GSO 8" f/4 Imaging Newtonian Reflector Telescope with EAF-Compatible Crayford Focuser -...
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This compact and affordable 200mm (approx. 8") f/4 Newtonian optical tube assembly (OTA) from GSO has fast optics for imaging extended deep-sky objects. Lightweight and easy to guide, this little Newtonian comes ready to go out of the box with a 2" Crayford-style focuser, dual split-hinged mounting rings, an 8x50 straight-through finder, and a Vixen-style dovetail plate.
- Fast 8" f/4 Newtonian optics for wide-field imaging with DSLR/Mirrorless 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 EAF-compatible 2” Crayford focuser with 1.25” adapter and non-marring compression rings
- Includes a Vixen-style finder base for finder scope or guide scope
- Includes 2" 35mm-long extension tube and 2"-1.25" eyepiece adapter
- 13" Vixen-style dovetail bar with dual split-hinged felt-lined mounting rings to protect tube finish
- 8x50 straight-through achromatic finder mounted on quick-release bracket
- Center dot on primary mirror for quick and easy collimation
- Solid rolled steel telescope tube with gloss white exterior finish and matte black interior finish to increase contrast and minimize thermal effects
- Low noise, long-lifetime cooling fan on primary mirror cell powered by 8 AA batteries (not included)
- Focuser and front dust caps
1. Portable, Light Weight, and Economical
The GSO 200mm (approx. 8") f/4 imaging Newtonian offers a fast focal ratio that's ideal for capturing wide-field images of hundreds of celestial objects. The 800mm focal length keeps the tube length to a compact 27.75", making it easier to guide during extended exposures. With a total weight of only 19lbs-10oz (16lbs-4oz with OTA and focuser only) this scope is ideal for use with compact and precision equatorial mounts such as the Skywatcher EQ-6, Wave 150i or ZWO AM5. 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 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.
3. Fast and Precision Optics
The precisely figured 8" 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/mirrorless camera or an astronomy camera such as the ZWO ASI2600MC Pro with an APS-C sensor, this scope gives a field of view across the diagonal of nearly 2 degrees, 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. 2" Dual-Speed EAF-Compatible Crayford Focuser and Accessories
The solid 10:1 dual-speed 2" Crayford-style focuser handles small to mid-sized astronomy cameras and webcams. It also has a tension knob and a locking knob to allow you to secure the cameras and accessories.
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 minimal flexure with most cameras. It offers 41mm 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 telescope features GSO's latest EAF-compatible focuser design so you can attach the ZWO EAF directly without the need for any additional adapters. The bottom of the focuser now incorporates a flat surface with additional screw holes to allow users to easily and directly mount the ZWO EAF using the standard mounting bracket that the EAF comes with. The housing in this version is also made of aluminum for a secure, robust fit. Imagers can now use the EAF to precisely control the focuser's movement for visual or critical imaging applications. Note that the EAF is not included.
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
The tube of this imaging Newtonian is made from rolled steel for good thermal stability and it's capped with end rings of die-cut aluminum for protection and rigidity. It includes a dust cap. The scope also comes with two split-hinged die-cast aluminum mounting rings with felt lining to protect the finish of the tube. These rings make it easy to rotate the tube to bring the focuser and finder to the most comfortable viewing position. The bottoms of the rings have threaded mounting holes for a Vixen-style mounting plate (which is included) or an optional Losmandy-style plate. The tops of the two rings each have two threaded M6x25mm holes that are 7.5" apart so you can install a separate dovetail to mount other accessories such as a guide scope.
The tube has an attractive outside gloss white finish and a matte black interior finish to reduce stray reflection and increase image contrast. The tube is 9.15" in diameter (9.3" at the end rings), 27.75" long, and it extends beyond the focuser to act as a shield to prevent stray light from entering the tube and reducing image contrast. The primary mirror cell also includes a low noise, long-lifetime cooling fan powered by 8 AA batteries (batteries not included).
6. Open Metal Tube for Fast Temperature Equalization and Reduced Dew Formation
The steal white tube of this Newtonian reflector has good thermal stability and is capped with end rings of die-cut aluminum for protection and rigidity. The scope includes a dust cap, a shoe for a finder scope, and a Vixen-style dovetail rail for mounting.
