Product Description
This Astro-Tech AT80ED refractor has:
• 80mm f/7 fully multicoated doublet optics using FK-61 ED glass
• dual-speed rotatable 2" Rack and Pinion focuser with Vixen style finder mounting shoe
• 2" and 1.25" brass compression ring eyepiece holders
• split tube rings with detachable Vixen-style dovetail for installation on virtually any mount
Length: 18" dewshield retracted, 21.25" dewshield extended
Weight: 6 lbs 3.2 oz with the rings and dovetail, 5 lbs 4 oz without rings and dovetail
The AT80ED is bringing ED optics to you at a fantastic price. When this scope was available in 2008 the retail price was $549. The reintroduction not only has a much lower price, but it has better mechanics as well as advancements in the optical assembly and polish. You get a 2" Rack and Pinion focuser with a microfine 11:1 fine-focusing ratio finished in our Aston Martin Grey body. You get dual split mounting rings with a detachable Vixen-style dovetail plate that lets you mount your AT80ED on virtually any altazimuth or German equatorial mount. The finely-machined Astro-Tech AT80ED comes with both 2" and 1.25" eyepiece holders using non-marring brass compression rings that won’t scratch your star diagonal or eyepiece barrels. The AT80ED also comes with a retractable dew shield to make it as compact as possible.
As with all Astro-Tech scopes, the AT80ED gives you fully-multicoated ED optics that are essentially free of the annoying halo of unfocused violet light (chromatic aberration) that mars the bright-object images of lesser scopes, despite the fast focal ratio, and even at very high magnifications.
Features of this Telescope . . .
• ED doublet refractor optics: 80mm (3.1") aperture, 560mm focal length, f/7 focal ratio doublet optical system using an FK-61 ED (Extra-low Dispersion glass) element to reduce spurious color halos and fringing to vanishingly low levels.
• Fully multicoated optics: The AT80ED objective lens has the latest state-of-the-art antireflection multicoatings on all air-to-glass surfaces for high light transmission and excellent contrast. This can easily be seen by looking into the objective lens of the scope. Virtually no reflection of your face will be seen. It’s a sure sign that the high transmission coatings are doing their job, by letting virtually all the light enter the scope, rather than reflecting some light back to your eye.
• Internal light baffles: Contrast-enhancing knife-edge internal light baffles and a specially darkened tube interior provide truly dark sky backgrounds and high terrestrial contrast. The edges of the lenses are blackened to reduce internal reflections and further improve image contrast.
• Dew shield: A retractable 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 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 slip-on metal dust cap for the dew shield is standard.
• 2" Rotatable Rack and Pinion dual-speed focuser: The precision-made no-backlash dual speed 2" rack and pinion focuser is based off our EDT line of telescopes. Very smooth, and very robust. There are two coarse focusing knobs. The right knob also has a smaller concentric knob with an 11:1 reduction gear microfine focusing ratio. This provides exceptionally precise image control during high magnification visual observing and critical 35mm or CCD imaging. The focus knobs have ribbed gripping surfaces so they are easy to operate, even while wearing gloves or mittens in cold weather. The focuser collar has a large lock screw on the top that will allow you to loosen it so you can rotate the focuser to a more accessible position.
• Long focuser travel: The long 85mm (3.35") travel of the focuser drawtube helps keep the overall scope length reasonable for convenient travel and storage. The long drawtube length also permits switching between visual or photographic use with no add-on extension tubes needed. The drawtube has a scale marked in 1mm increments so you can note individual focuser positions for easy return to the correct focus when switching between visual use and photography. A drawtube lock knob underneath the focuser lets you lock in your photographic focus.
• Compression ring eyepiece holders: The focuser’s drawtube terminates in a 2" eyepiece holder that uses a non-marring soft brass compression ring to hold a 2" star diagonal and/or accessories in place. The compression ring won’t scratch the barrel of your star diagonal and accessories as an ordinary thumbscrew can.
A supplied 1.25" accessory adapter slips into the 2" eyepiece holder to let you use a 1.25" star diagonal, image erecting diagonal, or photographic accessories. Like the 2" eyepiece holder, the 1.25" adapter also uses a non-marring soft brass compression ring to hold 1.25" star diagonals and accessories in place. If you are partial to 1.25" eyepieces and need an outstanding diagonal for this scope, consider the 99% reflectivity Astro-Tech 1.25" dielectric diagonal #AT1D. It's a Sky & Telescope Hot Product for 2007. An optional Astro-Tech 2" dielectric star diagonal #AT2D will give you the same 99% reflectivity performance with 2" eyepieces.
• Tube finish: The optical tube and lens shade are finished in a durable white powder coat while the focuser and trim are Aston Martin Grey anodized.
