Product Description
This Astro-Tech AT102ED refractor has:
• 102mm f/7 fully multicoated doublet optics using FK-61 ED glass
• dual-speed 2" Rack and Pinion focuser with built in rotator
• 2" and 1.25" brass compression ring eyepiece holders
• split tube rings with detachable Vixen-style dovetail for installation on virtually any mount
The AT102ED is bringing ED optics to you at a fantastic price. When this scope was available in 2008 the retail price was $995. 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 8" Vixen-style dovetail plate that lets you mount your AT102ED on virtually any altazimuth or German equatorial mount. The finely-machined Astro-Tech AT102ED 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.
2019 the 102ED has an improvement that has been asked for many, many times over. The scope now comes with a retractable dew shield and a Vixen Finder shoe.
2023 more improvements for the 102ED. The focuser can now rotate and the scope comes standard in a cordura nylon case that has room for accessories as well as your scope.
As with all Astro-Tech scopes, the AT102ED 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: 102mm (4") aperture, 714mm 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 AT102ED 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: Three 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. The tube measures 24” long with the dewshield retracted and 30" long with it extended.. A slip-on metal dust cap for the dew shield is standard.
• 2" Rack and Pinion rotating 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.
• 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 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 white powder coat while the focuser and trim are Aston Martin Grey anodized. The scope weighs 9.1 lbs with mounting rings attached.
• Tube rings and dovetail mounting plate: The 105mm o. d. body of the AT102ED comes with a pair of hinged split mounting rings and a detachable 8" long dovetail mounting plate. The dovetail plate fits directly into the head of many equatorial and altazimuth mounts. It will fit, without modification, Celestron Advanced Series and Meade LXD-75 go-to mounts; the Vixen Porta altazimuth mount; and Vixen Great Polaris and Sphinx mounts, among others. The longer length of the dovetail plate lets you balance the AT102ED more easily fore and aft in a mount’s dovetail slot. 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 included 27" x 12" x 8" cordura nylon case has room for some accessoires and provides great protection for your telescope.
Tech Details
| Aperture | 102mm |
|---|---|
| Focal Length | 714mm |
| Focal Ratio | f/7 |
| Heaviest Single Component | 9 lbs. |
| Weight | 8 |
| Optical Coatings | Multi-coated |
| Supplied Eyepiece | None |
| Telescope Type | Refractor |
| View Finder | None |
| Warranty | 1 year |
Reviews
Review by: Sandy
I purchased this a little over a month ago to replace an 8" SCT with something more portable and suitable for my GEM28 mount. Fit and finish are excellent. Unfortunately with the weather I haven't had many opportunities to use it. But when I have- WOW! stars are tack sharp with excellent contrast. I was able to use it for the 8 April eclipse. I used a Vixen flip mirror with a 20mm eyepiece and Canon EOS T6. The visual views of the sun with a Baader film filter were spectacular, and the images turned out equally well. The only thing I noticed in enlarged images was a tiny bit of blue CA around the edge of the solar disc- virtually invisible otherwise. The 2 speed focuser works great with no image shift. The whole assemble goes well with the GEM28 and is easy to balance. Kudos for a great scope at a great price. (Posted on 4/15/2024)
Review by: Mountain Fisher
I took this out for the first time and decided to look at planets on a Twilight One mount. Which by the way is really made for shorter scopes like 80s or Maks, but longer scopes tend to be a little shaky, it's that small Vixen saddle. Be that as it may I aimed at Saturn at a lowly 37x with a 2" 19mm Luminous eyepiece and though Saturn was small it was sharp. I then went to 94x and I could see Titan off to the side and the rings more clearly although still small. I put in the Luminos apo 2.5x Barlow with a 12mm Ortho and at 158x Saturn really popped into view and I really noticed the shaking. Once it settled down, about 3 seconds, Saturn was super sharp and I could easily see the bands of its rings including the Cassini division. Luckily as the night went by Saturn was near opposition and got higher the mount got less shaky. I put in a 9mm 60° UW gave me 200x and seeing here in Southern NM was perfect because it was super sharp and I couldn't believe how good it was. Titan was a disc off to the side.
I then went to Jupiter at 158x and was blown away at how sharp it was after the shaking stopped. I didn't see any CA at all and then went to the Crescent Moon and I needed my polarizing filter, it was too bright even though it was only 18% waxing. I could easily see the craters in the shadows and again no CA and everything was sharp.
Next time I took it out was on my AZ Pro and no shaking and took in some double stars and sharp views all around. I highly recommend this scope because it is a lot of bang for the buck. (Posted on 2/8/2024)
I then went to Jupiter at 158x and was blown away at how sharp it was after the shaking stopped. I didn't see any CA at all and then went to the Crescent Moon and I needed my polarizing filter, it was too bright even though it was only 18% waxing. I could easily see the craters in the shadows and again no CA and everything was sharp.
