Is this the Perfect Guide / Wide field Imaging Scope ? The Askar FMA180 Pro

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Is this the Perfect Guide / Wide field Imaging Scope ? The Askar FMA180 Pro

Рет қаралды 2,438

Ай бұрын

After 18 months of nothing but issues trying to find the perfect small guide / wide field imaging scope, to piggyback onto my Esprit 100, i have finally found this, the Askar FMA180 Pro, and wanted to share it with you.
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Пікірлер: 25

@jpastroguy Ай бұрын

I own and love the Askar FMA135 for extreme widefield imaging. It is an awesome little scope. I am considering to get the FMA180 Pro as well! Best wishes!

@Astro_Shed Ай бұрын

Thanks for the comment, go for it, it’s a keeper…👍🏻

@GregShaw Ай бұрын

Looks great. Please to hear the new FMA180 rings worked well. With those FMA 180 rings being Carbon Fibre PETG they will have even less flex compared to standard PETG rings that I make.

@Astro_Shed Ай бұрын

Thanks Greg, yes the rings are superb, thanks very much…👍🏻

@Tony-Elliott Ай бұрын

Great review Stuart, thanks for sharing your findings

@Astro_Shed Ай бұрын

Thanks very much, clear skies to you..👍🏻

@KurtVW Ай бұрын

Great video! I bought one of these for the same reasons... Its fabulous. It's a really solid widefield scope, I use it with the ASI533 in that role and have had great luck. When doing that kind of stuff I use the little zwo guide scope as the guider, and that is a rock solid pair. On my bigger scope, I have not had trouble mounting the FMA180 Pro using the shoe that comes with it, but you do want to check to make sure the little bolts on that are good and snug. Its fitted with a ASI178 when in that role. I'm really happy with mine also, it was a great find! Glad to see I'm not the only one who came up with this solution!

@Astro_Shed Ай бұрын

Thanks for the comment, I plan on using a 533 camera on this too, also I too use the ASI178mm guide camera, the small pixels are excellent for guiding.. Yes when this scope arrived those two little bolts were a bit loose, but I was removing them anyway, but always good to check if they are going to be used…clear skies 👍🏻

@LogansAstro Ай бұрын

Askar are certainly making some nice scopes. Looks like a very nice widefield setup.

@Astro_Shed Ай бұрын

Thanks Logan, yes agreed, there are a couple of there larger scopes I would like….Clear skies..👍🏻

@dumpydalekobservatory Ай бұрын

Looks a good bit of kit Stuart I used to use an ST80 for guiding but I've no room for it now so may consider one of these in the future, cheers clear skies

@Astro_Shed Ай бұрын

Thanks Mate, many years ago I used an ST80 too, on the back of my Meade LX90, was a great scope, especially for the low price…Clear skies to you too..👍🏻

@ronm6585 Ай бұрын

Nice. Thanks for sharing.

@Astro_Shed Ай бұрын

Thanks bud…👍🏻

@ashfordpod Ай бұрын

Thanks for that review, I was an early adopter of the original FMA180 so I was faced with the problem you outlined about mounting a guidescope and in my case an Asiair. I was unable to find a satisfactory 3D printed set of rings despite the best efforts of the printer so I more or less abandoned the project. I then discovered a young fellow in Chicago who owned a Mk1 FMA180 himself and he 3D printed a solution for me, it wasn't cheap but at least it gave me a usable widefield telescope that I could also add guiding to. It does look a bit weird but what the heck! I'd like to post an image here but that's not possible. I've subscribed to your YT channel.

@Astro_Shed Ай бұрын

@@ashfordpod thanks very much for you comment and subscription, glad you found a solution, to your issues, I love these 3D printed rings and are a carbon material so very strong and rigid Clear skies to you 👍

@sjpp71 Ай бұрын

I've been using the Askar180 (paired with a QHY294MM) for about a year now and I like it a lot as a widefield astrograph. I have the older version, with an ZWO EAF (I've got the Deep Sky Dad bracket for the EAF). I use it mostly for narrowband; with OSC gives a bit of purple fringe, I think your version is better corrected. also own an Evoguide (with the Starizona FF) and I really like it for imaging. The focuser is exactly as you say, but is not that bad (in my humble opinion), you kind of get used to it, it's predictable. I achieve focus with a bahtinov mask and then lock the focuser, and that's it. The Evoguide gives very nice and round stars almost all the way across the fov, with almost no CA. I'd say give it a chance if you can stand the focuser. Nice review, clear skies!

@Astro_Shed Ай бұрын

Thanks for the comment, and yes totally agree, I think I have got a particularly bad version of the Evoguide, but will keep as a back up guide scope for sure…Clear skies…👍🏻

@CDigata Ай бұрын

it depends on what the scope is that its guiding.. as the 50ed is longer FL but as a wide field scope Oh Yes.. i have the fma135 but now use that piggy backed with a samyang 135... anything that has a double use has to be a good thing.

@Astro_Shed Ай бұрын

@@CDigata thanks for the comment, yes this was designed around using with my esprit 100, if this had not worked then was looking at OAG but have very limited space to fit one with my camera 👍

@SimonsAstro Ай бұрын

Interesting Stuart! I’m considering another guidescope! My evoguide works great with my Esprit 120, but my 400mm Askar has the 30mm f4 ZWO, which has been ok, but I’ve been thinking about upgrading! I also have a mead2000 that I want a guide scope for, probably not going OAG on that, so will need one for that! Lots to think about! How much was that scope Stuart?

@Astro_Shed Ай бұрын

@@SimonsAstro thanks Simon, I paid £310 for it, second hand but unused, they are about £386 I think new, clear skies mate 👍