• Tube rings and dovetail mounting plate: The AT80ED comes with a pair of hinged split mounting rings and a detachable dovetail mounting plate. The dovetail plate fits directly into the head of many equatorial and altazimuth mounts. It will fit, without modification, Celestron AVX and Meade LXD-75 go-to mounts; the Vixen Porta altazimuth mount; and Vixen Great Polaris and Sphinx mounts, among others. This lets you quickly accommodate changing balance conditions as you exchange an eyepiece for a camera, a 1.25" diagonal for a 2" diagonal, etc.
In addition, the dovetail plate can be unbolted from the split rings to allow you to mount the rings directly on other equatorial mounts – for example on the D-plate used on Losmandy mounts – something that is difficult to do with the short mounting foot on competitive clamshell rings. The dovetail plate also has a 1/4"-20 thread mounting hole that allows it to be installed on any suitable heavy-duty camera tripod that has a standard 1/4"-20 thread mounting bolt.
The AT80ED also comes in a padded nylon case with several cutouts for various accessories.
Tech Details
| Aperture | 80mm |
|---|---|
| Focal Length | 560mm |
| Focal Ratio | f/7 |
| Heaviest Single Component | 6 lbs 3.2 oz. |
| Weight | 5 lbs 4 oz without rings and dovetail |
| Optical Coatings | Multi-coated |
| Supplied Eyepiece | None |
| Telescope Type | Refractor |
| View Finder | None |
| Warranty | 1 year |
Reviews
Review by: Caddy
Bought this is a grab and go . Have a 115EDT for longer observations. Build quality is excellent. Took it out for a quick peek of Jupiter. Turned up the magnification to 150 power. Jupiter looked good with several bands showing and no CA that I could see.. Only negative is that the coarse focus is a little sticky in a few spots thru the travel of the focuser. Tried loosening the screws on the focuser for drag. Didn't see any difference. Hopefully it will smooth out thru use. Still a good little scope for quick observations (Posted on 11/20/2023)
Review by: Donald
I'm getting back into astrophotography and wanted a decent refractor to match up with my CEM25P.... Read the reviews on the AT80ED and pulled the trigger and bought it. Best.Decision.Ever.... Took it out 2 days after receiving it to test it out. Did a goto to M15 and centered it up and let it go for an hour. Did a quick stretch and some minor processing and it looked way better than I expected. Ordering the field flattener in a few days and will probably get the AT102ED soon as well. Definitely recommend this to anyone starting out and not wanting to spend 800$ or more for a good lightweight refractor. (Posted on 9/17/2023)
Review by: rclark28
Highly recommended refractor for grab and go. I have it also setup at x3 sites and mounting stations with various line of site for sky watching. Easy to setup and it gets quick fast clean views in the eyepiece.
It gives crisp no false color views, and the quality of the build is exceptional. The focuser is a game changer for me and the scope functions as they stated. After getting this Astro-Tech 80ED x3 months ago I have had very good viewing at several sites. This refractor is worth the cost and then some. As a new older night sky observer, I am so glad I made the purchase. Astronomics.com has been so good to me and I highly recommend their offerings and their service. This 80mm ED Astro-Tech refractor is a keeper for me and it has a permanent place in my collection. (Posted on 7/19/2023)
It gives crisp no false color views, and the quality of the build is exceptional. The focuser is a game changer for me and the scope functions as they stated. After getting this Astro-Tech 80ED x3 months ago I have had very good viewing at several sites. This refractor is worth the cost and then some. As a new older night sky observer, I am so glad I made the purchase. Astronomics.com has been so good to me and I highly recommend their offerings and their service. This 80mm ED Astro-Tech refractor is a keeper for me and it has a permanent place in my collection. (Posted on 7/19/2023)
Review by: Bob
I've already purchased one of these and it was SO good that I had to have another for a different application! My first review was based on a brief but very inspiring experience with this scope. However I was out the other night extensively with this little gem under Bortle 4 (B4) skies, not that dark so I didn't expect a lot over my house at B5. Wrong! I spent 9 hours using this as an auxiliary scope on an AZ Pro mount with an 8" SCT on primary end. M3 and M13 were well resolved, amazing for an 80mm scope. Venus at -4.4 and brilliant showed now false color, It was easy to see the Leo Triplet, even the fainter NGC 3628 was visible. I also saw M108 and M109. Open clusters like M33 and M11 are spectacular. My magnifications ranged from 20x to 124x and the scope took magnification very well. I was using some 82 degree UWA eyepieces and the image was sharp to the edges. The focus is smooth and very accomodating of the various eyepieces used in a 2" diagonal. Because both the 80mm and the 8" were collimated it was interesting to compare like views at like magnifications and gain the sense that I wasn't looking through an 80mm