Astro-Tech AT130 EDT f/7 ED Triplet OTA

$1,899.00

Availability: In stock

Some observers feel that the Astro-Tech AT130EDT 5.12" f/7 ED triplet apochromatic refractor compares favorably in performance to scopes nearly four times its price. We won't go quite that far, but we will say that the AT130EDT is an exceptional performer and an exceptional value.
Our Product #: AT130EDT
Astro-Tech Product #: AT130EDT
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Product Description

This new Astro-Tech AT130EDT refractor has:

• 130mm f/7 fully multicoated triplet apochromatic optics using an ED center element
• a dual-speed 2.5" rack-and-pinion focuser with 10:1 ratio fine focusing
• hard sided protective carry case
• a rotatable focuser
• a camera angle adjuster
• retractable lens shade/dew shield
• dual hinged split tube rings with a Vixen-style dovetail

There are competitive 130mm-range apo scopes that can cost up to $6500 and more. Do they perform nearly four times better than the Astro-Tech AT130EDT to justify the price difference? That's up to you to decide. But while they can cost nearly four times as much, many observers will be hard-pressed to justify the cost difference between those other scopes and the Astro-Tech AT130EDT. To our minds, that makes the Astro-Tech AT130EDT an exceptional value.

The Astro-Tech AT130EDT's slow-polished triplet optics, ED glass center element, and state-of-the-art optical multicoatings are even more impressive when you consider the package they come in. The finely-machined scope has a dual-speed 2.5" rack-and-pinion focuser with a microfine 10:1 fine-focusing ratio. The focuser can rotate a full 360° to put your camera or eyepiece in the most comfortable observing position. In addition, a built-in camera angle adjuster lets you fine-tune the composition of your astrophotos. The supplied 2" and 1.25" eyepiece holders use non-marring compression rings that won't scratch your eyepiece barrels.

This feature-laden 130mm Astro-Tech ED triplet apochromatic refractor offers optical and mechanical performance nearly the equal of scopes many times its reasonable price. No matter how you look at it, at the price, the Astro-Tech AT130EDT is an absolute steal!

Features of this Telescope . . .

ED apochromatic triplet refractor optics: 130mm (5.12") aperture, 910mm focal length, f/7 focal ratio. It uses an ED (Extra-low Dispersion glass) center element to reduce spurious color halos and fringing to vanishingly low levels. All three lens elements are slow-polished for smooth surfaces, with less scattered light.

Fully multicoated optics: The triplet 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 light baffles in the 140mm diameter optical tube 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 self-storing 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 to the effect of the lens shade on a camera lens, when observing during the day or when there is excessive ambient light at night, such as from a neighbor's backyard security light.

Dual speed 2.5" rack-and-pinion focuser: The precision-made focuser has dual-speed focusing. There are two coarse focusing knobs. The right knob also has a smaller concentric knob with a 10:1 reduction gear microfine focusing ratio. This provides exceptionally precise image control during high magnification visual observing and critical 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 drawtube has 75mm of travel and a millimeter scale on the drawtube to let you return to an approximate focus when switching between visual and photographic setups. A lock knob under the focuser lets you lock in your photographic focus.

The 2.5" focuser can be rotated a full 360° to line up a camera in either a landscape or portrait orientation (or any orientation in between), as well as put a star diagonal and eyepiece into the most comfortable observing position. Simply loosen the knob on the top of the focuser housing, rotate the focuser to whatever angle is most convenient for you, and then tighten the knob to lock the focuser at the desired angle.

Built-in camera angle adjuster: In addition to the entire focuser rotating, the focuser drawtube's 2" eyepiece/accessory holder includes a built-in camera angle adjuster that lets you quickly make final small adjustment tweaks to the angle of your camera or star diagonal without having to disturb the heavier focuser proper. This camera angle adjuster is standard equipment, not an optional extra-cost accessory, as it is with some other scopes.

