Askar 185APO Triplet Air-Spaced Refractor
Check Out This Portable, Large Aperture Telescope from Askar!
Designed with portability in mind, the Askar 185APO refractor is a large aperture and long focal ratio telescope that provides excellent light-gathering power, resolution, brightness, and contrast. With this 185mm astrograph, astrophotographers can gather more light and get more detailed images of celestial objects. With this Askar 185APO OTA and it's included accessories, you are guaranteed to have high-quality and exciting astrophotography sessions.
Askar has designed the 185APO astrograph with a retractable lens tube design, making it extremely portable. With an aperture of 185mm, a focal length of 1295 mm, and a focal ratio of f/7, the OTA weighs in at only 32.8 lb. (14.9 kg). When you add the included accessories the gross weight becomes 37.9 lb. (17.2 kg). The Askar 185mm APO uses a triplet air-spaced design with one piece of ED glass. This optical design and multiple lens elements will correct chromatic aberration, leading to a higher quality image and color accuracy! This Askar 185APO package comes with a plethora of helpful items to get you imaging. These items include a 3.5" Rack & Pinion focuser, tube rings, 400 mm handle with a special slot design, and a 400mm Losmandy dovetail plate. The OTA also comes equipped with a dew shield and enlarged locking screws.
Innovative Design with Great Accessories!
The Askar 185APO refracting OTA comes equipped with an innovative design that not only helps with portability, but lends itself to performance and aesthetics. From the optical performance to the OTA construction, you are guaranteed to get the most out of this large aperture refractor. Not only does the OTA provide a must-have performance, but with your purchase, you get several accessories that will enhance your astrophotography experience!
Optical Performance
The Askar 185APO has a large aperture of 185mm (7.28"), a focal ratio of f/7, and a focal length of 1295mm. This provides the OTA with an advantage in light gathering power, resolution, brightness, and contrast. This also provides the OTA with the ability to reach a limiting magnitude of 13.1. The optical design is made up of three air-spaced lenses, one of which is made of ED glass, which corrects chromatic aberration and provides higher-quality images, in both details and color accuracy. The ED glass, also called low-dispersion glass, is specifically designed to reduce chromatic aberration, allowing for fewer lens elements and a lower price while not sacrificing performance.
Retractable Tube Design
Askar aimed for a portability and succeeded, primarily due to the implementation of the retractable lens tube design. The rear lens tube has the integrated retractable design. When retracted, the OTA measures only 42.56" (1081mm) and when extended, it measures 48.11" (1222 mm). Askar has strengthened the overall stability of the refractor to ensure that the optical axis will not be effected with the lens tube is stretched. The retractable portion also comes with a rubber-type locking ring that is easy to grip when you are loosening or tightening. This design means that while still the OTA has premier light gathering power, it is still compact and lightweight enough to go with you wherever you wish to go! When the tube is contracted, you can pair it with a binoviewer (not included) and the OTA will be suitable for visual observation or, when extended, you can attach a diagonal and eyepiece. The Askar 185APO comes with a unique name ring for identification and is CNC machined with anodized and surface spray paint treatments. Askar made sure to keep in mind the importance of aesthetics, and designed the white tube with bright and eye-catching orange accents to give the OTA a stylish appearance.
3.5" Rack & Pinion Focuser
Included with the refractor is a 3.5" rigid, CNC machined Rack & Pinion focuser with a 1:10 fine adjustment. This focuser is compatible with most motorized focusers on the market. You will be able to see a high-precision scale printed on the 100mm focusing travel. The focuser comes with an anti-reflective internal design and matting paint, reducing stray light. On both sides of the focuser, there is a finder base that eliminates the need for disassembling to change the position of the finder scope and gives additional mounting positions for other accessories. On the rear of the focuser, there is a 360° high-precision rotator and precise scales for adjustment and saving rotation angles. An enlarged rotator locking screw is included that can be secured, even when there are high loads. The focuser includes a 1.25" to 2" adapter for increased diagonal and eyepiece compatibility.
Included and Suggested Accessories
The Askar 185APO OTA is loaded with accessories so you can get the most out of its performance. The OTA itself has an integrated design for the included tube rings. The rings and base weigh 5 lb. (2.3 kg) and come with thumb screws that allow for easy opening and locking of the rings. The base of the rings is also elevated to provide more space. Askar has included a 400mm handle with special slots for installing a user-supplied finder scope. The included Losmandy dovetail measures 400mm for increased balance and is compatible with most equatorial mounts and bases. The design of the dovetail includes multiple holes for easy position adjusting. When it comes to suggested accessories, Askar has also designed a 1x flattener and a 0.8x reducer specifically for the 185APO telescope. Please Note: The reducer and flattener are not included with the purchase of this telescope, but they can be purchased using the links near the cart on this page or by clicking on the links in this paragraph.
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