Astro-Tech AT102ED 102mm f/6.95 ED Doublet Refractor.

This Astro-Tech AT102ED refractor has:
• 102mm f/6.95 fully multicoated doublet optics using ED glass
• rotating 2" Crayford focuser with dual-speed Feather Touch Micro-Touch focuser upgrade
• 2" and 1.25" brass compression ring eyepiece holders
• split tube rings with detachable dovetail for installation on any German equatorial mount
• illuminated multiple reticle finder
• aluminum-frame hard carrying case
• two-year warranty

Look at all the standard equipment features you get with this Astro-Tech refractor that are
either extra cost options with competitive scopes in a similar price range or are simply
unavailable with the competition. You get a rotating 2" Crayford focuser with a genuine
Feather Touch dual speed Micro-Touch Focuser upgrade from Starlight Instruments. The
Feather Touch MTF has 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. You get an
illuminated metal body multiple reticle finder, not just a simple molded plastic red dot finder –
or no finder at all.

Want more features? You get an aluminum-frame lockable hard case as standard
equipment, not an extra-cost option. 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, not just the single clamshell ring some competitive scopes are
equipped with. You get a two-year warranty, double that of competitive scopes. The finely-
machined Astro-Tech AT102ED comes with both 2" and 1.25" eyepiece holders that use non
-marring brass compression rings that won’t scratch your star diagonal or eyepiece barrels.

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.

Considering all the standard features you get that are extra-cost options or unavailable with
the competition, this feature-laden Astro-Tech AT102ED is surely one of the best buys in
astronomy!

Features of this Telescope . . .

ED doublet refractor optics: 102mm (4") aperture, 709mm focal length, f/6.95 focal ratio
doublet optical system using an 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 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
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 a
highly portable 22.75" long with the lens shade retracted, and 27.75" long with it extended. A
slip-on metal dust cap for the dew shield is standard.

Rotating 2" Crayford-style focuser: The precision-made no-backlash Crayford focuser includes
a built-in camera angle adjuster as standard equipment. A locking ring on the body of the
scope lets you rotate the entire focuser a full 360° to line up a camera in either a landscape
or portrait orientation (or any orientation in between) and lock it securely in place without
losing your focus. You can also use it to put a star diagonal and eyepiece into the most
comfortable observing position, and temporarily lock the focuser in that position. There are
two coarse focusing knobs.

Feather-Touch dual-speed focuser upgrade: The focusing system has been upgraded with the
addition of a famous Feather Touch Micro-Touch focuser from Starlight Instruments that has
been custom-made for the AT102ED. This is typically either totally unavailable or a $200
option with competitive scopes. The Feather Touch MTF has two coarse focusing knobs. The
right knob also has a smaller concentric knob with an 10:1 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 durable high gloss automotive-
grade white paint, the same as that used on scopes several times the price of the AT102ED.
The focuser and trim are black anodized. The scope weighs 9.1 lbs with mounting rings
attached.

Tube rings and dovetail mounting plate: The 105mm o. d. 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 than the short mounting foot common on competitive scopes’ clamshell
mounting rings. 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.

Supplied finder: Mounting holes for the supplied Astro-Tech #ATF non-magnifying illuminated
multiple reticle finder are located at the 10 o’clock and 2 o’clock positions on the top of the
focuser in front of the rotation lock ring. This lets you position the finder on the most
convenient side of the scope to accommodate your eyesight. The multiple reticle finder has
four different reticle and seven discrete brightness levels. The rugged finder is precision-
machined of anodized metal, not molded of plastic like competitive red dot finders.

Carrying case: The Astro-Tech AT102ED comes in a locking 28.75" x 9.75" x 8.5" aluminum-
frame hard carrying case with carry handle. The case is not an option, as it is with
competitive scopes. The die-cut foam lining the case is cut out specifically to hold the
AT102ED.

Prices:
AT102ED - £715.00 + £10.00 shipping & insurance.
AT102EDF (with Feather Touch Focuser) - £859.00 + £10.00 shipping & insurance.

The Astronomy Shop

1 Tone Hill. Wellington

Somerset TA21 0AU

United Kingdom

Telephone: +44 (0)1823 665510