Next time I took it out was on my AZ Pro and no shaking and took in some double stars and sharp views all around. I highly recommend this scope because it is a lot of bang for the buck. (Posted on 2/8/2024)
Review by: Caddy
Just purchased this scope as a grab and go scope for my twilight 1 mount. I have an Astrotech 115EDT that I have on AVX goto mount. I wanted something fairly lightweight that I could take out for quick observations. First of all the fit of this scope is outstanding, very well constructed. Was able to observe my first night with a full moon. Checked out a few bright stars in and out of focus and they had perfect concentric rings. Turned my scope to the moon, checked it out in and out of focus. Out of focus you could see some color, but in focus the color was negligble. I don't believe you can find a better scope optically at this price point. (Posted on 4/5/2023)
Review by: Pete Astro
I once owned a Televue Ranger 70mm billed as a "semi-apo" ( an abject lie ). What it had though was STUNNING sharpness. It was silly how much crispness it maintained even over 100x per inch. Sure, I've looked through big apos, Televue, Astrophysics and so on. But I kept a. 8" long focus newt army main gun and that crazy sharp 70mm Ranger doublet. It ended up destroyed and years later I'm still missing that crisp contrasty image only a refractor really throws up. Well, after reading stellar reviews , I purchased the ASTRO-TECH 102mm F7 ED. I snickered a bit at the "ED" doublet design. Frankly, I accepted the blue wash of the Ranger, if this was similar, big deal. I JUST WANT THAT SHARPNESS and contrast.
I'm floored. The short of it? Yes, this is a REAL ED DOUBLET. No lie here. I mean sure, it's there at higher mags but what a GREAT reduction of blue fringe compared the the 70mm Ranger.
But what about the sharpness? Can it REALLY hold up at 100x per inch like the Ranger did? Seeing a crows beak years ago on a crow 100 feet away up a tree I was astonished at the sharp detail. The texture around the baked nostrils, wear and tear. Hardly a practical working power with this scope but what a feat. I never forgot it. I picked pine needles atop a fir also, 100 feet away. Sure, I did the 200x which is its 50x per inch mag but hell, I wanted to floor it. I put in a 3.2mm ocular with a 2.5 TV Barlow for 557x and its view was nothing short of astonishing for a retailing OTA of $598.00 !!!! This is less than the Ranger cost in 1997!!!! The workmanship is all that. So good for the price point I really feared they HAD to cheap out on the glass. It's gotta be a little rough somewhere right? Absolutely wrong. Again, nothing practical about nearly 600x from a 4" refractor but it was done to see if it was ☆feat worthy☆. I'm amazed. No, it's not a Petzval or a Christen design (and execution. What it IS really, is a economically priced refractor punching way way above its weight.
Etched sharpness. A little CA. Get over it. (Posted on 11/9/2022)
I'm floored. The short of it? Yes, this is a REAL ED DOUBLET. No lie here. I mean sure, it's there at higher mags but what a GREAT reduction of blue fringe compared the the 70mm Ranger.
But what about the sharpness? Can it REALLY hold up at 100x per inch like the Ranger did? Seeing a crows beak years ago on a crow 100 feet away up a tree I was astonished at the sharp detail. The texture around the baked nostrils, wear and tear. Hardly a practical working power with this scope but what a feat. I never forgot it. I picked pine needles atop a fir also, 100 feet away. Sure, I did the 200x which is its 50x per inch mag but hell, I wanted to floor it. I put in a 3.2mm ocular with a 2.5 TV Barlow for 557x and its view was nothing short of astonishing for a retailing OTA of $598.00 !!!! This is less than the Ranger cost in 1997!!!! The workmanship is all that. So good for the price point I really feared they HAD to cheap out on the glass. It's gotta be a little rough somewhere right? Absolutely wrong. Again, nothing practical about nearly 600x from a 4" refractor but it was done to see if it was ☆feat worthy☆. I'm amazed. No, it's not a Petzval or a Christen design (and execution. What it IS really, is a economically priced refractor punching way way above its weight.
Etched sharpness. A little CA. Get over it. (Posted on 11/9/2022)
Review by: Bill
This is an excellent lightweight small refractor with fine optics. It is great for lunar and double star observation. I highly recommend it. (Posted on 6/8/2022)
Review by: Eric Z
I am truly amazed by this scope. The construction, form, fit, and finish of this scope is first rate and worth every penny of the price. I used this scope tonight for the first time and it's performance was amazing. Even with a 93% illuminated Moon, this scope pulled out details in the sky that I had never seen before. The Moon was spectacular and this instrument even took 223X on the Moon without a shred of CA. Also the contrast was fantastic. Inky black skies all around. I saw colors in the Pleiades that I had never seen before and the Hyades were beautiful pin points. M42, even under a bright sky was quite nice.
The focuser was flawless and it was a joy to have fine focus capabilities. The overall construction of this scope is that of one costing many times more. It is built like a tank and one that I'm sure will be with me for many years. (Posted on 2/13/2022)
The focuser was flawless and it was a joy to have fine focus capabilities. The overall construction of this scope is that of one costing many times more. It is built like a tank and one that I'm sure will be with me for many years. (Posted on 2/13/2022)
Review by: Ken
I have owned the AT80mm F7 ED for several years now and was so impressed that I had to try the 102 version... glad I did, this is an awesome scope and for the price is amazing. Star test shows perfect airy disc ... contrast and color correction is awesome, near perfect even up to 180x ! The staff at Astronomics is exceptional, service is first class and fast shipping. Thanks guys for great products!, KD ... (Posted on 2/13/2022)
Review by: Terry
I've had a few viewing sessions with this beautiful telescope and I'm pleased to say it was money well spent. The ED doublet optics are virtually color free and the images it produces are quite sharp.
