BORG Single Fork Mount & SS-one KODO Controller – Element Version

BORG’s single fork mount (#3101) is charmingly compact and surprisingly so solid. Probably it’s more rigid than people are thinking.  Anyway, only one drawback WAS the compatibility of a mounting plate, which required BORG special ones. Unfortunately this restricted user’s option, and was not cost-effective either.

Now BORG is, however, prepared to release the re-designed body, which allows to set the worldwide standard – Arca Swiss plate. This gives us a lot of options in the market now.

Probably I will receive a prototype sometime next week. I will keep updated on this item. BORG fork mount will become more backpacker-friendly companion.

I’m showing you Japan’s SS-one products these days. Here is an another new controller called SS-one KODO Element, which is expected to be commercially available by end of next month.

KODO Element’s concept is further smaller, simpler and more cost-effective. It has only two functions – autoguiding and polar alignment. The polar alignment requires an external GPS USB module and the dedicated imaging device. If someone are looking for autoguiding solution in 5V operation without PC, this is it.

The launching plan for each controller is

1. SS-one KODO Complete, including KODO STD plus GOTO and planetarium software (next spring, a portable GOTO mount will be also available too)
2. SS-one KODO Element – AG and polar (next month)
3. SS-one KODO STD – AG synchronized with DSLRs , polar, focus aid and finder (not specified yet)
4. SS-one KODO  ZWO – ZWO image capture (next month)

At this moment, autoguider cameras SS-one KODO supports are some of ZWO models only. I will more clarify later.

 

~ by tedishikawa on November 22, 2016.