NOTE: Now you can make your own Kwik Focus with the new R-60 Aluminum Rings from Kendrick

The Kwik Focus can also be used to determine if your telescope's optics are properly aligned and collimated. By observing the out of focus star images through the Kwik focus you can bring your telescopes optics into accurate alignment.

It can be used to easily and quicky acheive critical focus for astrophotographers, CCD imagers and observers. We believe it is the easiest product to use on the market to achieve accurate focus.

By purchasing our solar filter inserts the Kwik Focus can now be used as an off axis solar filter. Full aperture solar filters wil often give a poorer image than a smaller filter because of the secondary obstruction and poor seeing conditions caused by the suns heating of the atmosphere. An off axis filter removes the image degrading influence of the secondary and minimzes the effects of atmospherics turbulence to give a better solar image.

Constructed of aluminum and powder coated black, it is elegant in both concept and design. It can also be used a lens cap when your telescope is not in use. When using it as a lens cap the three plastic plugs that come with the Kwik Focus are placed into the three holes on the front of the device.

We have 52mm and 82mm solar filter inserts available for our popular Kwik Focus. Now your Kwik Focus can be quickly and easily converted to a solar filter. Unscrew the filter from the Kwik Focus and it is back to being a focusing aid. Available in visual and photographic versions.

Item No.	Description	Price CAN	Click to add item to cart
Kwik Focus Lens Caps

Kwik Focus now available for the Televue Genesis, Astro Physics 155mm, 130mm, 105mm, Meade ETX and the C5

The Kwik Focus works by projecting three images onto the focusing screen of your camera, imaging chip of your CCD camera or your eyepiece. As you come closer into focus the three images tighten up and eventually merge. When the images have merged you are now at the optimum focus your system can accomplish. As this is a mechanical focus, your eye can no longer compensate for slightly out of focus images. Remove the Kwik Focus and shoot, image or observe. It is that easy.

Unlike other focusing systems on the market, you can use the moon, planet or any other object that is at least 6th magnitude to focus on and focusing is achieved with considerably more ease.

With the "Kwik Focus" on the end of your telescope all point source objects will form THREE round images. Turn the focus adjustment in the direction that brings the images closer together. When the images overlap each other and become one, you are focused at the best your lens system is capable of. You will find this is easier as power is increased. You can focus right on a planet or the moon and not have to move back and forth between a bright star and the planets. (As other products on the market require). No doubt, you have seen articles that recommend, under certain conditions, stopping down your telescope for better viewing and to help increase contrast and reduce glare. The cap can be left on to do just this while viewing a bright object like the Moon, which has the added benefit of helping to save your dark adapted eyes. It may also eliminate the need for a neutral density filter.

Other benefits of this device include:

• Making the splitting of double stars easier.
• Eliminates difraction from the secondary mirror (in SCT's and Newtonians)
• Can cancel out most of the problems associated with mirrors that have turned edges or zonal errors.
• Can be used as an off axis aperture mask to diminish the effects of poor to medium seeing.

"Kwik Focus" may also be used for prime focus on your scope if you want to photograph any nebula. Simply point your camera and scope at the closest sixth magnitude star or brighter near the object of your choice and adjust your focus so all double image star points become single points of light. Take a little extra time here because your star images are very small compared to planet images. When you have finished focusing, do not forget to remove the "Kwik Focus Cap" for maximum light for the camera.

Double star watchers will find "Kwik Focus" helpful in that you will get better resolution of close stars and better colors. The Kwik Focus can also be used as a step down mask to cut down glare when observing the moon. It also acts as an off axis aperture mask. As an aperutre mask the cap can be rotated until the best surfaces of the mirror are beneath the holes in the Kwik Focus cap. Planetary observation is enhanced by the reduction of the effects of nominal seeing, lengthening the focal ratio of your telescope and eliminating the light scattering effect of the secondary mirror.

The Kwik Focus is presently only available for the Meade ETX, Celestron C5, Astro Physics Traveler, 130mm and 155mm refractors, Televue 101,the Meade 7" Maksutov-Cassegrain and 8", 9.25", 10", 11", 12" , 14" and 16" Schmidt Cassegrain Telescopes.

Below are pictures of a portion of the moon taken through a 16" F4.5 Newtonian by an individual who had never done astrophotography before. He was asked to focus as best he could without using the Kwik Focus. In the second photograph he took the same shot, this time using the Kwik Focus. The results were dramatic. Both of these photos are details taken from a photograph with a slightly wider field.

Without the Kendrick Kwik Focus

With the Kendrick Kwik Focus

HOW TO FOCUS A CCD CAMERA

For CCD imaging use the following process for quick and easy focus.

