Forget having to connect your telescope to a laptop or desktop computer with lengthy cables, and big batteries. Thanks to the best features astrophotographers love in the EAGLE family, the EAGLE LE now allows you to spend less money to remotely control and power your telescope with less time setting up.
In a single device you have a Windows 10 Enterprise computer, fast SSD storage, eight USB ports, an advanced power distribution system for all of your imaging accessories with 7 power out ports, a special WiFi system to remotely control the telescope from any smartphone, tablet or external computer (with Windows, macOS, iOS or Android operative systems) and DARK mode to disable all of the LED lights. Everything is controlled via the included EAGLE Manager software and housed in a beautiful rigid aluminum case designed with our flexible PLUS mounting system, allowing you to perfectly connect the EAGLE LE to any telescope.
We do not ship PrimaLuceLab products to USA, you can order to one of our USA dealers.
Digital astrophotography can be complicated: if you want to take the best photos of the night sky, you not only need a telescope, mount and a camera… You will also need a list of accessories like a guide camera, motorized focuser, and dew heaters, and they all need to be powered and controlled with the proper software. This can quickly turn any telescope into a complicated mess of tangled cables! EAGLE LE solves all the problems and make astrophotography easier and quicker!
- Windows 10 Enterprise computer lets you install your preferred devices and software
- 8 USB ports: 4 high speed USB 3.0 ports plus 4 USB 2.0 ports with remote ON/OFF capability
- 4 x 12V power out ports with remote ON/OFF control to power your mount, camera and other 12V accessories
- 3x variable 0-12V power out ports for dew heaters
- DARK mode to turn off all the LED lights
- Powerful and fast WiFi 802.11ac with dual band (2.4 and 5 GHz) connection
- Power level monitoring of every device powered through the 12v power out ports of the EAGLE LE
- EAGLE Manager interface to easily control all the EAGLE LE’s features
- PLUS aluminum case, allowing you to easily attach the EAGLE LE to any telescope
- Weight: 1145 gr.
The EAGLE LE eliminates the need for an external computer and you are not limited to a preset list of features - You can install whatever software and device you want to use on the EAGLE. The Windows 10 Enterprise operating system is 100% Windows 10 compatible but is lighter-weight and more stable than traditional PCs that use Windows 10 Home or other OEM versions that come preinstalled with useless bloatware. We have optimized the Windows 10 Enterprise installation on the EAGLE LE to be a faster operating system (the EAGLE LE is ready to use just 20 seconds after pressing the ON button) and to maintain better stability during your astrophotography sessions. EAGLE LE uses a 2.0 GHz Celeron processor (J4005 dual-core with Burst Mode up to 2.7 GHz and 4MB cache) and 4 GB fast DDR4L RAM memory - both designed for low power consumption. This way you have the power you need to run any astrophotography software with a device that’s easy on your battery, improving overall portability.
Different from traditional spinning hard disks, the SSD drive in the EAGLE LE has no moving parts, so it’s faster and more durable over time. With the flexibility of the EAGLE LE you can save the pictures on the SSD drive for processing directly in the EAGLE LE or connect a 3.0 USB flash drive to one of the high speed USB 3.0 ports. This way, if you prefer, at the end of the your session you can quickly and easily move the files to an external computer for processing. EAGLE LE’s internal components were designed for field use in extended temperature ranges. This way you can relay on it for all night long, in higher humidity conditions since the small amount of internal heat generated by the processor prevents any problems with humidity.
Thanks to EAGLE LE you won't need an external control computer (usually a laptop), a smaller and lighter battery will be sufficient and you will use much less cables.
This way you can connect and control lots of devices to the EAGLE LE and you can remotely turn on/off USB ports if needed, instead of having to manually unplug or plug the cables! This can be a great feature to save power (you can turn off the port you do not use) but you can also reset the port it in case of a device connection failure. Thanks to the EAGLE LE’s four USB 3.0 ports, you can connect and use the latest fast USB 3.0 cameras - This allows you to use the EAGLE LE also for planetary imaging and save videos of the Moon, planets, and Sun in the internal SSD drive.