Saturn and Jupiter were very satisfying with nice detail. Epsilon Lyrae, the famous "double double", was wonderful. The splits were precise and quite beautiful. The star test was excellent and the star images through this telescope are excellent too.
I must mention the mechanical construction...very impressive. The two-speed focuser, while somewhat tight, is very smooth and positive. I just don't see any 4 inch refractor that can come close to this telescope at $600. It would be a great deal at $800, or more. Great job Astronomics! (Posted on 11/3/2021)
Saturn and Jupiter were very satisfying with nice detail. Epsilon Lyrae, the famous "double double", was wonderful. The splits were precise and quite beautiful. The star test was excellent and the star images through this telescope are excellent too.
I must mention the mechanical construction...very impressive. The two-speed focuser, while somewhat tight, is very smooth and positive. I just don't see any 4 inch refractor that can come close to this telescope at $600. It would be a great deal at $800, or more. Great job Astronomics! (Posted on 11/3/2021)
Review by: Astro-Mike
Had the scope out twice so far, first time I imaged with it, the 2nd time I used it visually. Very good color correction. The image produced the first night out with it showed vivid color on M104. The 2nd night out showed no color while viewing the Beehive Cluster. One thing I'd like to point out is the focuser. I was a little nervous about a rack and pinion focuser, but the only experience I've had with R&P focusers were those cheap plastic focusers on dept store scopes. Let me assure you, this one isnt one of those. There is no backlash, its extremely accurate and it dont slip. I like it better than the crayfords I have on my other scopes. This scope is incredible, and at $599, its a steal! (Posted on 4/26/2020)
Review by: Bob R
I decided to spend my Covid-19 stimulus money locally, which for me living in Oklahoma is at Astronomics. Not much I can add to all these 5-star reviews, but I'll try.
Build quality is, of course, beyond reproach. Everything exudes quality on this scope. The dew shield feels solid and doesn't budge after you set it where you want. The focuser is excellent at this price point and includes a tension adjuster.
I use mine at least 50% of time for terrestrial viewing and it excels at that too. My neighbor (1 acre lots) across the street has 100 foot Sycamores in his yard. I was watching a crow at the top of one of them when I noticed an ant crawling up the crows foot. Yep, it's that good.
I also have an 8" EdgeHD and have developed an interest in double star observation. The AT102ED is the perfect companion for my interests. Stars resolve to pinpoints with no false color except on the brightest targets. I can't wait to get this baby up to my parents place in Colorado.
Last and certainly not least, it's an amazing grab and go telescope. The SkyWatcher AZ-GTi has no problem handling the AT102ED.
(Posted on 4/21/2020)
Build quality is, of course, beyond reproach. Everything exudes quality on this scope. The dew shield feels solid and doesn't budge after you set it where you want. The focuser is excellent at this price point and includes a tension adjuster.
I use mine at least 50% of time for terrestrial viewing and it excels at that too. My neighbor (1 acre lots) across the street has 100 foot Sycamores in his yard. I was watching a crow at the top of one of them when I noticed an ant crawling up the crows foot. Yep, it's that good.
I also have an 8" EdgeHD and have developed an interest in double star observation. The AT102ED is the perfect companion for my interests. Stars resolve to pinpoints with no false color except on the brightest targets. I can't wait to get this baby up to my parents place in Colorado.
Last and certainly not least, it's an amazing grab and go telescope. The SkyWatcher AZ-GTi has no problem handling the AT102ED.
(Posted on 4/21/2020)
Review by: Mark
I purchased this scope about 5 weeks ago as a lightweight addition to my arsenal. I have found that it WAY outperforms its price! I have to concentrate on seeing color fringing visually on very bright objects and we are talking moon level bright objects here at 200+ X. I have done some imaging with this scope and find the views very well color corrected, however I have yet to image with a bright object in the field of my sensor. As with most refractors, outside of quads, this does benefit from a reducer/flattener when using a larger sensor for imaging. The fit and finish are fantastic and the focuser is really good quality. The biggest takeaway for me is the quality for the price. To me it's worth twice the price. You can't really say that about much these days especially when dealing with expensive astronomical equipment. I would recommend this scope without reservation. (Posted on 3/4/2020)
Review by: Bomber Bob
Astronomics is as crazy as I am, and that takes a lot. $600 for the AT102ED is a crazy good price. After a few sessions, this is a crazy good 4" refractor. I won't copy / paste everything here, but you can read about my pre-buy (AT F7 vs TS F11) on this thread: https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/683993-102ed-for-sure-but-f7-or-f11/ My DPAC, star, & sky testing is on this thread: https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/610153-got-a-at102-ed/
Y'all could add one of those standard aluminum foam-lined cases, up the price to $799 or even $899, and they'd still sell. My AT102 confirms a lot of the buzz about this ED. If you're in the market for a "fast" 100mm APO, give this one some serious consideration. This doublet packs a lot of punch -- at a very reasonable price.
