Input on replacement for my babyQ. Love the tight stars and great color correction of my babyQ but I’m tired of dealing with the inverted lighthouse/hourglass effect. Would love to get an Astro-Physics 110GTx but that's not happening (well at least not what I’m willing to pay). Have been looking at the Borg 107FL f3.9 and also the new Askar SQA 106. Any thoughts or other suggestions?
Seeking replacement scope: alternatives to babyQ with better optics
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I had same issue and upgraded to the FSQ106 and all is well again. You can find them used if you look hard enough…
I had same issue and upgraded to the FSQ106 and all is well again. You can find them used if you look hard enough…
Yeah, I worry about collimation on the used market with a FSQ-106 (concern might be overblown) and of course the 4-5 different versions of the 106.
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If you're considering the Borg 107FL, you might also want to take a look at the Takahashi FC-100DF.
It’s a doublet FL refractor for which a 0.66× reducer, a 0.73× reducer, and a flattener are available.
With the 0.66× reducer: 480 mm f/4.8
With the 0.73× reducer: 540 mm f/5.4
With the 1.04× flattener: 770 mm f/7.7
For slightly better performance, there’s also the Takahashi FC-100DZ.
However, it’s longer and slower.
Please note that, in a direct comparison, the correction is not quite as good as with your Takahashi FSQ.
The same applies to the Borg.
That said, the Taks are very, very good.
If you’re shooting mono, the difference will be very small.
I’m very satisfied with my 100DZ.
The Sky-Watcher Esprit 100EDX is also worth a look.
However, I would definitely have it properly adjusted by the dealer before buying.
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Brian,
The DZ is an interesting option but at only 60% illumination on a full frame camera with the .66x reducer (will be going there at some point), that is quite a bit of vignetting. Also, can the entire focuser be replaced?
Thanks,
Jeff
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I have seen some DZ and DF with FT focusers.
Also there is a FT retrofit kit wich is a bit cheaper.
I never had a problem with the DZs stock focuser.
Im using a 585 Mono, 8×1,25” wheel and a Wanderer Astro Mini V2 rotator on it.
Here in Germany the Taks a way cheaper then the Borg.
(As far as I know the illumination is better on the Borg)
Thats why I bought the Tak.
Also there are more different reducers for the Tak.
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I have the Esatto/ARCO combo on my babyQ and like it very much. Being remote, I like being able to rotate if required. The DZ with reducer would bring my FOV down quite a bit which I’m trying to avoid. Here in the states, the DZ with reducer would be just about a wash with the Borg as far as cost goes.
No easy decisions…
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I angsted over a similar issue when deciding what small rig to place at Obstech. After seeing some results from it and talking to people who have used it there, I went with the UltraCat 108. I’m still several months away from having it operational. One deciding factor is that it supports a medium-format sensor.
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Another interesting option. Is there a reducer for the 108?
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Jeffery Richards · Feb 14, 2026 at 10:31 PM
Another interesting option. Is there a reducer for the 108?
No, all these newer flatfield scopes have no reducer.
Maybe take a look at the TeleVue NP Series. You can get a reducer for them.
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I'm going to sell my Qbaby and buy a used FSQ106
CS
Brian
Brian Diaz · Feb 15, 2026, 11:35 AM
I'm going to sell my Qbaby and buy a used FSQ106
CS
Brian
I hear you Brian. I haven’t ruled that out…just worried about potential collimation issues and also which version and the add-ons necessary.
Maybe you should wait a bit.
Tak announced that they will release a new Fsq this year. Maybe we geht some new informations around NEAF.
Yeah, thinking of going to NEAF again to see what's out there. Of course a new FSQ release could drive the used market down even further.
I adore my Tak 130 TOA. Stellavue’s SVT 140 is great too - I use both for imaging and it’s hard to tell them apart.
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The WO Ultracat 108 has great optics. Tight corner to corner on FF. Not big on the tilt adjuster thing, but the stars are truly pinpoints. Similar to the FSQ106 I had in the center, but quite a bit tighter in the corners.
Concise
Michele Bayliss · Feb 15, 2026, 03:09 PM
I adore my Tak 130 TOA. Stellavue’s SVT 140 is great too - I use both for imaging and it’s hard to tell them apart.
Michele,
Would love either of those as a third scope on my rig. 😄 I need to replace my wide field scope first.
