Sky-Watcher 80ED Black Diamond Telescope on NEQ3-2 Pro Go-To

• Sky-Watcher 80ED f/7.5 refractor optical tube
• Ideal for wide-field deep sky photography or as a second instrument
• Includes Crayford focuser with 10:1 ratio (best sharpness adjustment)
• German equatorial mount NEQ3-2
• Tracking included and GOTO auto pointer included
• Comes with many accessories

Everything you need to know about the Sky-Watcher Black Diamond 80ED scope

Sky-Watcher renewed its range of instruments a few years ago, modifying the design and some mechanical elements. The series called Black Diamond includes Dobson, refractors, Newton and Maksutov. As for the glasses, the “classic” diameters are maintained: 80, 100 and 120 mm, except for a change in color (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 opportunity to purchase a high-performance instrument at a very attractive price. for wide-field astrophotography or planetary and solar observation.

To obtain the precious “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 best corrects these defects thanks to its very low dispersion.

The use of multi-layer treatments on all surfaces significantly limits lens cross-talk losses, making Black Diamond 80ED are bright and more contrasty than less corrected classic glasses . The “Metallic High-Transmission” (MHC) treatment is deposited on the air glass surfaces guaranteeing impressive results ( transmission close to 99.5% ). Thanks to your short focal ratio, f/7.5 , the Sky-Watcher Black Diamond 80ED refractor is especially interesting for deep sky photography. . In combination with, for example, 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 light beam. All wavelengths constitute the wavefront, 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 spot image. It is the distribution of light in the diffraction rings that indicates the correct centering of the objective with respect to the instrument.

10:1 Dual Speed ​​Crayford Focuser

The focus is obtained through a Crayford 2" focuser (made of aluminum) that offers robustness and precision when focusing. A tightening screw allows you to maintain focus following the orientation of the optical tube. To be consistent with the optics and provide good results in astrophotography (where focus is essential) the eyepiece of the Sky-Watcher Black Diamond 80ED has a 10 fine reduction screw. :1 .

To meet the needs of amateur astronomers, The optical tube is made entirely of steel . No plastic parts used! Therefore, the solidity is there, as well as a particularly successful aesthetic. The interior is blackened and baffled to limit the intrusion of stray lights . Two collars and a Vixen dovetail are included for secure attachment to your mount. A Kodak thread screw is placed on top of one of the collars to accommodate a parallel camera.

Everything you need to know about the Sky-Watcher NEQ3-2 mount

For hobbyists interested in visual observing with a telescope up to 150mm in diameter, the NEQ3-2 mount allows for quality observations without too much vibration. The most massive version, the mount HEQ5 Pro Go-To , will be preferable for those who want to get started in long exposure astrophotography. The NEQ3-2 mount supports many beginner telescopes up to 150mm diameter (5.5kg maximum) or telescopes up to 100mm diameter. It has fine movements in azimuth and latitude to facilitate positioning and to compensate for the Earth's rotation (to keep the object in the center of the ocular field).

The adaptation of the optical tube is carried out using a Vixen-type female dovetail. An accessory tray guarantees good rigidity of the set. The NEQ3-2 mount can accommodate a polar finder (option SW0123 ) on the polar axis to quickly configure the station. The visual observer will appreciate the GOTO SynScan automatic signaling system delivered via an easy-to-use hand controller. In fact, it is not necessary to know the position of stars or distant bodies in the deep sky, the Go-To system of the NEQ3-2 mount is responsible for moving the instrument towards the target you want to observe.

Automated time attendance system

After calibration (setup) with the polar finder on the North Star, select the mount alignment on one, two or three stars. More than 49,200 objects are registered in the database, including the main catalogues. (Messier, NGC, IC as well as the planets, the Moon and the Sun). For maximum convenience, the stand moves quickly, up to 3.4°/sec via the control panel. Easy to use, it helps to quickly point the instrument towards any galaxy, nebula, cluster or object in the solar system. Discover in detail the famous Andromeda galaxy, the fabulous curtains surrounding the heart of Orion, the Hercules cluster M13 and its heart rich in thousands of stars. Saturn, Jupiter and the Moon are also wonders that must be examined without moderation.

The indication on the racket of the date, time and place of observation combined with "Tour" function allows the NEQ3-2 mount to aim at the most interesting objects throughout the night . Enjoy a guided sky tour at your viewing location by clicking the "Enter" button based on the object presented in a drop-down list. This procedure called "Backlash" requires measuring the time between two opposite movements of the mount. The operation is simple to perform and, especially in astrophotography, saves precious time. The object you want to photograph is usually in the center of the sensor... a real treat!

Specifications

Characteristics	Sky-Watcher Black Diamond 80ED f/7.5 scope in NEQ3-2 Pro GoTo 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 Sky-Watcher 50.8mm Dual Speed ​​(with 1:10 gear ratio)
Weight (with collars and dovetail)	2.5 kilos
Tube dimensions (length x width)	620mm x 100mm
Mount
Mount	German equatorial mount NEQ3-2 Motorized dual axles with automatic Go-To pointer Stepper motor resolution: 0.144 arc/sec Movement speed up to 3.4°/sec - Upgrade from 2x to 800x)
Access system	SynScan control racket with 42,900 objects from common celestial catalogs Tracking mode: Sidereal, Lunar or Solar Function: Park, Timing, Backlash, Identification, Tour...
Loading capacity	5.5 kilos
Guidance speed	0.25x, 0.5x, 0.75x, 1x sidereal speed
Tripod	Tubular steel tripod adjustable in height (71cm to 123cm)
Weight	Frame: 5 kg Tripod: 3.8kg
Counterweight	2 counterweights are supplied: 3.5 kg and 1.5 kg
Food	Cigarette lighter cable supplied Power supply 12V DC or optional battery
Ports	ST-4 autoguiding included

Items delivered:

Sky-Watcher Black Diamond 80ED f/7.5

• 1x Sky-Watcher Black Diamond 80ED optical tube
• 2x fixing collars
• 1x Vixen dovetail
• 1 Sky-Watcher LET 28mm eyepiece (50.8mm flow)
• 1x 50.8mm dielectric angled connector.
• 1x Right finderscope 9x50
• 1x Piggyback mount for Kodak camera on top of one of the mounting collars
• 1x hard carrying case

Sky-Watcher NEQ3-2 Pro GoTo Equatorial Mount

• 1x NEQ3-2 equatorial mount
• 1x Pro Go-To Kit for NEQ3-2 (to mount yourself on the mount)
• 1 SynScan access controller
• 1x 3.5kg counterweight
• 1x 1.5kg counterweight
• 1x Adjustable height tubular steel tripod (from 71 cm to 123 cm)
• 1x accessory holder rack
• 1x Cigarette Lighter Plug Power Cable