Vixen Catadioptrics

More Information  · Supplied Accessories Price $399.00 $499.00 SAVE: $100.00 (20%) List Price $700.00 Highest Useful Magnification 207x Visual Limiting Magnitude 12.7 Focal Length 1035mm Focal Ratio f/9.4 Resolution 1.05 arc seconds Aperture 4.33"" Weight 17.1 lbs. Heaviest Single Component 12.5 lbs. Warranty 1 year

• high quality 110mm f/9.4 VMC110L modified Maksutov-Cassegrain optics
• light and portable Porta altazimuth mount with slow motion controls and tripod
• red dot finder
• 25mm Plössl eyepiece (41.4x)
• built-in flip mirror system for instant switching between viewing and photography
• a package price that saves you nearly $100 over the cost of buying the optical tube and mount separately

    The Vixen V110PM puts a 110 mm (4.33 inch) aperture modified f/9.4 Cassegrain Vixen VMC-110L optical tube on the unique Porta altazimuth mount for casual astronomy and terrestrial nature study.
    The Vixen catadioptric optical system is a sophisticated variation of the Maksutov-Cassegrain design that eliminates much of the weight and cost of conventional Maksutov optics. It starts with a Maksutov’s two high-precision multicoated spherical mirrors to help eliminate spherical aberration and yield a sharp image with no hint of false color. But it doesn’t use the thick, expensive, and heavy full aperture meniscus corrector lens found at the front of a conventional Maksutov’s optical system.
    Instead, the V110PM optics use a small meniscus corrector lens placed in the light path in front of the secondary mirror. This serves the same optical purpose as a Maksutov’s full aperture meniscus corrector lens, but in a much smaller, lighter, and less expensive form.
    In addition, the V110PM uses a curved spider vane secondary mirror holder to reduce diffraction effects, such as the spikes seen on bright stars in images taken through telescopes using conventional straight-vane spiders. The reduced diffraction of the curved spider vanes helps improve contrast and increase image sharpness.
    Like a Maksutov, the Vixen V110PM offers excellent performance within the solar system, for high contrast visual observing and high-magnification eyepiece projection imaging. In addition, it offers high resolution/high power deep space observing of binary stars, globular star clusters, compact planetary nebulas, etc.
    As its unique design permits a much faster focal ratio than a conventional Maksutov (f/9.4 versus a Maksutov’s f/15), the Vixen is better suited than a Maksutov for observing a wide variety of faint deep space objects, as well – diffuse and compact nebulas, galaxies, open star clusters, etc. This gives it an advantage in all-around observing over the more expensive but similar-aperture pure-Maksutov design.
    The compact size and light weight of the Vixen V110PM make it an excellent travel scope and superb for grab-and-go astronomy in your back yard or at a nearby dark sky site at night, as well as a surprisingly capable high power scope for close-up nature studies during the day.

This Telescope’s Optical System . . .

• modified Maksutov-Cassegrain optical tube: 4.33" aperture (1035mm focal length f/9.4), 14.2" long. Weighs 4.6 lbs. Multicoated optics. One-knob quick-release dovetail attachment to mount for fast assembly in the field.

• Finder: Non-magnifying variable brightness red dot-type. The red dot finder is the quickest and easiest way to point your telescope exactly to the desired object in the sky. It’s like having a laser pointer that appears to shine directly onto the night sky. No need to worry about the inverted images that you see through traditional finders. Just align the red dot seen through the finder with the desired star in the sky. It’s that easy.

• Internal focuser: Focuses by moving the primary mirror fore and aft in the optical tube by means of a large focusing knob on the rear cell.

• Internal flip mirror system: An internal first surface flip mirror, operated by a knob on the rear cell, directs the incoming light either to a 90° viewing angle 1.25" eyepiece holder at the top of the rear cell for astronomical observing (or mirror-image terrestrial observing), or to a separate 1.25" eyepiece holder at the Cassegrain focus at the center of the rear cell. The Cassegrain focus eyepiece holder accepts either an eyepiece for inverted astronomical viewing, an optional 45° viewing angle erect image 1.25" diagonal for right-reading (correctly oriented) terrestrial observing, or an optional camera adapter for terrestrial and astronomical photography. This system allows you to use two different magnification eyepieces and change powers by simply moving your head from one eyepiece to the other and flipping a lever at the side of the scope. Alternatively, you can connect a camera to the Cassegrain focus eyepiece holder and quickly switch from viewing to photography (for terrestrial nature photography, lunar occultations, solar eclipses, etc.)

• Eyepiece: 1.25" 25mm Plössl (41.4x). The eyepiece field of view is more twice the diameter of the full Moon.

This Telescope’s Mount . . .

• Porta altazimuth mount: The Vixen Porta altazimuth mount has a newly designed friction clutch system that lets you quickly point the VMC110L optical tube towards a target, then track it with the 120-tooth worm gear 360° slow-motion controls. There’s no need to undo mechanical clutches in order to aim this Vixen scope as you have to do when conventional altazimuth mount slow motion controls run out of travel before you reach your target. If you want to aim your Vixen scope at another part of the sky, simply push it. The friction clutches disengage and the VMC110L optical tube moves freely 360° in any direction. Once you’re on or near the target, the slow motion control knobs let you center the object precisely and track it accurately as it moves across the sky. The Porta mount has two slow-motion control knobs on short shafts that put them within easy reach of the observer, tension adjustment and disassembly tools, and a built-in tool storage bay concealed at the top of the mount.

• Tripod: The lightweight pre-assembled adjustable height aluminum Porta tripod provides a rigid and stable observing platform. Spreader bars hold the tripod legs firmly open when the tripod is set up. A metal accessory tray holds spare eyepieces and locks the spreader bars in place for stability. The tripod legs have pointed tips for a solid stance on dirt or grass. The Vixen Porta tripod easily adjusts in height with no tools needed. The leg length can be adjusted to set the height of the centerline of the dovetail slot in the mount to between approximately 36" and 56" high to let you choose the most comfortable observing position for standing or seated observations through the telescope.