AR102 Air-Spaced Doublet Refractor Telescope
The Explore Scientific AR102 Air-Spaced Doublet Refractor delivers stunning, high-contrast views through its classic 102mm crown-and-flint doublet design with a fast f/6.5 focal ratio. Lightweight and portable at just 11.5 lbs, this telescope is perfect for public star parties, educational outreach, or personal stargazing adventures. Built with professional-grade components including a smooth two-speed 2" Crayford focuser, a dielectric-coated 2" diagonal, and an 8x50 straight-through finderscope mounted on a quick-release hybrid finder base, it offers reliable performance and easy setup. The sturdy cradle ring with a Vixen-style dovetail plate ensures compatibility with a wide range of mounts. Simply add your favorite eyepieces and start exploring the night sky.
Standout Features
102mm Air-Spaced Doublet Optics
Lightweight & Portable
Precision Two-Speed 2" Crayford Focuser
Complete Finder & Diagonal Package
Product Specifications
Customers praised this refractor telescope as a "great value" with excellent included accessories like a 2-speed focuser, finderscope, and diagonal. Reviews highlight "clear and sharp" views, solid build quality, and good optical quality. While heavy, it's suitable for astrophotography with proper mounting and delivers pleasing results for beginners despite some limitations.
- Great value scope with everything included. Views are clear and sharp.
- Nice scope, good optical quality.
- Very solidly built, feels high-quality. Focuser is smooth.
Great telescope! I loved it so much that I gave mine to my daughter and bought another one for myself. Great views for an achromat. Good quality and construction, but I did replace the Vixen dovetail with a D style one. Just my preference. I love using this with my bino viewer while looking at the moon. I also use it with my Pegasus SmartEye especially when doing outreach programs. The image attached is a quick shot while holding my phone up to the SmartEye. Not the best shot but you get the idea.
Great value scope, especially with everything that comes with it (2-speed focuser, finderscope, diagonal, cradle/mount plate). Very solidly built, feels high-quality. Focuser is smooth. I've had it for nearly two years now and taken it to several astronomy club events and it's held up without issue, and it's easy to transport. Views are clear and sharp. Whether pointing it at the moon, Saturn, or the Andromeda Galaxy, it's gotten plenty of "ooohs" and "aaahs" from people at star parties.
Now, this scope was also my intro to tracked astrophotography. Being a doublet, I knew it would have limitations, but for the price it still delivers pleasing (to a beginner at least) imaging capabilities if you're willing to take the time to work with it. It is also heavy, which is a factor for what mounts can handle it. I may have gotten lucky, but the IExos-100 with the basic tripod and no AZ adjuster has been solid with this scope and once I figured out guiding I'm frequently within 0.3 - 0.5. I keep the tripod legs fully retracted and try to be meticulous with balancing, but it works. I was even able to rig the included finder scope to accept a guide camera, so made the setup even more cost-effective. There's obviously some star bloat/halos, sometimes a LOT, but my skill and processing abilities are a bigger limiting factor at the moment than the scope. I definitely want to upgrade at some point, especially for something with a wider FOV, but I don't feel like it's a necessity at this point to continue growing in this hobby.
I used the AR 127 last night for the first time since acquiring it. Between bad weather and business, I just couldn't get time. I'm extremely impressed! No false color I could detect on the first quarter Moon. Strikingly beautiful images that I could not get enough of. Did some deep sky inspite of the Moon and was very impressed! Globular clusters look amazing, as did M 31 and companion. Coupled with the Twilight 1 mount which handles this optical tube with grace, I had one of the best observation experience ever! I have been an advocate for this hobby since the early 70's. I've taught high school astronomy for a decade, and ran a club for young people and their parents for even longer. I would highly recommend this scope to anyone interested in owning a great refractor but not wanting to spend for an Apo. This is going to be my new favorite.
Wonderful build quality. Excellent value.
Great all around telescope. Amazing objective lens coating. Highly recommended.
Nice scope, good optical quality. As usual tracking number arrived 4 days after
it was delivered make sure you call these guys afew days after placing your order glad I did.
Haven’t had a chance to test it yet. But it is exactly what I wanted. I intend to use it only for imaging open clusters with a Baader fringe killer filter or nebulas using a narrow band filter.
Great customer service, good communication, item received as expected. Good experience.