Starwave 60ED Imaging Refractor

A super portable refractor telescope with FCD100 ED glass, suitable for astrophotography or visual use, day or night-time. 

The Starwave 60ED is super compact with a modular design. It can be ordered with various accessories. This version has the rack and pinion focuser, and optional guide scope clamp for imaging.

For visual use: Check out Altair Product code "VISKIT1" with everything you need to get started observing the heavens, including quality eyepiece, diagonal and finder.

The Starwave 60ED becomes a fast astrograph at F4.8 with the optional 0.8x Reducer. The FCD100 ED Doublet lens gives very good colour correction, controlling hot blue stars especially well. Many companies sell this lens as "APO" due to the excellent colour aberration control, which is better than most DSLR lenses costing many times the price*.

Astrophotography with dual speed imaging friendly focuser. Includes a Rack n Pinion focuser with dual speed control and tension-adjustment. This smooth focuser can be used manually for critical fine focusing for imaging or visual use. The course focus knob can be removed to attach a motor focuser. A rear Camera Rotator is included for easy framing. An optional 0.8x reducer will screw directly into the rear Camera Rotator if you remove the rear 2" push-fit adaptor.

Guide scope top clamp attachment: Includes a top-mounted guide scope clamp (code: GUIDECLAMP) to attach any Altair Miniguider 32mm (MG32) or Starwave 50mm or 60mm guide scope. You will need to remove the "stalk" from your guide-scope to attach it to the clamp by means of the crosspiece (see pictures). The clamping screws have non-marring tips.
   
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. You will need the Universal Finder Bracket (Code: UNIFBR)

Using your Starwave 60ED as a guide scope: You can order a lighter Precision Locking Focuser for auto guiding with your 60ED. (Code: SWAS60ED-LFOCUS-ONLY)

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.

0.8x Reducer Flattener: By attaching the dedicated 0.8x reducer (choose option when ordering), you get a fast flat field astrograph operating at F4.8 for wide field shots with a focal length of 288mm giving you the flexibility of two focal lengths in one. 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.

 
What you get: 

• 60mm F6 ED Doublet refractor optical tube with dewshield.
• Guide Scope Clamp - to mount on top of tube rings (see pictures).
• 60mm FCD100 ED Doublet Lens assembly, 360mm focal length, housed in a fully collimatable, CNC machined cell.
• Focuser CNC Machined Black Anodised Dual Speed 1:10 ratio 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.
• 200mm dovetail bar with Vixen-format 44mm profile.
• Removal of rear 2" Pushfit-adaptor allows threaded attachment of dedicated reducer and flattener.
• Special "X-Rings" with quick release clamp and multiple mounting points.
• 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.
• Precision focuser for guide scope conversion (Code: SWAS60ED-LFOCUS-ONLY)
• Altair DewZapper 3/4" Dew Heater (product code DEWH-34).
• Altair Bahtinov Focusing mask for 60ED.
• 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 multicoatings on all optical surfaces.
• Highest practical magnification 95x, Limiting magnitude 11.59.
• Light grasp approx. 73x human eye.
• 23cm length, dewshield retracted, 30cm extended.
• Approx. weight 1.5kg (including ring and rear camera-rotator).

*Consider that even the highest-end camera lenses would have to be stopped down to F4.6 in order to control edge and colour aberrations - and even then you would usually get 12 or more diffraction spikes caused by the iris on bright stars.