The Astro-Tech AT130EDT allows imaging with a DSLR or CCD using an APS-C or equivalent sensor (29mm diagonal) with no vignetting. Adding the dedicated reducer/field flattener, #ATREDT30, will allow imaging with a full frame DSLR (43mm diagonal sensor) with only minor vignetting at the corners of the image.

A knob on the 2" eyepiece/accessory holder lets you unlock the accessory holder, rotate it to the desired final angle, then lock it in place at whatever angle is most convenient for you. Many observers will find this camera angle adjuster to be even more convenient that the focuser rotation system and will use this method of adjusting the viewing angle exclusively.

Compression ring eyepiece holders: The focuser's 2.5" drawtube terminates in a 2" eyepiece holder that uses a non-marring 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 compression ring to hold 1.25" star diagonals and accessories in place.

Optical tube: The 32.4" long optical tube and focuser (37.5" long with lens shade extended) are finished in a durable white powder coated finish, with grey anodized trim. There is a finderscope mounting shoe that accepts Vixen-style finderscope mounting brackets. The shoe can be mounted on either the top left or top right side of the focuser body. A slip-on metal dust cap is standard, as is a dust seal for the eyepiece holder.

Tube rings and dovetail: Dual split hinged tube rings are supplied for the 140mm o. d. optical tube. The rings are lined with white felt that will not stain the white finish of the scope over time, unlike the black felt supplied with other scopes. A 9.7" long Vixen-style dovetail is bolted to the tube rings. Optional Losmandy-style D-plate dovetails are available if your mount uses a wider Losmandy-style saddle.

Hard Case:  The Astro-Tech AT130CA hard case is designed to hold the Astro-Tech AT130EDT 130mm triplet ED apo refractor. It measures 35" (889mm) long, 10.25" (260mm) wide, and 11.25" (286mm) deep including the feet that prevent the case from resting directly on the ground.

The aluminum-framed case has three locking latches and a spring-loaded handle that lies flat when not being used to carry the case. The rigid protective foam inside the case is die-cut specifically to hold the AT130EDT scope only, without accessories. The case weighs 13 pounds (5.9 kg).

Tech Details

Aperture 130mm
Binary and Star Cluster Observation Very Good
Focal Length 910mm
Focal Ratio f/7
Galaxy and Nebula Observation Good
Highest Useful Magnification 260x
Lunar Observation Great
Weight 19 lbs.
Planetary Observation Very Good
Resolution 0.89 arc second
Telescope Type Refractor
Visual Limiting Magnitude 13.1
Warranty 1 year

Reviews

Review by:
This is a truly exceptional value. I will let others do the talking. At a recent event at a telescope shop I set this up on a EQ6R pro mount. It was the star of the show. Comments from the staff and visitors was that the star tests were spot on. It was producing gorgeous, color free, views of Jupiter and high contrast views of other targets. M41 was a show stopper with the beautiful red/orange HIP 32406 standing out like a ruby amid diamonds.

I was curious as to how this scope would test. I asked someone (who is a professional and well known to the community) to test the scope. He performed DPAC and interferometry on the scope. Let me just say that it tested .982 Strehl in green light and leave it to that. Do they all do that? Don't know but this one does. This in a sub $2000.00 triplet is better than good.

