Sky & Telescope stated the near the top of the
checklist of criteria that potentially makes a new product
'hot' is that the product "solves an old problem
in a new way."
No better example of that exists among this year's
picks than the ARE-125™ Articulated Relay Eyepiece
from DFM Engineering.
The device was born out of a desire to let people with
limited mobility explore the heavens through the eyepiece
of DFM fork-mounted Cassegrain telescopes.
But you don't have to have a DFM telescope to enjoy
the benefits of the ARE-125™, since it is designed
to work with any f/8 or slower telescope fitted with
a standard 2-inch focuser.
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Using a series of mirrors and relay lenses
mounted within an arm that pivots in three axes, the
ARE-125™ "repositions"the focal plane
from the back of the telescope to an eyepiece mounted
at the end of the arm, where it is easily viewed by
a seated individual.
According to DFM's founder and president, Dr. Frank
Melsheimer, in addition to helping public observatories
meet the Americans with Disabilities Act, the ARE-125™
has proven convenient in group sessions where seated
observers simply pass the eyepiece around and share
a view.
The Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) requires
access to public facilities for the handicapped. Up
to now, getting a wheelchair bound person to the eyepiece
of a telescope was very difficult and expensive. |