Because there is no corrector plate like you find in a Schmidt-Cassegrain, the optics are far less susceptible to dewing, and they exhibit much faster temperature equalization because of the open optical tube.
7. What's in the Box
- 200mm f/4 Newtonian optical tube assembly
- 2" EAF-compatible dual-speed Crayford focuser with 1.25" eyepiece adapter
- 8x50mm straight-through finder with bracket and base
- Tube rings
- 13" Vixen-style dovetail rail. Color may vary.
- 2" extension tube with 35mm extension
- Front dust cover and focuser dust cap
- No instruction manual is included
8. Specifications
- Optical design: Newtonian reflector
- Aperture: 200mm (7.9")
- Focal ratio: f/4
- Focal length: 800mm
- Primary mirror: Parabolic primary mirror; minimum 92% reflectivity; protective quartz layer
- Secondary mirror: 70mm minor axis diameter; minimum 92% reflectivity; protective quartz layer
- Secondary mirror holder: 4-vane all metal spider
- Secondary obstruction size: 35.0% by diameter; 12.3% by area
- Tube outside diameter: End rings = 9.3"; tube = 9.15"
- Tube length = 27.75"
- Focuser travel: 41mm
- Available back focus (distance of focal plane from surface of 1.25" eyepiece adapter, with DW377 focuser fully racked in): 67.12mm. Add 10mm if 1.25" eyepiece adapter is removed.
- Secondary mirror collimation, center screws: M4-0.7-32mm, M6-1.0-35mm
- Mounting holes on dovetail: M6x25mm @ 7.5" spacing
- Tube weight (with included accessories): 19lbs-10oz
- Shipped size / weight = 34"x16.5"x14" / 28lbs-2oz
- Inspected for collimation and focuser operation at Agena Astro
- Warranty: 2 years
| Product Banner Type | new |
|---|---|
| Free Shipping Graphic | Free Contiguous US Shipping |
| Telescope Focal Length | 701 - 800mm |
| Hide Found a better Shipped Price on Frontend? | Yes |
This compact and affordable 200mm (approx. 8") f/4 Newtonian optical tube assembly (OTA) from GSO has fast optics for imaging extended deep-sky objects. Lightweight and easy to guide, this little Newtonian comes ready to go out of the box with a 2" Crayford-style focuser, dual split-hinged mounting rings, an 8x50 straight-through finder, and a Vixen-style dovetail plate.
- Fast 8" f/4 Newtonian optics for wide-field imaging with DSLR/Mirrorless 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 EAF-compatible 2” Crayford focuser with 1.25” adapter and non-marring compression rings
- Includes a Vixen-style finder base for finder scope or guide scope
- Includes 2" 35mm-long extension tube and 2"-1.25" eyepiece adapter
- 13" Vixen-style dovetail bar with dual split-hinged felt-lined mounting rings to protect tube finish
- 8x50 straight-through achromatic finder mounted on quick-release bracket
- Center dot on primary mirror for quick and easy collimation
- Solid rolled steel telescope tube with gloss white exterior finish and matte black interior finish to increase contrast and minimize thermal effects
- Low noise, long-lifetime cooling fan on primary mirror cell powered by 8 AA batteries (not included)
- Focuser and front dust caps
1. Portable, Light Weight, and Economical
The GSO 200mm (approx. 8") f/4 imaging Newtonian offers a fast focal ratio that's ideal for capturing wide-field images of hundreds of celestial objects. The 800mm focal length keeps the tube length to a compact 27.75", making it easier to guide during extended exposures. With a total weight of only 19lbs-10oz (16lbs-4oz with OTA and focuser only) this scope is ideal for use with compact and precision equatorial mounts such as the Skywatcher EQ-6, Wave 150i or ZWO AM5. 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 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.
3. Fast and Precision Optics
The precisely figured 8" 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/mirrorless camera or an astronomy camera such as the ZWO ASI2600MC Pro with an APS-C sensor, this scope gives a field of view across the diagonal of nearly 2 degrees, 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. 2" Dual-Speed EAF-Compatible Crayford Focuser and Accessories
The solid 10:1 dual-speed 2" Crayford-style focuser handles small to mid-sized astronomy cameras and webcams. It also has a tension knob and a locking knob to allow you to secure the cameras and accessories.
