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Welcome to DarkFrame Ltd

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DarkFrame rebuilt & tuned Celestron CGEM-DX  Video:©2017 Ian Bird


Limited spaces available per month for faster turnaround, and less downtime,
eg. StellarDrive EQ3, EQM35, and EQ5 are now 12 working days, or less!*
(*subject to age and condition of mount - does not include courier time.)

Please do leave a message or booking details, as we cannot always answer the phone when in the workshop. We are always working on mounts! We'll get back to you as soon as we can +44 (0)2392 570283

Please read our shipping page for all UK local 
EU & USA  and Worldwide pricing and how to get your mount to us
starting at just £29 return


Please email sharon@darkframe.co.uk for all prices
inc. to the Rest of the World.

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(Please use Currency Tab for approximate country pricing)
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Please Note! Opening Hours: Monday 11am-5pm
Tuesday/Weds/Thurs 10am-5pm, Fri 10am-1pm 
GMT
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Customer Quote of the Month:
"It tracks almost as well as my AM5 harmonic drive mount guided, with the same scope."
- StellarDrive EQM 35 Owner,  UK
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STOCK NEWS! UPDATED 13/03/2024 - Current EQ mounts for sale, in production build and brand new built to order (BTO) stock. *All PHD Data (in ArcSec) quoted is customer tested and averaged over 4 hours, so it's their real-world data - not ours.

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NEW StellarDrive EQM-35 (0.4 ArcSec RMS*) - BTO -1x BTO from stock
NEW StellarDrive 5 (HEQ5 0.36 ArcSec RMS*) -  BTO - 1x BTO from stock
NEW StellarDrive 5GT (AZEQ5GT 0.2 ArcSec RMS* !!!) - BTO
NEW StellarDrive 6R (EQ6-R - 0.33 ArcSec RMS* 25kg payload) - 1x BTO from stock
NEW StellarDrive 6GT (AZEQ6GT - 0.33 ArcSec RMS @25kg*) -  BTO
NEW StellarDrive 6R ULTRA (EQ6-R - 0.16 ArcSec RMS*) - 1x BTO from stock.
NEW StellarDrive 8R Pro (EQ8-R Head only - 0.3 ArcSec RMS @45kg*) - BTO
NEW StellarDrive 8R ULTRA (0.16 ArcSec RMS*) - BTO
All Celestron rebuilds now feature our new StellarDrive SGv3 Gearboxes, which lowers drivetrain harmonics and improves both guided and unguided tracking!
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New StellarDrive AVX-RZ (Celestron AVX, 0.5 ArcSec RMS*) - 1 x SOLD
New StellarDrive CGEM-II (Celestron CGEM-II, >0.4 ArcSec RMS*) - enquire
New StellarDrive CG-X (Celestron CG-X, 0.3-0.5 ArcSec RMS*) - BTO
New StellarDrive CG-XL - increased imaging payload over CG-X. -  BTO

Pre-loved 
StellarDrive CG-X circa 0.5 ArcSec RMS - £1800
StellarDrive AVX-RZ circa 0.5 ArcSec RMS - £800
StellarDrive EQM35 - circa 0.4 ArcSec RMS - in preparation
StellarDrive 6R - circa 0.3 ArcSec RMS - in preparation

Refurbished EQ6, in build - estimated June '24
Refurbished HEQ5, in build - estimated June '24
 
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Please e-mail dave@darkframe.co.uk for current product status and ordering. Other Built-to-Order (BTO) and customised mounts available upon request and subject to availability.

OWNER ANNOUNCEMENT! Resale values of used StellarDrive mounts have been up to 25% higher or more than a stock mount, such is their reputation for consistent performance. Along with your existing certification, we now have free StellarDrive badging which you can apply to your StellarDrive mount since launch in 2017. We'll post it out to you, or will apply them for you when you have your Service due within 5-7 years from rebuild.

This unique offer as it applies only to previous owners of our StellarDrive 3P, 5P, EQM35, 5GT, 6R, 6GT, EQ8 and AVX, CG-X and CG-XL models. We are contacting all owners as part of this rollout. If you have bought one of our StellarDrive mounts from a previous owner, please get in touch, quoting your mounts certificate number.

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A Big Thank You to AstroBiscuit - Filmed November 2020
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It's your existing EQ mount, but rebuilt for consistent low sub-arcsecond tracking with zero dropped frames, and more detailed images.
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We are the only full-time dedicated UK based lab/workshop in the world, for computerised telescope EQ mounts. Since 2015 we have provided testing, servicing, repair and optimisation of the widest range of EQ mounts available. We precisely re-engineer far higher tolerances into your Sky-watcher/Orion USA and Celestron mounts, and other leading brands, for very cost-effective high-end comparable performance. We have independent customer PHD2 data across nearly every permutation of mount and telescope. This not only verifies the quality control standard we work to, but what potential your mount really has.