ED, rather a 6" SCT. i purchased this one for the auxiliary scope on the AZ Pro mount. That being said I have another mount that is unused and this scope fits it perfectly...so, what to do? Since one is rather designated, buy another! It's on the way now. Astronomics is to be given high praise for carrying this line at a price point that is unreal for the quality provided! I also have a 115 AT APO that I bought from Astronomics that is also a gem. It outperforms 8" SCTs routinely both in resolution and in detail. If there is something magical about this line of refractors...that's what I'll give it. I've compared the 115 to a friend's $3,200 100mm APO and really there is no appreciable difference. While this review is about the 80ED, It's worth nothing that the Astro-Tech line goes far beyond a single review! I own 19 telescopes from 76mm to 16", have been an astronomer for over 50 years now so have some experience in the field. Best buy, highly portable and belies it's aperture, is mechanically about as perfect as they come! (Posted on 5/15/2023)
Review by: Bob
First, I have the Astro Tech 115 Triplet APO. It's absolutely fabulous and out performs a friend's much more expensive 100mm. The blend of glass that AT uses does the trick. No different than the 80mm ED glass. Suffice to say I wanted to put the AT 80 to the test and last night promised a chance albeit a brief one. The scope went out the door from 70F to 50F no cool down time at all, nor were my eyes dark adapted. It was just a quick 20 minutes to do a star and resolution test. Arcturus, the first target at 31x using an 18mm Explore Scientific UWA yielded a perfect diffraction pattern inside and outside of focus. Stars were pinpoint to the edges of the 82 degree AFoV. Arcturus was true to color in every way. Okay, M3 is easy to find from there and I didn't have or need a finder. It popped into view and showed a granular appearance at 31x, it wasn't just a fuzz ball. I increased the magnification to 124x and with that the granulation increased but given my small pupils no individual stars were seen. I turned the scope on Castor to test the limit of splitting a 2.5" double. With keen focus I actually got a split at 31x! Very tight but there. At 124x clearly a 20" to 25" split with perfect airy disks around each star and they were small and sharp. Clearly this is a scope to be reckoned with for the price point. I'm truly glad that I got this as an auxiliary scope on an ES Twilight AZ mount or as a secondary on my AZ Pro. Highly recommended with very smooth rings for easy rotation if needed. I was using a 2" dielectric diagonal at the time. (Posted on 5/9/2023)
Review by: Skyhiker
Bought a "prototype," to save a few bucks. Definitely worth the price. Visually, I paired it with a binoviewer and 15mm eyepiece. It's not "color-free" on the moon, but close enough. Handled the magnification well.
Later used it with a .8x focal reducer/field flatner. Got some very nice ZTF shots in just 60-120 seconds. Pretty darn ideal for larger objects like that. Some shots are on my hiking blog, at myown100hikes.blogspot.com
I recommend both as a grab and go refractor and for low magnification, widefield astrophotography. (Posted on 2/20/2023)
Later used it with a .8x focal reducer/field flatner. Got some very nice ZTF shots in just 60-120 seconds. Pretty darn ideal for larger objects like that. Some shots are on my hiking blog, at myown100hikes.blogspot.com
I recommend both as a grab and go refractor and for low magnification, widefield astrophotography. (Posted on 2/20/2023)
Review by: ubergarm
My recent first scope is an 8" F/6 dob and I got the AT80ED F/7 and 2" star diagonal for my low-cost grab and go setup. I put this scope on a cheap alt-az mount with a camera tripod and have had success both visually observing the Pleiades and the Orion Nebula with a wonderful >3 deg TFoV with a low-cost 26mm 70 deg AFoV EP at ~22x. The trapezium is small but 4 separate stars are visible. My crown jewel TV Ethos 13mm 100 deg AFoV EP looks great through this scope and has good brightness and contrast at 1.85 mm Exit Pupil. Shimmering Sirius looks solid and clean with no detectable chromatic aberration and was able to drop down and find M45, a modest Mag 4.5 12.0' size open star cluster also in Canis Major.
As for EAA the scope performs well with the ZWO ASI585MC un-cooled planetary camera. With 560mm focal length it gives around 1" per pixel and with 2x2 binning double that for a good sized field of view and resolution. Without tracking/guiding SharpCap LiveStacking with just a couple seconds of Darks produced a nice star field and circular symmetric stars free from collimation errors.
I'll probably be back for a good GoTo or tracking mount soon enough to take full advantage of this scopes capabilities! (Posted on 2/8/2023)
As for EAA the scope performs well with the ZWO ASI585MC un-cooled planetary camera. With 560mm focal length it gives around 1" per pixel and with 2x2 binning double that for a good sized field of view and resolution. Without tracking/guiding SharpCap LiveStacking with just a couple seconds of Darks produced a nice star field and circular symmetric stars free from collimation errors.
