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Meade ACF F/8 16" UHTC Optical Tube
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Research Grade - Advanced Coma-Free & UHTC Optics - Optical Tube Assembly
To order this item outside mainland Britain or Highlands & Islands, please contact us.
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- Optical Design: Advanced Coma-Free (ACF)
- Pinpoint imaging to the very edge of the field
- Ultra High Transmission Coatings (UHTC)
- Focal Length: 3251mm (f/8)
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Meade ACF F/8 16" UHTC Optical Tube Assembly
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Outline
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Building on Meade’s award-winning Advanced Coma-Free™ (ACF™) optics, this optical tube employs a
fast f/8 optical system with high-contrast baffling that insures crisp, pinpoint imaging to
the very edge of the field. Features an internal zero image shift Crayford-style focusing
system with a two-speed 7:1 reduction control that provides smooth, precise focusing at any
magnification. Includes precision machined Losmandy-style dovetail rail mated to the tube
with wide-stance radius blocks for rock-steady mounting and front and rear dust covers.
Focal length 2032mm. Product carries full one year Meade factory limited warranty.
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Meade ACF F/8 Optical Tube with UHTC optical coatings.
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The "advanced" in Advanced Coma-Free
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A traditional Ritchey-Chrétien (RC) is a type of reflector that delivers a coma-free,
flat field of view via hyperbolic primary and secondary mirrors. Because the mirrors
in these telescopes have always been very expensive to make, few amateur astronomers
could enjoy them.
Fortunately, Meade engineers developed a radical new Advanced Coma Free design by
combining a hyperbolic secondary mirror with a corrector-lens-and-spherical-primary-mirror
combination that performs as one hyperbolic element. This ACF design produces a coma-free, flat field
of view that rivals traditional RC telescopes at a fraction of the cost.
The design even eliminates diffraction spikes and improves astigmatism, both of which are inherent
in the traditional RC design. When reviewing Meade’s LX400-ACF Advanced Coma Free,
Sky and Telescope magazine said, " [It] does indeed perform like a [Ritchey-Chrétien].
The difference between the off-axis images (compared to a Schmidt-Cassegrain) was
dramatic to say the least."
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Meade’s (Advanced Coma-Free™) optics deliver stunning Ritchey-Chretien performance at a Schmidt Cassegrain price.
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Coma Killer
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What is coma? It’s not some sort of astronomical state of unconsciousness.
It’s an optical aberration. Precisely defined, coma is a distortion in which the image
of a star cannot be focused to a point, but takes on the shape of a comet.
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f/8 Advanced Coma-Free Optics
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Building from a classic RC design, Meade has created a new
design with the same coma-free pinpoint star images and flatter field also reduces the
astigmatism and eliminates diffractions spikes found in classical RCs. The ACF is
the perfect platform for the demanding researcher and imaging enthusiast with telescopes
available in apertures of 10 inches, 12 inches, 14 inches, and 16 inches.
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Meade Ultra-High Transmission Coatings (UHTC™)
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Increases total light transmission and image brightness by nearly 20% over Meade’s
standard coatings. Objects such as stars, galaxies and nebulae will appear significantly
brighter.
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| Specifications |
ACF F/8 10" |
ACF F/8 12" |
ACF F/8 14" |
ACF F/8 16" |
| Optical Design |
Advanced Coma-Free (ACF) |
Advanced Coma-Free (ACF) |
Advanced Coma-Free (ACF) |
Advanced Coma-Free (ACF) |
| Optical Coatings |
UHTC™ (Ultra High Transmission Coatings) |
| Clear Aperture |
254mm (10") |
305mm (12") |
356mm(14") |
406mm (16") |
| Focal Length Focal Ratio |
2032mm f/8 (10") |
2438mm f/8 (12") |
2845mm f/8 (14") |
3251mm f/8 (16") |
| Resolving Power (Dawes' Limit) |
0.456 arc-seconds |
0.380 arc-seconds |
0.326 arc-seconds |
0.285 arc-seconds |
| Oversized Primary Mirror |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Focuser Mechanism |
Internal Crayford-style, zero image-shift, dual speed 7:1 focuser |
| Dovetail |
Losmandy®-style with ultra stable radius blocks |
| Viewfinder |
not included |
not included |
not included |
not included |
| Eyepiece(s) |
not included |
not included |
not included |
not included |
| Diagonal |
not included |
not included |
not included |
not included |
| Weight (approx.) |
15 kg |
19 kg |
29 kg |
33 kg |
| Transit Weight (approx.) |
19 kg |
26 kg |
27 kg |
57 kg |
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Notice
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We are constantly checking the accuracy of the technical data. We are prepared
to provide more detailed information on request. Technical data is subject to
change without notice.
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