Askar FRA300 Pro Review & Comparison to Canon 200mm!

[@darylbassett9287]

You always do an excellent job of communicating with those of us who are new to the hobby. Love your videos. Don't retire, keep them coming.

[@AstroQuest1]

Thanks Daryl! I appreciate that! Cheers

[@AstroDanno]

Great video, Kurt, and good timing! My Askar just arrived in the mail today. I’m looking forward to testing it out when these clouds break.

[@AstroQuest1]

Hope you enjoy it Danno! I love mine, so powerful yet easy to use. Good Luck Cheers.

[@Aero19612]

Nice scope, Kurt! And that flat field, wow! I see Askar scopes popping up everywhere and I can see why with your imaging results. Enjoy!

[@AstroQuest1]

Thanks 👍James. Yeah, they are actually reasonably priced (relatively). I was looking for a wider field setup and this was the perfect FL for me. Cheers

[@nikaxstrophotography]

I've owned SCT's, reflectors, small ed refractors with fpl53 glass and currently a ts-optics 130 APo triplet with fpl53 glass. By far this Askar 300 is the best scope I have ever used in terms of trouble free simple to use and brilliant edge to edge optics with beautiful resolution. Whatever formula Askar is using keep it up, I'm thinking of selling the 130 APO for one of the Askar variants, most likely the 107 PHQ

[@physmc1]

I can only say good things about my 107phq. I highly recommend it.

[@AstroQuest1]

I'm loving it so far. I did a couple of other objects and the detail is far better than I was ever able to capture before! Thanks for commenting. Cheers

[@ballashoes]

I know this is a little late but if you're having connection issues with just the air, it usually has to do with amps. Make sure its powered with 5+ amps

[@AstroQuest1]

Thanks, however, I've been there, done that! Could be the power inverter, or my home power source, or the ASIAIR port, or any number of other things. All I know is when I use the Power Box everthing works perfectly.

[@MakeAMark]

I have the 300 pro also, and love it. I'm set up almost just like yours (sans the power box), and it rides on a Celestron AVX, which works well. I typically will drizzle the data collected with this setup 2x -- it does help, although increases the file sizes 4x. I also have a full-frame 2400mc-p, which the 300 can illuminate well. The 2400 has larger pixels (for my Edge11) so it is really undersampled using the Askar, and drizzle is essential, but the imagery still looks nice. I notice you have your filter drawer and spacer reversed from me. I always thought the filter was supposed to be as close to the sensor as possible. Thoughts? I like your carrying bag!

[@AstroQuest1]

Hey Mark thanks for the insight. I also have an Edge (8 though) but use an ASI294 MC for that setup - it also has larger pixels. Every widefield setup I have seen or heard of is technically undersampled. The drizzle is a good idea, I tried it on a couple of images in the past but it did not seem to improve the image noticably although it can't hurt to try. I seem to recall that you want the filter closer to the sensor if you have extenders and such but the 1-2mm difference here I don't think matters - I could be wrong though. I connected it this way because it fit easier. Cheers

[@alomgirmiah]

I had an Askar FMA230, probably the worst scope I had ever used. Issues with backfocus even with standard 55mm distance as per the specs and documentation. I went back to redcat51, works like a charm. Round stars from edge to edge.

[@MakeAMark]

That's too bad. The FRA300-pro is a design that isn't sensitive to backfocus, and I've had nothing but good experiences with it even with a full-frame camera. I know the RedCat is a great scope. When I was shopping, I didn't like the focus ring mechanism, especially for adding an EAF.

[@AstroQuest1]

Sorry to hear, I am not familiar with that scope but it is only a triplet needing a field flattener where as the Redcat is a quintuplet having a flattener built into it. @@alomgirmiah

[@davewilton6021]

Nice images of the Elephant Trunk! But from the Aberration Inspector images, it looks like the backfocus of the Askar may be a wee bit off. Adding a 1mm spacer may make the corner stars rounder. Of course, if you're not seeing it in the finished photos, it's not an issue.

[@AstroQuest1]

Thanks Dave. I was thinking the same thing but you should not need it with the quintuplet. However, I did notice it was more pronounced on the lower right which led me to suspect a camera tilt issue. It is hardly noticeable though in the final unless you really pixel peep. Cheers

[@anata5127]

I think I have seen your AstroBin domain. Maybe not. Some 300+ pictures.

[@AstroQuest1]

Thanks, Actually 400. www.astrobin.com/users/kurtzepp/collections/

[@anata5127]

@@AstroQuest1 Yes, I noted it, since it is organized in very similar way to my AstroBin domain. Then, I thought “I think I have seen him on KZbin; he is a man who dreams on retiring in Chile desert”.

[@AstroQuest1]

@@anata5127 Yep, something like that, more likely New Mexico...

[@anata5127]

@@AstroQuest1 West Texas could be another choice. Places in remote observatories there are snatched right away. Moreover, there is community-astro-village near MacDonald observatory.

[@mr.f.9672]

Great review. I have exactly the same imaging train and had my first light a few days ago. Good idea to put asiair and powerbox symmetrically to balance the axis. As the asi2600mc cam is at an angle when mounted, do you use the rotator to bring the cam in balance in home position before you polar align or before you move to target? Which exposure time and gain did you use for the NB and RGB images? Which IDAS filter was it? Wish you clear skies!

[@AstroQuest1]

Thanks for watching! The camera angle does not matter when you polar align so just polar align first and then go to the target. Next just rotate the camera to get whatever frame you want on the object. I keep the gain at 100 for the ASI2600 and generally for NB images I use 3 min or 5 min exposures and for RGB I use 90 sec. Good Luck

[@Youtuber-ku4nk]

William Optics have a patent for the build-in mask.

[@AstroQuest1]

Figures they would!

[@RigoFromSpain]

Nice comparison Kurt !!!

[@AstroQuest1]

Thanks! 👍 Rigo! I still like the Canon though for other things.

[@MrPedalpaddle]

The Canon 200 is effectively an f/3, much faster than the Askar f/5

[@AstroQuest1]

That's right that is why this is not an equal comparison. The stars are much better in the Askar and at F2.8 the stars are not nearly as sharp in the camera lens, however, the nebulosity should be easier to capture. The focus control is easier on the Askar as well.

[@gregb5149]

I have to say, going mobile is taking your astronomy in the wrong direction. Weather and inconvenience will start to annoy you. Better rethink your home plans... just saying ;-)

[@AstroQuest1]

Hey Greg, well fortunately, I am not sell my selling my observatory and big rigs just yet but at some point I may have to. If were up to me I would move into the middle of the desert somewhere in the middle of nowhere with a shed but my wife would not be to keen to that. If and when we do move it would be great if I am still able to keep big equipment but It may not make any sense financially where we end up.