Sky-Watcher 80ED Black Diamond Bezel Telescope

• Sky-Watcher 80ED f/7.5 telescope optical tube
• Ideal for wide-field deep sky photography or as a second instrument
• Includes 10:1 Crayford focuser (best sharpness adjustment)
• German NEQ5 equatorial mount
• Comes with many accessories
• Easily transportable

Sky-Watcher renewed its range of instruments a few years ago, modifying the design and some mechanical elements. The Black Diamond series includes Dobson, refractors, Newton and Maksutov. As for the bezels, the "classic" diameters are maintained: 80, 100 and 120 mm, except for a color change (black with white inlays). Only the 50.8mm Crayford focuser has undergone changes. The renowned optical quality of the 80ED Sky-Watcher offers everyone the possibility of purchasing a high-performance instrument at a very attractive price for wide-field astrophotography or planetary and solar observation.

To obtain the valuable "APO" qualification, a refractor must correct primary and secondary chromatic aberrations , inherent to all systems whose light rays pass through an optical element. In the case of the Sky-Watcher Black Diamond 80ED, a doublet composed of an ED glass element reduces chromaticism to significantly limit the appearance of colored edges on planets or the Moon. The chosen ED glass, FPL-53 (Schott) , is the one that can best correct these defects thanks to a very low dispersion.

The use of multi-layer coatings on all surfaces greatly limits losses due to lens penetration, making Black Diamond 80ED are brighter and more contrasting than conventional, less corrected glasses . The "Metallic High-Transmission" (MHC) treatment is deposited on the air glass surfaces ensuring impressive results ( transmission close to 99.5% ). Thanks to your short focal ratio, f/7.5 , the Sky-Watcher Black Diamond 80ED refractor is particularly Interesting for deep sky photography. . In combination, for example, with a large format digital camera (corrector/reducer recommended), point the telescope at large nebulae such as Orion, the Lagoon or the famous Andromeda galaxy.

Goal control

Like the Pro Series (previous series), The Black Diamond 80ED is distinguished by the quality control of each lens through a Ronchi test and a StarTest. The essential function of an instrument is to collect light from a star without disturbances. This means concentrating the luminous flux without altering this beam of light. All wavelengths constitute the wavefront, and any alteration of this wavefront caused by optics must be avoided. A wavefront analysis with a Ronchi test demonstrates the quality of an optic. The black and white lines should appear straight and parallel.

The Startest demonstrates the ability of optics to reproduce a point image of a point source. Concentric rings of light surround the dot image. It is the distribution of light in the diffraction rings that indicates the correct centering of the objective in relation to the instrument.

10:1 Dual Speed ​​Crayford Focuser

Focus is obtained using a focuser 2" Crayford (aluminum) that offers robustness and precision during focus. A clamping screw allows focus to be maintained according to the orientation of the tube. To be consistent with the optics and provide good results in astrophotography (where focus is essential) the focuser of the Sky-Watcher Black Diamond 80ED has a fine reduction screw to 10:1 .

To meet the requirements of amateur astronomers, the optical tube is made entirely of steel . No plastic parts used! The solidity is therefore there, as the aesthetics are particularly successful. The interior is blackened and baffled to limit stray light intrusion . Two collars and a Vixen-style dovetail are included for secure attachment to your mount. A Kodak pitch screw is placed on top of one of the collars to position a camera in parallel.

All about the Sky-Watcher NEQ5 mount

The equatorial mount Sky-Watcher NEQ5 is a mount that does it all, a worthy successor to the legendary Vixen GP . Very modular, it is possible to add several options depending on whether it is intended for observation or photography: motorization, Goto automatic aiming kit, polar scope, etc. Its load capacity is close to 9kg in visual observation. ; The NEQ5 will therefore support many optical tubes, from the small 80mm refractor to the Newtonian telescope up to 200mm in diameter.

In photography, the load will be limited to 7.5 kg, for greater comfort and precision. Like all equatorial mounts, the NEQ5 is equipped with an azimuth and latitude motion set (for positioning) and a right ascension and declination motion set for pointing and tracking the stars.

The optical tube is adapted using a Vixen-type female dovetail. An accessory tray ensures good rigidity of the assembly. The NEQ5 mount can receive a polar finder (option #SW0124 ) on the polar axis to quickly establish station. The visual observer will appreciate the GOTO SynScan automatic signaling system (optional) delivered via easy-to-use manual control. In fact, it is not necessary to know the position of stars or distant stars in the deep sky, the Go-To system of the NEQ5 mount is responsible for moving the instrument towards the target you want to observe.

Photos taken with this telescope

1- The Orion M42 nebula by Marie Blind (Alsace, France)
30mm pose with a Sky-Watcher 80ED f/7.5 telescope and a Canon EOS6D camera (leaked Astrodon).
Sky-Watcher HEQ5 Pro-GoTo equatorial mount and Sky-Watcher 0.85x reducer .
(photo used with permission of the author); and

2- Grande Dentelle du Cygne NGC6992 by ZlochTeamAstro (Hauts-de-Seine, France)
5h15mm exposure with a Sky-Watcher 80ED f/7.5 refractor and a QSI 683WSG-8 camera .
Sky Equatorial Mount - Watcher NEQ6 Pro GoTo, Sky-Watcher reducer 0.85x and Astrodon E-Series LRGB and H-Alpha 3nm filters .
(photo used with permission of the author)

Specifications

Characteristics	Sky-Watcher Black Diamond 80ED f/7.5 Telescope with NEQ5 Mount
optical tube
optical tube	Multi-coated lens 2-element aluminum with FPL-53 glass (Schott)
optical formula	Apochromatic telescope
Useful diameter	80mm
Focal length	600mm
Focal ratio	f/7.5
eyepiece holder	Crayford 50.8mm Dual Speed ​​Sky-Watcher (with 1:10 gear ratio)
Weight (with collars and dovetail)	2.5kg
Tube dimensions (length x width)	620mm x 100mm
Mount
Class	German equatorial mount NEQ5 Can be motorized on an axis ( SW0135 optional) or in two axes ( SW0137 optional ) Possible addition of a Pro Go-To kit ( SW0126 optional )
Loading capacity	9kg Optimum load capacity in astrophotography: 7.5kg
Tripod	Height-adjustable tubular steel tripod (71cm to 123cm)
Weight	Frame: 6 kg Tripod: 3.8kg
Counterweight	2 5kg counterweights supplied

Items delivered

Sky-Watcher Black Diamond 80ED f/7.5 Refractor

• 1 x Sky-Watcher Black Diamond 80ED optical tube
• 2 clamps
• 1 Vixen dovetail
• 1 Sky-Watcher 50.8mm Flow Eyepiece: LET 28mm
• 1 diagonal dielectric 50.8mm
• 1 straight finder 9x50
• 1 Piggyback mount for Kodak stepper camera on top of one of the clamps
• 1 rigid carrying case

Sky-Watcher NEQ5 Equatorial Mount

• 1 NEQ5 equatorial mount
• 2 counterweights of 5 kg
• 1 tubular steel tripod adjustable in height (71cm to 123cm)
• 1 accessory rack
• User manual in French (English manual available on the manufacturer's website)