Halden Crest 160 APO triplet refractor, tube with GoTo mount

Specifications

Description

The Crest 160 is a three-element apochromatic refractor with a 160 mm objective and 1120 mm of focal length, which works at f/7. Its objective uses two elements of extra-low-dispersion glass and one of a second low-dispersion type, bringing red, green, and blue light to nearly the same focus. On bright objects such as Venus and the lunar limb, the color fringe is very small, and the difference from a doublet of similar aperture is apparent when you compare them side by side.

The 3 in dual-speed rack-and-pinion focuser holds a heavy camera or a 2 in star diagonal with an eyepiece without slipping, and its fine-focus knob gives a 10:1 reduction for critical focusing at high power. A retractable dew shield and a set of knife-edge baffles keep stray light off the objective and reduce scatter from nearby streetlights. At 11.8 kg for the tube alone, the Crest 160 needs a German equatorial mount rated for at least 15 kg of payload, along with a sturdy tripod and a dovetail saddle. The tube also takes longer to match outdoor temperature than a small refractor, so allow an hour or more before you begin critical viewing.

At 160 mm, the objective can split double stars with separations near one arcsecond under steady air, so you can examine tight pairs such as Epsilon Lyrae at high magnification. Jupiter's cloud belts and the Cassini Division in Saturn's rings show clearly on nights of good seeing. With a 2 in wide-field eyepiece at low power, the Pleiades and the Orion Nebula each fit within the field, and the core of the Andromeda Galaxy shows structure that smaller refractors do not reveal under suburban skies.

About this configuration

The Halden Crest 160 APO triplet refractor is offered in several configurations, and the notes below describe what this particular combination adds or changes. Motorized tracking on the GoTo mount keeps objects in view, which helps when several people take turns at the eyepiece. The GoTo mount needs a 12 V power source, so plan for a power pack when you observe away from a mains outlet. The carbon fiber tube expands less as the temperature drops, so the focus point drifts less as the night cools.

The deep-sky kit adds a wide-field eyepiece and a UHC filter for emission nebulae such as the Lagoon and the Orion Nebula. This is the 2025 edition, which updated the knobs and clamps so you can operate them with gloves on cold nights. The optical figures in the specifications table apply to this configuration and to every other version of the Halden Crest 160 APO triplet refractor.

What's in the box

• Optical tube assembly with retractable dew shield
• Tube rings with 300 mm dovetail saddle bar
• 2 in star diagonal with 3 in to 2 in adapter
• Right-angle 8x50 finderscope with bracket
• Front and rear dust caps
• GoTo mount with steel tripod
• Hand controller and 12 V power cable
• 24 mm wide-field eyepiece (1.25 in)
• UHC nebula filter (1.25 in)

Compatibility notes

• Accepts 2 in eyepieces through the supplied 3 in to 2 in adapter.
• The 300 mm dovetail saddle bar fits German equatorial mounts rated for at least 15 kg of payload.
• The focuser has a T2 thread for camera adapters once the nosepiece is removed.