I'll probably be back for a good GoTo or tracking mount soon enough to take full advantage of this scopes capabilities! (Posted on 2/8/2023)
Review by: Clayton
This scope is awesome for the price. Worth every penny and then some. Great mechanics and optics. Using this as my grab & go OTA. Love it! (Posted on 11/18/2022)
Review by: BipTunia
I really like this scope. I'm new to astrophotography, about a month. Have an EQ mount and a RedCat, but wanted something tighter than the RedCat, and this scope did the trick. Here's a photo I took of Andromeda using the Astro-Tech AT80ED 3.1" f/7 ED: https://www.astrobin.com/0pt6wn/
Integration on that photo was 2 hours and 25 min, using a modded Canon 90D DSLR on Sky-Watcher EQ6-R Pro mount in a Bortle 3.
One thing I like about this scope is it's ready to go. Has rings, and Vixen, just slipped right on my mount with no additional hardware. And it has an attached included slow for mounting for the tracking cam, so I didn't have to buy that either. Also worked well on my DSLR without any adjustment to the back focus.
It just works. Put it on the mount, focus it, and go.
Some people use it this scope optical use, I haven't tried that, but I did take a photo of some livestock about 1000 feet (about 300 meters) away that was very crisp. This scope could easily be used for bird or wildlife photography, if you keep the fixed f-stop in mind, and know that it's a prime lens you can't zoom (like all good astrographs). (Posted on 10/24/2022)
Integration on that photo was 2 hours and 25 min, using a modded Canon 90D DSLR on Sky-Watcher EQ6-R Pro mount in a Bortle 3.
One thing I like about this scope is it's ready to go. Has rings, and Vixen, just slipped right on my mount with no additional hardware. And it has an attached included slow for mounting for the tracking cam, so I didn't have to buy that either. Also worked well on my DSLR without any adjustment to the back focus.
It just works. Put it on the mount, focus it, and go.
Some people use it this scope optical use, I haven't tried that, but I did take a photo of some livestock about 1000 feet (about 300 meters) away that was very crisp. This scope could easily be used for bird or wildlife photography, if you keep the fixed f-stop in mind, and know that it's a prime lens you can't zoom (like all good astrographs). (Posted on 10/24/2022)
Review by: Ken H.
I purchased my AT80ED second hand but in brand new condition and its performance is excellent!! I've viewed the moon, planets and some of the brighter double stars with it and am thoroughly amazed with its performance optically and mechanically. After having had several high end refractors, this 80mm ED apochromat compares very well and I couldn't see any false color at high magnification on the moon, planets or brightest stars. It's very well corrected and I very much like the F7 focal ratio over previous F6 refractors that I've had. Mechanical build is top notch and I love the retractable dew shield!! It's a great grab and go instrument and lightweight with easy set up and transport to dark skies!! (Posted on 8/21/2022)
Review by: Zambiadarkskies
I had to wait a few weeks for the 80ED to make it's way to Zambia. I collected it a few days ago in Lusaka and am now back home under my class1 dark skies and have had first (photographic) light on Carina. This is my first proper refractor (for a year I have shot DSOs with various camera lenses) and initial impressions were that the build quality seemed very high. The focuser in particular seemed very smooth and precise. So last night I managed to get onto Carina after a real struggle (thanks to only having a star tracker at the moment). Guiding started good but then went haywire as I got near to the trees. So suffice to say I only ended up with 15mins of data. But what data that is compared to my Canon 100-400! Round stars (not triangles) and no severe chromatic abberation. So far so impressed. I had contemplated the more expensive (and supposedly better corrected) small astrographs - redcats etc) but ultimately wanted the FL of this scope. No regrets! (Posted on 7/31/2022)
Review by: Eric Z
I had to wait 8 days to use this scope for first light and I am thoroughly amazed and pleased by it's performance. As with all Astro Tech products, it exudes quality. I really put it through some serious tests tonight and it did not disappoint. My first target was the Moon. It was97% illuminated and this scope did not show a shred of CA. I took it all the way to 175X and the image was truly impressive. Even at this magnification there was no image break down and again no CA. I then went to Vegas and even off axis there was no CA. I am in the middle of the Astronomical League Double Star Observing Program and I used this scope for that purpose. First target was Epsilon Lyrae at 175X once again I got a nice clean separation. Perfect Airy Discs and what is most noteworthy of this scope is that it brings out some amazing colors in the stars. I continued for 2 1/2 hours logging six double stars. I can't say enough good things about this scope. Stars were perfect pin points and the back ground sky was jet black. Even with the Moon being so bright. The focuser was flawless in it's function and the scope really snapped into focus. To be perfectly honest, I could not find anything wrong with it. I would say that it performs as well as a true Apo and the price can't be beat. I highly recommend this product. I purchased it as a compliment to my AT102 ED and it is truly a wonderful investment. With my Orion VersaGo II mount, it will make a wonderful grab and go setup. I look forward to seeing how it will do on planets and DSO's. I am confident that it will do fine. If you're on the fence about an ED scope, buy this one as you will not be disappointed. (Posted on 6/13/2022)
