Sky & Telescope - August 2024 - 70
S&T Test Report by Alan Dyer
Askar's New 120 APO
This new refractor offers a generous aperture at a surprisingly attractive price.
Askar's 120 APO is
a 4.7-inch f/7 triplet
apochromatic
refractor with many
of the features
you'd expect in a
premium apochromat,
though at an
affordable price.
aperture model I tested carries the same
retail price as Sharpstar's own 80-mm
in its Askar-branded PHQ line and the
94-mm in its EDPH series.
You get a lot of aperture for the
money with the APO series. There has
to be a catch. To see what it might be, I
tested an early unit sent directly from
Sharpstar in China, along with the
optional 1× Flattener and 0.8× Reducer
lenses for imaging. I was told the final
shipping telescopes would differ from
the early sample I tested only in a minor
difference in the tube finish that isn't
apparent in the photos here.
120 APO
U.S. Price: $1,499
www.sharpstar-optics.com
What We Like
Low Price
Usable with binoviewers
What We Don't Like
Threaded components can bind
Focuser doesn't rotate
IT SEEMS HARDLY a month goes
by that the prolific company Jiaxing
Sharpstar Optical Instrument Co. and
its owner Michael Fong don't announce
a new telescope or series of telescopes.
Among the latest is its Askar APO
series, a line of triplet-apochromatic
refractors with one major advantage:
price. At $1,499, the 120-mm (4.7-inch)
A Light Triplet
The APO line currently consists of
four models: a 103-mm, the 120-mm I
tested, plus a larger 140-mm and a massive
185-mm. All have triplet objective
lenses incorporating one element of an
undisclosed type of low-dispersion ED
glass. All are f/7, with the exception of
the 103-mm, which is f/6.8.
The 120 APO measures 722 mm
long with its dew shield retracted, so it
isn't quite airline carry-on compatible.
An attractive feature of the scope is its
relatively low weight for its aperture.
The scope, with lens cap, tube rings,
and mounting plates, weighs in at 6.6
kilograms (14 pounds), several pounds
lighter than most other 120-mm
triplet refractors I've used. This weight
saving is accomplished without the
cost of carbon-fiber tubes, keeping the
price low.
My entry-level Sky-Watcher EQM-35
mount handled the 120 APO fine for
visual use with just one counterweight
The 120 APO features a machined aluminum
tube with orange-anodized fittings and a metal
lens cap. While an excellent soft-sided case is
included, there's only room for the optical tube;
the two photographic flatteners won't fit.
70 AUGUST 2024 * SKY & TELESCOPE
ALL IMAGES COURTESY OF THE AUTHOR
http://www.sharpstar-optics.com
Sky & Telescope - August 2024
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Sky & Telescope - August 2024
Contents
Sky & Telescope - August 2024 - Cover1
Sky & Telescope - August 2024 - Cover2
Sky & Telescope - August 2024 - 1
Sky & Telescope - August 2024 - Contents
Sky & Telescope - August 2024 - 3
Sky & Telescope - August 2024 - 4
Sky & Telescope - August 2024 - 5
Sky & Telescope - August 2024 - 6
Sky & Telescope - August 2024 - 7
Sky & Telescope - August 2024 - 8
Sky & Telescope - August 2024 - 9
Sky & Telescope - August 2024 - 10
Sky & Telescope - August 2024 - 11
Sky & Telescope - August 2024 - 12
Sky & Telescope - August 2024 - 13
Sky & Telescope - August 2024 - 14
Sky & Telescope - August 2024 - 15
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Sky & Telescope - August 2024 - 17
Sky & Telescope - August 2024 - 18
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Sky & Telescope - August 2024 - 84
Sky & Telescope - August 2024 - Cover3
Sky & Telescope - August 2024 - Cover4
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