GSO 12" f/4 Imaging Newtonian Reflector Telescope - Truss Tube OTA
Availability: No ETA available from the manufacturer at this time
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This compact and affordable 300mm (approx. 12") f/4 Newtonian optical tube assembly (OTA) from GSO has fast optics for imaging extended deep-sky objects with a DSLR, webcam, or dedicated astronomy camera. Lightweight and easy to guide, this little Newtonian comes ready to go out of the box with a 2" Crayford-style focuser with 2" eyepiece holder, carbon-fiber truss tube, an 8x50 straight-through finder, and two Losmandy-style dovetail plates.
- Fast 12" f/4 Newtonian optics for wide-field imaging with DSLRs and a wide range of CCD and CMOS astronomy cameras
- Fully and rigorously tested on site for cosmetics, mechanical operation, and optical performance by a master optician to ensure excellent overall telescope operation and customer satisfaction (an Agena exclusive service)
- Dual-speed 2" Crayford linear bearing focuser securely holds your camera and accessories with minimal wear and flexure
- Includes 2" 35mm-long extension tube and 2"-1.25" eyepiece adapter
- Two Losmandy-style dovetail plates
- 8x50 straight-through achromatic finder mounted on quick-release bracket
- Center dot on primary mirror for quick and easy collimation
- Carbon-fiber truss tube to minimize thermal effects; Shielded primary and secondary mirrors to reduce stray light and improve image contrast
- Three low noise, long-lifetime cooling fans on primary mirror cell powered by 8 AA batteries (not included)
1. Portable, Light Weight, and Economical
The GSO 300mm (approx. 12") f/4 imaging Newtonian offers a fast focal ratio that's ideal for capturing wide-field images of hundreds of celestial objects. The 1,200mm focal length keeps the tube length to a farily compact 40", making it easier to guide during extended exposures. It has a total weight of 50lbs-12oz (49lbs-4oz with OTA and focuser only). And with a price that's far less than a small ED refractor or Ritchey-Chretien scope, this OTA offers an economical alternative for beginning and advanced imagers.
2. Full Optical and Mechanical Testing and Quality Control - An Agena Exclusive!
GSO telescopes are available from several suppliers, but Agena does much more than simply move the telescope boxes from GSO to you. Each GSO imaging Newtonian telescope at Agena undergoes a thorough physical, mechanical, and optical evaluation at our shop upon arrival - all at no extra cost to you.
Every GSO telescope is inspected to ensure good cosmetics, collimation, smooth focuser operation, and to make sure all parts are included by the manufacturer. Most importantly, we also check each telescope using a rigorous three-point on-site optical evaluation consisting of the following optical bench tests to ensure that your telescope delivers excellent optical performance:
- Foucault Test: This knife-edge test is performed at the center of curvature of the primary mirror to evaluate the quality of the mirror's conic shape.
- Ronchi Test: We then perform a Ronchi grating test at the center of curvature at inside focus, at focus, and outside focus. This is a qualitative method to evaluate primary mirror smoothness and figure.
- Star test: Finally, we collimate the complete telescope and perform an autocollimation test with an artificial star to examine the overall system's image performance at the focus point.
This testing is performed and certified by a master optician to make sure each GSO instrument sold by Agena has excellent optical performance before it ships. Each telescope should be ready to go out of the box when you receive it.
3. Fast and Precision Optics
The precisely figured 12" f/4 primary mirror is made from BK7 optical glass for enhanced thermal stability. BK7 is far superior in thermal characteristics to soda lime float glass - the glass used in consumer products like cookware - that's used in many reflectors in this price range. The mirror is coated with enhanced aluminum to at least 92% reflectivity and coated with a protective layer of SiO2 (quartz) for durability. The primary mirror is mounted in a cell with six external push-pull collimation knobs on the back of the tube, and the center-marked primary makes collimation with a laser a snap.
With a cropped-sensor DSLR camera or an astronomy camera such as the ZWO ASI071MC-Pro with an APS-C sensor, this scope gives a wide field of view, more than enough to frame the brightest regions of extended deep-sky objects like the Andromeda and Triangulum galaxies, the Orion Nebula, and the Horsehead Nebula.
4. Focuser and Accessories
The solid dual-speed Crayford-style linear bearing focuser with 2" eyepiece holder handles DSLR cameras, webcams, astronomy video cams, and large sensor CCD and CMOS cameras for astrophotography. It also has a tension knob to allow you to secure heavier loads. The ridged focus knobs give you a good feel and grip, even with gloved hands in cold weather, and the 10:1 fine focus knob lets you snap your image into perfect focus. The drawtube of the focuser is engineered to have minimal wear and very little flexure with most cameras. It offers 2" of focus travel and includes a focusing scale on the top of the drawtube to make it easy to return to the correct focus position during each observing session.