The EAGLE LE has a separate 12V power input that can run on up to 16 amps. From there, using a special internal board, power is distributed to seven power out ports - four 12V power out ports are designed to power your camera, mount, focuser, or other 12v devices. These ports are equipped with safety screw-type connections to prevent unwanted detachment of the cables and we have made special power cables (optional) for different devices. The three 0-12V variable power out ports are designed to power dew heaters without the need of an external controller. Control of these ports can be easily automated by adding the optional ECCO environmental module for EAGLE. A dedicated chip on EAGLE LE’s power board protects the electronics (both on the EAGLE LE and connected devices) from any overcurrents by temporarily disconnecting power in no more than 1ms in case of electrical problems - a lot faster than traditional fuses. Power is automatically re-activated once the problem has been resolved. Additionally, a special microcontroller allows you to adjust (+- 1A) the maximum current limit of the 12V ports. This way, if you want to connect a device to a 3A max port and that device has a maximum power consumption of 4A, you can increase the port limit to 4A.
To operate EAGLE LE, you don't need a keyboard and mouse - You can control the EAGLE LE through a free dedicated app, available on any smartphone, tablet or personal computer running Windows, MacOS, iOS or Android. Turn the EAGLE LE on, then enable your device's WiFi connection and select the WiFi network provided by the EAGLE LE. Launch the remote control app and you will have EAGLE LE desktop on your screen with access to all your astrophotography software. If you like, you can also configure the EAGLE LE to connect to a pre-existing WiFi or wired/ethernet network allowing remote access via the internet - perfect for remote observatories! Since the EAGLE LE doesn't use VNC or other software for remote control, it's faster and more stable. For your safety each EAGLE device creates a unique WiFi network, from any other EAGLE that might be nearby. To avoid any other issues at a star party, every EAGLE also has a unique access password known only by you.
You can connect the EAGLE LE to any type of telescope, allowing you to have less cabling with shorter runs that move together with the telescope. This drastically reduces the potential for a cable snagging or detaching while your telescope tracks the stars across the sky. We designed the EAGLE LE case to be incredibly rigid - rigid enough to a support a parallel telescope (up to 5 kg). The EAGLE LE case comes with M5 and M6 threaded holes to seamlessly attach PLUS accessories (support rings, guide rings, dovetail bars or dovetail clamps), at at least 2 points to maintain the system's rigidity. For example, the EAGLE LE can be installed between the PLUS support rings and guiding rings, without any flexure (for guide telescopes up to 5 kg) improving the portability of your telescope and allowing it to be moved to the field pre-assembled, greatly reducing reducing your setup time.
By adding ECCO, (Environmental Computerized COntroller) to your EAGLE LE, you can automatically and continuously monitor the dew point (the temperature below which moisture condenses) by sensing the temperature and humidity of the air around your telescope and the temperature of your lenses. ECCO will then automatically vary the voltage to the appropriate EAGLE LE’s ports where your dew heaters bands are connected, keeping dew from forming on your optics. All of this with an automatic and easy to use device that you just have to connect to one of the EAGLE LE USB ports. That’s why we call it ECCO: in Italian, it means "There you go”!
Physical external dimensions (in millimeters) of the EAGLE with the position of the threaded holes (M6 in the bottom part to connect to support rings or dovetail clamps and plates, M5 in the upper part to connect to PLUS guide rings).
EAGLE LE comes with special "EAGLE Manager" software that starts automatically and provides an easy and intuitive interface, allowing you to:
- Enable/Disable every 12V power out port: this way you can keep all your devices connected (for example, mount, camera, filter wheel, etc.) and activate them remotely when you turn on the entire system. Each port shows the current consumption that can also be monitored over time.
- Set the power out voltage of the 3 x 0-12V power out ports: increase or decrease the power to dew heaters connected to EAGLE. Each port shows the current consumption that can also be monitored over time.
- Activate DARK mode: this turns off all the LED lights.
- Connect or disconnect devices connected to the four USB 2.0 ports: this feature is convenient in case of temporary crash of an autoguider or planetary camera, which can then be reset without the need to go to the telescope and disconnect/reconnect a cable.