Review by: Bortle4
I haven't spent time viewing through a $2000 + USD scope so I do not have much to compare AT80ED with. However, for my use I am very happy with it and it is my first choice scope of my three more often than not. It is a solid piece of equipment and well worth the money. (Posted on 3/25/2022)
Review by: Cookies
I had first light with the AT80ED yesterday evening. The seeing was not that great but I could tell the scope is a winner. First object was Jupiter. Using a 10-mm Radian for 55x gave a beautiful view of Jove and its moons set among a background of fainter stars. Multiple clouds band could be seen with no false color in focus. Some faint false color could be seen just in and out of focus but some of that could be the poor seeing and planet's low altitude. Switching to a 5mm Radian for 110x, I noticed the focus just snapped in. No question when it was just in or out of focus. Nice! Next was the bright full Moon. Again, the 10mm provided a nice wide view with the rays of Copernicus standing out in bold contrast. Being higher in the sky than Jupiter at the time, I noticed even less false color on the limb when in focus. And in brief moments of better seeing it all but disappeared. Again, just out of focus, faint purple and green could be seen. But who observes with objects out of focus? Unfortunately, later on, the clouds came in and blocked the lunar eclipse. The 80ED's second light was on a evening of very good seeing. Using a 5mm Radian at 110x, the beautiful double star Gamma Andromedae's yellow and blue stars presented well with tiny airy disks. Along with a ES Twilight I alt-az, this refractor will be my new grab-n-go setup. Astronomics has done a great job with this scope. The performance you get for the price is just amazing. It is a keeper for sure!
(Posted on 11/21/2021)
(Posted on 11/21/2021)
Review by: Bill M
I'm a casual amateur astronomer, and visually observe for the joy and awe of the universe. I've owned several scopes over the years, including APO refractors. I purchased the AT80ED as my primary observing instrument and couldn't be more pleased. I have it mounted on a Versa-Go mount with slow-motion controls. Optical quality is excellent visually, comparing very favorably to much more expensive APO's I have owned. I regularly observe the bands of Jupiter and the transit of its moons, Saturrn's rings & moons and Mars in crisp detail. Stars are diamond pinpoints. Build quality is outstanding. For the price point, you can't beat this scope. And Astronomics has been like an old friend over the years, providing quality products and service, as well as expertise. (Posted on 9/20/2021)
Review by: Levant
I have a strange feeling (like I stole it) because I purchased this excellent scope at such a low price. Thanks to Astronomics.com for making it happen. I have purchased some AT accessories (dielectric diagonal, handle etc.) as well, and their quality vs price ratios are very favorable. By the way, the scope came with the finder shoe on, so there is no need to order it separately. (Posted on 6/2/2021)
Review by: Levant
I love it. It is very cost effective. The made quality of the scope and the visual experience that I had during first light is way beyond my expectations. It accompanied perfectly with my 8 inch Meade ACF scope on an LX65mount and provided with wider field of view. My experience was terrific when I used it with TV 32mm plossl and Nagler 3-6 zoom. The views of Beehive cluster was a bit dim with Meade 56mm plossl because the FOV was very wide. I was not able to focus using my William Optics binoviewer when equipped with 2 Baader Mark IV zooms. However a single Mark IV zoom works very well with the scope. This will be my "grab and go Safari scope" in Dubai. I hope you have a chance to own one. (Posted on 5/17/2021)
Review by: Erin
Overall, this is likely the best scope available for imaging unless you're willing to spend at least twice this much on a small triplet. The build quality is much better than I expected, from the solid retractable dew shield to the heavy duty rings included to attach it to your mount.
Visually it's very well corrected, showing no false color that I can see at multiple magnifications. I used it to look at M31 and M42 the first clear night I had with it, both of which were well resolved from my suburban skies. When imaging later in the night it paired very well with my APS-sized mirrorless camera, rendering a beautiful image of Orion and capturing some detail in the arms of Andromeda before the clouds rolled in.
That all being said I'm going to nitpick a bit, but don't let this detract from the fact that this is a fantastic scope.