~ Bomber Bob (Posted on 12/4/2019)
Y'all could add one of those standard aluminum foam-lined cases, up the price to $799 or even $899, and they'd still sell. My AT102 confirms a lot of the buzz about this ED. If you're in the market for a "fast" 100mm APO, give this one some serious consideration. This doublet packs a lot of punch -- at a very reasonable price.
~ Bomber Bob (Posted on 12/4/2019)
Review by: DJ
Its hard to describe the overall quality of this scope the fit and finish Is great, the optics show almost no false color and It's lite weight make It an qutstanding grab and go scope. So If y0ur looking for an all around great scope, check this one out. (Posted on 10/31/2019)
Review by: Chuck
This has to be one of the best kept secrets in amateur astronomy! Fantastic fit and finish, excellent optical performance and the price is half of what it should cost. I was looking for a 4” refractor that I could grab and go and not be too concerned if it was knocked around a bit...I failed in the sense that it’s so nice that the price is not a consideration, I simply don’t want it knocked around, it’s just too nice! I was planning on using it for visual only, but now I think I am going to try some photography with it. (Posted on 10/31/2019)
Review by: Ron
Excellent scope for the price. For visual use and on most nights this scope is comparable to my much more expensive scopes. (Posted on 10/24/2019)
Review by: Danny
I have only used a edge hd. Reviewing all the features of this great scope. The Gov is awsome compared to other scooes of the like. Great scooe for dso (Posted on 10/18/2019)
Review by: GJSMASON
Been enjoying this inexpensive (relatively speaking) 102mm doublet ED refractor for a few months now. On good nights of seeing I use my Baader Prism diagonal with Nagler 3-6 zoom and various other planetary ep's and Lunar viewing is sharp. with very little color. Usually, with my 2 inch dielectric diagonal, I enjoy it's wide field views to scan the area southern skies over Long Island and enjoy viewing the DSO's around Sagittarius. Early in the morning I can view Orion Nebula which looks stunning with various high quality eyepieces. The sliding dew shield stays extended even at zenith position -(which is a vast improvement over other Chinese made refractors I have owned - on which the sliding dew shield lived up to it's name and continued to slide down at zenith). The rack and pinion focuser is solid and of higher quality than previous "mass produced" R&P or Crayford-esq focusers I have owned. It is smooth and holds focus very well with my ES 100 degree 14mm eyepiece and dielectric diagonal - even near zenith - and it looks great also with that grey metallic paint job which matches the trim ring. Don't have to upgrade to a Premium focuser as this one is a "keeper". I purchased a generic "Vixen finder base" which mounts perfectly on the focuser tube using the two machine screws on the focuser body. (only a few dollars on Ebay). I use either a unit (red dot) or my ES 50mm optical finder scope. Both work very well on this telescope. Only issue is the lack of Identification on the telescope. We were told that a label will be forthcoming which we can install ourselves. I believe that should have been included or shipped ASAP so the scope would have a "finished/complete" look, and not appear like some of those "generic" achros being sold on Ebay. That does not matter when enjoying this fine "entry level" ED doublet refractor, of course, as the design, mechanics and optics are superb for the price! The views are sharp with excellent contrast. Very good star test without pinched optics and finish is first rate. For the price this beautifully constructed telescope is a Great Buy and as a "grab and go" telescope on it's Porta Mount, it is wonderful. (Posted on 10/15/2019)
Review by: Charles
I love all of the little features of this scope. They really make observing much easier and enjoyable. (Posted on 10/5/2019)
Review by: Jeff
This is my first refractor; until now I've only used a classic 8" SCT. I'm always amazed by the crisp views of clusters & binaries. I can even split binaries near the Dawes Limit. The dual-speed focuser lets me get very sharp stars and airy disks. Views of the Moon bring it to a new level of interest for me; I can even see lots of detail at or near full. The wider field of view lets me see objects in more of a contextual setting. I'm looking forward to attaching my DSLR and getting beautiful wide-field shots.
All this said, my SCT still does better at the faint fuzzies simply because of the greater aperture. The one exception to that is M31, which I can now see in (almost) it's entirety. That is a stunning view!
The fit-and-finish show this is very much a quality scope; nothing was done 'on the cheap'. While this may not be my only refractor over the years, this is certainly no 'introductory' instrument. This will serve a serious observer very well for many years.
I'd say this scope is at a sweet spot for cost vs performance/quality and well worth the price. (Posted on 10/4/2019)
All this said, my SCT still does better at the faint fuzzies simply because of the greater aperture. The one exception to that is M31, which I can now see in (almost) it's entirety. That is a stunning view!
The fit-and-finish show this is very much a quality scope; nothing was done 'on the cheap'. While this may not be my only refractor over the years, this is certainly no 'introductory' instrument. This will serve a serious observer very well for many years.