FIRST TIME:

Step 1.
Place the Kwik Focus over the front of your telescope. Set your CCD camera to its coarsest binning, which would be 3 x 3. If you are using the ST7 or ST8 use the 27 micron pixel size. Using a 2nd magnitude or brighter star, start to focus on the star using the softwares focusing mode. An exposure of 0.11 to 0.5 seconds should suffice. Continue adjusting focus until the duplicate star images converge on your monitor.

Step 2.
Set your CCD to its finest binning, which would be 1 x 1 or the 9 micron pixel size for the ST7 or ST8. Using a 4th or 5th magnitude star and the same exposure times as described above, adjust your focus until the images converge again on your monitor.

Step 3.
If you have a digital focus counter, record the focus position for future reference. A digital focus counter is highly recommended for users of Schmidt Cassegrain Telescopes or any other tlescope with an internal focusing mechanism. If your focuser is external then measure the distance from the back-plate of the OTA to an easily accessible spot on the CCD and record this measurement.

SUBSEQUENT TIMES:

Skip step 1. Using your previously recorded focusing measurements, set your CCD camera in position. Repeat step 2.

The first time procedure should only take 30 to 60 minutes. All subsequent setups should only take 10 minutes at the most.

HOW TO FOCUS A 35MM CAMERA

Procedure for 35mm or larger cameras

Place the Kwik Focus over the front of your telescope. With your camera in the focuser look through the view finder and begin to bring the images into focus. You will see multiple (3) images of all objects in the field of view. As you focus the images will tighten up and converge. The point where the images converge is the point of precise focus. Remove the Kwik Focus and begin to shoot. Very easy, very quick and very effective!

COLLIMATING

The Kwik Focus can now be used as a collimation diagnostic tool and for collimating. To determine if your telescope needs collimating, put a reasonably bright star (5th magnitude or brighter) in your telescopes' field of view with the Kwik Focus on the front of your telescope. With a fairly high power eyepiece (150x to 250x) in your focuser, move your focuser from "inside focus" to "focus" to "outside focus". All three images should converge perfectly on top of one another. If they do not, your optics are out of collimation and are contributing to your focusing problems. Seeing conditions will determine just how much magnification you can use when collimating so work within the limits of your sky conditions.

The Kwik Focus works very well in collimating if you have a fast telescope (F5 or faster). It still works well on longer focal lenghts but we recommend after collimating with the Kwik Focus that the single star collimation method be used to bring your telescope into fine collimation.

If you have determined that your telescope is out of collimation and you want to use the Kwik Focus to bring it into collimation you need to do the following procedure:

Place the Kwik Focus on the front of yor telescope, following the steps described above. Remove the Kwik Focus each time you need to tweak the collimation screws. Replace the Kwik Focus and go through the focusing procedure again to recheck collimation. Do this until you have a perfect image.

These two drawings indicate how an uncollimated and a collimated image may appear in your telescope as seen through the Kwik Focus. The center star is at focus and the two either side of it are inside and outside focus. The top drawing depicts an uncollimated telescope and the bottom drawing is a collimated scope.

TESTIMONIALS

Jim,
After using a number of your products over the past few months, I thought I'd drop you a note about their performance.

The "Observer" tent: What a luxurious way to observe the sky in remote locations (or a backyard)! I had the tent assembled in under 15 minutes and my LX200 12" with its attendant gear fit perfectly. I cannot say enough about the convenience of the two-room design. Placing my cases, charts, sleeping bag, etc., in one room and having an uncluttered environment in the 'scope room makes observing not only convenient but pleasant. The tent has been a godsend on windy nights or when the idiot next door turns on that annoying porch light. When I took it to Vermont a couple of months ago, it felt like the equivalent of staying at the Ritz. Well done! All it needs now is the Kendricks Inflatable Jacuzzi.

Dew Remover: Quick to install and quick to respond, the Dew Remover has made all-night observing possible here in humid New Jersey. My first experience with the system occurred on a very moist night. My LX200 12" was beginning to show signs of condensation so I attached the Dew Remover. After less than two minutes, I had the 12", 2", Telrad, and Keypad (which I used on the oculars not in use) heaters in place and the dew that had begun to collect was vanquished a minute later. The Dew Remover system saved the day (night)! I've also used the 2" heater to keep my coffee cup warm on chilly, dew-free nights. It works!

