The VMC200L is a unique catadioptric optical system. It incorporates a primary mirror and a meniscus corrector just before a secondary mirror. By doing so, light is corrected twice on the optical path. The end result is that spherical aberration and field curvature are corrected to a high degree of optical performance. Vixen's VMC200L's primary mirror is f/2.5; the compound optical system is f/9.75. This combination creates a very compact and portable system.
Placing the optical correction placed before the secondary mirror avoids the necessity of having a corrector plate and the dewing problems associated with a closed optical tube.
The rack and pinion focusing is placed behind the primary mirror. The use of this focusing system eliminates the image shift associated with most other SCT systems. This is especially important when using high power magnification or astro-photography. When focusing, the image is stable and easy to adjust.
The GPD2 equatorial mount is the stronger and heftier of the GP mounts. With itssolid steel R. A. and Declination axes and brass worm gears, this mount will hold up to years of heavy use. In order to assure accurate tracking for astrophotography the worm gears are especially machined to a very high precision that minimizes periodic error.
The included new Starbook S incorporates Vixen's legendary GOTO controller with built-in Star CHART that shows you exactly where the telescope is pointing and displays "what's up" right now. The included (and upgradeable) software contains a 22,000 object database giving the user an endless variety of objects to view.
Included are drop down menus of different categories of celestial objects, including Stars, Planets, Messier, NGC, and other famous objects. Each sub menu only lists the objects that are available to be viewed at that time. This eliminates the frustration of other GOTO systems that don't tell you the object is below the horizon until after you have selected it.
With the Vixen Starbook you will spend more time viewing and less time searching. The package includes advanced encoded motors for accurate tracking. An auto-guider port and PEC (periodic error correction) are standard features.
With longer legs than the HAL 110 tripod, the HAL 130 is designed for Vixen's taller observers or those using longer focal length refractors. By increasing the tripod height one can be in a more comfortable viewing angle when using a longerrefractor at zenith.
(Please Note: This package is also available with the shorter tripod (HAL 110) for shoter observers or those using shorter focal length refractors, instead of the H130).