I'd say this scope is at a sweet spot for cost vs performance/quality and well worth the price. (Posted on 10/4/2019)
Review by: Anthony
Purchased Lenses for grandson quite awhile back and we still use them, they are fantastic lenses. (Posted on 9/9/2019)
Review by: Brad Wright
This was purchased as a gift for my best friend. Although I did not know a whole lot about Telescopes he was very impressed and said that it works excellent and loves it.
(Posted on 9/8/2019)
(Posted on 9/8/2019)
Review by: Ed
I purchased this in June, 2019 at $599.00. Pete provided excellent guidance and customer service. The scope, diagonal, and mount arrived and was easily assembled. Compared to my "other scope" (ETX90RA) this provides a deeper reach (about 1.5 mag) and much brighter, sharper images. I use it for DSO and occasionally for moon and planets. I am able to see GRS on Jupiter, which I was unable to view with ETX.
My primary passion are double stars. I was concerned about the "only 710" mm focal length but that has not been an issue. I have been able to routinely power up to 158x (9mm with 2x barlow) to split doubles. I am routinely in the 2.3" separation splitting zone.
I can see colors much better with this scope. The red of the Garnet Star exploded with color. Alberio is a pure joy.
The slo-mo controls are great to use and the Twilight 1 has provided a steady mount.
I use inexpensive Plossl eyepieces (Meade and the Astronomics) and am rewarded with wide FOV and sharp images.
Great scope at a wonderful price. Excellent value.
Ed (Posted on 8/7/2019)
My primary passion are double stars. I was concerned about the "only 710" mm focal length but that has not been an issue. I have been able to routinely power up to 158x (9mm with 2x barlow) to split doubles. I am routinely in the 2.3" separation splitting zone.
I can see colors much better with this scope. The red of the Garnet Star exploded with color. Alberio is a pure joy.
The slo-mo controls are great to use and the Twilight 1 has provided a steady mount.
I use inexpensive Plossl eyepieces (Meade and the Astronomics) and am rewarded with wide FOV and sharp images.
Great scope at a wonderful price. Excellent value.
Ed (Posted on 8/7/2019)
Review by: Thomas
I had used to have Skywatcher ED80 back in the days and it had nightmare level of color aberration when watching through the bright object (e.g., moon). Now that I see many good reviews on this scope. I would like to test it with my triplets from TS Photoline. I'm pretty sure all the astrotech telescopes have exceptional build quality. And this obviously is a really good price for 100mm ED scope!. (Posted on 7/29/2019)
Review by: Thomas
I have the original version with the non-sliding dew shield. Very good mechanical and optical performance for the price. (Posted on 7/24/2019)
Review by: Marc Rubin
I wanted to follow up my review. I got the scope out with good conditions and Jupiter high in the sky. The CA I saw and reported was simply not there once the scope was given a chance to cool down. I added a #8 Yellow filter for the moon and that completely rid the scope of CA even on the moon. Detail was beyond expectation. I saw 4 bands and the red spot with a 5mm Baader Hyperion. I am certain I also saw swirl detail. The air was remarkably still. Image size was about that of a marble so very reasonable. I ordered a barlow and will see if I can get this even better in size. There is no indication that the 5mm was pushing the scope. Just wanted to leave a better description of my experience. I was thinking of getting an APO...I got one as far as I am concerned. What a deal What a scope. Thank you! (Posted on 7/12/2019)
Review by: marc
Ok I was ready to face some CA when I got this given the price and glass. Yea it's there. BUT it's majorly slight so don't fret about it. It's only noticeable out of focus and then really really subtle on super bright objects.
Jupiter showed a tiny bit but it didn't affect the view.
Antares was perfect.
Vega was real close.
The moon was fine except as you suspect the rim has a really tiny purple line. No big deal.
Unlike other achromats the view isn't affected just that little thin color fringe. IF you really focus well it goes away. Hey built in focus finder! What made me title this is the view. The contrast and detail in the view are outrageous for the price. It's one hell of a scope. Ok people complained about the focuser. Fixed. The new one has to be made by starlight as it is the exact replacement one I bought for my C8. That was 300.00 by itself. Only wish would be it came with a case. Any case at all really. Buy it Now stop reading reviews.
Eyepiece makes a difference....just saying don't always blame the scope. (Posted on 7/2/2019)
Jupiter showed a tiny bit but it didn't affect the view.
Antares was perfect.
Vega was real close.
The moon was fine except as you suspect the rim has a really tiny purple line. No big deal.
Unlike other achromats the view isn't affected just that little thin color fringe. IF you really focus well it goes away. Hey built in focus finder! What made me title this is the view. The contrast and detail in the view are outrageous for the price. It's one hell of a scope. Ok people complained about the focuser. Fixed. The new one has to be made by starlight as it is the exact replacement one I bought for my C8. That was 300.00 by itself. Only wish would be it came with a case. Any case at all really. Buy it Now stop reading reviews.
