capacity is 2.5 kg (approx. 2.5 kg at 10 cm from the center of rotation) when used for wide-field astrophotography. The maximum load capacity is increased to 6.5 kg (approx. 2.5 kg at 10 cm from the center of rotation) when a POLARIE Multi mounting block (optional) and a dovetail slide rail DD (optional) are combined. In addition, used in vertical configuration, the POLARIE U can reach a load capacity of 10 kg (approx. 10 kg 10 cm from the center of rotation) for time-lapse photography and is therefore suitable for heavy camera equipment.

Settings via Smartphone
Communication between tracker and smartphone via the Vixen Polarie U App enables various settings via smartphones or tablet. For star/landscape photography, the speed is selected in user-defined mode, and for time-lapse photography, settings for interval time, exposure, and rotation speed can also be easily programmed.

Five different speeds:
Star-scape photography (half star speed). This setting is intended for displaying a landscape together with the starry sky. The stars are not tracked exactly, but slower in order not to blur the landscape in the foreground. This way you get beautiful images of the landscape and the starry sky.

Wide Field Astrophotography (Star Speed)
When this mode is selected, the POLARIE U follows the stars at the same speed as the daily movement of the stars. In this mode, widefield long-time exposures of comets, nebulae, star clusters and the Milky Way are made and tracked precisely.

Solar Tracking (solar speed)
For recording solar eclipses over a long period of time.

Moon Tracking (moon speed)
For recording lunar eclipses over a long period of time.

Custom Mode
This allows you to set the POLARIE U to the desired tracking speed. The initial setting is four times the star speed. If you want to change the setting for a different speed, a smartphone or other wifi device and application software are required.

Shoot-Move-Shoot Mode
It is possible to stop the movement of the camera during the exposure and restart it after the end of the exposure. It is also equipped with a camera connector (shutter release) that controls the camera shutter during shooting with SMS or interval shooting. If the camera in use is connected with the cable release, the settings can be easily adjusted using a smartphone. A Wi-Fi connection is required when using this feature. An additional cable is required to connect the camera and POLARIE U together.

Autoguider port

Commercially available autoguiders can be used with the POLARIE U (Usable only in R.A.).  An important new feature over the original Polarie - attach a small Guidescope, or Off Axis Guider and autoguiding camera to your main camera and use the standard ST-4 protocol port to guide the Polarie U in Right Ascension, ensuring absolute accuracy of tracking (requires additional separate computer, or standalone guider). 

POLARIE is a new and unique camera accessory for photographing the night sky, with perfectly point-like stars being tracked. Using the simplest solution, it makes the experience of photographing the night sky more accessible for everyone. The multi-functional mode dial is adjustable for sky- and landscape-, moon-, sun- and star-tracking. Polar altimeter for a fast focus. Also included: USB connection for external power supply and a built-in compass for quick orientation. Available as optional extra accessories are a polar finder telescope for exact alignment with the celestial pole for long-exposure photography including into the telephoto range, and a tripod.

Description

Specs

R.A. slow motion control Wheel and worm gears full circle micro movement, 58.4mm in diameter, 144-tooth, made of aluminum alloy
Worm gear shaft 9.8mm in diameter, made of brass
R.A. axis (Polar axis) 40mm in diameter, made of aluminum alloy
Number of bearings 2 pieces
Drive Pulse motor drive
Locading capacity 2.5 kg(5.5 lbs): Standard / 6.5 kg(14 lbs): Upgraded / 10 kg(22 lbs): Time-lapse
Tracking rates Celestial speed, 0.5x celestial, solar, lunar, available in N and S hemispheres (Remote setting is possible with a smartphone.)
Sight tube finder It is used in the northern hemisphere to guide the unit to Polaris. 8.9 degrees field of view with no magnification.
Polar scope Optionally available Polar alignment scope PF-L II is usable. Polar scope arm bracket sold separately is needed.
Leveling Bubble level is provided for time-lapse photography.
Tripod adapter block 3/8" camera screw sockets (2 places) with a conversion adaper for 1/4" screw, compatible with attachment plates of the standard thin type.
Shutter release terminal 2.5mm female jack for tripolar stereo mini plug, Pin assignment: On order of full shutter, half shautter and common, from center to outward
Autoguider Port 6-pole 6-wired modular jack (for an external autoguider)
External Power Supply Port USB Type-C
Power Source 4 x AA alkaline batteries, Ni-MH or Ni-Cd rechargeable batteries, USB Type-C external power batteries
Working Voltage / Electricity Consumption AA batteries: DC 4.8V to 6.0V, Max. 0.6A (at 2.5kg/5.5 lbs. loading weight)External power supply: DC 4.4V to 5.25V, Max. 0.3A (at 2.5kg/5.5 lbs. loading weight)
Working Duration About 7 hours at 20 degrees C (68 F) temperature, with use of Alkaline batteries (at 2.5kg/5.5 lbs loading weight).
Wi-Fi Application software for POLARIE U and a smartphone or communication terminal device that works on Wi-Fi are needed.
Operating Environment for Application Software OS: Android 4.4 and over or iOS 9.9 and over* Wi-Fi: IEEE 802.11b/g, Data Encryption Method: WPA2-PSK, *Be sure to confirm the operation of the application, as some smartphones do not meet the requirements.
Operating Temperature 0 degree to 40 degrees C (104 F)
Dimensions 88.5mm x 72mm x 110.5mm
Weight 575 g / 1.26 lbs. (without batteries)

Warranty

Vixen warranties its products to be free from initial defects in materials and workmanship for a specified period based on part type:

Vixen Electronic Parts: Limited One Year Warranty

Vixen Mechanical Parts: Limited Two Year Warranty

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