ZWO FF80 APO Refractor Bundle with AM3 & TC40 - Get FREE PE160 Pier Extension - FF80APO-BUNDLE

Wow!  This package deal from ZWO includes the FF80 APO Refractor, the AM3 Dual Harmonic Equatorial Mount, and the TC40 Carbon Fiber Tripod at a discounted price, PLUS you'll get a FREE PE160 Pier Extension, valued at CA$134!  Don't miss out on this special bundle price!

About the FF80 Quintuplet Refractor...

The ZWO FF80 APO is a f/7.5 APO refractor with a flat-field optical design...there is no need to add a field flattener to this system!  It is a pleasure to work with a system that does not require a separate field flattener; it eliminates the hassle of calculating the back focus distance and figuring out which spacers you require to achieve that distance for best focus.  Just add any accessories you need, focus carefully, and start shooting!

The FF80 has a 3+1 quadruplet lens structure.  The APO optics includes two ED lenses to effectively reduce chromatic aberration and enhance clarity and sharpness.  This 80 mm refractor supports full-frame imaging.  It comes with a 3" dual-speed focuser that sports a 360-degree rotator and comes with a 2" & 1.25" adapter.  M76, M68, M54 & M48 camera adapters are included, and the M48 adapter has a 2" female thread for installing filters.

The telescope OTA is white with red accents, and is CNC machined and anodized for strength and beauty.  A build in lens hood slides forward when you need protection from stray light and dew, but can be locked into place with thumb screws if you want to keep it from moving.

Perfect for Visual Use

The ZWO 80mm Quad Refractor is a nice choice for visual observations.  With its portable form factor, you can easily take it with you to star parties, on camping trips, or when traveling.  The FF80 accepts diagonals, eyepieces, and other visual accessories, and comes to perfect focus, unlike telescopes out there that can only be used for imaging.  The body weights just 3.9kg, or 8.6 pounds, and even when you add the tube rings, handle, and dovetail the whole system weighs 4.7kg, or 10.4 pounds!  

A Dream Scope for Imaging

Besides offering a flat field and great correction for chromatic aberration, the ZWO F80 supports full frame imaging with an image circle of 44 mm.  Stars are small and round with a central RMS radius of 3um.

Included Accessories

The ZWO FF80 comes with a beautiful red dual cradle ring with a handle on top.  the handle has a slot for attaching a guidescope or other accessories.  The cradle ring can easily be detached and re-attached in no time.  The FF80 ring attaches to a Vixen-style dovetail, which will fit into the Vixen saddle of a wide variety of mounts.  

A variety of camera adapters (M76, M68, M54 & M48) are included, and the M48 adapter has a female thread for installing 2" filters.  For DSLR imaging, a camera specific 48mm T-Ring is required, and is sold separately.

About the ZWO AM3 Harmonic EQ Mount...

Want a telescope mount that is flexible and portable? Weighing in at under 10 pounds, this lightweight yet strong harmonic AM3 equatorial mount from ZWO can handle a weight capacity of 17 +/- pounds, even without counterweights! If you add the optional counterweights, the load capacity goes up to 13 kg, or about 28 pounds, which is really amazing for a mount with such a small form factor!!

The ZWO AM3 multi-function mount can be used in both alt-azimuth and equatorial mode, and just in case you forget which set up you are in, the status light indicator on the back of the mount shines green for Alt-Az and red for Equatorial! The status indicator is next to the USB, Auto Guide, Hand Controller and DC power ports.

Control the ZWO AM3 via your smartphone or tablet via the WiFi connection or use the included hand controller if you wish. For wireless control, download the app for features like Tonight's Target, GOTO, Live Preview, and more! Alternately, the included rocker-style hand controller is comfortable and easy to use. The rocker can be pushed in multiple directions, and can be integrated with the Wi-Fi network for wireless control.

The strain wave gear has high torque and low periodic error that is controlled to within +/- 20 arc seconds. Each mount is tested and equipped with a PE curve before it leaves the factory! The Strain Wave gear and synchronous belt used on the AM3 offers a reduction ratio of 300:1.

The gears allow you to change the pitch angle of the mount from 0 to 90 degrees. Gear 1 can adjust the pitch angle from 0 to 60 degrees, and Gear 2 can be adjusted (by loosening the hex-head screw) to achieve an angle between 30 and 90 degrees.

The system has a max slew speed of 6 degrees per second, with a multitude of slew rates to choose from, starting at 0.5X and going all the way up to 1440X!

About the TC40 Carbon Fiber Tripod...

The ZWO TC40 Tripod, made from carbon fiber, has an amazing 110 pound (50kg) weight capacity.The adjustable height of the TC40 Tripod is 470 mm to 800 mm. The legs are in two sections, with the upper section having a leg diameter of 40 mm. The lower section is just a tad smaller at 36 mm diameter. A spreader plate pushes up agains the legs as you turn the knob, increasing the stability of the legs and locking them in place.

The TC40 can be folded for transport and storage to just 500 mm long. The tripod head plate and weight bag can be removed to make the load a little lighter, but the TC40 weighs in at just over 5 pounds, or 2.3 kg.

The weight bag mentioned above attaches to the legs near the bottom of the tripod. By filling it with something heavy, you can further stabilize the tripod. A good choice would be your telescope's battery pack, but you can always add stones!

The TC40 tripod head plate offers three mounting points for a sturdy and secure connection. In its standard configuration, the tripod head plate will attach to the AM5 mount base. Turn it upside down to present a 3/8" tapped hole for mounting compatible mounts to the tripod. A lock knob is on the side of the tripod head that will reinforce the connection between the mount and the tripod.

About the FREE PE160 Pier Extension...

The ZWO 160 mm Pier Extension for the AM3 or AM5 mount has a diameter of 124 mm and can handle a load capacity of more than +/- 10 kg! The pier extension has a hallow-carved design to decrease weight (just 1.0kg!) and is CNC machined of aircraft grade aluminum, making it resistance to high temperatures, deformity and wear.