Hi,
I'm looking to buy a larger refractor in the 140-160mm range. It would be purely for imaging. The scopes I am considering are the Askar 140 which seems to be getting good reviews. The new Askar 160, which I have not found any reviews of, and the Askar 151 PHQ. The PHQ is the most expensive, which I am assuming is due to the Petzval design. When I review the spot diagrams(not something I can fully interpret, TBH) provided by the manufacturer, the 151 seems much better in the centre. Still, it drops off towards the edges, whereas the 140 and 160 seem more consistent across the frame, albeit with larger star sizes in the centre.
Any advice or suggestions? Better options with other manufacturers?
Thanks
Scott
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Hey Scott,
Esprit 150, tec 140/160, toa 150 (can be preordered rn).
Depending on the budget i would go for the esprit or the toa.
cs
andi
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If you are looking at the Esprit 150 for similar pricing I would suggest looking at Stellarvue also as you sort through your options. The Stellarvue 152 has more focal length than the Esprit for roughly the same price. The 140 is a little less focal length for less money. Personally I have a SVX130T and it is a lovely scope. But any of these scopes weigh a lot so make sure your mount can handle it. As well as yourself as it is an awkward weight to get on a mount.
Best regards,
Gordon
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I don't think you're going to beat the Askar triplet APO's on price/value… Like the APO 160 is $3500 and the TEC 160 is $13,000… Is the TEC ten THOUSAND dollars better than the Askar? Maybe… But will YOU personally be able to process images to the point where you'll be able to make that difference actually visible? I know I certainly wouldn't be able to at this point in my career so the Askar APO is a clear choice.
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I don't think you're going to beat the Askar triplet APO's on price/value... Like the APO 160 is $3500 and the TEC 160 is $13,000... Is the TEC ten THOUSAND dollars better than the Askar? Maybe... But will YOU personally be able to process images to the point where you'll be able to make that difference actually visible? I know I certainly wouldn't be able to at this point in my career so the Askar APO is a clear choice. That is my thinking as well. I'm on month #2 without a clear night, and seeing is routinely bad, so spending big money on a premium scope doesn't seem like a great idea.
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The Stellarvue scopes in this size are great! But a premium price compared to the Askar.
As for spot size, it has become less important now that BlurXterminator is available for Pixinsight.
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what mount do you have? i also want a scope in this range.
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We just deployed an SVX180T-2 scope from Vic at StellarVue and the results with the new SVX3FF are excellent. We also did a setup on site for a customer in Vermont of a SVX140 Raptor with the same flattener and it too produces great data.
If there is a SVX scope in the range of size and cost you are looking at, I would certainly put it on the list for consideration.
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Dark Matters Astrophotography:
We just deployed an SVX180T-2 scope from Vic at StellarVue and the results with the new SVX3FF are excellent. We also did a setup on site for a customer in Vermont of a SVX140 Raptor with the same flattener and it too produces great data.
If there is a SVX scope in the range of size and cost you are looking at, I would certainly put it on the list for consideration. Are there any spot diagrams published for this flattener? Something similar to the 1 micron spots spec'ed by Takahashi 645 flattener on a TOA?  https://takahashiamerica.com/products/tak-toa-645-flattener-0-99x-for-toa-130 |
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John Stone:
Dark Matters Astrophotography:
We just deployed an SVX180T-2 scope from Vic at StellarVue and the results with the new SVX3FF are excellent. We also did a setup on site for a customer in Vermont of a SVX140 Raptor with the same flattener and it too produces great data.
If there is a SVX scope in the range of size and cost you are looking at, I would certainly put it on the list for consideration.
Are there any spot diagrams published for this flattener? Something similar to the 1 micron spots spec'ed by Takahashi 645 flattener on a TOA?
https://takahashiamerica.com/products/tak-toa-645-flattener-0-99x-for-toa-130 I am not sure if Vic has published any. A quick check of their site does not turn any spot diagrams up. One could reach out though and I am sure Vic would help. I have used the 645 flattener on a TOA150 and a TOA130 and it works exceptionally well. For those interested in Takahashi scopes, it is a great choice.
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I thought the same about the 130phq vs the 120APO. I went with the 120apo as i had a preference for consistency across the field rather than a sharper central portion with quality falling off towards the edges.
Couldn't be happier with my 120 apo…
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PHQ line is great. I would avoid APO line from Askar. What's your price range?
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I’m going to agree with @Anderl with an Esprit 150. I have both the 100 & 120 and I’m extremely pleased with them. My 100 actually replaced an Stellarvue Raptor which went back a multitude of times so because of that experience I’ve been pretty loyal to the Esprit line of scopes. Plus I think there price point is pretty good as well.
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The Esprit 150 would be my choice in refractors. Of course, I have the Esprit 120 and absolutely love it!
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Robert Žibreg:
PHQ line is great. I would avoid APO line from Askar. What's your price range? The price of the askars I mentioned. I don't think my skies would justify a premium scope.
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John Hudson:
what mount do you have? i also want a scope in this range. I have a few. Due to my lack of clear skies, I decided to shoot at least two setups per night. So, I have an AM5, WD20, CQ350, and an AP Mach 2 in my ROR observatory.
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Robert Žibreg:
PHQ line is great. I would avoid APO line from Askar. What's your price range?
The price of the askars I mentioned. I don't think my skies would justify a premium scope.
PHQ then. You can also check out new skywatcher line that's coming out
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Robert Žibreg:
Robert Žibreg:
PHQ line is great. I would avoid APO line from Askar. What's your price range?
The price of the askars I mentioned. I don't think my skies would justify a premium scope.
PHQ then. You can also check out new skywatcher line that's coming out I wondered about the esprit sell offs. Is there any information about their upcoming products?
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The Astroworld tv episode a couple weeks ago had Chris Montemayor from takahashi on as a guest and a really good discussion of spot size, focal length, glass types etc. At the time, he also had 2 toa 150’s unspoken for and ready to ship…..
Cheers,
Scott
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Anderl:
Robert Žibreg:
Robert Žibreg:
PHQ line is great. I would avoid APO line from Askar. What's your price range?
The price of the askars I mentioned. I don't think my skies would justify a premium scope.
PHQ then. You can also check out new skywatcher line that's coming out
I wondered about the esprit sell offs.
Is there any information about their upcoming products? I've seen only this one so far https://www.astroshop.eu/skywatcher-telescope-ap-100-500-esprit-100ed-professional-ota/p,24162#specifications |
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Is there any hint anywhere about a 150 version of this new scope?
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There should be one, yes. No info yet
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Robert Žibreg:
Anderl:
Robert Žibreg:
Robert Žibreg:
PHQ line is great. I would avoid APO line from Askar. What's your price range?
The price of the askars I mentioned. I don't think my skies would justify a premium scope.
PHQ then. You can also check out new skywatcher line that's coming out
I wondered about the esprit sell offs.
Is there any information about their upcoming products?
I've seen only this one so far https://www.astroshop.eu/skywatcher-telescope-ap-100-500-esprit-100ed-professional-ota/p,24162#specifications This is interesting, I have not heard this so I’m kinda excited to see if there is any truth to this!
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