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 minimal flexure with most cameras. It offers 41mm 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 telescope features GSO's latest EAF-compatible focuser design so you can attach the ZWO EAF directly without the need for any additional adapters. The bottom of the focuser now incorporates a flat surface with additional screw holes to allow users to easily and directly mount the ZWO EAF using the standard mounting bracket that the EAF comes with. The housing in this version is also made of aluminum for a secure, robust fit. Imagers can now use the EAF to precisely control the focuser's movement for visual or critical imaging applications. Note that the EAF is not included.
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
The tube of this imaging Newtonian is made from rolled steel for good thermal stability and it's capped with end rings of die-cut aluminum for protection and rigidity. It includes a dust cap. The scope also comes with two split-hinged die-cast aluminum mounting rings with felt lining to protect the finish of the tube. These rings make it easy to rotate the tube to bring the focuser and finder to the most comfortable viewing position. The bottoms of the rings have threaded mounting holes for a Vixen-style mounting plate (which is included) or an optional Losmandy-style plate. The tops of the two rings each have two threaded M6x25mm holes that are 7.5" apart so you can install a separate dovetail to mount other accessories such as a guide scope.
The tube has an attractive outside gloss white finish and a matte black interior finish to reduce stray reflection and increase image contrast. The tube is 9.15" in diameter (9.3" at the end rings), 27.75" long, and it extends beyond the focuser to act as a shield to prevent stray light from entering the tube and reducing image contrast. The primary mirror cell also includes a low noise, long-lifetime cooling fan powered by 8 AA batteries (batteries not included).
6. Open Metal Tube for Fast Temperature Equalization and Reduced Dew Formation
The steal white tube of this Newtonian reflector has good thermal stability and is capped with end rings of die-cut aluminum for protection and rigidity. The scope includes a dust cap, a shoe for a finder scope, and a Vixen-style dovetail rail for mounting.
Because there is no corrector plate like you find in a Schmidt-Cassegrain, the optics are far less susceptible to dewing, and they exhibit much faster temperature equalization because of the open optical tube.
7. What's in the Box
- 200mm f/4 Newtonian optical tube assembly
- 2" EAF-compatible dual-speed Crayford focuser with 1.25" eyepiece adapter
- 8x50mm straight-through finder with bracket and base
- Tube rings
- 13" Vixen-style dovetail rail. Color may vary.
- 2" extension tube with 35mm extension
- Front dust cover and focuser dust cap
- No instruction manual is included
8. Specifications
- Optical design: Newtonian reflector
- Aperture: 200mm (7.9")
- Focal ratio: f/4
- Focal length: 800mm
- Primary mirror: Parabolic primary mirror; minimum 92% reflectivity; protective quartz layer
- Secondary mirror: 70mm minor axis diameter; minimum 92% reflectivity; protective quartz layer
- Secondary mirror holder: 4-vane all metal spider
- Secondary obstruction size: 35.0% by diameter; 12.3% by area
- Tube outside diameter: End rings = 9.3"; tube = 9.15"
- Tube length = 27.75"
- Focuser travel: 41mm
- Available back focus (distance of focal plane from surface of 1.25" eyepiece adapter, with DW377 focuser fully racked in): 67.12mm. Add 10mm if 1.25" eyepiece adapter is removed.
- Secondary mirror collimation, center screws: M4-0.7-32mm, M6-1.0-35mm
- Mounting holes on dovetail: M6x25mm @ 7.5" spacing
- Tube weight (with included accessories): 19lbs-10oz
- Shipped size / weight = 34"x16.5"x14" / 28lbs-2oz
- Inspected for collimation and focuser operation at Agena Astro
- Warranty: 2 years
| Product Banner Type | new |
|---|---|
| Free Shipping Graphic | Free Contiguous US Shipping |
| Telescope Focal Length | 701 - 800mm |
| Hide Found a better Shipped Price on Frontend? | Yes |
GSO 8" f/4 Imaging Newtonian Reflector Telescope with EAF-Compatible Crayford Focuser - Steel OTA (White) # GS600