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New! The Astro Engineering Star Chaser 80 80mm x 670mm fl guide-scope is a specialist instrument designed for astro-photography and is packed with features to make telescope visual guiding and auto-guiding easier and much more reliable.

The SC80 has many advantages over using ordinary refractors:

To prevent the rearward slipping of the guide-scope when addressing targets at high or even vertical altitude, the barrel just in front of the focuser has a recess to receive the guide-ring screws (the screw tips can be up to 7mm in diameter). The anti-slip ring is made of Delrin (acetyl) and provides a perfect self-lubricating surface for the position adjustment screws to bear on and allow very smooth guide star centering (when using Astro-Engineering or ScopeTeknix 5" guide rings - not included).

The SC80 has a solid well-made focuser with a rack & pinion system. The focuser is fully lockable and the draw tube is fitted with two lock screws.

The SC80 weighs just 1.3 kg (Just compare that with other so-called guidescopes available!)

Specification

Aperture: 80mm (air-spaced doublet)

Focal length: 670mm

Focuser: rack & pinion with lock.

What's so great about the SC80 guidescope?

I think benefits of the SC80 over using ordinary refractors as guidescopes when they lack the above features are obvious enough to need no further comment. However, less obvious is the fact that unlike almost all non-specialised refractors that are pressed into service as guide-scopes, the SC80 was not designed to be used with a star diagonal. A small point but with a big consequence - it means that the SC80 will not need to be racked out as far to achive focus (when compared to normal low-cost scopes) and this, coupled with the superior mechanics of the SC80 focuser, means that one of the chief sources of guiding error (auto guider or eyepiece shift that is local to the eyepiece holder and not correlated with "real" drive error) is safely eliminated.

The lightweight design also makes the SC80 the ideal partner for scopes like the Meade LX90.