EG&G Princeton Applied Research produces a Reticon detector system intended for laboratory applications. However, current versions of the system are well-suited to astronomical observations at observatories with modest financial and technical resources.

The detector inputs are intensified by microchannel plates, fiber-optically coupled to a 1024-pixel Reticon. Controller and readout electronics, and software for data pre-processing and graphical display are also available off-the-shelf, enabling the observer to put the system to use without a major development effort.