Electronic Focuser Unboxing: FocusCube 2 vs. Senso 2

This time two electronic focusers landed in my hands at once: PegasusAstro’s FocusCube 2, and Primalucelab’s Senso 2 (the latter on loan from the distributor for review). While installing them, I jotted down some unboxing and usage notes for fellow enthusiasts thinking of buying one.

PegasusAstro FocusCube 2

1. It requires a mounting bracket, so installation is relatively involved; also, the screws included by the manufacturer are the wrong length—you’ll need to supply your own M4x8 screws to fasten it.
2. The bracket’s mounting holes are limited in placement—on my Askar FRA 600, for instance, it can only go on the left-hand focus knob.
3. You just plug in a single network cable—plug-and-play, with no separate driver installation needed (though the FocusCube requires a Pegasus controller to function; there’s also a standalone integrated version to choose from).
4. The motor runs quietly.

Primalucelab Senso 2 (Loaned by the Distributor for Review)

1. The included screws are on the small side and easily dropped and lost during installation, so take extra care.
2. No bracket needed—it installs directly in place of the original focus knob.
3. The motor is noisier in operation.
4. You can connect over WiFi through a browser to control focus manually.
5. Even with the motor installed, the focus knob can still be turned by hand (just not very smoothly).

Each has its trade-offs: the FocusCube 2 wins on being quiet and plug-and-play, but it’s more laborious to install and picky about the focus-knob position; the Senso 2 wins on needing no bracket, dropping straight into place, and preserving the flexibility of manual turning, at the cost of a louder motor and small screws that are easily lost. Which one to actually choose still comes down to your optical setup and your habits.