Meade f/10 ACF 8" OTA With Skywatcher EQ6-R Pro GOTO Mount & Tripod

This listing is for a kit with the Meade F/10 8" ACF OTA mounted on the Skywatcher EQ6-R Pro. A superb kit ideal for all round visual and imaging.

Meade OTA Spec:

Advanced Coma-Free LX200 Optical Tube comes with Meade's Ultra-High Transmission Coatings (UTHC), Oversized Low-Expansion Borosilicate Primary Mirror, Schott Borofloat Glass Corrector Plate, Diffraction Limited Optics, Losmandy-style dovetail, and Dust Cover.

The Advanced Coma-Free (ACF) optical system has brought the highest level of optical performance well within the reach of most amateurs. Using the Meade exclusive design, ACF optics achieve aplanatic performance — with a flatter field, reduced astigmatism and eliminated diffractions spikes — equal to Ritchy-Chétien systems, at a fraction of the price. Coupled with Meade’s Ultra- High Transmission Coatings (standard on all LX200-ACF systems), you have the ultimate in premium optics.

All LX200 models feature a primary mirror locking mechanism, which effectively prevents movement of the primary mirror during long exposure astrophotography or observing. Turn the lock knob located just above the telescopes main focus knob and the progressive-tension primary lock completely cancels any residual image shift due to mirror movement during visual, photographic, or imaging applications.

The 8" LX200 Optical Tube Assembly #0810-60-01 has a 2032mm focal length, an f/10 focal ratio, and weighs 14lbs.

Clear Aperture 8"
Optical Design Advanced Coma-Free (ACF)
Optical Coatings UHTC™
Focal Length 2000mm
Focal Ratio f/10
Resolving Power (Dawes' Limit) 0.570 arc-seconds
Oversized Primary Mirror Yes
Mirror Lock Yes
Focuser Mechanism Single Speed Focuser
Assembled Product Weight 14 lbs

Skywatcher EQ6-R Pro Mount Spec:

EQ6-R PRO Synscan™ - a new legend is born!

The new EQ6-R PRO Synscan™ Computerised Go-To mounting is an exciting evolutionary progression of the continuing legend that is the EQ6 PRO. The modern optimised design of the EQ6-R PRO incorporates features that serious imagers will immediately appreciate, such as;

► Increased Payload capacity of 20kg for Astro-Photography

► Synchronous Belt Driven, resulting in minimal backlash - Even quieter, smoother operation and better results when guiding. Higher Torque.

► Superior Latitude adjustment controls with greater range of latitudes possible

► Built-in SNAP camera control port

► PPEC worm gear and worm periodic error correction function (avoids having to constantly re-train)

► Built-in carrying handle for convenient transportation

The supplied computerised Synscan™ hand control allows you to control the mount to point your telescope at a specific object or even tour the skies at the touch of a button. The user-friendly menu system allows automatic slewing to 42,000+ night sky objects from it's extensive database.

Mount Type: German Equatorial
Maximum Payload (Counterweights excluded): 20kg (for Astro-Photography)
Latitude Adjustment Range: 5º to 65º
Azimuth Adjustment Range: About ±9 º
Mount Weight (Tripod excluded): 17.3 kg
Counterweights Supplied: 2 x 5kg
Tripod Supplied: 2-inch stainless steel, 7.5kg Weight
Counterweight Rod: 18mm Diameter, Length 240mm + 180mm
Power Requirement: DC11~16V 4A
Motors: 1.8 º Hybrid Stepper Motors
Transmission: 180:1 Worm Drive + 48:12 Timing Belt Drive + 64 Micro-step/1.8º Stepper Motor Drive
Gear Ratio: 720
Resolution: 9216000 Counts/Rev., approx. 0.14 arc-second
Maximum Slewing Speed: 4.2 degrees/second
Tracking Rate: Sidereal rate, solar rate, lunar rate
Tracking Mode: Equatorial mode
Auto-guiding Speed: 0.125X, 0.25X, 0.5X, 0.75X, 1X
PEC: 100 Segments Permanent PEC (PPEC)
Hand Controller: SynScan™
Database: 42000+ Objects
Celestial Object Catalogue: Messier, NGC, IC, SAO, Caldwell, Double Star, Vari-able Star, Named Star, Planets
Pointing Accuracy: Up to 5 arc-minutes (RMS)
Integral SNAP camera control port
Dual-Fit 45mm/75mm Dovetail Saddle
Polar Alignment Scope

Some items that are showing as in stock are in stock at our holding warehouses, not at the shop. To double check the stock levels at the shop, please contact us on 01909774369 or sales@rothervalleyoptics.co.uk.

The delivery times for most items is 1 - 2 days but again, please double check stock levels on important orders before placing an order via the website.

