Product Description
Limited Quantity: Many of these blemishes are hard to photograph. We have not photographed these telescope tubes. If you want a pristine telescope, you should order a new one but if you do not mind a small scratch or blemish on either the tube or dew shield, this is your chance to save $500. Quantities are obviously limited. As we run out of blemished tubes this web page will change and not allow you to order. When this happens, it means we have no more blemished tubes for this model.
Delivery: Ship date will depend on when you order and the accessories you select. We are a small company and Black Friday/Cyber Monday is the most hectic time of year for us. We do not rush any processes when it comes to optical testing, aligning and certifying. We have a number of completed objectives in house, more at the coating lab and the remainder are going through the final stages of hand figuring. The first orders will ship in two weeks but those that follow may be delayed for up to about 60 days or so. The sooner you order, the sooner we can assemble, align, QC and ship yours. These are premier optics and time is not of the essence in creating SVX telescopes. Please do not order if you cannot be patient as we ensure that your SVX telescope is as good as we can make it.
The other thing that will delay an order is the focuser selected. Order with a Stellarvue 3" focuser and there will be no focuser-caused delay but if you order an upgrade, those focusers are limited. It may take 30 days or more to get certain upgraded focusers. You can call us to get a more accurate estimate of a shipping date. Be aware, we are closed Thanksgiving Day and the following Friday but we will be available the following Saturday to answer emails. We will return on Cyber Monday but donot wait until then as we estimate most of our inventory will be gone by then.
The SVX140T "Raptor" has a more compact carbon fiber tube and dew shield. This is a 140mm, f-6.7 apochromatic refractor made with a super low dispersion Ohara S-FPL-53 or equivalent center element. We shortened the focal ratio specifically designing this telescope for imaging using our dedicated field flatteners. The performance of the SVX140T has been evaluated by Ryan Voykin of Dark Rangers Inc. Stellarvue SVX140T Review.
Optics: SVX140T-R is rated at .96 Strehl or higher as measured on our Zygo Phase Shifting Interferometer in red light. Visit our SVX Optics Page to learn more about this process.
Coatings: Extreme broadband, full multi-coatings on each surface transmit more than 99.5% in the visual spectrum, as well as far above and below it. The reason to extend beyond the visual spectrum has to do with imaging. CCD and CMOS detectors in cameras record beyond the visual spectrum. Broadband, full multi-coatings eliminate unwanted reflections seen on CCD images taken through telescopes that have inferior coatings.
Waiting Period: Stellarvue SVX140T Refractors are available now. We currently have objectives that are completed and coated in stock. When you place the order and let us know which focuser you require, we will assemble them, align the system and run the telescope through our qc process. An order placed now can be filled in about one week depending on the focuser it is ordered with. Call us at 530-823-7796 between 9 and 5 Pacific time, Monday through Friday and we can tell you when you're Stellarvue SVX140T will be ready.
Financing: You can finance your order through Bread financing.
What's included?
- SVX140T telescope
- CNC-machined tube rings
- Your choice between the Losmandy style TP013A or TP019, or the Vixen-Style TP012 mounting rail.
- The Stellarvue #HAN-2 handle is included.
- Three different precision focusers are offered.
- American made, waterproof SKB case with custom cut polyethylene foam interior that does not absorb moisture like polyurethane foam and is much more durable. This is the best case we have found and the most durable foam for a telescope.
This telescope is in full production. It is a long process as glass is being polished and hand-figured to .98 Strehl or higher! This process takes up to a year to complete but with 50 of these objectives in production our wait times are now reasonable. To attain this level of optical accuracy in a relatively short f-ratio, we use special tools and experienced opticians. The work is done right here in our optical shop in Auburn, California. SVX series telescopes are exceptional, placing 99% or more of the light precisely where it should be. Stellarvue Premier SVX Series refractors are for the astronomer who recognizes the best when they see it. Each SVX refractor comes with a color Zygo interferometric test report taken at full aperture in our shop, documenting the final accuracy of your objective.
Select the focuser you prefer: The SVX140T may be ordered with one of three different focusers. Simply select the one you prefer above. Here is a synopsis of the differences:
- The Stellarvue 3" focuser. This focuser has 4.5" of travel and 2" and 1.25" compression ring adapters. This is our brand focuser that is well known as a stable and smooth 3" focuser with a highly accurate 8 to 1 reduction that allows absolutely precise focusing. This is the same as used on our smaller aperture telescopes. Both Optec and ZWO motors attach directly to this focuser allowing even more precise focusing.
