Our New Main FAST Refractor Telescope - Unboxing and First Light! Askar FRA500

[@christianvulpescu1398]

Pretty!😃 Congratulations. I just got a SkyWatcher Esprit 100 ED with a Riccardi 0.75 x Reducer, which leads to 513 mm focal length at f 4.1. Quite similar. Christian 😃

[@jaedinthompson1845]

HEYYYY IM LOVING ALL THE PEOPLE REVIEWING ASKAR STUFF. I've almost saved enough for the 400 mm model and am very eager to step up my astronomy game

[@TomDastrup]

I have the FRA400 and f/3.9 reducer. I really like it. Enjoy the 500.

[@lukomatico]

Beautiful scope guys!! Congratulations :-D I can't wait to see more!

[@JonnyBravo0311]

I've been seriously considering trying out their f/2.8 newts... those little 130/150mm wide field scopes would pair up very nicely with my 294MM in bin1 mode.

[@GalacticHunter]

Me too!!! That actually was my first choice, but then I got scared about the collimation at f/2.8 and decided to go with the refractor, for now...

[@MountainFisher]

My 150mm C6-N after I had the mirror refigured is excellent. I noticed the difference the first time I looked through it. I bought a used reflector and for less than $600 I had Takahashi optics quality by sending it to an Optics company.

[@LogansAstro]

Congrats on the new scope. I've seen a few people mentioning how much they like this telescope so it is getting rather tempting to get one.

[@viniguez487]

Wish you guys lived closer and I could let you guys borrow my RASA 11! I've had it a few years and it is honestly the most amazing telescope I've ever imaged with.

[@billvinson7859]

That’s a great looking scope. I have the Redcat 51 and putting in the filter works the same way. Love your first photos and looking forward to your next photos.

[@ritacastil]

It would be interesting to have a follow up from the initial review on the FRA500. How do you rate star shape in corners and chromatic aberration? Thanks

[@brucehatch7388]

I purchased this same scope and reducer about eight months ago. This is my first dedicated AP scope. I look forward to seeing your review of it's performance both at it's native F/5.6 and reduced F/3.9 configuration. I have had no regrets with my purchase.

[@chrismcgrew4692]

Bruce, what camera and filter size do you use? I'm wondering if f/3.9 will cause vignetting when using my ZWO 2600MM Pro with 2" HSO filters.

[@afryhover]

Congrats on the new scope! I like how the reducer is "inboard". Looks like a great scope to take out to the desert 👍

[@Jefferson196]

Very Nice, I have the Askar 60mm I really like easy to use.

[@markmuller3086]

Beautiful! Congrats. I looked it up on High Point’s website and did t see that the case is included. Did you buy that case as an extra directly from Askar?

[@alandyer910]

Have fun with the new scope! I’ve tested a couple of the Askar FRA astrographs - they work great but a warning: I found the conical adapters, while they look like a clever design, can bind together, in one case the largest one seizing onto the focuser. Their shape then makes it difficult to grab them or put a filter wrench onto them to turn them. I found putting a little grease onto the threads prevented any binding.

[@GalacticHunter]

Thank you Alan! And good point about the conical adapters, actually it seems like with the reducer I won't ever need to use these

[@alandyer910]

@@GalacticHunter That’s true. The matching Reducer was not available for the FRAs I had. But they do work well at their native f-ratio as they have the flattener built in. So when you need more focal length you’d need to use the adapters. But screwing gear onto them turns them on so tight they bind.

[@reidchandler6486]

very nice! I have the FRA400 with reducer and love it, great for double targets!!!

[@ishtiaqali1117]

who made ASKAR telescopes..i mean where they are made.Chinese..???

[@TR6Telos]

I have the TMB 92L and its never been used since I bought it 15 yrs ago The weather in Manchesster UK in the Pennine hills is impossible. I will take it to a friends house in spain.

[@TR6Telos]

Lunar looks great at the f ratio of scope!

[@akb1974]

You guys are awesome! I've been hoping someone would make a good video about that scope. That is the exact wide field set up I've been saving up for, though I had my eye on the 400 but I'd consider the 500 if the extra aperture is worth the extra money. Can't wait to see more videos on this set up and how it works wrapped up in ZWO. Thanks for the video.