This OTA comes with a 1.25" eyepiece adapter with compression ring so you can use cameras with 1.25" nose pieces, and it includes a 2" extension tube with 35mm (1.38") extension to give you flexibility in back-focus adjustment for visual use. This instrument can also be used with 1.25" or 2" eyepieces for visual observations of solar system or deep sky objects. It includes a big 8x50 straight-through achromatic finder with non-illuminated crosshair.
5. Tube and Mounting Rings
This imaging Newtonian uses a truss tube made from carbon-fiber struts and CNC-machined stainless steel and aluminum hardware for good thermal stability. The tube includes two Losmandy-style plates for mounting on a solid equatorial mount and for accessories such as guides scopes. The tube is 18.75" in diameter and 40" long. The primary mirror cell also includes three long-lifetime cooling fans powered by 8 AA batteries (not included). Both the primary and diagonal mirrors include built-in light shields to block stray light and improve image contrast. The scope includes a cap for the primary mirror.
6. What's in the Box
- 300mm f/4 Newtonian optical tube assembly
- Crayford-style linear bearing focuser with 2" eyepiece holder and 1.25" eyepiece adapter
- 8x50mm straight-through finder with bracket and base
- Carbon-fiber truss trube
- Two Losmandy-style dovetail rails
- 2" extension tube with 35mm extension
- Primary mirror cap
- No instruction manual is included
7. Specifications
- Optical design: Newtonian reflector
- Aperture: 300mm (11.8")
- Focal ratio: f/4
- Focal length: 1,200mm
- Primary mirror: Parabolic primary mirror; minimum 92% reflectivity; protective quartz layer
- Secondary mirror: Minimum 92% reflectivity; protective quartz layer
- Secondary mirror holder: 4-vane all metal spider
- Tube outside diameter: 18.75
- Tube length = 40"
- Tube weight (with included accessories): 50lbs-12oz
- Shipped size / weight = 46"x26"x25" / 71lbs-02oz
- Warranty: 2 years
| Free Shipping Graphic | Free Contiguous US Shipping |
|---|---|
| Telescope Focal Length | 1001 - 1250mm |
| Hide Found a better Shipped Price on Frontend? | Yes |
This compact and affordable 300mm (approx. 12") f/4 Newtonian optical tube assembly (OTA) from GSO has fast optics for imaging extended deep-sky objects with a DSLR, webcam, or dedicated astronomy camera. Lightweight and easy to guide, this little Newtonian comes ready to go out of the box with a 2" Crayford-style focuser with 2" eyepiece holder, carbon-fiber truss tube, an 8x50 straight-through finder, and two Losmandy-style dovetail plates.
- Fast 12" f/4 Newtonian optics for wide-field imaging with DSLRs and a wide range of CCD and CMOS astronomy cameras
- Fully and rigorously tested on site for cosmetics, mechanical operation, and optical performance by a master optician to ensure excellent overall telescope operation and customer satisfaction (an Agena exclusive service)
- Dual-speed 2" Crayford linear bearing focuser securely holds your camera and accessories with minimal wear and flexure
- Includes 2" 35mm-long extension tube and 2"-1.25" eyepiece adapter
- Two Losmandy-style dovetail plates
- 8x50 straight-through achromatic finder mounted on quick-release bracket
- Center dot on primary mirror for quick and easy collimation
- Carbon-fiber truss tube to minimize thermal effects; Shielded primary and secondary mirrors to reduce stray light and improve image contrast
- Three low noise, long-lifetime cooling fans on primary mirror cell powered by 8 AA batteries (not included)
1. Portable, Light Weight, and Economical
The GSO 300mm (approx. 12") f/4 imaging Newtonian offers a fast focal ratio that's ideal for capturing wide-field images of hundreds of celestial objects. The 1,200mm focal length keeps the tube length to a farily compact 40", making it easier to guide during extended exposures. It has a total weight of 50lbs-12oz (49lbs-4oz with OTA and focuser only). And with a price that's far less than a small ED refractor or Ritchey-Chretien scope, this OTA offers an economical alternative for beginning and advanced imagers.
2. Full Optical and Mechanical Testing and Quality Control - An Agena Exclusive!
GSO telescopes are available from several suppliers, but Agena does much more than simply move the telescope boxes from GSO to you. Each GSO imaging Newtonian telescope at Agena undergoes a thorough physical, mechanical, and optical evaluation at our shop upon arrival - all at no extra cost to you.