And also very important is that I have complete confidence in Astronomics and their superb customer service. This one is not going anywhere. (Posted on 3/24/2024)
Review by:
Having previously an AT115EDT, I felt confident in the overall quality and performance of these AT scopes. The move to the AT130EDT was just to satisfy an itch to have a touch more resolution on planetary imaging, while maintaining a great DSO scope. The AT130EDT has been everything I expected it to be. With or without the dedicated FF/FR, I can image to my hearts content with full satisfaction and confidence. This will be a forever scope for me. (Posted on 12/15/2023)
Review by:
Thank you Ken for your help processing my telescope. It arrived in perfect condition. All I can say is WOW. It is amazing. My wife and children were surprised when they saw the Andromeda galaxy for there first time. I would highly recommend astronomics to anyone looking for the highest quality astronomy equipment at the best price. (Posted on 10/21/2023)
Review by:
I have an earlier review of my 130 dated 2018 and I just want to say that I still have the same scope and it is still my goto scope. I use a variety of CMOS cameras and the 130 fits them all perfectly. My images with the 130 have won multiple awards and are always super sharp with lots of accurate color. I wouldn't trade My AT130EDT for anything. (Posted on 9/7/2023)
Review by:
The AT 130 is a fabulous APO refractor! I have never seen eLyra the way that the Astro Tech 130 presented it. At 140x the four stars were all individual pinpoints of pure chromatic-free light without any SCT light scattering around them at all. Perfect round and pinpoint stars set on a backdrop of black velvet with the space in between each filled with the black velvet as well. Incredible view. In turning the scope to M57 at Bortle 5, the 13th mag star below the famous Ring Nebula popped like another pinpoint of light right into place. The view of M13 at 202x filled the 82 degree UWA view of the eyepiece I was using with hundreds or stars each sharp and detailed. Not advertised is the fact that the objective cell on this scope has a three point collimation on it with dual locking set screws. This truly bears the mark of a truly professional grade APO refractor. While there was no need to collimate the objective it was nice to know that this scope has that capability! The entire build on this scope is solid. There were no cutting corners optically or mechanically. As one who has owned well over 500 telescopes over he past 60 years, and I currently own 21 from 76mm to 406mm, I have seen my share of the good, the bad and the ugly. This is one of my favorite scopes due to its clean and color-free optics, superb mechanical design and the sense that I'm looking through my C9.25" SCT but with a 130mm objective. The dual rotating Crayford focuser is a boon to ultrasmooth rotation. I can't say enough good about this scope and its reach that is far beyond its what its aperture suggests! I also have the AT 115 and a pair of AT 80EDs, none would be rated less than 5 stars! (Posted on 6/12/2023)
Review by:
This scope is a great value.

I bought this scope only for visual and do not use it for astrophotography. Mechanically it is robust and the focuser will handle any weight you can put in it.

Optically it is razor sharp. I like to push telescopes well beyond most practical magnification limits and this scope soaked up any magnification you could give it. The highest magnification I was able to use with the equipment I have was 492x, and the view of the Moon was just as sharp and satisfying as it was at lower magnifications. This was 96x per inch of aperture!

My initial tests showed noticeable chromatic aberration, but that was with a prism diagonal. Further testing with a mirror diagonal showed insignificant CA only at very high magnifications. You'd only notice the tiny amount of CA if you were doing side-by-side comparison with a reflector. I do not recommend using a prism diagonal with this scope if you are sensitive to CA. A quality mirror diagonal will give the best performance.

For deep sky, it also seems to punch above its weight. When comparing the views of various spring galaxies with a high quality reflector using a 130mm off-axis aperture mask and the same magnification/exit pupil, the 130EDT seemed to show fainter galaxies a bit more easily. When paired with a 99% reflective dielectric diagonal, the scope has excellent light throughput.