[@Cdubwow]

Askar scopes are fantastic

[@derekbaker3279]

What an exciting day & evening for the two of you!😀It looks like you used an APS-C size sensor for your excellent image of the Pacman Nebula, and IMHO the stars look good to the edge with the reducer & the 'crop sensor'. Good contrast too.👍👍Did you see any halos from the dual filter (especially in the OIII data)?🤔The Askar 500 looks like a good match for the AM5 as well (more than just the red colour...lol). 😀 In defence of the much more expensive FSQ106 & that particular reducer (which is really expensive too!), the FSQ106 will perform extremely well with full frame sensors & even sensors larger than full-frame. I can vouch for this, because I used to own an FSQ106N (no reducer) & a CCD camera with a 16803 chip (52mmx52mm square!). (*) I don't think that the Askar can match the FSQ106 when it comes to the size of the fully-illuminated field & the star sizes/star shapes out to the edges of a full-frame or larger sensor (despite Askar's claims).🤔However, if you have a full-frame sensor, I would love to see what the Askar 500 can do with/without the F3.9 reducer! 😀 (*) The pixels in the 16803 sensor are 9um, so it was more tolerant of aberrations than the ZWO6200M full frame sensor with 3.7um pixels would be, and the dynamic range of the 16803 is pretty good, so flats always came out fine, even if illumination was an issue. It would be interesting to compare the Askar to a FSQ106, with the camera being a ZWO6200M that has pixels binned 2x2 (7.4um). 🤔.

[@GalacticHunter]

No halos with the filter at all, which is awesome! I am currently trying the reducer with a full frame camera and it definitely suffers from tilt issues which is annoying, so we might have to stick with the APS-C format with this telescope :/

[@chrismcgrew4692]

Question for you - when the reducer is installed, do the extensions to the camera thread directly to that reducer? And it looks like the reducer has M48 threads on it to connect the camera, correct?

[@chrismcgrew4692]

That losmandy plate looks quite short, which could make it difficult to balance on a traditional equatorial mount, no?

[@SinCityDarkKnight]

why I love my RASA.. 400mm @f2. is it big and bulky though not that heavy? yes.. trade-off

[@kamylko]

I have the same setup, perfect experience :)))

[@jml7916]

I have the half price little brother, 76EDPH reduced to 344mm FL @f/4.5. I couldn’t have asked for a better first telescope.

[@GalacticHunter]

Oh yes that's such an awesome scope too!

[@chrismcgrew4692]

I’ve been interested in this scope and reducer. At f/3.9 should I expect vignetting when using a ZWO2600 APS-C camera with 2” narrowband filters?

[@paulbenoit249]

BORG HUTECH does a 90mm F3.9 as well which is excellent (I have one).

[@stephengriffiths1710]

I see the very nice Case, and My askar also came with a very nice case. but I can't find any use for the case other than the initial shipping to me. Once I mounted the Focuser motor on it I could no longer get it back in to the Case. Does any one else notice this and came up with a solution to store the telescope with out removing the Focus motor? ZWO in my case.

[@astrodojo1]

Hello guys, hello Anton (I think that's your name), congratulations on your purchase and please could you do a video on resolution, pixel size and scope focal lenght compatibility, how important is it?

[@brianastrodoc2886]

Good luck and many clear skies with it. The Pac-Man came out beautiful. I have the FRA500 and reducer but i haven't used the reducer yet. I like the native focal length and having not to worry about backfocus. Do the Vegas city lights affect your imaging or are you far enough away?

[@GalacticHunter]

It definitely affects it, we live inside the city, but shooting in narrowband helps

[@astrobath]

I am using the same tube. Nice gear. The reducer has 55 mm back focus, but I guess one should make sure it is really so with his specific item 😱 Welcome to the Askar club! BTW, what camera do you plan to use with it?😳

[@DSOImager]

Looks like an awesome scope! :)

[@leumas1996]

I just purchase FRA 500 with 0.7x flattener. i notice you use a OAG with the flattener. any issues with back focus and OAG performance?

[@TR6Telos]

Having to put "DO NOT DROP" tells you all you need to know about delivery "services"!

[@deepdiver0101]

Well wear with the new scope. Was considering the FRA400, the price difference is one option and the FRA500 is close to the FRA 600. Reducer at f/3.9 is enticing, but I like the petzval capability at native focal length without backfocus constraints. But the 500 model focuser is step up form the 300 and 400 models. Hope it works out well for you. curious to see how it works at f/3.9 with an OSc camera...

[@GalacticHunter]

So far the reducer works great with the OSC APS-C camera we have, but does show some tilt with our full frame camera, not sure if that's possible to fix with a tilt adapter or not

[@denniscollyer8161]

How do you know that the focuser is a step up from FRA300 and FRA400? I can’t seem to find those kinds of specs on this.

