11 replies to this topic

[dalbert02]

I am alll about options, but what is the difference between the different series?  Why would I choose one series over the other considering they are all advertised as astrographs?

 

SQA Series SQA55 SQA70 SQA85 SQA106

 

PHQ Series 65PHQ 80PHQ 107PHQ 130PHQ 151PHQ

 

FRA Series FRA300pro FRA400 FRA500 FRA600

 

APO Series 103APO 120APO 140APO 160APO 185APO 203APO

 

FMA Series FMA135 FMA180pro FMA180 FMA230

Edited by dalbert02, 23 March 2025 - 11:47 AM.

[Zambiadarkskies]

I am honestly not that sure either. but my attempt below:   With some humour.  

 

- SQA.  Like Takahashi but cheaper and most likely no "lighthouse" aberrations.  Pricey for the aperture.  But apparently good.  According to YouTube they are the new Redcats...  Probably the best do it all.  But price to FL ratio and aperture is the lowest while quality is the highest.  But long focal lengths is not so much what they do.   

 

- PHQ.  Slower focal ratio, so easier to get well controlled stars.  Bonus points as they come in red and white with ZWO on the side.  It sold me!  Probably the best with longer integration/dark skies/price, trading speed for star shapes if you can accept the trade offs.  

 

- FRA.  Fast(er) and with options (some).  The 500 with a reducer is seriously fast.  But probably worse stars than a PHQ.  But speed is speed.  And Blur Exterminator works.  Best under polluted skies perhaps.

 

-APO.  Standard triplets, so unlike the above 3 "petzval, quad, quintuplets" means dealing with back focus.  Not a big deal if it works out and you aren't bothered by that.  The really big ones are probably to be avoided.  The 103 and 120 are said to be amazing for the price.  But you will be dealing with back focus.  And lurid orange.  

 

- FMA.  Ultra wide. Good and bad.  More like camera lenses but trading better stars for focal ratio (speed).  

 

In seriousness, I have to hand it to Askar.  In a few years they have come up with options for everyone. 

Edited by Zambiadarkskies, 23 March 2025 - 03:51 PM.

[acrh2]

Correction: the bigger APOs are not to be avoided. They are three times cheaper than premium scopes of the same aperture. You get what you pay for, or in this particular case, you actually get more than what you pay for.

[Zambiadarkskies]

Correction: the bigger APOs are not to be avoided. They are three times cheaper than premium scopes of the same aperture. You get what you pay for, or in this particular case, you actually get more than what you pay for.

Correction: I was referring to the larger Askar APOs of which there has been a ton of talk about them. But I don't own one and that is why I said "probably". Personally, the 120 is on my wish list. And your images have a lot to do with that. But if I was in the market for a really large refractor the larger Askar APOs would probably not be on my list. Not that it is a market I will be in.

Edit: I did mention humour, so have probably unintentionally offended Tak owners as well as Askar APO owners. Oh well.

Edited by Zambiadarkskies, 23 March 2025 - 04:28 PM.

[joshman]

Correction: I was referring to the larger Askar APOs of which there has been a ton of talk about them. But I don't own one and that is why I said "probably". Personally, the 120 is on my wish list. And your images have a lot to do with that. But if I was in the market for a really large refractor the larger Askar APOs would probably not be on my list. Not that it is a market I will be in.

Edit: I did mention humour, so have probably unintentionally offended Tak owners as well as Askar APO owners. Oh well.

As a Tak owner I am deeply....

 

...amused.
 

I'm waiting for some proper reviews and testing for the SQA106, as it looks to be very comparable to the Takahashi FSQ-106 (and my gut it telling me it might be even better?), and comes in at half the price.

[charles.tremblay.darveau]

FRA and PHQ are similar glass quality and quads. The FRA is faster but worse CA and correction.

SQA is the new kid on the block and with SD glass (except the 70 model). This gives better performance at a cost.

[jml79]

Originally all of the Askar scopes were the Petzval's released by SharpStar (the original brand name). First they released the PHQ series and later the FRA. All were petzvals and full frame capable. Their standard scopes that need a flattener and reducer were under the SharpStar brand as well as their fast Newtonians. The SharpStar EDPH series (pre dates the Askars) were fast and full frame capable. The Askar scopes were so popular that they eventually released the APO line under the Askar name which kind of violates the original brand differentiation but hey, why not. So I'll add some scopes here to cover the whole line. To my knowledge all Askar/SharpStar refractors are triplets. They do not disclose the glass but some have double ED elements.

 

SharpStar HNT - Very fast hyperbolic newtonian reflectors

SharpStar EDPH - Fast (reduced to faster than f/5), full frame traditional refractors.

Askar PHQ - Slower Petzval refractors, full frame

Askar FRA - Fast Petzval refractors, full frame

Askar FMA - Fast wide field petzval refractors, APS-C and lens format design

Askar APO - Very traditional triplet refactors. Full frame, requires a flattener/reducer and backspacing. Some very large designs available at a budget price

Askar V - Flexible modular refractor

Askar F - Budget friendly triplet petzval

SharpStar Z - ??? A fast APS-C Petzval that makes no sense in the line up at all ???