- Check power consumption and battery lifetime: if you power your EAGLE with a battery, a dedicated menu allows you to set the Ampere capacity of your battery and charge percentage when EAGLE is powered on, enabling you to monitor its expected lifetime.
- Set WiFi connectivity: to access EAGLE in Access Point mode for field use (use your smartphone, tablet or external computer by connecting directly to EAGLE without the need of a WiFi router) or HOST mode for connecting to your existing network such as your home WiFi.
- Set your automatic power routines: you can define port status “After power on” and “Before shut down” for the devices connected to the EAGLE. This way, for example, you can automatically turn on all your devices after you start the EAGLE and turn them all off when you shut down the EAGLE.
Comparison of EAGLE LE, EAGLE4, EAGLE5 S/PRO/XTM with all the main specifications:
EAGLE LE computer
2 WiFi antennas
12V power cable with cigarette plug for EAGLE - 250cm
n.4 M6x8 screws + n.4 M6x10 screws + n.4 M6x12 screws + n.4 M6x18 screws + n.4 M6x25 screws + n.4 M6x35 screws
Quick guide
The Apollo Lunar Module (LM), originally designated the Lunar Excursion Module (LEM), was the lander portion of the Apollo spacecraft built for the US Apollo program to carry a crew of two from lunar orbit to the surface and back. EAGLE is the name of Apollo 11 lunar module that, on July 20, 1969, landed the first humans on the Moon, Americans Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin.
from: Wikipedia (picture: Eagle LEM on the Moon - NASA Apollo Archive)
We do not ship PrimaLuceLab products to USA, you can order to one of our USA dealers.
We do not ship PrimaLuceLab products to USA, you can order to one of our USA dealers.
We do not ship PrimaLuceLab products to USA, you can order to one of our USA dealers.
We do not ship PrimaLuceLab products to USA, you can order to one of our USA dealers.
We do not ship PrimaLuceLab products to USA, you can order to one of our USA dealers.
We do not ship PrimaLuceLab products to USA, you can order to one of our USA dealers.
We do not ship PrimaLuceLab products to USA, you can order to one of our USA dealers.
We do not ship PrimaLuceLab products to USA, you can order to one of our USA dealers.
About 2 years ago I automated my imaging process to a high level and switched to the acquisition software N.I.N.A. This has increased the demands on cable management and power supply. That's why I decided on the Eagle LE. Another important point for me was, that with this system you can decide, which software and hardware you want to use. Comparable products from other manufacturers are limited to certain products, what I don't like. I now use the Eagle LE with a Player One Poseidon M camera and a motorized filter wheel, which works fine for me.
The device itselve was set up using the instructions manual, without any major problems. The included Eagle Manager is a good tool to get an overview of the different ports and their usage. The ports can be named.
Most of the time I use the Eagle in HOST mode connected to my home WiFi. My telescope is mounted on a concrete pier in my backyard and I control the Eagle via Remotedesktop from inside the house, which is 15 m away. Sometimes there are disconnections, but this can be quickly fixed by approaching the Eagle and reconnecting. This is not a problem for me as it has no effect on the image sequence.
The system runs reliably both in winter at -10°C and in summer at 20°C. The PC performance is sufficient for the parallel operation of N.I.N.A, Stellarium, PHD2, etc. For my particular setup (cooled camera, filter wheel, focus motor), the 5A power supply works fine.
The built quality is very good. The computer can be easily screwed to mounting plates and tube rings via the threaded holes in the housing and forms a very stable connection to the telescope.
The screw connection of the power connections prevents the cables from being torn off. My cable management has improved significantly thanks to the Eagle. I leave the wiring and the camera permanently on the Eagle and just reconnect the power cable each time. This reduced my set-up time considerably. Before booting up the PC, it is important to ensure that all cables are connected as recommended by the manufacturer. Otherwise it may not work.
All in all I am very satisfied with this system as it makes astrophotography much more comfortable and easier. It's "much more than a computer". I highly recommend the Eagle LE for ambitious astrophotographers who want to automate their imaging without being tied to manufacturer-specific products and are looking for a compact power- and cable management system.
clear skies
Nils Fröba
Dörrebach / RLP, Germany