by Todd Carlson

For the past four years, I have attended the Northeast Astronomy Forum and Telescope Show (NEAF) in New York State. This year’s event took place on April 18 and 19.

Located about a half-hour drive northeast of Manhattan, NEAF is held at Rockland Community College, in Suffern, and is hosted by the Rockland Astronomy Club. It’s hard to imagine the effort that must go into organizing this event each year, but I’m sure Alan Traino and his dozens of volunteers put in many, many hours. Flying out of Toronto early Saturday morning, I landed at Newark Liberty Airport at 7:30 a.m., and within 20 minutes of arriving, I was in my rental car and making the 30-minute drive to Suffern.

More than 100 vendors filled the gymnasium of the college. By noon, the floors were packed with amateur astronomers, many of whom had travelled to NEAF from across the U.S. and Canada. This is the event to attend if you wish to talk to any of the major manufacturers of astronomy equipment. 

Canadian telescope-maker Normand Fullum had a booth full of his ornate wooden handcrafted telescopes, which attracted a great deal of attention. In fact, his scopes are so desirable that by midafternoon on Saturday, most of them had already been sold. His telescopes truly are works of art and are as functional as they are beautiful.

SkyShed, a Canadian company that makes the Personal Observatory Dome (POD), had a model on display in a booth hosted by one of its U.S distributors.

Whether you are an equipment junkie, an eyepiece addict, an advanced astrophotographer or a relative newbie, there is something for everyone at NEAF. A few products definitely caught my eye as I wandered up and down the aisles. 

Carina Software, makers of SkyGazer and Voyager planetarium software, was showcasing a new product called the SkyFi. Don’t have a laptop to control your scope? Use your cellphone! This neat little device allows you to control your telescope via a planetarium program on your cellphone. SkyFi is expected to cost around US$100-$125 and will be available soon. Definitely a unique product!

Small apochromatic telescopes are becoming ever more popular (is that even possible?), and iOptron had a new 127mm apo on display. The scope appeared to be well built and solid; however, the iOptron rep I spoke to was unable to tell me where the scope’s lens was made. It is expected to sell for US$2,700. iOptron was also showcasing a new mount, capable of holding a 65-pound payload, though there was no time frame as to when it would be available to the public. 

Tele Vue created a splash two years ago when it introduced the 13mm Ethos, a 100-degree eyepiece that instantly received high praise from many observers. Since then, it has released focal lengths of 8mm, 6mm, 17mm and, at NEAF, 10mm. I returned with a 17mm and 10mm Ethos, so watch for a review coming soon!

Speaking of splashes (literally!), Explore Scientific announced its entry into the 100-degree-eyepiece market with its 100° Series Nitrogen-Purged Waterproof Eyepieces. The first focal length to be introduced is a 14mm model, which it reports will be available soon. Throughout the day, Explore Scientific rep Russ Tanton dipped the 14mm eyepiece into a fish tank to show that it is, indeed, waterproof. The benefit of this feature, explained Tanton, is that it will enable easy cleaning, as I was subsequently shown.

I have requested one of these eyepieces for review, so hopefully, it will arrive soon, and the battle for 100-degree-eyepiece superiority will be on!

APM, a European company (soon to have a U.S. store) known for retailing high-end apos, had a display of apochromatic refractors that left everyone drooling.  The highlight was a 254mm apo riding atop an Astro-Physics El Capitan mount.  The $54,000 U.S. price tag (and that’s just for the scope!) had many hoping that they would soon win the lottery.  A nearby table had a smorgasbord of apos of all sizes.  Many an eye widened as a visitor approached the apo table. If you were looking for an apo of any size...chances are that APM had brought one from Germany with them!


Vixen Optics was on hand showcasing a number of products which included their new VMC330L, a 330mm f/13 catadioptric telescope and a dual-speed focuser (allowing 1/7th speed focusing) that can be retrofitted to the stock Vixen rack and pinion focuser. While new telescopes are always intriguing, I enjoy discovering new gadgets such as the dual-speed focuser which, at its affordable price, can easily be added to an amateur astronomer's accessory wish-list.


Fortunately, the weather cooperated for NEAF 2009, and some manufacturers and volunteers set up solar telescopes for observing. 

Astronomy retailers from across the U.S. also come to NEAF. Deals can be had—you just have to know your prices (especially with the exchange rate)—and many could be seen showing off their new purchases. Although I did not experience it firsthand, I have been told that Sunday afternoon is a great day for bargains, as most vendors prefer not to have to ship products back home. 

On Sunday afternoon, I decided to make a trip into Manhattan. After last year’s experience of driving in Manhattan (even though it was only a brief excursion), there was absolutely no chance I was going to do that again! Within 25 minutes of getting on the train at Newark Liberty Airport, I was standing outside Penn Station.

Now, at this point, please keep in mind that I live in a town of about 1,000 people. Penn Station is below Madison Square Garden, and although there was no event taking place on this particular evening, the streets were packed. There were more people visible within 200 metres in every direction than live in my sleepy little town! 

After experiencing the joys of a New York City cab ride (hard acceleration, hard brake, face into the Plexiglas, repeat), I settled into my hotel, then ventured out into the lights of Manhattan.

And there are lots of lights. I couldn’t help noting the irony of having the world’s largest astronomy expo in an area that is so heavily light-polluted. As can be seen in these photos taken from atop the Empire State Building and at Times Square, there are many, many lights! 

After spending most of the next day touring Manhattan, including Madison Square Garden (we even entered both the Rangers and the Knicks dressing rooms—unfortunately, I forgot to bring my camera), the day ended with a short flight back to Toronto.