The delivery costs for courier next day are for mainland UK only. If you live in the Scottish Highlands/Islands, Channel Islands or Northern Ireland, then a shipping surchage will apply. please contact us for prices. Smaller items can still go 1st class via Royal Mail.

Please note that if you are wanting to take advantage of our Saturday and Sunday timed services or next day pre 12 or pre 10:30 services, you MUST check that the stock is here at the shop before placing orders. Also, orders using the Saturday and Sunday services must be placed before 1pm the previous working day. Also, please remember to check that the stock is here at the shop before placing orders. If the stock is not at the shop, we won't be able to ship on any of the timed services. 

Please note International customers will need to contact us for a shipping price prior to ordering via the website. We don't ship all items internationally. It is at our discretion what we ship outside of the UK. This all depends on the size and weight of the items. Please get in touch with us for any postage costs. Please note we do NOT ship telescopes or heavy items outside of the UK. This is due to massive postage costs and problems regarding returns.

If you have any questions regarding stock levels or delivery, please get in touch.

Zygo Interferometer Testing For ED Refractor Telescopes!

We are extremely pleased to announce our Zygo Interferometer is now installed and ready for use! Our experienced staff can test refractor lenses up to 120mm aperture and provide a comprehensive 2 page report showing the optical quality and Strehl ratio, plus much more information. We are using the very latest Zygo MX software to provide a more detailed report compared to other standard reports.

The interferometer is essentially a measuring instrument. Within the interferometer is a calibrated laser that is pointed through the optical test surface, then onto a high quality reference sphere, then back through the test subject then to an internal camera which gives us the measurement on the screen. From this, we can adjust the position of the test optic and the reference sphere to obtain a perfectly calibrated system. The more central the laser to the test optic and then on return, the better and more accurate reading and measurement we can take. This takes a lot of adjustment to get the best results from the optical surface. Once the measurement has been taken, we are provided with a series of results that show the optical quality of the surface plus other information. Continue reading for an explanation of the individual values and you can also see a test report that was done on one of our RVO Horizon 60 OTAs. 

We are offering certain telescopes with a Zygo test at an extra cost. Mainly ED doublets and triplets. All available telescopes with a Zygo test report are listed here. Just select Zygo Test Report from the drop down box at the top of the listing and we will test the optics in house and provide a full 2 page report with your scope. This will show you the optical quality of your telescope optics. We can also offer this service on your refractor telescope. Please get in touch for more details about this. 

At Rother Valley Optics, one thing we pride ourselves on is customer service and quality of our equipment. When we test your telescope, we will ensure that it is of the highest quality otherwise, we will reject the scope under our strict quality control and test another model for your peace of mind. One of the main values to look at when testing a refractor is the Strehl ratio. The higher this number, the higher quality lens you have. At Rother Valley Optics, we will guarantee the highest possible Strehl ratio for your telescope.  We will aim to provide 0.95 Strehl or higher on Takahashi, RVO Horizon, William Optics and many more! Generally, the higher the Strehl ratio, the lower the Astigmatism and Coma meaning a better image quality from your instrument. 

Other measurements such as the PV and RMS are important too. With these measurements, the lower the number the better as it shows less curvature on the lens. The flatter an optical lens, the better it will perform. The PV rating (Peak To Valley) is a measurement from the highest point (Peak) to the lowest point (Valley). From this we get the RMS (Root, Mean, Square). This is a similar figure to the PV and measured exactly the same way. The RMS is basically an average height difference from the PV so again, the lower the better. As you can see form the example below, we measured an RMS of just 0.027 wave which is a very good value.

We also measure the Power with our systems which is essentially the error from the reference sphere to the test optic. The reference sphere we use on our system is a very high quality sphere so the closer to zero the Power, the less error between the 2 elements thus ensuring a higher quality optical surface. 

You will also see some more values such as Astigmatism and Coma. Again, these are measured by the interferometer when we take measurements of the optical surface after adjustment. These are values which ideally would be at 0 but as our test optics are all curved lenses, there will always be astigmatism and coma present. The lower the number, the less of these aberations you will effectively see but with most refractors, you can buy field flatteners which will compensate for the coma anyway. The astigmatisms value is explaining the error between the symmetrical curvature of the lens. Basically, no lens will be perfectly symmetrical, the lower the astigmatism, the more symmetrical the lens surface is. 

Once the Zygo test report has been completed, the optical alignment is thoroughly tested and tuned to ensure they are spot on before they leave us. 

All available telescopes are on the website at the link below and ones we've tested already that are available straight away are also listed.

https://www.rothervalleyoptics.co.uk/zygo-tested-refractors.html

Here is an example of the test what we provide. This was a test on one of our Horizon 60 ED OTA's.

For any questions about this amazing new service, please either call 01909774369 or email sales@rothervalleyoptics.co.uk.

Are you interested in this product but would like to speak to someone with some more information? Simply fill in the form below and we will get back to you as soon as we can!

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