- The Starlight Instruments 3.5" focuser, with 4.5" of travel and 2" and 1.25" compression ring adapters. This is an American-made focuser that is equally smooth to the focuser above but is larger. Both Optec and Starlight Instruments make motors for these focusers.
- The Moonlight Nightcrawler 3.5" focuser with various extension tubes and 2" and 1.25" adapters. This is an advanced, electronic, computerized focuser preferred by dedicated imagers. It is the most expensive upgrade, but for those who want perfection when it comes to imaging, this is considered one of the best. The downside is a very short focuser draw tube length which is great for imaging stability but requires various extensions when converting to visual use. Since most high-end imagers rarely or never look through their instrument, this is usually no big deal. *Please note that the default color for the Nitecrawler will be RED unless specified otherwise. For a full list of available color options visit www.focuser.com.
The larger aperture of all of these focusers significantly reduces vignetting seen in smaller focusers when imaging.
We include American-made CNC mounting rings, a retracting dew shield, metal dust cap.
Optional Accessories:
Case: We now offer an American-made, waterproof hardcase with durable custom cut foam lining to protect your instrument against damage and the elements.
Mounts: For visual use, we recommend the Rowan AZ100.
For imaging we recommend: Losmandy G11G or Paramount MYT. These are great choices for accurate long-exposure imaging.
Optional Visual Accessories:
You will need a star diagonal, eyepieces, mount, and tripod to observe with this telescope. You will find that a finder scope is helpful in locating objects. We recommend the following:
Finder Scope: Optional. We recommend the F050W2 finder scope. The proper ring system for this finder is the R050DA ring system.
Diagonal: Optional. Please note: You can purchase our best 2" diagonal above and save $50.
Eyepieces: Optional. We recommend our best eyepieces for this telescope: a complete set of the Stellarvue Optimus eyepieces. Save money when you select the complete set at the top of the page. This set comes with a large, thickly padded case that holds the Optimus set, two additional 1.25" eyepieces, a 2"-star diagonal, and two other items such as a photographic flattener and small camera.
Optional Photographic Field Flatteners:
Field Flattener: To image with this telescope at f-6.8, use the SFFX-3 photographic Field Flattener. Prior to the development of these our generic flatteners varied in specification. We highly recommend these flatteners to cover your telescope into an imaging platform.
Reducer Flattener: To image at around f- 5.25, using an APS-c or smaller sensor, we currently offer the SFFR.72 photographic field flattener/reducer. This is an imported unit sold by a number of sources on the market. It is the best unit we have found so far. Based on the success of our in-house field flatteners, we are currently working on a new in-house reducer/flattener that will have the same optical specification as our flatteners. We expect to have this unit ready by the end of 2024.
Specifications:
Objective Lens: Air-spaced, hand-figured 140 mm, 938 mm focal length (f-6.7) fully multi-coated, apochromatic triplet using a combination of extra low-dispersion and Lanthanum elements. Lens is mounted in an adjustable steel cell. Test report included
Tube Assembly: Carbon fiber with anodized back aluminum fittings. Ultra-flat black interior, fully baffled. 5.5” diameter main tube. Telescope is 30.5" long with dew shield retracted and 36" long when extended.
Dew Shield: 6 5/8" (168 mm) diameter, 9 5/8" long retracting carbon fiber dew shield with black anodized fittings.
Weight: Telescopes tube weighs 22 pounds. Rings weigh 1.2 pounds each. The weight without rings or rail is 19 pounds for the telescope with 3.5" Feather Touch focuser and 17.8 pounds with 3" Stellarvue focuser. It will weigh more with the Moonlite Nitecrawler focuser.
Rings: Very heavy-duty CNC mounting rings made using 6061 T6 aluminum plate. Five threaded 1/4-20 holes top and bottom spaced 1.5" and 60 mm apart with one in the center. 5 mm side hole for mounting a red dot or MRF finder.
Rail: Your choice between the Losmandy style TP013A or TP019, or the Vixen-Style TP012 mounting rail.
Handle: The Stellarvue #HAN-1 handle is included.
Case: We now offer an American-made, waterproof hardcase made by SKB with durable custom cut foam lining to protect your instrument against damage and the elements.
Star Diagonal: Optional. Please note: You can purchase our 2" quartz dielectric diagonal upgrade for only $199 by selecting it at the top of the page. The upgrade diagonal is the same as the D1040Q deluxe dielectric diagonal, except it does not come with a 1.25" adapter since the telescope already comes with one.
Light Gain: 400 X! (human eye = 1)
Contrast & Color Correction (1-10): 10
Click here for our online operator's manual: SVX140T and SVX140T-R Raptor Manual