Every GSO telescope is inspected to ensure good cosmetics, collimation, smooth focuser operation, and to make sure all parts are included by the manufacturer. Most importantly, we also check each telescope using a rigorous three-point on-site optical evaluation consisting of the following optical bench tests to ensure that your telescope delivers excellent optical performance:
- Foucault Test: This knife-edge test is performed at the center of curvature of the primary mirror to evaluate the quality of the mirror's conic shape.
- Ronchi Test: We then perform a Ronchi grating test at the center of curvature at inside focus, at focus, and outside focus. This is a qualitative method to evaluate primary mirror smoothness and figure.
- Star test: Finally, we collimate the complete telescope and perform an autocollimation test with an artificial star to examine the overall system's image performance at the focus point.
This testing is performed and certified by a master optician to make sure each GSO instrument sold by Agena has excellent optical performance before it ships. Each telescope should be ready to go out of the box when you receive it.
3. Fast and Precision Optics
The precisely figured 12" f/4 primary mirror is made from BK7 optical glass for enhanced thermal stability. BK7 is far superior in thermal characteristics to soda lime float glass - the glass used in consumer products like cookware - that's used in many reflectors in this price range. The mirror is coated with enhanced aluminum to at least 92% reflectivity and coated with a protective layer of SiO2 (quartz) for durability. The primary mirror is mounted in a cell with six external push-pull collimation knobs on the back of the tube, and the center-marked primary makes collimation with a laser a snap.
With a cropped-sensor DSLR camera or an astronomy camera such as the ZWO ASI071MC-Pro with an APS-C sensor, this scope gives a wide field of view, more than enough to frame the brightest regions of extended deep-sky objects like the Andromeda and Triangulum galaxies, the Orion Nebula, and the Horsehead Nebula.
4. Focuser and Accessories
The solid dual-speed Crayford-style linear bearing focuser with 2" eyepiece holder handles DSLR cameras, webcams, astronomy video cams, and large sensor CCD and CMOS cameras for astrophotography. It also has a tension knob to allow you to secure heavier loads. The ridged focus knobs give you a good feel and grip, even with gloved hands in cold weather, and the 10:1 fine focus knob lets you snap your image into perfect focus. The drawtube of the focuser is engineered to have minimal wear and very little flexure with most cameras. It offers 2" of focus travel and includes a focusing scale on the top of the drawtube to make it easy to return to the correct focus position during each observing session.
This OTA comes with a 1.25" eyepiece adapter with compression ring so you can use cameras with 1.25" nose pieces, and it includes a 2" extension tube with 35mm (1.38") extension to give you flexibility in back-focus adjustment for visual use. This instrument can also be used with 1.25" or 2" eyepieces for visual observations of solar system or deep sky objects. It includes a big 8x50 straight-through achromatic finder with non-illuminated crosshair.
5. Tube and Mounting Rings
This imaging Newtonian uses a truss tube made from carbon-fiber struts and CNC-machined stainless steel and aluminum hardware for good thermal stability. The tube includes two Losmandy-style plates for mounting on a solid equatorial mount and for accessories such as guides scopes. The tube is 18.75" in diameter and 40" long. The primary mirror cell also includes three long-lifetime cooling fans powered by 8 AA batteries (not included). Both the primary and diagonal mirrors include built-in light shields to block stray light and improve image contrast. The scope includes a cap for the primary mirror.
6. What's in the Box
- 300mm f/4 Newtonian optical tube assembly
- Crayford-style linear bearing focuser with 2" eyepiece holder and 1.25" eyepiece adapter
- 8x50mm straight-through finder with bracket and base
- Carbon-fiber truss trube
- Two Losmandy-style dovetail rails
- 2" extension tube with 35mm extension
- Primary mirror cap
- No instruction manual is included
7. Specifications
- Optical design: Newtonian reflector
- Aperture: 300mm (11.8")
- Focal ratio: f/4
- Focal length: 1,200mm
- Primary mirror: Parabolic primary mirror; minimum 92% reflectivity; protective quartz layer
- Secondary mirror: Minimum 92% reflectivity; protective quartz layer
- Secondary mirror holder: 4-vane all metal spider
- Tube outside diameter: 18.75
- Tube length = 40"
- Tube weight (with included accessories): 50lbs-12oz
- Shipped size / weight = 46"x26"x25" / 71lbs-02oz
- Warranty: 2 years
| Free Shipping Graphic | Free Contiguous US Shipping |
|---|---|
| Telescope Focal Length | 1001 - 1250mm |
| Hide Found a better Shipped Price on Frontend? | Yes |