Askar 120mm APO

[scotty38]

Hi all, There probably aren't many scopes I've not been umming and ahhing about, the Esprit 120 being one of them, but now the Askar appears. I searched but didn't find anything and whilst I appreciate that probably nobody has one, any thoughts etc etc as it's mighty tempting given its price?

Askar 120mm APO Triplet Refractor | First Light Optics

Edited October 7, 2023 by scotty38

[glafnazur]

You've got me interested in this, I hope someone somewhere has one and responds. Reading the blurb on the FLO website it sounds great. I like the fact it has a segmented lens tube design to make it suitable for binoviewing. 

[Stuart1971]

5 hours ago, scotty38 said:

Hi all, There probably aren't many scopes I've not been umming and ahhing about, the Esprit 120 being one of them, but now the Askar appears. I searched but didn't find anything and whilst I appreciate that probably nobody has one, any thoughts etc etc as it's mighty tempting given its price?

Askar 120mm APO Triplet Refractor | First Light Optics

Hi Scotty,

I agree it looks very good, and I was tempted by the 103mm version that came out a while back, there is a thread in here about that one, it’s a great price even with both the reducer / flattener, and the flattener, I had the 120 esprit very briefly, but due to damage from mishandling at the dealers on the scope it went back, and there were no more in stock, so went for the esprit 100 with full Zygo check from RVO, they will run that check on any scope you buy from them, (or any scope you want to take to them, at a cost of course) which I think is well worth the extra cost involved for piece of mind…you know you are getting a well configured scope.

look forward to hearing about whichever scope you go for…👍🏻

Edited October 7, 2023 by Stuart1971

[Elp]

 

 

[GalaxyGael]

It's a curious machine, the objective shape looks like to 80 mm shape on the askar v. I think the 103 and the 120 are a larger version of that model, but kept separate. It's a good size aperture, not many triplets in 120mm, aside from the well regarded 115/800 scopes from several vendors. The mechanicals look very nice to be fair. Might be good with the flattener for a long focal length imaging apo other than the range between esprit 120 to TSA 120 

[Stuart1971]

Just been looking at the diagrams of the scope on the FLO link, I am curious as the objective lens is a 120mm but the tube is only 110mm diameter, I have never seen a tube smaller that the objective lens, on a refractor before… my 100mm esprit has a 131mm diameter tube…so won’t this cause vignetting..? 🤔

Edited October 7, 2023 by Stuart1971

[John]

1 hour ago, Stuart1971 said:

Just been looking at the diagrams of the scope on the FLO link, I am curious as the objective lens is a 120mm but the tube is only 110mm diameter, I have never seen a tube smaller that the objective lens, on a refractor before… my 100mm esprit has a 131mm diameter tube…so won’t this cause vignetting..? 🤔

 

The Tak FC100's have 95mm diameter tubes but don't vignette.

 

[Stuart1971]

5 minutes ago, John said:

The Tak FC100's have 95mm diameter tubes but don't vignette.

 

Ah, ok did not know that, maybe there are more then, well you learn something new every day….

[Adam J]

11 hours ago, scotty38 said:

Hi all, There probably aren't many scopes I've not been umming and ahhing about, the Esprit 120 being one of them, but now the Askar appears. I searched but didn't find anything and whilst I appreciate that probably nobody has one, any thoughts etc etc as it's mighty tempting given its price?

Askar 120mm APO Triplet Refractor | First Light Optics

Honestly the 115/800 is a known good objective and so why take a gamble on a new design? 

[Nik271]

At F7 the objective will need to be 70mm forward in the tube so that the light cone decreases from 120mm to 110mm to fit the diameter of the main tube without vignetting. I expect there is a conical opening of the tube at the objective end, but the lense hood is hiding it in the pictures.

 

[scotty38]

10 minutes ago, Nik271 said:

At F7 the objective will need to be 70mm forward in the tube so that the light cone decreases from 120mm to 110mm to fit the diameter of the main tube without vignetting. I expect there is a conical opening of the tube at the objective end, but the lense hood is hiding it in the pictures.

 

Yep exactly what I've read elsewhere as like @Stuart1971 said it seemed a bit odd at first glance.

[scotty38]

8 hours ago, Adam J said:

Honestly the 115/800 is a known good objective and so why take a gamble on a new design? 

To be fair I'm not really planning on a gamble as I'm in no rush or anything anyway. The main point of me asking was just this; to get opinions so thanks for the reminder will take another look at other things. This caught my eye with it being new I guess.

[Highburymark]

12 hours ago, Stuart1971 said:

Just been looking at the diagrams of the scope on the FLO link, I am curious as the objective lens is a 120mm but the tube is only 110mm diameter, I have never seen a tube smaller that the objective lens, on a refractor before… my 100mm esprit has a 131mm diameter tube…so won’t this cause vignetting..? 🤔

Have a look at the TeleVue 85 too, which has a very narrow tube - seems to make sense as long as there are no vignetting issues. Reduces weight - and for the TV85, means it’s easy to grasp the tube with one hand to carry the scope. Both the Askar 120mm triplet and FC-100s are very light for their apertures. Great that some manufacturers are prioritising weight.

[Stuart1971]

5 hours ago, Highburymark said:

Have a look at the TeleVue 85 too, which has a very narrow tube - seems to make sense as long as there are no vignetting issues. Reduces weight - and for the TV85, means it’s easy to grasp the tube with one hand to carry the scope. Both the Askar 120mm triplet and FC-100s are very light for their apertures. Great that some manufacturers are prioritising weight.

I agree, it only looks half the size of the Esprit 120, that was big for a 120mm scope, on the picture of the guy holding this on the advert it looks really small in comparison…

[Highburymark]

It’s a full 1kg lighter than the Tak TSA-120 triplet, which is among the lightest in its class. If the optics are good this looks like a great package, though I’m presuming it doesn’t have FPL53 or equivalent glass for the ED element, as the Esprit does.