When imaging, there is some slight false color that appears around brighter stars in longer exposures. It's pretty mild, but some bright stars do have a slight purple fringe around them. Much less than a similar speed achromat but more than a fully reflecting system (I have no experience yet with triplet APOs). The focuser, while being the best rack and pinion focuser I've ever used, still has a slight bit of shift when locking which made me take a couple tries to get it spot on. Not a big deal, just something to be aware of. My last nitpick is the lack of a finder shoe. Some users on Cloudy Nights reported a finder shoe being included with theirs, but mine did not nor did I expect one as it was not listed as included or shown in the pictures. I can't fault AstroTech for this as it arrived as advertised, I just wish they would include one so I didn't have to purchase one separately (about $14).
Slight detractors aside though, this is a fantastic scope and is destined to become my wide field refractor to compliment my longer focal length RC, and I'll enjoy not having to deal with the RC's convoluted collimation process. I'd definitely recommend this if you're getting started in astrophotography as I can't think of a better deal that will provide this level of performance. (Posted on 2/20/2021)
Visually it's very well corrected, showing no false color that I can see at multiple magnifications. I used it to look at M31 and M42 the first clear night I had with it, both of which were well resolved from my suburban skies. When imaging later in the night it paired very well with my APS-sized mirrorless camera, rendering a beautiful image of Orion and capturing some detail in the arms of Andromeda before the clouds rolled in.
That all being said I'm going to nitpick a bit, but don't let this detract from the fact that this is a fantastic scope.
When imaging, there is some slight false color that appears around brighter stars in longer exposures. It's pretty mild, but some bright stars do have a slight purple fringe around them. Much less than a similar speed achromat but more than a fully reflecting system (I have no experience yet with triplet APOs). The focuser, while being the best rack and pinion focuser I've ever used, still has a slight bit of shift when locking which made me take a couple tries to get it spot on. Not a big deal, just something to be aware of. My last nitpick is the lack of a finder shoe. Some users on Cloudy Nights reported a finder shoe being included with theirs, but mine did not nor did I expect one as it was not listed as included or shown in the pictures. I can't fault AstroTech for this as it arrived as advertised, I just wish they would include one so I didn't have to purchase one separately (about $14).
Slight detractors aside though, this is a fantastic scope and is destined to become my wide field refractor to compliment my longer focal length RC, and I'll enjoy not having to deal with the RC's convoluted collimation process. I'd definitely recommend this if you're getting started in astrophotography as I can't think of a better deal that will provide this level of performance. (Posted on 2/20/2021)
Review by: Howard
I have not had a refractor in over thirty years, and I figured it was time to purchase one. I am into visual astronomy. I was doing research on a good grab and go refractor. After viewing reviews and other opinions, I ordered the AT80ED. I am glad I did! I was very impressed with the views on my first light.
I used both 86 and 21x for my observations. This scope is an incredible star splitter! I split Meissa cleanly, and saw the E star in the Trapezium. Sigma Orionis looked beautiful too! I was amazed with the details of the moon as well. The pinpoint stars against the velvet background is breathtaking. The focuser is so easy and precise, and the scope is sleek and attractive looking.
The price is unbeatable for such great views of the heavens. This scope is a personal favorite! (Posted on 2/7/2021)
I used both 86 and 21x for my observations. This scope is an incredible star splitter! I split Meissa cleanly, and saw the E star in the Trapezium. Sigma Orionis looked beautiful too! I was amazed with the details of the moon as well. The pinpoint stars against the velvet background is breathtaking. The focuser is so easy and precise, and the scope is sleek and attractive looking.
The price is unbeatable for such great views of the heavens. This scope is a personal favorite! (Posted on 2/7/2021)
Review by: duck2k
I have not had a refractor in 30+ years, and I thought it was about time. I figured I wanted something small, but with a punch. I did some research on many options that would satisfy a visual astronomer like me. Additionally, I was looking for something I can use as a grab and go.
I settled on the AT80ED after researching and hearing great experiences from other folks on CN. I also loved the scope's look.
This scope was MORE than I expected! Shortly after I focused at 21x on Sirius and dropped down to M 41. What blew me away were the pinpoint stars. The view was crisp and wonderful. I cleanly split Miessa (in Cr 69) at 86x. I looked at the stars in the Trapezeum in M42. I managed to see the E star (with little averted viewing). These were just a few examples of this scope pushing the envelope of excellence. Overall a big bang for the buck.
Thank you Astronomics for your hallmark customer service, and the quick shipping. This scope is a keeper! (Posted on 1/31/2021)
I settled on the AT80ED after researching and hearing great experiences from other folks on CN. I also loved the scope's look.
This scope was MORE than I expected! Shortly after I focused at 21x on Sirius and dropped down to M 41. What blew me away were the pinpoint stars. The view was crisp and wonderful. I cleanly split Miessa (in Cr 69) at 86x. I looked at the stars in the Trapezeum in M42. I managed to see the E star (with little averted viewing). These were just a few examples of this scope pushing the envelope of excellence. Overall a big bang for the buck.
