Main technical features
The Sky-Watcher ProED S11130 is a 120mm f/7.5 Doublet APO Refractor. It comes with a doublet apochromatic lens system outfitted with extra-low dispersion (ED) glass plus the exclusive photon anti-rejection Metallic High-Transmission Coatings (MHC) from Sky Watcher on all air-to-glass optical surfaces. The material of the optical tube is powder-coated, aluminum reflective gloss black with accents of gold fleck. Both the front and back cells are painted in white or black and made of cast aluminum. This telescope comes with a 120mm objective lens, 900mm focal length and f/7.5 focal ratio. Both the draw tube and the lens cell are light baffled.
The telescope ships with a dual-speed Crayford-style focuser. The focuser is a 2-inch diameter model that also includes a 1.25-inch adapter. You also get two 1.25-inch barrel diameter eyepieces, with the 20mm unit offering a maximum magnification of 45X and the 5mm eyepiece providing 180X maximum magnification. The 90-degree star diagonal is treated with dielectric coatings. You also get an 8×50 erect-image finderscope with bracket.
Aside from the foam-lined hard aluminum carrying case, the telescope ships with a vixen-style dovetail plate compatible with a vixen-style saddle on any equatorial or alt-azimuth mount. The buyer has to get a mount and tripod separately. You also get a cradle ring assembly for the plate plus an integrated ¼ 20 piggyback camera mount to handle wide-field astrophotography, along with a quick-release system.
In-depth information
This telescope uses a special combination of glass, coatings and lenses to virtually remove chromatic aberrations so you get clear and bright images with genuine color rendition and high contrast. It is a refractor type device that focuses a greater amount of light into the central pinholed disk and the first diffraction rings, with no diffraction pattern interference from a secondary or diagonal mirror caught in the optical path, which is the case in reflectors. This means you get the finest images possible, with near-perfect astronomical imaging. You can enjoy realistic planetary and deep-space phenomena views and dramatic, rich black skies with high contrast. There’s nearly zero residual ‘false color’ unlike two-element achromatic lens configurations that employ flint and standard glasses. You also get the best color correction thanks to the extra-low dispersion (ED) doublet lens. The optical tube assembly lets you view galaxies and star clusters and prominent nebulas, aside from allowing sky photography or serving as a telephoto lens or terrestrial spotting scope. You enjoy increased image brightness with the large 120mm aperture. The light-baffled optical systems are able to reject unfocused stray light for maximum contrast on the focal plane.
The Crayford-style focuser is a two-speed type that enables fine focusing with speed and preciseness minus the backlash. This focuser provides ultra-fine and fine focus adjustability. The two eyepieces provide the needed magnification along with long eye relief for easy use by eyeglass wearers. The 90-degree star diagonal provides comfortable viewing while the large 8×50 erect-image finderscope ensures speedy locating of celestial targets. The foam-lined aluminum carry case ensures hassle-free storage and transport of the optical tube assembly (OTA).
Clamped over the OTA is the mounting cradle-ring, which enables the adjustment of the position and orientation of the telescope in accordance with the mount, for optimal viewing balance and comfort while blocking interference from other equipment. Although no tripod or mount is supplied, the Vixen-style dovetail plate enables support of an equatorial or alt-azimuth mount that comes with a Vixen-style saddle.
Known issues
As a best-value non-achromatic scope, this model ships with a stock focuser that can be tricky to use, according to some customers. It can be kind of rough with some heavy eyepieces, slipping when pointed at the zenith. However, this is just a matter of preference in general since some customers like the overall performance of the telescope.
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