Eyepiece makes a difference....just saying don't always blame the scope. (Posted on 7/2/2019)
Review by: Chris
I was very hesitant to buy this scope. All of the reviews were excellent, but 599 is a lot of money. Then one day my inbox said it was on sale, but still I waited. I already had a 4" (Meade Infinity), would this really show anything different? When the website said only 3 left, I called Astronomic. I don't remember the gentleman's name I spoke with, but I was impressed that I didn't get a hard sell. I told him my concerns, and he agreed with most of my reasons why I shouldn't buy another 4". But he did point out that although the increase in the quality view MAY not have been worth the premium (it is :)), the build quality and longevity along with the images would be worth it. He was not wrong. It's a very solid piece of equipment, very smooth focuser and excellent finish. The views of Jupiter and Saturn through my Paradigms are excellent. Now my only problem is I need a better mount to compliment this excellent scope. (Posted on 1/14/2019)
Review by: Quentin
This my first refractor. Truly one of the best values out there. All of the guys in my club were impressed.
The the overall build and focuser are solid and the views are excellent. I plan to use this as an entry level imaging scope as well as a grab and go.
Yet another great Astro-Tech product! (Posted on 1/14/2019)
The the overall build and focuser are solid and the views are excellent. I plan to use this as an entry level imaging scope as well as a grab and go.
Yet another great Astro-Tech product! (Posted on 1/14/2019)
Review by: Scott Horstman
Only 599 for 102 mm Apo ? I was skeptical then it came up for sale for 499. Well that's a no-brainer!
I have had my at102 side-by-side with several other 100 mm Apo doublets, all of which retail for much more, and the Astro Tech is equal to or better than the majority. False color is minimal even at high power on the moon. I'm not sure what magical coatings are used on the objective but looking at the reflection of a lamp in the optic produces almost no reflection whatsoever. This seems to give the Astro Tech an edge over some of my other 4" refractors in image brightness by allowing nearly all the Starlight to reach the eyepiece. My advice........get em while they last! (Posted on 1/10/2019)
I have had my at102 side-by-side with several other 100 mm Apo doublets, all of which retail for much more, and the Astro Tech is equal to or better than the majority. False color is minimal even at high power on the moon. I'm not sure what magical coatings are used on the objective but looking at the reflection of a lamp in the optic produces almost no reflection whatsoever. This seems to give the Astro Tech an edge over some of my other 4" refractors in image brightness by allowing nearly all the Starlight to reach the eyepiece. My advice........get em while they last! (Posted on 1/10/2019)
Review by: Matthew
My friend lent me this telescope a few weeks back for me to use in Harmon IL as I was traveling there at first just to see the milky way since I cannot see it here in the suburbs of the city of Chicago. I paired this telescope with the Celestron AVX Equatorial mount for a quick and simple set up, and I began to image the Orion Nebula with my unmodified Nikon D5300 DLSR camera. After stacking 150 images of two minutes exposures, the photo came out very flat with no vignetting or anything. I would recommend though to get a focal reducer for this telescope if you are looking to image with this telescope so your images come out better. When looking into the visual use of this telescope, it is best to view in a somewhat "darker" place with not as much light pollution such as suburbs of the city of Chicago, etc. If you cannot travel to darker places then I would recommend getting a bigger telescope only if you are looking for visual purposes. Bigger telescopes are most of the time not great with DSO imaging. (Posted on 12/27/2018)
Review by: Mark
Welcome back AT102ED! I have one of the original versions of this telescope when it sold for much more. I was impressed with the optical performance of the telescope then and was somewhat disappointed to see it disappear from the lineup not long after I got mine. Now years later I'm thrilled to see it back and available at an incredible price. This is a great grab and go telescope that provides good images, good color correction and is simple and easy to use. I also use mine as my solar scope using a Thousand Oaks optical solar filter on it. (Posted on 12/27/2018)
Review by: Matthew
I've had this for several months now and while I knew it was a good telescope I didn't realize how good until I was able to compare it side by side with a very high quality telescope.
The optical quality is good.
False color is barely noticeable in focus. Out of focus it quickly shows up.
The focuser is very good for a telescope in this price range. The other hardware is very nice, too.
Through the summer Mars always showed a polar cap and surface albedo features were visible through the dust storm. I preferred this to my C6 and C8 for observing Mars.
Cooldown is very quick. I have this on an alt-az mount in my front room able to be taken outside in one hand at a moment's notice.
I've used it for some astrophotography with a DSLR on an AVX and there is some bloat on stars but it isn't terribly objectionable.
It is a great value of a telescope. (Posted on 12/26/2018)
The optical quality is good.
False color is barely noticeable in focus. Out of focus it quickly shows up.
The focuser is very good for a telescope in this price range. The other hardware is very nice, too.
Through the summer Mars always showed a polar cap and surface albedo features were visible through the dust storm. I preferred this to my C6 and C8 for observing Mars.
Cooldown is very quick. I have this on an alt-az mount in my front room able to be taken outside in one hand at a moment's notice.
I've used it for some astrophotography with a DSLR on an AVX and there is some bloat on stars but it isn't terribly objectionable.
