Halden Corvid 130 APO triplet refractor, tube only

Specifications

Description

The Corvid 130 is an air-spaced triplet refractor with 130 mm of aperture and 910 mm of focal length, for a focal ratio of f/7. Its three lens elements include one of low-dispersion glass, which brings red, green, and blue light to a common focus closely enough that bright stars show no visible color fringe at the eyepiece.

That color correction makes the Corvid 130 suitable for both high-power visual work and imaging. On a steady night it can split close double stars near its resolution limit, show festoons in the equatorial belts of Jupiter, and hold a crisp image of lunar craters at magnifications above 200x. With a camera, stars stay round and tight in the center of the field; a field flattener extends that across a larger sensor.

The 3 in rack-and-pinion focuser has a rotator and a lock, so a camera and filter wheel stay where you set them through a full night. The focuser drawtube has a scale for repeating the focus position. A sliding dew shield extends well past the objective and retracts for transport.

The tube weighs 7.8 kg, so it needs a mount rated for at least 12 kg once you add a diagonal, a finder, and an eyepiece, or a camera and guide scope. The supplied D-style dovetail suits medium equatorial mounts. Allow about 30 to 45 minutes for the thick lens to settle to the outdoor temperature on a cold night.

For deep-sky observing, the 130 mm aperture shows the spiral arms of M51 under dark skies and resolves the outer stars of bright globular clusters such as M13. Wide-field views of the Pleiades or the Double Cluster fit easily with a 2 in eyepiece.

About this configuration

Every configuration of the Halden Corvid 130 APO triplet refractor shares the same optics; the choices below change how the telescope is mounted, finished, and equipped. This is the optical tube on its own, so you need to supply a mount that can carry its weight steadily. Without a mount in the package, check the tube weight against the payload rating of your mount, with some margin to spare. The gloss white tube reflects sunlight, which helps it stay closer to air temperature while you set up before dusk.

With the starter kit, begin with the low-power eyepiece whenever you search for a new target, then switch up. The 2023 edition uses the same optical design as later years, with small differences in fittings and labels. If you plan to add accessories later, compare the compatibility notes with the parts you already own before choosing a configuration.

What's in the box

• Optical tube with sliding dew shield
• Hinged tube rings with D-style dovetail bar
• Carry handle with finder shoe
• 2 in diagonal with 1.25 in adapter
• Fitted hard case
• 25 mm and 10 mm eyepieces (1.25 in)
• 2x Barlow lens (1.25 in)

Compatibility notes

• Needs an equatorial or alt-az mount rated for at least 12 kg with accessories.
• The D-style dovetail fits mounts with a D-style or dual saddle.
• The 3 in focuser accepts 2 in and 1.25 in accessories through the supplied adapters.
• A field flattener with 55 mm back focus suits full-frame and APS-C cameras.