Altair 60 EDF Doublet Refractor Telescope V3

A highly specified portable telescope, suitable for wide field imaging or visual use, day or night-time.
 
The Altair 60 EDF is our most compact telescope, and this a more refined version with an S-FPL53 doublet objective lens providing superior colour correction and a lighter more compact tube.

NEW V3 with X-Rings, Top rail, Optical Test Report, Black Anodised CNC Machined Focuser and rear Camera Rotator, plus longer 200mm dovetail bar for better balancing. You can upgrade your existing 60EDF rings by ordering the X-Rings separately here.

What options to choose when ordering: 
1 - Select "OTA only" option for the optical tube, upper and lower rails, X-Ring Tube rings, Optical test report and case
2 - Add the 0.8x dedicated flat field reducer for astrophotography at F4.8
3 - If you want to use filters, add the option based on your camera type, and we'll provide a 2" magnetic filter holder with adaptors to achieve the correct spacing for your camera (12.5mm sensor spacing for fan cooled and 17.5mm for TEC cooled).
 
Optical Test report, guaranteeing optical quality. The telescope is guaranteed to arrive in perfect collimation and comes with an optical test report showing guaranteed Strehl 0.95 or better in green light. Optical smoothness, figuring, and overall performance are very consistent, and every lens has a unique serial number linked to the glass batch and stated on the test report. Altair Astro was the first company in the world to adopt this approach, guaranteeing our customers always get the best quality optics.
 
New X-Rings, plus upper and lower dovetail bars. The new X-Rings have a quick release side-cam lever, as well as allowing more attachment opportunities than the previous tube ring. The top dovetail rail has dual Arca-format and Vixen-format (44mm) profiles so you can use various dovetail clamps. It's now easier to attach accessories on top, such as the Altair 100mm Guide Scope Rings, Altair 60mm Mini Guider (MG60) etc. The MiniGuider 32 quick release bracket can be attached to the X-Rings directly too. A new longer 200mm Vixen-style dovetail bar is included for easier balancing. 

Rear Camera Rotator. The Altair 60EDF focuser has a rotating rear collar with locking screws allowing you to frame the object perfectly, without rotating the whole focuser, or the optical tube. This is a distinct advantage especially when mounting the telescope with other scopes, and motor focusers, to avoid the extra equipment fouling the mounting bars.
 
Dual Speed Imaging friendly focuser. Black Anodised CNC Rack n Pinion focuser, rear camera angle rotator, and 2" push-fit adaptor with triple thumbscrews hold your accessories securely. The focuser has tension-adjustment to handle heavy accessories, such as large eyepieces, diagonals, Hershel wedges, cameras, or the Daystar Quark. The draw-tube has 75mm travel, and a graduated scale in mm. This is a smooth accurate focuser for imaging. The course focus knob can be removed to attach a motor focuser. A Camera Rotator is included for easy framing. The reducer or flattener will screw directly into the rear Camera Rotator if you remove the rear 2" push-fit adaptor.
 
Astrophotography. The ED Doublet design offers very good colour correction, while keeping the optical tube light and compact. The new Doublet lens gives better colour correction in the blue regions of the spectrum than the earlier versions. At F6, this telescope can be used with the optional 1.0x field flattener (code: FLAT-60). By attaching the dedicated 0.8x reducer (code RED08X-60EDF), you can speed the scope up to F4.8 for wide field shots with a focal length of 288mm giving you the flexibility of two focal lengths in one scope with a proper astro focuser. Optimum spacing from the rear M48 flange to the image sensor for both 1.0x flattener and 0.8x reducer flattener is 55mm. Spot size is particularly well matched to the Altair Hypercam 183C, 183M, 269C and other CMOS Astronomy Imaging cameras. There is plenty of space to mount a Hypercam TEC or Fan Cooled Camera and Altair Magnetic filter holder. More information about reducer and flattener spacers here.

NOTE about spacers: You can choose a complete Spacer and Magnetic filter holder kit in the options when ordering. You will get a 2" Magnetic filter holder, with the correct spacers for either Hypercam Fan Cooled or Hypercam TEC Cooled cameras at a discount, without having to choose them separately, for your convenience.
 