It is a great value of a telescope. (Posted on 12/26/2018)
Review by: Paul
This is a great little scope, and a great companion to my C8/AVX. The 102 sits on a manual GEM and works wonderfully for easily pulling out for shorter viewing sessions, or for lower magnification / wide field viewing. There is a slight bit of color on the lunar limb, but it is more that made up for by the quality glass figure and ED glass, which provides crisp detail for a 4" scope. Mechanics and construction are solid and function well. (Posted on 12/23/2018)
Review by: Nico
This is a gem! If you are looking for a really good telescope that looks fantastic and gives great views this is the one. While not a triplet, CA is really well controlled, Views are as sharp as they can be and the focuser is among the best you can have embedded in an OTA.
Fit and finish are impressive. OTA feels solid, and 102mm is the ideal combination of portability and performance.
Do I recommend this OTA? Of course! hands down, one of the best telescopes you can have in your arsenal. (Posted on 12/11/2018)
Fit and finish are impressive. OTA feels solid, and 102mm is the ideal combination of portability and performance.
Do I recommend this OTA? Of course! hands down, one of the best telescopes you can have in your arsenal. (Posted on 12/11/2018)
Review by: Alice
I am a relatively new astronomer and this is my second scope, I wanted a quick and easy setup with less dew issues for the warm summer months in my area (Florida.) This scope was recommended to me by the fine folks at Cloudy Nights and I cannot be happier with it. Beautiful crisp wide views, great sturdy build quality, nice smooth focuser, easy to adjust and customize to my needs. I bought the diagonal and finder from here as well, all excellent. Got a phone call from the fine people at Astronomics when my credit card company was not happy with my out-of-state charges, LOL, so the customer service was great. I am thoroughly enjoying my "grab and go" scope and would not hesitate to purchase an Astro-Tech scope again. (Posted on 12/10/2018)
Review by: RR
Up until a year ago, I owned a fpl-53 f/7 triplet that gave absolutely fantastic images. However, certain circumstances led me to sell it. Buyer's regret hit and I wanted to eventually replace it, but at a lesser cost. I had been following this scope for quite some time and actually ended up purchasing one second-hand online after resisting the sale price for several weeks. I had high expectations coming from a well built William Optics triplet and I must say that this scope has met those expectations. My only wish is that the dew shield could retract, but it's not a deal breaker. Easily splits doubles, and the contrast on planets is easily on par with other 4" triplets I've viewed through. Not quite flourite level, but still quite good. Chromatic aberration is visible on the limb of the moon and brighter stars, but it's not as much as I expected. There's more lateral aberration from my eyepieces than there is CA. Would definitely not hesitate to purchase again. Perfect for the visual observer who wants near color-free views without a high price tag. (Posted on 11/14/2018)
Review by: JOHN
I purchased this to use as a grab n go and a travel scope and it has exceeded my expectations. At first sight I was surprised what a beautifully made instrument it is. The paint finish is flawless and with the gray accents and the black and gold focuser it really has an understated elegance to it. I've had it out many times now and it performs as good as it looks. First and foremost, this thing puts up some razor sharp images! I've split stars at magnifications lower than I could ever use with my reflector. The E & F stars in the Trapezium were easy. Chromatic aberration is well controlled. It's not non existent but I would say very well controlled and only noticeable on very bright objects. The focuser is well made, precise and smooth. I have pushed this scope to some fairly high magnifications like 260x and the 2 speed focuser makes focusing easy. It's just a great all around scope and an over achiever at this price point. It has just enough aperture to show a variety of objects well. It's great on planets and open clusters sparkle like diamonds. I've viewed everything from the brighter galaxies to small planetary nebula and it continues to impress me. Then there's the wide field views. Wow! Nice contrast and crisp stars across the field. It's just a very versatile telescope that I look forward to using for many years to come. Thanks Astronomics! This ones a winner for sure. (Posted on 11/6/2018)
Review by: Wade
Hi folks.
This is my second refractor, and my first ED scope. I bought this as an upgrade from my four inch Celestron achromat, and I’m sure glad I did! The AT102ED is an amazing scope! At first sight I could tell the mechanical quality is much better, the paint job looks great and the focuser is strong and smooth. The color correction is Miles ahead of the achromat, and it was obvious viewing Jupiter that the color error is very small compared to the achro. I think to get a better mechanical/ color corrected scope you're looking at $2000 and up, and that makes the AT102ED a veritable bargain. (Posted on 11/4/2018)
This is my second refractor, and my first ED scope. I bought this as an upgrade from my four inch Celestron achromat, and I’m sure glad I did! The AT102ED is an amazing scope! At first sight I could tell the mechanical quality is much better, the paint job looks great and the focuser is strong and smooth. The color correction is Miles ahead of the achromat, and it was obvious viewing Jupiter that the color error is very small compared to the achro. I think to get a better mechanical/ color corrected scope you're looking at $2000 and up, and that makes the AT102ED a veritable bargain. (Posted on 11/4/2018)
Review by: Kevin
The AT102ED represents an amazing bargain for a 4" class ED doublet. The overall build quality is superb. The telescope is extremely well baffled (4 baffles in the main tube and 12 in the focuser drawtube), has excellent coatings, and a robust 2.5" focuser. Spherical correction on my sample is very good. Color correction is quite good but the scope will show faint violet on bright targets at high power (Vega for example). The lens also seems to have a very nice polish as overall scatter control is excellent and on par with a pricier Japanese manufactured scope I also own. From sharp, high power views to low power sweeping, I don't know of any other telescope at this price that can do it all so well. (Posted on 11/1/2018)
Review by: Pat
Just finished up a lunar session with my AT102ED, under the best seeing conditions I've experienced in years. The rays of Aristillus, catching sunlight at a very low angle, clearly show that they are in fact, ridges. And tall ones at that. Just one of many memorable images I've seen with this 4" refractor over the last nine months.