Kwik Focus: The Kwik Focus has become an integral part of my nightly observing. The simplicity of the design makes it easy to use. And, does it work? You bet! During the recent occultation of Aldebaran (9/12/98), I used the Kwik Focus on a fifth magnitude star to get what I thought would be a rough focus. I was observing with my LX200 and an Astrovid 2000 video camera. When I slewed back to the Moon, it was in perfect focus! I have never seen a video image of the lunar surface with such detail! I also use the Kwik Focus in conjunction with an SBIG ST-7 CCD camera. On several occasions, I was able to use the Kwik Focus without further adjustments to achieve tack-sharp images. I have also made a 10mm hole in one of the three plugs to use during planetary and lunar CCD work, to stop down the light. There are only two drawbacks to the Kwik Focus that I need to mention. First, it does not fit over the Meade dew shield (you must remove this to use the Kwik Focus). And, secondly, stray cats will find the three removable plugs a necessity to play with while you're observing on your front porch. Take precautions.

Off-axis solar filter: The 82mm off-axis solar filter is incredible! My first use involved videotaping sunspots and a couple of bright limb flares. The detail was phenomenal. Using the filter for visual observations was also incredible and I was pleased with the detail and color afforded by the filter, even at extremely high magnifications. Since it is affixed to the Kwik Focus and used during the daytime, the issue of the Kwik Focus not fitting over the Meade dew shield becomes mute. I have also removed the solar filter (quickly unscrews from the mount which is very convenient) and used it with my Swift 20x.80 wide-field binoculars, well, MONocular, in this case. All in all, a superb product for solar observations.

12v 33AH battery: I cannot say enough about this superior power source. When it first arrived, I thought I should field test it (essentially, beat it up). I had the LX200 12", all four of my dew heaters (on maximum), a laptop, a SCSI/parallel adapter, the Astrovid 2000 video camera, a Toshiba video monitor, an SBIG ST-7 CCD camera, and a CD player all connected to the battery and the 110v inverter. Even with all that current being pulled, I was able to observe for nearly three hours! On subsequent nights, I've been a tad more conservative and have had the 'scope and heaters last all week long before needing a recharge. The charge indicator is a great convenience, as well. I have not used the high output connections yet, however, I am considering using it to charge an electrical fence to keep those stray cats off the front porch.

All in all, Jim, I am very impressed with the quality of the workmanship and the functionality of all the products I've received from you. If they ever bestow a Nobel Prize for astronomical products, you would be a most worthy recipient.

If any of your potential customers would like to contact me regarding the abovementioned gear, please don't hesitate to give them my e-mail address, drcosmo@tw-zone.com, as I'd be happy to share what I've learned about the Jimi Kendricks Experience.

Cheers,
George E. Mahlberg....Princeton, NJ

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The Three Hole Focuser (Kwik Focus) was used the first time about a week ago.With the bad weather here, it may have been 2 weeks ago this weekend. Either case, I needed very little, and I mean very little effort to focus the terminator on the Moon.I took 13 CCD images along the day old wanning Moon terminator and received EXCELLENT, IN FOCUS pictures, the best I have yet to get.I am looking forward to using it again in the quest for obtaining a Mosaic of the entire Moon.
Gene Faulkner, NJ

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I have owned a Kwik Focus for my 8" Schmidt Cassegrain for three years now and I have noticed that my planetary photos are much better focused than before. When looking through a ground glass focus screen I find it much easier to tell when two (now three) images merge than trying to tell when the limb of a planet is at it's sharpest. This is a simple and very useful piece of equipment to have in my toy box.
Larry Usrey, Fernley, NV

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Good evening. I'm Tim in Warner Robins, Georgia. You clever Canuck guy. How did you ever think up the Kwik-Focus? My Kwik-Focus is just what I needed for critical focus. Your device works well! I commend your efforts.
Tim Kraus, Warner Robins, GA

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This device is particularly useful for focusing on extended objects like the Moon and planets.

Once the telescope is focused, the Kwik Focus device is removed to expose the telescope's full aperture. In my tests, on several occasions whenthe atmospheric seeing was very poor, sharpness could be considerably improved by leaving the cover in place. Solar observers will find this device particularly handy. After focusing through a full-aperture solar filter with both of the Kwik Focus apertures, I covered one. The resultswere excellent even though the telescope was reduced to only a 2-inch aperture.

What's to stop someone from making a similar aperture mask from cardboard or some other material? Nothing, especially since the dimensions aren't critical. But it's unlikely a homemade cover would be as durable as the Kwik Focus. Indeed, I replaced the plastic cover of my 8-inch telescope with the Kwik Focus. The old cover had a nasty habit of falling off whenever I carried the scope around in cold temperatures.
Dennis di Cicco , Sky & Telescope , June, 1992