Super Sizing my Field of View ...
I have been thinking about and planning my next Astrophotography acquisition for many months. At the end of last year, I made the decision build a “super” wide-field imaging rig. The initial purchase for this project was the telescope, an Askar FMA180 Pro. In addition to the telescope, I also purchased the Askar EAF kit for the FMA180 Pro, Player One Ceres-C Guide Camera, and SvBony 30 mm f/4 Guide Scope. I purchased both items from Astroworld Telescopes around the holidays. Astroworld is a new retailer for astronomy related equipment with a strong focus on astrophotography gear. The company was started around NEAF 2023 by Daniel Higgins. Dan is an astrophotographer himself and in my opinion, he truly provides excellent customer service. The plan is to pair Askar FMA180 Pro with my ZWO ASI2600MC Pro (APS-C) One Shot Color (OSC) camera. Wait!!! Let me back up for a minute and get into why I'm heading down this path.
Why Build a “Super” Wide-Field Rig:
My current primary imaging rig is already somewhat wide-field. I use an Explore Scientific Essential Series ED80 Triplet Refractor with my ZWO ASI2600MC Pro camera. This telescope has an aperture of 80 mm, a focal length of 480 mm, and is f/6. It is an entry level scope as far as quality goes, it has served me well but long-term plan is to upgrade and use this for visual observer. The 80 mm refractor will make a nice compliment to my 8" Dobsonian.
This 80 mm refactor has been perfect for many targets (Orion Nebula, Western Veil Nebula, Eastern Veil Nebula, and many others. The next piece of equipment in my collection that has a wider-field of view (FOV) is my 50 mm lens (the Nifty Fifty) for my DSLR. This is quite a gap and has proven to be a limitation, especially when bright comets with long tails are visible, as was the case this past October. Additionally, I live in Western New York (WNY), not far from Buffalo, NY. The weather here is persistently cloudy, primarily due to our position relative to Lake Erie. Also, I'm very active in our local astronomy club's (Buffalo Astronomical Association) outreach activities, which results in losing some nights to outreach events. Factoring in life's other obligations, I get about one night of imaging a month (on average). This creates a real obstacle for going after mosaics to capture larger objects (entire Cygnus Loop, Heart & Soul nebulae together, etc...).
I was looking for telescopes/camera lenses in the 135 mm to 200 mm focal length range. I narrowed my choices down to the Rokinon 135 mm lens and the Askar FMA180 pro. An astronomy pal has let me use his Askar FRA600 telescope while he recovers from shoulder surgery. I'm really impressed with the quality of the optics and the overall quality of the scope. Feedback on the Askar FMA180 pro from other members of my local club and members of the AstroworldTV Discord community helped me come to the decision to go with the Askar. I want to be clear; feedback was positive on the Rokinon lens was positive too. Overall, the Askar won out in my brain. The combination of the Askar FMA180 Pro and the APS-C sized sensor of my ZWO ASI2600MC Pro camera will give me a FOV of about 7.5 degrees by 5 degrees. Here are a few screenshots from the website Telescopius.com Telescope Simulator tool showing how some popular objects will be framed with this setup.
Equipment Needed for the Build:
The Telescope: Askar FMA180 Pro.
- An apochromatic sextuplet refractor
- 40 mm aperture
- 180 mm Focal Length
- f/4.5 Focal Ratio
- New Purchase (Astroworld Telescopes)
Imaging Camera: ZWO ASI2600MC Pro
- APS-C sensor (IMX 571)
- color
- 3.76 um pixels
- integrated USB 2.0 Hub
- USB 3.0
- Shared with existing rig
Guide Camera: Player One Ceres-C
- IMX 224
- Color (a mono camera would be more sensitive, color is fine for this rig)
- 3.75 um pixels
- New Purchase (Astroworld Telescopes)
Guide Scope: SvBony 30 mm f/4 Guide Scope
- 30 mm aperture
- 120 mm Focal length
- f/4
- Helical Focuser
- New Purchase (Astroworld Telescopes)
Other Items/Accessories:
- Askar EAF Kit for the FMA180 Pro (New Purchase - Astroworld Telescopes)
- ZWO EAF (shared with existing rig)
- Pegasus Astro Powerbox Advance (shared with existing rig)
- ZWO Filter holder (shared with existing rig)
- Dew Strips
- Losmandy Style Rail to mount everything on
Future Items:
- Apache Case
- Dedicated Pegasus Astro pocket Powerbox Advanced
- Mini PC
Build Status and Next Steps:
The rig is pretty much ready to go. I need to attach the Pegasus Powerbox (currently on my main imaging rig). I will share my imaging camera and the powerbox between the two rigs until I can afford to buy another powerbox (1st priority) and camera. I haven't had first light yet. That probably won't happen until late May / Early June. We are currently in galaxy season, as I write this in mid-April of 2025. I will use the FRA600 or our astronomy club's Celeston 14" Edge HD to image if any opportunities arise. They will be better suited for galaxies and my friend's shoulder will heal and he will want the FRA600 back. Looking forward to a super wide-field take on Nebula Season this year!
Ernie