If you're in the market for a reasonably affordable 130mm ED scope, this one is a great value. (Posted on 4/10/2023)
Review by:
I have had this scope for 1.5 years and it is everthing advertized. I do mostely imaging with it and it is excellent. No color fringing, no ca at all. Focusser is great works very smoth, Has a lot of great featchers included. Would recomend this scope to anyone. Cherokee (Posted on 3/10/2023)
Review by:
I have been using this scope for a few nights AT 130EDT after letting my 115EDT go, in hopes that I would get a scope a little larger but has optics as good as my 115EDT. WELL, it's as good and more, the optics are spot on, the whole feel of the triplet is as if your handling a fined tuned piece of machinery. Solid build with a more than adequate focuser and extra features I really like. Makes taking images so much nicer. My 130 EDT rides well on my EQ6R pro and yes it is front heavy which reminds me I have real good glass in there, colors and vividness are outstanding. (Posted on 10/6/2022)
Review by:
I had been looking at Astro-Tech refractors for many years, reading reviews, and dreaming. Finally, I pulled the trigger and ordered when they were in stock. I've spent the summer with mine, and I've never had so much fun with a telescope in the 40 years I've been involved in astronomy. This is a solidly built telescope that performs great in my back yard, and great at dark sky sites when I travel. I can't think of any reason I would put out double the cash for the same size and likely only slightly better optics. This is a great scope, plain and simple. If you're on the fence, get one! (Posted on 8/3/2022)
Review by:
This is an excellent telescope. The resolution is excellent, not a hint of false color. Excellent focuser. Great value, reasonably priced. I highly recommend this scope. (Posted on 5/7/2022)
Review by:
I spent weeks researching refractors,,reading the reviews,,and looking for the "in stock" moment. I chose the AT 130 EDT because all of its features, price, and reviews gave me that warm fuzzy that said it's time to jump on it. Everyone at Astronomics were straight up professional and waisted no time in shipping it to me once they themselves recieved it. I recieved it on a string of cloudy nights,,thus all I could do at first was to go through the inspection and setup routine and become familiar with it. Appearance and overall condition out of the box was perfect, not a thing out of place or damaged. The finish on the OTA, and the well designed light shield and very robust focuser will last a lifetime. Additionally, I absolutely love that the focuser and finder scope mount each rotates independently, this feature alone is priceless. I am a "visual" only type,,however after finally punching a hole through the clouds,,,I'm giving astrophotography serious thoughts. The focuser is well made and smooth,,easily handles my heavy AP 2" Maxbright diagonal and large EP's. I see no reason at all to upgrade the focuser,,ever. Saving the best part for last,,,,the views,,,just WOW, sharp tack's,,no false colors or CA and a perfect star test. Super high contrast sharp view's and I hit a wide range of DSO's and of course the moon. This is not my first scope, not my only scope,,but it is my new primary scope. I made the right choice and I'm 100% satisfied with my AT 130 EDT and everyone at Astronomics. (Posted on 4/20/2021)
Review by:
I had to say what a great first light I had last night. The weather finally cut me some slack. With all the talk about FPL-53 and knowing my AT130 triplet is not made with it, I had a little fear of CA. I don't want to sound like a refractor snob, but I don't like false color. I am happy to report that my scope shows none. The first thing I did was pointed it at a couple of very bright stars and nothing but white light. The limb of the moon, no color. The planets Jupiter and Saturn, sharp and clear. I used a 10mm Ortho to check the inside and outside focus, excellent star test. I couldn't be happier or more satisfied. My thanks and appreciation goes out to Mike and Astronomics. (Posted on 7/31/2020)
Review by:
There's nothing in the APO refractor market that even comes close to providing so much view for (only) this much money. I have taken this to multiple dark sky locations and each time it has delivered sharp and deep contrast views of deep-sky objects. I still remember seeing Andromeda and Triangulum with an Ethos 21 on this. Stunning!

Back home, it delivers excellent views of the solar system objects. Add a binoviewer and couple of good Abbe orthos to this and you will have the best time with the planets, Luna and our Sun.

