Explore Scientific 80mm f/6 ED Apochromatic Triplet Essential Refractor Telescope ( TOP SELLER )

• 80mm f/6 air-spaced triplet apochromatic optics using a Hoya FPL51-equivalent ED element
• dual-speed 2” rack and pinion focuser with 10:1 ratio fine focusing
• dovetail foot for installing on a Vixen-style altazimuth or German equatorial mount
• dovetail shoe for installing optional finderscope
• extended product lifetime warranty

The Explore Scientific ES80 "Essential Series" refractor uses a premium Hoya ED glass element and state-of-the-art optical multicoatings in its apochromatic air-spaced ED triplet optics. The result is images that are essentially free of the annoying halo of unfocused violet light (chromatic aberration) that mars the view of bright stars and solar system objects in lesser scopes, despite the fast focal ratio of the ES80, and even at very high magnifications.

The Explore Scientific ES80 is a natural as a lightweight grab-and-go scope for spur-of-the-moment backyard astronomy. It also makes a top-notch travel scope to take across town or around the world. In addition, it’s a nifty fast focal ratio astrograph to piggyback on a larger scope for serious wide field imaging, or you can even use it on a big altazimuth or equatorial mount as the heart of your observing system. Considering its surprisingly low price for an apochromatic triplet, and in view of the great optical performance that comes as standard equipment, the 80mm Explore Scientific ES80 is a terrific buy!

Features of this telescope . . .

• Air-spaced ED apochromatic triplet refractor optics: 80mm (3.1”) aperture, 480mm focal length, f/6 focal ratio three-lens air-spaced optical system. The optics use a center lens element of Hoya FCD1 (Dense Fluor Crown) glass, the Hoya equivalent of FPL-51 ED (Extra-low Dispersion) glass. This ED element produces superior sharpness and color correction by minimizing the chromatic aberration, the “false” color fringing seen around bright objects when light rays pass through standard crown-and-flint doublet objectives. The result is to reduce spurious color halos and fringing to vanishingly low levels.

   

• Fully multicoated optics: The ES80 triplet objective lens has EMD™ (Enhanced Multilayer Deposition) antireflection multicoatings on all air-to-glass surfaces for high light transmission, minimal light scatter, and excellent contrast.

   

• Internal light baffles: The aluminum tube has contrast-enhancing internal light baffles and a specially darkened tube interior to provide dark sky backgrounds and high terrestrial contrast.

   

• Collimatable optics: One of the bonuses of owning a refractor is that, compared to standard reflector telescopes, they almost never require realigning of the optics (collimation). However, any air-spaced refractor telescope may require optical recentering if the lens elements are knocked out of alignment by a heavy blow during shipping or use. Removing the dew shield will give you access to the lens centering screws in the sides of the lens cell, which you can then adjust yourself by referring to the supplied instructions. You can also send your scope to Explore Scientific’s Service Center for precision alignment. A standard service charge applies for factory realignment.

   

• Dew shield: The supplied removable dew shield slows the formation of dew on the lens in cold weather to extend your undisturbed observing time. It also improves the contrast, similar to the effect of the lens shade on a camera lens, when observing during the day or when there is excessive ambient light at night, such as a neighbor’s backyard security light. A single thumbscrew holds the dew shield in place, allowing the felt-lined dew shield to be removed from the scope, reversed, slid back onto the optical tube, and stored for transport in only a few seconds. The optical tube measures a compact 18.5” long, including the dew shield. A thread-in metal dust cap for the optical tube is standard.

   

• Dual speed 2” rack and pinion focuser: The precision-made no-backlash focuser has dual-speed focusing. There are two coarse focusing knobs. The right knob also has a smaller concentric knob with a 10:1 reduction gear microfine focusing ratio. This provides exceptionally precise image control during high magnification visual observing and critical 35mm or CCD imaging. The large focus knobs have ribbed gripping surfaces so they are easy to operate, even while wearing gloves or mittens in cold weather. The focuser drawtube has a scale marked in centimeters and 1mm increments. This lets you note individual focuser positions for easy return to the correct focus when switching between visual use and photography. Two knobs underneath the focuser lets you adjust the tension on the drawtube to accommodate varying eyepiece/photo accessory loads, as well as firmly lock in a photographic focus. The focuser has a non-marring 2" brass compression ring equipment holder.

 

• Mounting foot: For serious astronomy and astrophotography, the ES80 has an L-shaped dovetail mounting foot that is shaped to fit directly into the Vixen-style dovetail slot on the head of many of the most popular light to medium capacity altazimuth and German VX Series go-to equatorials, the Meade LXD-75 or LX-80 go-to equatorials, and the Vixen Sphinx and Great Polaris Deluxe equatorial mounts and Porta altazimuth mount, among others. In addition, the dovetail has both 1/4"-20 and 3/8” holes that allow you to mount the 7.5 pound scope (including diagonal) directly onto any good photo tripod for casual astronomy or daytime terrestrial observing. A knob on the body of the scope allows you to rotate the tube assemblyand focuser to line up a camera in either a landscape or portrait orientation (or any orientation in between), then temporarily lock the focuser in that position.

   

• Extended product lifetime warranty: This individually serial numbered Explore Scientific telescope is backed by a limited one year warranty, which will be extended to an Explore Scientific transferable product lifetime limited warranty when its warranty card is registered with Explore Scientific within 60 days of purchase. Full details on this unique transferable product lifetime warranty.

 

What's in the Box

 

• Explore Scientific 80mm f/6 Essential Series Triplet Refractor
• Vixen Style Dovetail
• 2" Dual-Speed Focuser
• 2" Dielectric Diagonal
• Finderscope base (FINDER SOLD SEPARATELY)