Our Multi-Award winning work, takes your existing equatorial mount and fully re-engineer it to perform as a high-end low sub-arcsecond imaging mount at full payload.  Our work is not comparable to any DIY home-brew tuneup, or online video build. We do not supply tuning kits, as this is component reengineering. We utilise very precise superfinishing and measurement processes that improve tracking resolution and consistency.

Our proven rebuilds last for 5-7 years before a service update, so offer a far greater economic value over getting a new replacement mount. Anyone one that tells you that a mount doesn't need servicing, obviously has never opened one up! All greases expire and degrading tracking, usually within 7-10 years, even on higher end mounts. That's why you need to protect your investment, before any wear may occur. Regular servicing means your EQ mount could last you decades, but only if you look after it.

You may already own your next better mount.
We just haven't rebuilt it for you, yet.

Our unique experience is truly vast. We have successfully re-engineered and modified more EQ Goto mounts than any anyone else in this industry worldwide. They are helping to produce some of the most amazing published Astrophotography in the UK, Europe, the USA and Worldwide!. This track record of consistently detailed output, has created a unique independent data resource of over 80,000+ hours PHD2 guide data. Proof indeed, that demonstrates our engineering practices work. We publish that independent data here in our regularly updated Mount Performance Chart.

Take your existing Astro-imaging to the Next Level.

Your mount is the most important part of your imaging rig. If that doesn't work, then nothing else will work either. Our mount rebuilds, not only improve both guided and unguided tracking, it does it very consistently. The lower periodic error and reduced amplitude improves image detail and resolution, from your existing gear. Fainter detailed is revealed, because those weaker photons aren't being dissapated across the image sensor, effectively rubbing out quality. Isn't Physics great!  You will see this result as tighter, rounder stars, richer starfields, and amazing target detail, maximising the Dawes Limit of your telescope.  

The maximum payload of your mount, is now your full imaging payload as either a StellarDrive or StellarTune EQ mount. No longer do you have to sacrifice up to half the stated payload, just so can capture images reliably. Balance can be perfected, as is it now stiction-free. But importantly, our re-engineering reduces or eliminates any lost frames too, meaning increased data you acquire every session, saving hours of lost time per night.

We are also a Celestron Technical Specialist Dealer, and have developed drivetrain solutions to improve the tracking of AVX, CGEM-II, CG-X and CG-XL, notably via our SGv3 and SGv3.1 reduction gearboxes, as well as work on the venerable CGE-Pro's drivetrain. We also have a lot of upgrade experience with their range of EDGE-HD and RASA telescopes. 

Each BRAND NEW (BTO) and custom rebuilt and fully optimised StellarDrive™ or StellarDrive ULTRA™ EQ mount comes with Two years FULL worldwide mechanical warranty and support.

Our work is backed up on all other rebuilt and StellarTune™ and StellarDrive™ customer used mount rebuilds from 01/2024, with a reassuring One year worldwide RTB mechanical warranty. 

An up to 6 month* RTB mechanical warranty for older Legacy mounts up to 10 years old in stock condition, subject to evaluation. These mount warranties are unmatched in the industry for used and resold mounts.

We no longer accept DIY, or modded EQ mounts, or older examples over 10 years  for rebuild as StellarTune or StellarDrive. Please get in touch via email first and supply photos for appraisal, and will do our best to help where we can.

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For more details on specific servicing/tuning work please e-mail: info@darkframeoptics.com
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E&OE - Mount Build Specification and components used are subject to change without notice and are customised to any specific mount, to optimise the outcome of an individual mount. We reserve the right to individually modify our formulated build type for the purpose to provide consistency, due to the age and condition of customer supplied mount, where applicable. Each build is therefore documented as an individual specification, and recorded as is unique test-rig data.

Example EQ mount tracking performance is not guaranteed and is indicative based from customer supplied data. Tracking Performance is also dependent on users ability, location, weather conditions, and also subject to the age and condition of the Donor Mount, where applicable. Any customer adjustment post-rebuild, may affect performance.

*All mounts are graded from 0-5 on arrival, then benchmarked prior to rebuild. Grade 0-1 are rejected, and may be subject to an evaluation charge before return. If in doubt, please send images of mount prior to order. The mount has to be fully functional, or it is a repair which adds time and cost. Repairs/Spares parts are not included in the price in our service or rebuild products.
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DarkFrame Limited is a Certified Carbon Neutral business. carbonneutralbritain.org