I just ordered one this week, should be delivered by Friday, along with a fresh shipment of clouds, no doubt. So this was perfect timing for me with this video to reassure me I made the right choice :). I was deciding between several options in the 250-400 mm FL range, but this one in the end won out, not just due to good reviews but also since I can also get its reducer that turns it into an f/3.9 and lets me cover both 280 and 400 mm focal lengths. My only other current scope is 800 mm, so 280 and 400 should complement it perfectly and let me capture those larger DSO's I can't fit without a mosaic right now.
I love my FRA400, but the included dovetail was very lacking. It doesn't balance well with that setup so I got a 300mm losmandy plate and some spacers to lift it up a bit so the EAF fits better. I get great images with my ZWO MC2600 osc camera. I have the reducer but haven't used it yet as it's been raining since the new year here. Clear skies!
I have the exact same setup 😄. The dovetail is very short yes, it’s mandatory to buy another unfortunatly 😕. It’s a nice scope, it fits perfectly with the 2600 !
I have its smaller brother the FRA300. I brought it as my first scope (rather than a Redcat-51) and could not be happier with it. I will consider the 500 or 600 as my next purchases
Thats an awesome set up. I like the fact you have waited for a year to evaluate the scopes performance, some of the reviews I see ( not just astronomy related ) for equipment should be really labelled as first impressions, as only limited testing has been undertaken. I agree with you about the back focus, I have a Red Cat and it is nice to be able to alter the imaging train without having to worry about the back focus.
So glad you’re happy with the scope! I have an FRA500 coming in a couple of days and I’m really looking forward to using it. Have you used the 0.7x reducer with this scope, Sascha?
I'm so happy that I don't have to care about backfocus in the native focal length that I did not wanted to destroy my happiness with the reducer, which would again require proper back focus 😉 But who knows, if I even want to make wider shots, perhaps I will buy it.
@@viewintospace I certainly understand that. I have a Askar 107PHQ and it's a dream to use. I wish you many more clear nights to use your FRA400, Sascha!
I bought the same a few months ago. I am very happy with this one and my 2600. Sadly the french sky is not always clear, so I can’t use this setup a lot :/
At this time I had an Antlia-ALP-T and a Optolong L-Pro - usually I had no issues with halos, but in this pic it was massive. Could also have been dew - who knows.... All I can say that I definitely do not have these issue anymore.
None...... at least none that costs less than your car 🤣 If you want to do planetary, get a reflector, if can be a cheap 8' newtonian, but get that focal range up to about 1500-2000mm
I hesitate between a FRA400 and Taka FSQ85. May be this is the answer? I see that you also have a Moravian C1x. I have got the C1x 26000 color and I have a problem of random waves on my BIAS and DARKS. Moravian talled me it is not a problem (?), "such waves are inherent feature of CMOS sensors". Do you have the problem with yours ?
No issues with my Moravian at all. About your scope choice, trust me, this is the answer. There is a USD 2000 difference between these two scopes and after BXT you will not see any difference. If you invest these USD 2000 in a better mount, better filters or an additional scope, your image quality will profit way more!
I've had mine for over a yeqar and love it as well. I too had to get a 300mm Losmandy plate and riser spacers. I'm using it with a ASI533MM-Pro. The only thing I'd change from what I have, is to get the Antlia filers that Saasha has. @darkmatterastro
I own a fra500 (with reducer) since 1 year and came to the same conclusion: very good results!
I’ve had mine for a year and love it.
So do I 😄 but since a few months
I just ordered one this week, should be delivered by Friday, along with a fresh shipment of clouds, no doubt. So this was perfect timing for me with this video to reassure me I made the right choice :). I was deciding between several options in the 250-400 mm FL range, but this one in the end won out, not just due to good reviews but also since I can also get its reducer that turns it into an f/3.9 and lets me cover both 280 and 400 mm focal lengths. My only other current scope is 800 mm, so 280 and 400 should complement it perfectly and let me capture those larger DSO's I can't fit without a mosaic right now.
I love my FRA400, but the included dovetail was very lacking. It doesn't balance well with that setup so I got a 300mm losmandy plate and some spacers to lift it up a bit so the EAF fits better. I get great images with my ZWO MC2600 osc camera. I have the reducer but haven't used it yet as it's been raining since the new year here. Clear skies!
I have the exact same setup 😄. The dovetail is very short yes, it’s mandatory to buy another unfortunatly 😕. It’s a nice scope, it fits perfectly with the 2600 !
And same here - changed the dovetail and added spacers on top of it.
I have its smaller brother the FRA300. I brought it as my first scope (rather than a Redcat-51) and could not be happier with it. I will consider the 500 or 600 as my next purchases
Thats an awesome set up. I like the fact you have waited for a year to evaluate the scopes performance, some of the reviews I see ( not just astronomy related ) for equipment should be really labelled as first impressions, as only limited testing has been undertaken. I agree with you about the back focus, I have a Red Cat and it is nice to be able to alter the imaging train without having to worry about the back focus.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts ,just got my FRA600 but haven't used it and your video make me feel better
I have a FRA600 and it is wonderful!
So glad you’re happy with the scope! I have an FRA500 coming in a couple of days and I’m really looking forward to using it. Have you used the 0.7x reducer with this scope, Sascha?
I'm so happy that I don't have to care about backfocus in the native focal length that I did not wanted to destroy my happiness with the reducer, which would again require proper back focus 😉 But who knows, if I even want to make wider shots, perhaps I will buy it.
@@viewintospace I certainly understand that. I have a Askar 107PHQ and it's a dream to use. I wish you many more clear nights to use your FRA400, Sascha!
I bought the same a few months ago. I am very happy with this one and my 2600. Sadly the french sky is not always clear, so I can’t use this setup a lot :/
Sadly, the Swiss skies neither, it must have been months since I was shooting the last time..... 😖
@@viewintospace 😣 at least I can shoot a bit, like twice a month, but it’s always a few hours, never a whole night 😩 Can’t wait for the summer 😄
Nice video, thanks. Maybe I missed it, but what filters were giving you the halos with your initial images?
At this time I had an Antlia-ALP-T and a Optolong L-Pro - usually I had no issues with halos, but in this pic it was massive. Could also have been dew - who knows.... All I can say that I definitely do not have these issue anymore.
I just ordered an SVX102T 😄😄
Gave fun with it!!!!
What size refractor is good for some limited planetary imaging?
None...... at least none that costs less than your car 🤣 If you want to do planetary, get a reflector, if can be a cheap 8' newtonian, but get that focal range up to about 1500-2000mm
PXT?
BXT - BlurXTerminator
I hesitate between a FRA400 and Taka FSQ85. May be this is the answer? I see that you also have a Moravian C1x. I have got the C1x 26000 color and I have a problem of random waves on my BIAS and DARKS. Moravian talled me it is not a problem (?), "such waves are inherent feature of CMOS sensors". Do you have the problem with yours ?
No issues with my Moravian at all. About your scope choice, trust me, this is the answer. There is a USD 2000 difference between these two scopes and after BXT you will not see any difference. If you invest these USD 2000 in a better mount, better filters or an additional scope, your image quality will profit way more!
What is the name of your mount that does not do a meridian flip?
Avalon m-zero. Here the full review: ruclips.net/video/Hlt-W1ypNfE/видео.html
I've had mine for over a yeqar and love it as well. I too had to get a 300mm Losmandy plate and riser spacers. I'm using it with a ASI533MM-Pro. The only thing I'd change from what I have, is to get the Antlia filers that Saasha has.
@darkmatterastro