Oversized lens. The lens actually has a larger diameter than 60mm, however, to improve outer edge performance, it has been limited to 60mm. This improves the edge performance of the optics, and gives better "Bokeh" with an optimum focal ratio of F6.0. (350mm focal length). Performance is better than multi-element camera lenses costing many times the price, even when they are stopped down to give better star-images. Being designed for infinity focus, and lacking a mechanical iris, this telescope is sharper than a camera lens.
  
Attaching a finder scope. A finder scope or RDF (Red Dot Finder) bracket can be attached to either side of the X-Rings, or the focuser body.

Dew control. The aluminium tube achieves thermal equilibrium very quickly, and the metal construction conducts heat easily to and from the front optics (essential for imaging and dew control). The recommended heater is DewZapper 3-4" OD Dew Heater (DEWH-34) for the optical tube, and code DEWH-12 for a guide scope.

Mount choices: For visual use, we recommend the completely manual Starwave Mini-AZ mount (SW-MINIAZ) in matching red for "no electronics" wide field observation. For a visual GOTO mount, the Skywatcher Mini AZ or similar sized mounts are good choices. For astro imaging, this telescope is small and light enough to be used on just about any GOTO mount including iOptron SkyTracker and Skywatcher Star-Adventurer. Contact us for advice.

Eyepieces and other accessories: The Altair Astro range of eyepieces and diagonals are all good quality options sold separately. Contact Altair, or your local Altair dealer for advice.

Solar observation and imaging: This telescope is compatible with the Daystar Quark and Altair 2" Hershel Wedge (SOLWEDGEV2)  allowing wide field views of the sun. Contact us for advice.
 
What you get: 

• 60mm F6 ED Doublet refractor optical tube with retractable dew shield.
• 60mm FPL53 ED Doublet Lens assembly, 360mm focal length, housed in a fully collimatable, CNC machined cell with serial number.
• Optical test report in green light showing serial number of objective lens.
• Focuser CNC Machined Black Anodised Dual Speed 1:10 ratio 2.5" Rack 'n Pinion (Geared) with brass rack gear and tension adjustment (ideal for imaging).
• Rear Camera Rotator 2" to 1.25" eyepiece adaptor with brass compression rings.
• Rear 2" Push-fit adaptor with 3x clamping thumbscrews for extra security and alignment.
• Removal of Push-fit adaptor allows threaded attachment of dedicated reducer and flattener.
• Special "X-Rings" with quick release clamp and multiple mounting points.
• 200mm longer dovetail bar with Vixen-format 44mm profile.
• Combination top handle and dovetail rail with Dual Vixen-format and Arca-format profiles for guide scope attachment.
• Anodised aluminium push-fit lens cap and rear 1.25" dust plug.

• Altair Flat-60 1.0x field flattener with 55mm sensor to flange spacing. Flattener setup info here.
• Altair 0.8x Reducer Flattener with 55mm sensor to flange spacing. Reducer setup info here.
• Altair DewZapper 3/4" Dew Heater (product code DEWH-34).
• Altair Bahtinov Focusing mask for 60EDF.
• Altair 1.25" Dielectric Diagonal for night-time observation. For daytime use, get the 1.25" Image Erecting Prism.
• Altair Ultraflat Eyepieces (Codes AAUF10, AAUF15, AAUF18, AAUF24, Etc.)
• Altair Miniguider 32mm (MG32) or Miniguider 60mm guide scope (MG60).
• Altair GPCAM130M Mono Guide Camera to fit above (ALTAIRGP130M).
• Altair M48 DSLR adaptors M48DSLR-EOS.
• Altair Hypercam CMOS Astronomy Cameras - see this section.
• Pegasus USB Stepper Motor Focuser module to fit focuser. 

• Full multi-coatings on all optical surfaces.
• Highest practical magnification 95x, Limiting magnitude 11.59.
• Light grasp approx. 73x human eye.
• 23cm length, dew-shield retracted, 30cm extended.
• Approx. weight 1.5kg (including ring and rear camera-rotator).