Thank you Astronomics for your hallmark customer service, and the quick shipping. This scope is a keeper! (Posted on 1/31/2021)
Review by: Metricman_2112
I can't tell you how satisfied and pleased I am with my recent purchase of the AT80.
Last night I spent more time with it under semi-poor seeing conditions and viewed the Orion nebula for about 30 min with various eyepieces.
Best view of this nebula I've ever had with a small scope. Sharp crisp stars in the trapezium and very nice nebula structure that I didn't expect to see in a small scope.
Using a low power wide angle eyepiece with OIII filter the Veil nebula was easily viewed.
My emphasis is on the excellent and satisfying performance of this scope. Very impressive on the moon, planets and double stars.as well.
I have not noticed any false color.
Excels with quality eyepieces.
The build quality is very good. Nice and compact with the dew shield retracted.
On nights where I don't have a lot of viewing time I can take this scope from my house, place it on a small mount, view for 20 mins and be done and very happy with memorable views.
Highly recommended. (Posted on 12/13/2020)
Last night I spent more time with it under semi-poor seeing conditions and viewed the Orion nebula for about 30 min with various eyepieces.
Best view of this nebula I've ever had with a small scope. Sharp crisp stars in the trapezium and very nice nebula structure that I didn't expect to see in a small scope.
Using a low power wide angle eyepiece with OIII filter the Veil nebula was easily viewed.
My emphasis is on the excellent and satisfying performance of this scope. Very impressive on the moon, planets and double stars.as well.
I have not noticed any false color.
Excels with quality eyepieces.
The build quality is very good. Nice and compact with the dew shield retracted.
On nights where I don't have a lot of viewing time I can take this scope from my house, place it on a small mount, view for 20 mins and be done and very happy with memorable views.
Highly recommended. (Posted on 12/13/2020)
Review by: TSmith
I've had a good chance to test this little 80mm APO telescope and I can honestly say this scope has exceeded my expectations. This scope with FK-61 ED glass has really performed.
I have owned some really excellent 3 inch class instruments in the past, including a TeleVue Oracle 3, Tak FS78, Vixen ED81SII and four different Orion ED80's. They all have performed quite well. I was surprised at the images this AT80ED revealed. They are amazingly sharp and color free.
I've looked at Jupiter, Saturn, Mars and the double double the last two nights. All the images very sharp and very clean. The planets showed great detail. The double double was very cleanly split at 100x to 180x. No complaints here.
The build quality is really excellent. The focuser is tight but the fine focus works very smoothly. It is visually a very beautiful telescope to look at. The build quality is above the ED80 by a long shot. I think it performs optically at least as good. That's my honest opinion.
For $399 you get a real bargain. Great scope with quality rings, a rack and pinion 2-speed focuser, and mine even included the Vixen dovetail mount. The fit and finish is wonderful. To those of you who are considering this offering, I can say go for it. (Posted on 10/10/2020)
I have owned some really excellent 3 inch class instruments in the past, including a TeleVue Oracle 3, Tak FS78, Vixen ED81SII and four different Orion ED80's. They all have performed quite well. I was surprised at the images this AT80ED revealed. They are amazingly sharp and color free.
I've looked at Jupiter, Saturn, Mars and the double double the last two nights. All the images very sharp and very clean. The planets showed great detail. The double double was very cleanly split at 100x to 180x. No complaints here.
The build quality is really excellent. The focuser is tight but the fine focus works very smoothly. It is visually a very beautiful telescope to look at. The build quality is above the ED80 by a long shot. I think it performs optically at least as good. That's my honest opinion.
