Enhance your stargazing experience with the Altair 72mm F6 EDF Refractor telescope. With its premium optics and versatile design, this refractor telescope delivers crisp, detailed views of celestial objects. Whether you're an amateur astronomer or a seasoned stargazer, the Altair 72mm F6 EDF Refractor provides exceptional clarity and resolution, allowing you to explore the wonders of the night sky with ease. Its compact and lightweight construction makes it perfect for both backyard observing and on-the-go adventures. Unleash your curiosity and unlock the secrets of the universe with the Altair 72mm F6 EDF Refractor telescope.

NEW 2022 Version with improved CNC Focuser and X Rings

• ED optics with FPL53 ED Glass
• Optical test report in green light 
• Geared CNC focuser with front and rear rotator.
• Better balancing with long dovetails / cameras.
• New CNC X-Rings with top handle / dovetail (available separately for your pre-2022 AA72EDX)

A great travel scope, suitable for wide field imaging or visual use, day or night-time.

The Altair 72EDFX is a more refined version of the well-known and loved Lightwave 72 ED-R, circa 2013. Since then, this telescope has evolved into a state-of the art imaging or visual refractor, with improved optics in the form of an FPL53 based doublet objective lens providing superior colour correction, a lighter more compact tube, improved CNC Rack n Pinion focuser, a rear camera rotator and tube rings.

Colour correction. When it comes to astro imaging, the optical design has all the performance you need in a dual imaging and visual telescope, offering better colour correction thanks to the "synthetic fluorite" S-FPL53 ED lens element.

Optical quality and test reports. The lenses are guaranteed to arrive in perfect collimation worldwide and are fully tested and adjusted. This Deluxe CNC version comes with an optical test report at full 72mm aperture in green 532nm light (more accurate than red light tests), and which is the optimized wavelength of the lens. Additionally 532nm is very close to the human eye peak sensitivity, and the most sensitive peak wavelength of mono and colour CMOS cameras. Minimum Strehl is 0.95 (a more stringent test than red light, all things being equal). Deluxe lenses are selected from the production batch for their optical smoothness, figuring, and overall performance. Quality is very consistent, and every lens has a unique serial number linked to the glass batch and test report. Altair Astro pioneered this approach to QC in the industry, setting the standard, and ensuring our customers always get the best quality. This ensures the star-images are better than multi-element camera lenses costing many times the price, which usually need to be stopped down give better star-images. Additionally, being a telescope designed to work at infinity, and lacking an iris, results in improved image quality compared to a camera lens, even at the same effective aperture, and in most cases, of larger aperture.

Rear Camera Angle Adjuster (CAA). The Altair 72EDF focuser has a rotating rear end-cap 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. Furthermore, the entire focuser can also be rotated, useful not only for framing, but also if one wishes to invert it for imaging with a motor focuser.

Imaging friendly CNC focuser (Deluxe CNC version with improved bearings). The CNC machined Rack 'n Pinion focuser has full tension-adjustment to handle heavy loads, like a large eyepiece, CCD or DSLR camera. The drawtube has 75mm travel and a graduated scale in mm. This is a straightforward focuser to use for imaging and automation. Just remove the course focus knob, and attach a motor focuser coupler, mount the motor unit, and you are ready to go. The CNC focuser is the smoothest option for visual use too, with the higher tolerances computer-controlled lathes allow. 2022 version focuser has improved bearings.

Astrophotography and flatteners / reducers. The ED Doublet design offers very good colour correction, while keeping the optical tube extremely compact. At F6, this telescope can be used with the optional 1.0x field flattener or 0.8x reducer for wide field imaging. Optimum spacing is 55mm from the rear flange of the flattener to the image sensor (excluding threads), and spot size is particularly well matched to the Altair Hypercam 183 series, 269C and also 26 series CMOS Astronomy Imaging cameras. Here's a guide to setting up your camera to get the right spacing from flange to sensor.

Visual Observation: For visual use, you will need a mount, eyepieces and a star-diagonal to use this high quality telescope. For a manual "no power" option, we suggest the Starwave Mini-AZ mount (SW-MINIAZ) in matching red. The Altair Astro range of eyepieces such as the ULTRAFLAT range, and Altair 2" or 1.25" diagonals are all the best quality options for visual use. Talk to us about eyepiece and diagonals.

Attaching a finder scope. A finder scope or RDF (Red Dot Finder) is a very good addition, making finding objects quick and easy. Choose the Starwave RDF Finder Kit (Code: SW-RDF-B1-UNIFBR) which includes a base for easy attachment to the focuser. If you want an optical finder, we recommend the Altair 60mm RACI or Starwave 50mm Straight-through finder scopes. For auto-guiding you can also attach the Altair 50mm MG50 or 60mm MG60 guide-scopes, which attach to the focuser by means of the universal dovetail bracket. The Altair MG32 Mini Guider is another super-portable option, all of which are compatible with the Altair GPCAM mono dedicated guide camera.

Hinged mounting ring and tube. The tube rings allows the whole tube to rotate, and can be locked with the stainless screws at the correct position for balancing. The "mounting foot" connects to the dovetail plate with a flat base for a completely rigid connection. A standard Vixen-format dovetail bar is included as well as a top handle with inverted Vixen-format and Arca-format dovetail profile.

Dew control. The aluminium tube achieves thermal equilibrium very quickly, and the metal conducts heat easily to and away from the front optics (essential for imaging and dew control). Choose the DewZapper 3-4" OD Dew Heater (DEWH-34).

Specifications

• Optical tube with air-spaced 72mm F6 Dual ED lens (432mm focal length), containing an Ohara FPL53 ED glass in a precision CNC machined lens cell.
• Optical test report in green 532nm laser light, which is the optimized wavelength of the lens. Minimum Strehl 0.95
• Super-high transmission coating on all air to glass surfaces.
• Geared dual speed focuser with 1:10 micro-focuser and 360 degree rotation.
• 2" to 1.25" reducer with brass compression rings included.
• Resolving Power (Dawes Limit) 1.61 arc seconds
• Visual Limiting Magnitude 11.8 maximum
• Glare-reducing baffles inside focuser and optical tube.
• Weight approx. 2.5kg, OTA length with dew-shield retracted, 32.5cm.
• Precision CNC machined tube made from light, tough aluminium alloy with matte powder coat.
• Retractable lens shade / dew shield. Adjustable tension by means of grub screws.
• Dovetail bar fits most telescope mounts.
• Top handle with inverted Vixen/Arca-Format profile for maximum compatibility.,