[charles.tremblay.darveau]

Originally all of the Askar scopes were the Petzval's released by SharpStar (the original brand name). First they released the PHQ series and later the FRA. All were petzvals and full frame capable. Their standard scopes that need a flattener and reducer were under the SharpStar brand as well as their fast Newtonians. The SharpStar EDPH series (pre dates the Askars) were fast and full frame capable. The Askar scopes were so popular that they eventually released the APO line under the Askar name which kind of violates the original brand differentiation but hey, why not. So I'll add some scopes here to cover the whole line. To my knowledge all Askar/SharpStar refractors are triplets. They do not disclose the glass but some have double ED elements.

 

SharpStar HNT - Very fast hyperbolic newtonian reflectors

SharpStar EDPH - Fast (reduced to faster than f/5), full frame traditional refractors.

Askar PHQ - Slower Petzval refractors, full frame

Askar FRA - Fast Petzval refractors, full frame

Askar FMA - Fast wide field petzval refractors, APS-C and lens format design

Askar APO - Very traditional triplet refactors. Full frame, requires a flattener/reducer and backspacing. Some very large designs available at a budget price

Askar V - Flexible modular refractor

Askar F - Budget friendly triplet petzval

SharpStar Z - ??? A fast APS-C Petzval that makes no sense in the line up at all ???

Lots of good information, but a quick clarification that the FRA series came before the PHQ (having owned both ). The SQA series came very recently and is the only one I know that has SD glass (except the 70mm model which is ED).

 

The also exist the SCA line (SCA260) which is a CDK style reflector.

[jml79]

Lots of good information, but a quick clarification that the FRA series came before the PHQ (having owned both ). The SQA series came very recently and is the only one I know that has SD glass (except the 70mm model which is ED).

 

The also exist the SCA line (SCA260) which is a CDK style reflector.

Do you happen to know which scopes have 2 ED elements. I have seen various claims and even my own scope, 76EDPH, I can't get solid information. I realize that most are FPL-51 or equivalent (the SQA is the exception) but I never can tell which have 2ED elements.

[charles.tremblay.darveau]

Do you happen to know which scopes have 2 ED elements. I have seen various claims and even my own scope, 76EDPH, I can't get solid information. I realize that most are FPL-51 or equivalent (the SQA is the exception) but I never can tell which have 2ED elements.

Most scopes on the Sharpstar page have the optical arrangement diagram. For instance here is the FRA500 which shows dual ED:
https://www.sharpsta...ducts_1/35.html

 

And SQA85 which is dual SD:
https://www.sharpsta...ts_1/SQA85.html

 

Can't find the info for 76EDPH. It just say "including an ED(extra-low dispersion)".

[unimatrix0]

 

Originally all of the Askar scopes were the Petzval's released by SharpStar (the original brand name)

 

 

I'm just looking at their own website and there is not a before or after naming. The company is called Jiaxing Sharpstar Optical Instrument Co., Ltd.  and the "Askar" is just a sub brand of theirs, but no other information beside being a "new" sub brand. 

I'm guessing it's licensing and registering products. 

quote from their website: 

 

https://www.sharpsta....com/about.html

 

 

 

About ASKAR

ASKAR, as a new brand of Sharpstar Optics, focuses on the development of products and accessories that combine convenience, efficiency, and excellent star performance.

 

As for all their products, I did a screenshot on their page. 

All I know is the the SQA is their newest line up.  Also the FRA -SQA- FMA  naming is more likely Chinese naming convention, maybe someone with Chinese or even need someone from the company to shed a light on the naming. All I know is that the SQA is the shiny metal themed scopes and the FMA lineup is black . I have the FMA 135 - a tiny mini scope and it's high quality triplet and I'm planning to buy the FMA185 perhaps very soon, maybe summer time. 
 

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Edited by unimatrix0, 24 March 2025 - 04:45 PM.

[jml79]

Most scopes on the Sharpstar page have the optical arrangement diagram. For instance here is the FRA500 which shows dual ED:
https://www.sharpsta...ducts_1/35.html

 

And SQA85 which is dual SD:
https://www.sharpsta...ts_1/SQA85.html

 

Can't find the info for 76EDPH. It just say "including an ED(extra-low dispersion)".

The claim that it has 2 ED elements comes from the TS-Optics site and their version of the 76EDPH which includes the reducer. I think the scope is a triplet with a single ED element and the reducer is also a triplet and I believe it has an ED element. This makes the TS-Optics scope with the included reducer an f/4.5 Sextuplet with 2 ED elements as far as marketing is concerned. Either way, it is a beautiful scope that also happens to be very useful. I don't have any plans to upgrade it or sell it any time soon. Every time I look into other options I always land on the FMA180 because 250mm is not that big of a difference from 344mm but I can also just buy a Starizona Apex-S and have a very fast (f/3.56) 271mm scope. I have seen some great results with the Apex on the 61EDPH II.