Beware though, it is heavily front loaded. It is actually quite surprising how heavy the front is. I almost dropped it on the nose the first time I picked it up from the box. Might also require additional weights on the back end to balance. This minor nitpicking apart, this is truly a lifetime scope! (Posted on 7/10/2020)
Review by:
I love this scope! Works great for visual and astrophotography. This telescope has great glass. Stars are pinpoint clear. I have it mounted on an Orion Atlas Pro. It works great! (Posted on 10/31/2019)
Review by:
I love this scope for astrophotography. High quality workmanship. Great views. Love the hard side case that keeps scope protected. (Posted on 10/7/2019)
Review by:
I bought an AT130-EDT a few months ago and have used it only for astrophotography. The pinpoint details of the stars in my photos is amazing. I can't say enough about the excellent optics in this refractor. You won't find a better triplet refractor at this price. (Posted on 10/5/2019)
Review by:
I got this from a club member, so its used. I use it for Planets and large DSOs-Globulars are awesome-I can mag up no problem, and Jup/Sat are stunning as well. Has the be the best bang for the buck in refractors, and I can't imagine ever parting with it. (Posted on 10/4/2019)
Review by:
I was one of the first recipients of this outstanding telescope. The build quality is excellent, with a nicely snug retractable dew shield, beefy and robust focuser, and a footer that's perfect for a number of finder scopes. The glass isn't comparable to anything in this price range. I think, after months of research prior to purchasing this scope, that there is no better option available at this price range. Additionally, I firmly believe that quality quickly deteriorates as you move downwards in price, but there is very little room for improvement as you move upwards. This is one of the finest refractors available and may be the definitive choice in this price range. (Posted on 7/22/2019)
Review by:
I bought my AT130EDT from the second batch in 2016. For a few months I used it purely for visual observing, getting great views of Jupiter and Saturn as well as very clean and crisp views of many double stars and deep-sky objects. Then, I bought the Astro Tech focal reducer and field flattener combo, designed specifically for this telescope, and started doing imaging with a DSLR camera. It was as if I had discovered a second nature for this telescope. The images are crisp and contrasty, the colors are pure and the coverage of the APS-C frame is really good. The f/5.6 photographic ratio is fast... in short, I love this telescope as an imaging machine. One should, anyway, consider its weight and mount it adequately... a 45-lbs class mount looks appropriate for a DSLR setup, and maybe a 60-lbs class mount for heavier cameras with filter wheels. (Posted on 1/13/2019)
Review by:
Absolutely love this scope. I use it strictly for photography, with the recommended field flattener, and could not be happier with it. Contrast is top notch, stars are pinpoint, focuser is smooth as silk and works great with my Sesto Senso focus motor. (Posted on 1/8/2019)
Review by:
I bought this scope from the first run a few years ago. It is a well build scope with a nice smooth focuser. It is a little front heavy but that is to be because of it being a triplet. It shows nice star colors, super sharp and tight. I have not noticed any CA. I beleive this is the best value in the 5" class. So glad I bought it. (Posted on 1/8/2019)
Review by:
I was lucky enough to be on the very first shipment of this fine intrument. This is the one of the greatest telescopes I've had the pleasure of looking through. It combines some of the highest quality lenses with very robust equipment to ensure your setup is compatible with a number of accessories or equipment. Comparing the cost/value to similar sized telescopes, this is unequivocally one of the best options on the market today and likely will be for years to come. Thank you, Astrotech! (Posted on 1/3/2019)
Review by:
I own and love the AT 102ED but I wanted a little more reach, so Pete suggested the 130. All I can say is "wow" this is a great telescope. The optics are remarkable and my images have improved as a result. Can not wait to get to some darker skies! (Posted on 12/24/2018)
Review by:
I recently purchased the AT130EDT. I am impressed so far. It looks well built and I like it's looks. Since it's purchase, I have yet to look thru it. (new scope curse.) So more to come. (Posted on 12/10/2018)
Review by:
I live in the area and have stopped by on several occasions. I asked a milion questions before buying and they were very patient. I wanted a higher contrast image than I was getting with my 30 year old orange C-8. I have been very pleased with the AT130EDT, and the suggested accessories. (Posted on 10/14/2018)
Review by:
I am the proud owner of an Astro-Tech 130mm f/7and a Astro-Tech 80mm f/6 refractors.

Each of these refractors have smooth & solid focusers, retractable dew shields. Overall they are very nicely built using quality materials.

Both were delivered as promised and in excellent optical alignment. BE aware the 130mm is little heavy so make sure to eat your breakfast.