[@deepdiver0101]

@@denniscollyer8161 Askar iterate their focuser designs very often, too often! FRA600 has the old style, shiny finish almost identical to the old 100QII from years ago. FRA400 and 300 had the same, but they changed to the satin finish, and various iterations of scallop texture to knurling etc. Lots of visual/tactile changes. They also moved the focuser arrangement around so that the allen screws that tighten and fix the tilt of the drawtube are accessible from the top and can be seen. These on previous iterations used to be underneath, so you had to remove the pinion to access them (easy to do, four m4 screws, impossible to put back on the wrong way). The FRA500 has the nicest focuser, all the upgrades and visual/haptic changes, with the scalloped sides similar to modern WO designs. Fully adjustable without having to remove anything. Not a fan, myself, of the older larger focuser on the FRA600 being the old design still, and if you do a google search you'll see at least 3 iterations of the FRA 300 over a 2 year period. Either way, the FRA500 and the most recent version of the FRA300 have excellent mechanicals.

[@Tim_the_Astronurd]

are you going to do a review of the AM5? I got mine 3 weeks ago, but its looking like I may be clouded out for the 2nd month in a row, so still havent gotten to get it out yet

[@GalacticHunter]

Yes working on it, but taking our sweet time for main reviews like that

[@Tominou50]

Would it be possible to have a link to see the photo in full quality ? Thx ! 😊

[@GalacticHunter]

It will be on our Astrobin at some point soon! www.astrobin.com/users/Antoine91/

[@hideentity1518]

This is what i want

[@jdpartridge]

Just curious. Have you ever used a RASA? The speed of the scope and what it is capable of seems like it would be perfect for most large nebula targets in a high bortle backyard. I love this little scope. Seems perfect for a travel companion. I am looking forward to seeing what you capture with this refractor.

[@GalacticHunter]

We've had the RASA 8 for a year or so but are having crazy tilt issues with the 2600MC... still haven't been able to fix that, considering buying the Octopi tilt adapter but it's soooo expensive

[@SinCityDarkKnight]

​@@GalacticHunter I believe I have the issue with the same equipment. it's frustrating. with asi183 it's perfect, but that's so limiting fov

[@onewhostudies6856]

wow so cool

[@psilveirap]

Are you liking it? do you still recommend? Thanks

[@GalacticHunter]

Yes, very good scope! Full written review uploaded last week: www.galactic-hunter.com/post/askar-fra500

[@przemyslaws1346]

IAM thinking to buy one of askar fra.. maybe fra 400.. how it's working..? Any good results..more pictures? 🙂

[@GalacticHunter]

The FRA400 is great too if you want a wider field of view than the 500. We still love this scope 7 months after posting this video! We'll release more pictures in the coming months as nebulae start rising again!

[@nikaxstrophotography]

I have the 300 version of this which does not have a reducer but at 300 does it need it? f5 as well the askars are excellent.

[@GalacticHunter]

The 300 is f/5 which is "fast enough" to keep it simple without the reducer!

[@beatsntoons]

btw, that's the wrong spot to put your ASI Air. ZWO even advise against it now. Put it either on the scope or on the mount clamps (but follow ZWO's instructions as you need special screws to attach there or you can damage internal cabling)

[@GalacticHunter]

Oh I have no idea, thanks for letting me know!

[@rimonhermez4358]

Great

[@malanstecker]

Why are there no knobs to tighten the mounting rings? I have never seen refractor rings that do not use knobs. This is a deplorable first!

[@eprohoda]

yo- enjoyedd- perfect video. see you later~ 😲

[@denodan]

Don't think a refractor is as good as a reflector, more aperture for less money, and a bigger aperture still has the advantage

[@jml7916]

Different tools for different jobs. I’m taking a shot of the Heart and Soul right now using a FF camera and a 76mm f/4.5 scope. Not something you can frame in any reflector I know of (except f/2 speed demons). Plus my $800 mount happily plugs along no problems at about 1” rms. Show it a 6” Newt and it will cry in fear.

[@GalacticHunter]

I'll always be more in love with reflectors for sure, and ultimalty that will be my long term purchase but for now I'll play with this refractor until I'm ready to get back into collimation and all that :D

[@quentinG_9841]

Are you french ? Tu as un accent 😂

[@GalacticHunter]

Tout à fait 🥖

[@quentinG_9841]

@@GalacticHunter je m’en doutais un peu mais pas mal quand même l’anglais