This is scope has given me the best return on investment of any astro-equipment I've ever purchased. For $599 I have a light weight, well constructed 4" refractor with ED glass and focuser that doesn't have to take back seat to any scope costing twice as much - or more. Coupled with a Voyager II alt-az mount, it is easily picked up (28 pounds) and carried outside on a moment's notice. A couple older TeleVue eyepieces and barlow lens live in the tripod spreader, so everything is right there in just a single trip. (A second trip brings the equally important observing chair and adult beverage.)
From richest-field capability (nearly 3 1/2 degree true field of view), to high powered viewing at 200x and everything in between - this is without a doubt, the most versatile telescope you can buy for the money. (Posted on 10/16/2018)
This is scope has given me the best return on investment of any astro-equipment I've ever purchased. For $599 I have a light weight, well constructed 4" refractor with ED glass and focuser that doesn't have to take back seat to any scope costing twice as much - or more. Coupled with a Voyager II alt-az mount, it is easily picked up (28 pounds) and carried outside on a moment's notice. A couple older TeleVue eyepieces and barlow lens live in the tripod spreader, so everything is right there in just a single trip. (A second trip brings the equally important observing chair and adult beverage.)
From richest-field capability (nearly 3 1/2 degree true field of view), to high powered viewing at 200x and everything in between - this is without a doubt, the most versatile telescope you can buy for the money. (Posted on 10/16/2018)
Review by: Jim
I purchased this telescope when it was on sale for $499 = I thought it was a steal. The build quality is excellent, including the focuser. I've done some color (moon) and monochrome imaging and have been pleased with the results. (Posted on 10/7/2018)
Review by: DougB
I've had the 2018 version for several months now. Very impressed with the optics and build quality and it looks great. The focuser is great - very smooth - and I really appreciate the 3 tension screws vs. 2. Optics are even better than I expected with some slight color on a few objects but mostly very hard to see. A keeper for me. (Posted on 10/7/2018)
Review by: Bradley
I grabbed one of these during the sale also and have been quite impressed with the cost to performance. It is much better than the achromats here but is not an apochromat but it is much closer to an apochromat than an achromat. The optics are better than I expected and so is the focuser even though there is some focus shift. All in all I've been having fun with it and wish Astronomics would make this in a 127mm. That extra inch helps with my right eye. (Posted on 10/7/2018)
Review by: Curt
I have used this scope for several months now and have been extremely pleased with its performance. Cullimation is spot on and it handles magnification very well. Views of the gas giants exhibited a surprising amount of detail with the limiting factor being the Missouri skies. Deep sky objects exhibited good contrast and resolving brighter globulars was only limited by the 4 inch aperture. Fit, finish and mechanics are far above the modest sale price of $499. (Posted on 10/6/2018)
Review by: Roger
I purchased this scope several months back during the $499 sale. This scope has been one one of the most pleasant surprises of any of my scope purchases. For the price, it exudes quality construction and is buttoned down nicely. The replacement focuser - the original was damaged due shipment - is silky smooth with a wonderful feel. Best of all are the optics! The optics on this scope are very good - bright contrasty views and it takes high magnification well.
Highly recommended! (Posted on 10/6/2018)
Highly recommended! (Posted on 10/6/2018)
Review by: Davebl
I got this when the 1st batch arrived and I'm really glad I did. Excellent images with little if any color. I think that the small amount of color I saw on the Moon's limb might have been from the eyepiece I was using. On an expensive triplet I bought from another well known brand, I had to replace the focuser due to it's poor performance. Not so on the AT102ED. The stock focuser is surprisingly well built. Definitely a keeper. (Posted on 10/6/2018)
Review by: Bob
I've had this scope for four months now and have been loving it. I bought it as a grab and go / public outreach scope. It gives great views of the moon and planets at public events. Nothing better than a child's face the first time they see Saturn. Binary stars that I've been able to view (very rainy summer) have resolved nicely.I do get veeerryy slight fringing on the moon at high magnification (+200X) but it something you have to look for, it isn't generally noticeable.
All hardware is beautifully finished and performs well. Focuser is smooth for both fast and fine adjustment.
All and all a great scope that outperforms it's price.
(Posted on 10/6/2018)
All hardware is beautifully finished and performs well. Focuser is smooth for both fast and fine adjustment.
All and all a great scope that outperforms it's price.
(Posted on 10/6/2018)
