Review of Askar SQA 55 after 6ix month use

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JIAWEI HU avatar
Summarize the advantages and disadvantages of SQA 55


Advantages
No coma, no back focal length problem, and the surrounding stars are very round. As long as you can focus, you don't have to worry about the BFL like other comma correctors.



The 2-inch filter slot built into the CAA is also very useful, providing users of SLR with the feasibility of shooting with dual narrowband filter under high light pollution.



The stars are very delicate, with high resolution and sharpness



The 265mm focal length and rounded edge stars put very little pressure on the guiding system, easily running to 0.2 in PHD2, which can greatly extend the exposure time. I have tried the longest exposure of 1800s, and the HRF of the stars can still be kept within 1.9.



The quick-release design of the dovetail plate and finderscope slot is also very good, allowing for quick assembly and storage.



Compact and light, the whole set weighs about 5kg, and can be easily put into a backpack.



Disadvantages

A user who bought it from me encountered the problem of color difference of the star points, and the star points were slightly purple.



At the same time, the user reported that the star points around the vertex of one side were not round. After using it for a period of time, can hear strange noises when the lens is shaken, as if the internal glass pressure ring is loose.



Then there is the problem I encountered myself. After disassembling the electronic automatic focuser, an internal thread fell off and fell between the lens body shell and the focusing module.

Quality control needs to continue to work hard。



Another issue is the focus problem. You need to purchase special accessories and install them before you can use them through the synchronization belt, which is a certain test for precise focusing.



There is also the problem of telescope balance. The small body of the telescope will cause most of the weight to be concentrated on the back. When I use my AZEQ6, the balance and rotation composition will be greatly affected when the filter wheel and OAG are installed.

Harmonic equatorial mount users are bit better, but still need worry about the problem of filter wheel and OAG hit the tripod.



In addition, CAA is difficult to lock tid, and the locking screw is very difficult to adjust. It is recommended to replace the round hand screw with a flat hand screw, which is easier to lock and adjust.



The above is my personal experience with SQA55 during this period. It is a very good mirror. Although there are some unsatisfactory and unpleasant experiences, it does not prevent me from liking it very much.
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Steve Cooper avatar
Thank you for this review. I have been seriously considering this scope for wide field imaging.
What cameras were used for the evaluations? OSC, Mono, full frame?
What special accessories are required for precise focusing  besides the auto focusing kit?
Thanks again, Nice image!
Well Written Respectful Engaging
JIAWEI HU avatar
Steve Cooper:
Thank you for this review. I have been seriously considering this scope for wide field imaging.
What cameras were used for the evaluations? OSC, Mono, full frame?
What special accessories are required for precise focusing  besides the auto focusing kit?
Thanks again, Nice image!

I am using touptek 2600mm to do the evaluation.
Askar sqa 55 AF kit will be one of the solution, also you can 3D print one, it's also working.
Aloke Palsikar avatar
I have a Askar SQA 55 since last 6+ months and am using this along with ZWO ASI 533 MC and ZWO AM5N mount.  The performance has been good so far and have not much complaints. Agree to the above advantages listed but the only issue is mounting of my Guide Scope on the top handle causes some flex and hence sometimes guiding is not proper.  Have to ensure the assembly is tight and in place with no movement each time.  

Am now planning to go for OAG and EAF in coming weeks .  Have already got the Askar EAF Kit as part of the scope but yet to install it

Else no complaints as yet

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Quinn Groessl avatar
Aloke Palsikar:
I have a Askar SQA 55 since last 6+ months and am using this along with ZWO ASI 533 MC and ZWO AM5N mount.  The performance has been good so far and have not much complaints. Agree to the above advantages listed but the only issue is mounting of my Guide Scope on the top handle causes some flex and hence sometimes guiding is not proper.  Have to ensure the assembly is tight and in place with no movement each time.  

Am now planning to go for OAG and EAF in coming weeks .  Have already got the Askar EAF Kit as part of the scope but yet to install it

Else no complaints as yet

To be honest I would go for a smaller guide scope first. One of those cheap 30mm ones would be plenty.
Aloke Palsikar avatar
Quinn Groessl:
Aloke Palsikar:
I have a Askar SQA 55 since last 6+ months and am using this along with ZWO ASI 533 MC and ZWO AM5N mount.  The performance has been good so far and have not much complaints. Agree to the above advantages listed but the only issue is mounting of my Guide Scope on the top handle causes some flex and hence sometimes guiding is not proper.  Have to ensure the assembly is tight and in place with no movement each time.  

Am now planning to go for OAG and EAF in coming weeks .  Have already got the Askar EAF Kit as part of the scope but yet to install it

Else no complaints as yet

To be honest I would go for a smaller guide scope first. One of those cheap 30mm ones would be plenty.

My Omegon 60 mm Guide scope is working fine and good.  Instead I plan to have a separate Dovetail Plate assembly for Mounting of the scope on the side
venkman avatar
I really like mine but would want another of those handle/mounts which fit in that hotshoe but I have found them nowhere to purchase them. I would want to mount my asair that way. Any ideas?
Aloke Palsikar avatar
I really like mine but would want another of those handle/mounts which fit in that hotshoe but I have found them nowhere to purchase them. I would want to mount my asair that way. Any ideas?

I have used a small L shape bracket with adjustable holes to mount ASI Air directly on the AM5 mount.  This eliminates the issues of cable stretch etc as the ASI Air,  Scope and all the attachments move together eliminating any accidents.  Have used this in extreme positions as well and there is no interference.  The total cost of the assembly is less than USD 2/-  Has been working well for me sofar. See attached top down  image  of the attachment .  The image in my earlier post shows how the ASI Air looks from side . There are other options also where people have 3D printed a bracket for attaching this on the scope itself.  You can try whatever suits you.


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