Since I am mostly a visual astronomer, I use an Alt-AZ mount that allows me to easily setup and quickly view planets, stars and deep space objects from my backyard.

In the near future, I hope to learn how to do astro--photography and with these two excellent refractors, I think I’ll be ready! (Posted on 10/9/2018)
Review by:
The Astro Tech AT 130EDT is every thing it is advertised to be. An excellent value for the dollar and it punches very close to the scopes that cost 6 times as much. I had the best view ever of the Pleiades using this scope and an AT Paradigm eyepiece. Build quality is top notch too. A can't go wrong scope. (Posted on 10/8/2018)
Review by:
I bought one new 2 yrs ago from Astronomics. Build quality was excellent. I was quite impressed with the optical quality ... excellent. I've owned many apos in the past ... AP, TEC, Tak .... and would be happy to keep the AT130 as my only scope.
(Posted on 10/8/2018)
Review by:
I managed to pick up one of the last of the original shipments of the AT130 EDT f/7 telescope w/ the field flattner. The optics and build quality are right up there with the competition but this units is only priced at $1799. I've used it for astro-imaging and have been very pleased with the results. The unit is very front heavy so balancing is critical. The optional case is of excellent quality. (Posted on 10/7/2018)
Review by:
This scope is a great value for the size and build. I have used this for visual use with no buyer's remorse. Eventually, I will use this for AP; however, I am simply enjoying this for both daytime use with a Quark Daystar and nighttime visual use with a binoviewer. It is front heavy, so make a plan for balancing it on your mount accordingly. (Posted on 10/6/2018)
Review by:
I’ve always wanted a 5”+ refractor but did not want to settle for an achromat and most apos seem to be out of my price range. I received Astronomics email announcing the impending arrival of the 130s. Based on the description and other reviews it sounded like the deal I was looking for. I was not disappointed. I’ve owned it now for month and a half and taken to a star party and a couple of outreach meetings and everybody agrees the views are great and that price is a great deal. I love the included diagonal. Much better than what I was expecting. Focuser is smooth. If it included the case and a finder it would be perfect. (Posted on 10/6/2018)
Review by:
I have had the AT130EDT now for about 2.5 years, about 1 year after they were released. I read several user reports and spoke to owners and never read anything that may have raised a red flag. If you can afford a $7000+ 130mm F7 refractor then go get it, however if you are like me and like a value then take a strong look at this scope.

All the components of this scope are very high quality including the optics. This scope is not light however considering it is a F7 Triplet it isn't heavy either. If you are going to be using it for visual you have a lot of flexibility on the mount you select. However if you are going to be using it for AP work then spend some time studying mounts until you find one that can easily manage this telescope and the AP gear.

The extras that come with it make this a true bargain and the accessories that are available for it are just as high quality as the telescope.

The customer service with Astronomics is great. If you want to take a look at some photos taken from this telescope go to Cloudy Nights or the other AP site that hosts photos. I seriously doubt you will be disappointed. (Posted on 10/6/2018)
Review by:
I thought I had a fine scope, but it's always reassuring to hear complements from more experienced astro nerd friends and vendors they liked the view that AT130EDT and Televue eyepieces were giving. Very clear. :) Will be trying with astrophotography soon. (Posted on 10/6/2018)
Review by:
The 130 EDT has been my go-to refractor for both visual and EAA since I took delivery from the first shipment delivered to the US. The optics and build quality are impeccable, and it has never failed to deliver. One of the best values out there for a refractor in this class, IMO. (Posted on 10/6/2018)
Review by:
Love my 130! High contrast with razor sharp views. Build quality is quite good. Not a hint of CA. Astronomic has a reputation for proving a good value and this is no exception. It is a bit nosy heavy (being a triplet) so you should factor that in when thinking of mounts. It's marginal on something like an AVX.

All in all, a great scope for the price. (Posted on 10/6/2018)
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