CS,
Jeff
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Rick Krejci · Feb 15, 2026, 03:46 PM
The WO Ultracat 108 has great optics. Tight corner to corner on FF. Not big on the tilt adjuster thing, but the stars are truly pinpoints. Similar to the FSQ106 I had in the center, but quite a bit tighter in the corners.
Hopefully they'll have one at NEAF. Not sure I trust WO quality control though but not ruling it out.
Jeffery Richards · Feb 15, 2026, 04:16 PM
Not sure I trust WO quality control though but not ruling it out.
I owned three WO scopes: one doublet (ZS61) and two flatfield scopes (RedCat 51 and RedCat 91).
All three were bad. Two were fixed by the dealer (the ZS61 and the RedCat 91), but the RedCat 51 had to be sent back to the factory for repair. I waited three months for the fix.
After that, all scopes were fine.
However, I don’t trust them anymore.
Since then, I’ve been buying from a dealer who doesn’t even sell WO because of that experience. He sells Askar as an alternative and checks every scope before shipping, sending the worst ones back to Sharpstar/Askar.
There are also some bad Sharpstar/Askar copies, but not as many as with WO.
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Brian · Feb 15, 2026, 12:55 PM
Maybe you should wait a bit.
Tak announced that they will release a new Fsq this year. Maybe we geht some new informations around NEAF.
yes, thank you , i will wait
I've gotten used to the lighthouse effects, which can be corrected in post-processing.
CS
Brian
Brian Diaz · Feb 15, 2026, 04:45 PM
Brian · Feb 15, 2026, 12:55 PM
Maybe you should wait a bit.
Tak announced that they will release a new Fsq this year. Maybe we geht some new informations around NEAF.
yes, thank you , i will wait
I've gotten used to the lighthouse effects, which can be corrected in post-processing.
CS
Brian
What's the secret? 😁 I had an email exchange with RC Astro asking if BXT could automatically fix the lighthouse and Russell said he was working on it.
Jeffery Richards · Feb 15, 2026, 05:10 PM
Brian Diaz · Feb 15, 2026, 04:45 PM
Brian · Feb 15, 2026, 12:55 PM
Maybe you should wait a bit.
Tak announced that they will release a new Fsq this year. Maybe we geht some new informations around NEAF.
yes, thank you , i will wait
I've gotten used to the lighthouse effects, which can be corrected in post-processing.
CS
Brian
What's the secret? 😁 I had an email exchange with RC Astro asking if BXT could automatically fix the lighthouse and Russell said he was working on it.
using clone stamp script is one option
Brian Diaz · Feb 15, 2026, 05:12 PM
Jeffery Richards · Feb 15, 2026, 05:10 PM
Brian Diaz · Feb 15, 2026, 04:45 PM
Brian · Feb 15, 2026, 12:55 PM
Maybe you should wait a bit.
Tak announced that they will release a new Fsq this year. Maybe we geht some new informations around NEAF.
yes, thank you , i will wait
I've gotten used to the lighthouse effects, which can be corrected in post-processing.
CS
Brian
What's the secret? 😁 I had an email exchange with RC Astro asking if BXT could automatically fix the lighthouse and Russell said he was working on it.
using clone stamp script is one option
I've never had much luck trying clone stamp without getting all kinds of other artifacts. My processing skills are in need of improvement that’s for sure but I’d much rather not have to deal with this particular issue.
I have a FSQ106ED (captain wheel version) and a FSQ85EDP. The butterfly star aberation are not an issue with FSQ106ED. I found only the brightesr stars caused the butterfly aberations with the FSQ85EDP.
Using StarXterminator made correcting the butterfly aberation rather simple. After any BlutX deconvolution and creating a saperate Star image using StarXterminator, its pretty easy to take a sample from the star disk and using the Clone Tool in Photoshop to fill in the trangular dark areas cauising the butterfly effect. I assume the same can be done in PixInsight as well. I more comfortable using Photoshope for these sort of process at aroung 400x.
It's much harder to correct unwanted single spicks comming off of bright stars.
I like both my FSQ106ED and FSQ85EDP. I bought both used off of Astromart. I use the Tak RD-QB .73x reducer on the FSQ85EDP, which I also bought used. It has gone up $200 US. Maybe because of teriffs. However, the Tak 645 .72x reducer QE for the FSQ106ED has come down in price.
Lynn K.
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The Askar SQA85 is super popular and seems to performing at a similar level to the babyq. It’s no Takahashi or Stellarvue but I would bet you would be happy with it’s performance.