Vixen ED103S Refractor Telescope with GPD2 Equatorial Mount

The Vixen ED103S is an apochromatic refractor, which has fantastic contrast and 4" aperture, sufficient for viewing most of the planets and many stars. With its ED glass elements, chromatic aberration has been reduced to nearly undetectable levels, permitting a much more practical use of the higher magnifications quoted in the specifications than when seemingly identical in a normal achromatic refractor.

Vixen's ED Glass has brought refractors back to the forefront of premium telescope choices, to compete with the 8" and larger ubiquitous Schmidt-Cassegrains that, while bringing in enormous quantities of light, simply cannot compare to the contrast of the apochromatic refractor.

The included flip-mirror adapter allows either 90-degrees or straight-through observing. With an eyepiece upon each end of the flip-mirror, you can quickly switch between the two as the declination of your object of interest changes its location in the sky.

The GPD2 Mount

The GPD2 equatorial mount is the stronger and heftier of the GP mounts. With its solid 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 GPD2 holds almost 50% more weight than the GP2 and comes standard with tripod and counterweight. It is easy to use and functions well for both the visual observer and astrophotographer. Motion is controlled by included control knobs for accurate slewing. The polar altitude adjustment varies from 0-degrees to 62-degrees in altitude.