For $399 you get a real bargain. Great scope with quality rings, a rack and pinion 2-speed focuser, and mine even included the Vixen dovetail mount. The fit and finish is wonderful. To those of you who are considering this offering, I can say go for it. (Posted on 10/10/2020)
Review by: dr.planet
This is an amazing deal for $400. The build quality is top-notch, and the views are excellent. I'm sure it would beat many scopes costing significantly more. On my first night out with it, Saturn looked great, with equatorial banding and a sharp Cassini division. Jupiter showed numerous cloud bands, and I clearly noticed a faint black dot on Jupiter that turned out to be the beginning of an Io shadow transit. The contrast and detail on the Moon were impressive, and CA on the limb was barely noticeable when I actively tried to look for it. Vega showed a bit of false color, but how often am I going to be looking directly at zero-magnitude stars? I was able to cleanly split both components of epsilon Lyrae, and am looking forward to trying for some even closer doubles. I bought this scope to put on an alt-az mount in the hopes that I'd observe more often, on nights when I was feeling a bit too lazy to set up my larger refractor and equatorial mount, and I can already tell it's going to serve that purpose well! (Posted on 7/30/2020)
Review by: RobertB
"You get what you pay for... unless you buy this scope, in which case you get better than you pay for." I just got mine today, and only had a few minutes to test it out on Jupiter and Saturn. Wow! Only the slightest hint of violet on Jupiter, but doesn't degrade the view at all. I bought the 80mm as a secondary scope to ride with my 8" ACF LX65. Good call! The little refractor delivers big views that beat the 8" for contrast and sharpness on planets. F7 seems a good compromise--fast enough for wider field views with the right eyepiece and small enough to be super portable, yet long enough to give solid planetary views with my 6.5mm eyepiece. I bought the 2" dielectric diagonal and am using it with premium 2"eyepieces. Really performs well and build quality is excellent. I have bought the whole set up during COVID, so I have been stuck in the suburbs of L.A. Looking forward to some dark skies to really put things through to the test. their paces. (Posted on 7/14/2020)
Review by: Astroman
I bought this 80 mm ED scope in may and have only used it a couple of times in my parking lot of my apartment complex which is light city, I was about to send it back because I could not get a very good view of the sky. I finally had to pack it clear across the parking lot which is not a very safe place in my area around midnight to 2 in the morning but was glad I did because Jupiter was up high in the south and also Saturn. I was shocked when I looked at Saturn with a 6mm expance eyepiece which I believe is about 93X and it was a beautiful golden yellow so sharp and clean it made my 4 inch Celestron refractor and my 6 inch reflector look inferior. I will not be getting rid of this scope because it does what they say it will do, It gives crisp no false color views and it sits perfectly on my CG-4 mount, thank you astro tech (Posted on 7/9/2020)
Review by: Astroguy3236
I recently acquired the Astro-Tech AT80ED. It is a beautiful scope, with the glossy white paint job and the Aston Martin gray focuser. I dressed the scope up a bit, using Gold pin striping on the dew shield along with a reflective silver pin stripe over that. I added a William Optics 8.3" Gold dovetail to the tube rings, a black William Optics 4" handle with finder scope dovetail to the upper portion of the tube rings, I also added a Silver ringed black dovetailed finder scope mount to the handle dovetail and mounted a Gold William Optics 50mm finder scope with helical focusing. I took out the included 2"/1.25" eyepiece adapter and replaced that with a Gold William Optics 2"/1.25" adapter instead. Also, I added the William Optics 81mm front cover/bahtinov mask too. It makes for a very nice looking telescope.
As far as optical testing, everything appeared to be as they described. I did not look at many bright objects, Vega appeared nice when focused, not very much CA. Focus was smooth albeit robust, like it could handle almost any weight attached. I was startled to notice that it was not a true crayford focuser, as it had a rack and pinion focuser attached, which I happened to like. The dew shield moves with a very tight sliding movement. It is not sloppy in anyway. The glass coating is phenomenal and the added baffle rings helps with off axis light. I did not notice any issues with the FK-61 glass that was paired with the other glass in the AT80ED. This scope is light weight, very easy to carry and stow. I am very tempted to purchase the AT102ED scope to go with my AT60ED as well as this scope. (Posted on 5/23/2020)
As far as optical testing, everything appeared to be as they described. I did not look at many bright objects, Vega appeared nice when focused, not very much CA. Focus was smooth albeit robust, like it could handle almost any weight attached. I was startled to notice that it was not a true crayford focuser, as it had a rack and pinion focuser attached, which I happened to like. The dew shield moves with a very tight sliding movement. It is not sloppy in anyway. The glass coating is phenomenal and the added baffle rings helps with off axis light. I did not notice any issues with the FK-61 glass that was paired with the other glass in the AT80ED. This scope is light weight, very easy to carry and stow. I am very tempted to purchase the AT102ED scope to go with my AT60ED as well as this scope. (Posted on 5/23/2020)
Review by: StarHugger
Bought this for general observations of the terrestrial and celestial kind and am very happy with it, the optics are very good indeed and the focuser very smooth and overall for the price this scope ranks a ten. The paint and componants that make up the whole of this unit are well executed and really are a touch above other offerings at greater expence, Astro-Tech posts some awesome looking photos of this scope here and the scope I recieved did those photos justice and then some. I would certainly consider this an excellent buy at this price and it looks fantastic on the observation deck as well under the stars. Thanks for the awesome deal Astronomics! (Posted on 5/7/2020)
Review by: mtminnesota
I haven't taken mine outside yet, but mechanically it's very impressive. The focusing mechanism is very smooth, with good "weight" and no slack in either the coarse or fine focusing. The whole scope seems well built, and I expect the optics to be equally good. This scope is shaping up to be a real bargain. Highly recommended! (Posted on 1/28/2020)