![]() IOptron later released the SmartStar CubePro mount that includes a GoToNova hand controller. The original iOptron SmartStar Cube came in four “eye-catching” colors: Astro Blue (shown above), Terra Green, Cosmic Orange, and Pulsar Purple. The Original iOptron Cube Telescope mount ( SmartStar Alt-Az “Cube” Press Release from 2007) They would continue to produce innovative commercial products in the coming years, and has become one of the world’s leading manufacturers of telescope mounts. With a successful launch of the iOptron Cube telescope mount, the iOptron corporation was off to a fantastic start. Advanced variations of this mount followed, until the more robust MiniTower was introduced in 2008. When it was released in 2007, the “Cube” was the first stand-alone Alt-Az telescope mount with GoTo functionality on the market. The iOptron Cube features both axis motors built into a single unit, and was compatible with telescopes that included a Vixen dovetail. The SmartStar Cube was a Sky and Telescope “Hot Product” in 2008, and labeled as “one of the most functional and flexible units on the market”. The amateur astronomy community embraced this innovative and practical design with open arms. The iOptron Cube was very lightweight, with a small profile. Some of the most popular camera and telescope mounts from iOptron. ![]() The MiniTower Pro was able to mount dual scope setups, and had a listed payload capacity of 33 pounds. The MiniTower and MiniTower Pro could handle a much heavier payload than the Cube, yet was still impressively compact and lightweight. Here is the oldest video I could find of iOptron at NEAF, an interview by Dennis DiCicco from SKy and Telescope from way back in 2009:Īs you may have heard in the video, at this time the iOptron MiniTower was a popular product. IOptron is a regular attendee at NEAF, the Northeast Astronomy Forum. The iOptron Cube was a practical choice for small refractor telescope owners that wanted computerized control of their mount, without the headaches of a large (expensive), computerized equatorial mount. The SmartStar Cube was an affordable, compact, alt-az telescope mount with computerized pointing and tracking capabilities. IOptron began its journey into the astronomy gear realm in 2007, with the release of the innovative SmartStar GoTo mount. I cannot personally relate to any issues (using 5 of their products), but I know that others have had to take advantage of their warranty for equipment repairs. The quality control at iOptron has been discussed in detail in the past, but I believe this much better controlled as of late. To me, the most important aspect in these scenarios is customer service, and in that department, I have only heard good things. ![]() Like all astronomy and telescope companies, returns and repairs are needed from time to time. IOptron’s manufacturing facilities are located China, with its headquarters in Massachusetts, USA. In this article, I’ll provide a brief history of the company, along with some of the products that took them to the next level. I do not have any affiliation with iOptron whatsoever, but I have become very interested in the timeline of their products, and what their most successful launches were over the years. In their relatively short existence, this company has become known for innovative telescope mounts like the Az Mount Pro and CEM series, and admirable customer support. Over the years, I have used a number of iOptron products, mainly their camera trackers and telescope mounts. But unlike some of the big players in the astronomy and astrophotography world, iOptron is a relatively new company. ![]() CubePro is compatible with all ASCOM compliant planetarium programs and many other programs such as Sky X, Starry Night and Voyager.From camera mounts like the extremely popular and capable iOptron SkyGuider Pro, to the impressively stable CEM60, the iOptron company has become a household name to amateur astronomers and astrophotographers. The standard dovetail makes this mount compatible with many different OTAs. The compact design of the tripod and the mount makes it easy to carry around in a travel case, and the mount assembly time takes less than 5 minutes. 1" stainless steel tripod legs with metal platform and metal hinges makes the mount very sturdy. A 32 channel internal GPS, easy alignment procedure and accurate GoTo and auto-tracking minimize the setup time. The CubePro features a SmartStar computerized control system with 130,000 objects and an 8-line backlit LCD screen. The iOptron CubePro GoTo AltAzimuth Mount is the ideal portable mount to go with your portable celestial or solar telescope. Spotting Scopes, Binoculars & Monoculars.
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