Many UA-camrs in the astrophotography field review various equipment and software, but Dr. Paul's perspective is often different from that. This review of the Guide scope is also a great review, as there are few others that are as detailed as this one, and it is filled with information that many people wanted to know. I would like to express my respect and gratitude to you for your hard work and for sharing your wonderful reviews. Thank you very much and Clear Skies .
A very well constructed and presented analysis. I am glad to have found this before making a purchase; I was leaning towards the WO due to its compact looks but will reconsider the options now.
I am pleased you found it interesting and useful. For general guiding, I think either one works well. But perhaps some of the other unique features will help you make a choice more customized to your likes or needs. Thanks for watching Astrophotography Japan! Clear skies! PAUL
Hey John, thanks for your kind comment. I try hard to be thorough. BTW, I just noticed that Askar released a 50mm version of their guidescope! Looks great! But I do not really have a use for it. Thanks for watching Astrophotography Japan!
Thanks Tom. I am glad you thought it was worthwhile. Clear skies! I am heading out for a new travel adventure today! Its gonna be a cold one, though....
Great job on the comparison, but you might want to revisit your comparison chart. The FMA135 is now about 3x the price ($299) of the WO unit ($114) in US Dollars.
Hi Larry, I guessed you misinterpreted my intention. The purpose of this video was never to suggest the FMA135 be used as a guidescope. It was just a side reference to show that even tiny refractors can be made to be astrograph quality. But that quality is certainly not necessary for a guidescope. Thanks for watching Astrophotography Japan! PAUL
Hi Paul. Very useful comparison, you really go into depth to enable folk to make a very informed choice. I use a Skywatcher evo 50 mm guide scope but have just moved over to off axis guiding. OAG is supposed to give better guiding but as yet I’ve not had a chance to test things due to cloud cover.
Hi Melvin. Thanks for the kind comments. Someday I will try OAG, but it scares me a bit. I wonder if my image circles are even big enough to support it.....(?). Clear skies!
I confirm your conclusions. I own the Uniguide, the Zwo and the Askar. Askar is the best followed by the Zwo. The WO is the worse which is surprising knowing the quality of their refractors. But for guiding, no difference, they are doing the job. Thanks for this very detailed test.
Very informative once again thank you! The Uniguide Scope came with Redcat51 when I purchased it but never used it because I already was using the 120mm mini guide scope. I’m going to use Uniguide scope on my next imaging session and see how it turns out as I’m currently practicing auto-guiding! Can the Askar FMA135 be used as a main scope for wider field of view?
The Askar FMA135 is my favorite "main scope" for very wide-field astrophotography. The only thing I do not like about it, is the very touchy focuser; challenging to focus just right. But it is only a minor problem. The "new" FMA180 Pro is also very attractive; but I do not own that. Best wishes learning the ropes of "auto-guiding". It is easy.
Thanks, a great comparison. I am interested in the Askar 32mm. I would like to fit an extended dew shield, do you know what the front thread size and pitch is? (where the objective lens can screws in)
Thanks for watching and commenting. I am glad you found it useful. Unfortunately, I have no way to measure the threads and no information was provided with the scope. I suspect the only way to get this information is to contact Askar directly. Best wishes and clear skies!
Hey Paul: Question. This doesn't really pertain to this guidescope showdown video, I hope that's alright, but I have a question. If you have an AM5 mount with an asiair and you're in alt/az mode, you don't polar align, correct? I'm trying to use my guide scope as my main scope and my main scope for visual, so do you just aim anywhere in the sky and plate solve? And then it tracks after going to a planet? Not sure how to do what I'm trying to do. You touched on this in a previous video a while back. Anyhow, any help will be greatly appreciated. By the way, all your videos are excellent and thanks for all you do to help those of us in this rewarding endeavor.
Hi Anthony. You are correct with your assumptions above. You cannot (and you do not need to) polar align. Just be sure the ASIAIR under the MOUNT MENU says ALT AZ mode. I recommend you assemble the system very roughly pointing to the North horizon, and be sure you are level. Pointing north will facilitate an easy and quick alignment. Also, in advance, you obviously need to align/calibrate your guidescope with the FOV of the telescope, too. When you engage the ASIAIR, tell it to take you to any bright star and then another one. Each time, press SYNCHRONIZE in the MOUNT MENU after it centers on the object. You have to rely on the camera and the ASIAIR. Synchronizing the object location in the visual eyepiece is useless.......you have to rely on your advance manual alignment of the guidescope and telescope to get centering in the eyepiece. It is super simple. I hope my explanation was clear. Anytime! Clear skies! PAUL
I was under the impression that color cameras aren't good for guiding due to the bayer pattern using more pixels. With a longer OTA (840mm) is a smaller aperatur and shorter focal length guide scope such as these adequate? I have an Orion 50mm aperture, 162mm FL guidescope. Do you feel this would perform better than the scopes you evaluated here? I'm having some difficulty getting the Orion GS paired with ASI168MM to work on asiair. Gain settings? I'm presently using the ZWO 120 mini and 30 mm guide scope. It seems to work, but I use it on a smaller rig.
Hi Mike. There certainly is a theoretical ideal relationship between guidescope specifications, guide cameras, and the OTA set-up. I have seen a video or two explaining aspects of this relationship. But this is not in the realm of my expertise. I suggest you post a question like this on some forum or even a FACEBOOK page to get some feedback. I do not want to speculate and potentially lead you astray. As for using color cameras for guiding, you are correct; it is non-ideal, but it works. The Bayer matrix simply wastes photons that otherwise could have been used for better star images / star shapes. Guiding software can theoretically work better with monochrome data. But when "in a pinch", a color sensor works fine. Frankly, I could not really notice any difference in guiding performance with my ASI678MC planetary camera......but that is a gut-impression assessment..........I have no capability to measure or do any kind of guide-data / guide-camera comparison in a controlled experiment.
Good reporting. I actually wonder if slightly tighter (sharper) stars are slightly worse for guiding in poor seeing conditions. Could the guide scope be chasing seeing a bit more?
Hi Cliff. Considering that poor seeing conditions are the norm here in Yokohama, I would conclude that your concerns are probably not warranted. But I have no data to support my suspicions. For me, there seems to be no real difference in guiding performance. I just like the Askar unit a little better, for other reasons. Thanks for watching Astrophotography Japan!
Greetings Felix. I am not a technical person to ask such a question. I could not give you a mathematical explanation. But it is my understanding that high focal length telescopes are naturally going to require better precision guiding. Hence larger guide scopes with higher focal length and aperture can offer that possibility. It is not that small guide scopes won’t work. They are simply sub optimal to use. That is my understanding. Clear skies!
Many UA-camrs in the astrophotography field review various equipment and software, but Dr. Paul's perspective is often different from that. This review of the Guide scope is also a great review, as there are few others that are as detailed as this one, and it is filled with information that many people wanted to know. I would like to express my respect and gratitude to you for your hard work and for sharing your wonderful reviews. Thank you very much and Clear Skies .
Wow, thank you very much Seki-san! I am flattered!
A very well constructed and presented analysis. I am glad to have found this before making a purchase; I was leaning towards the WO due to its compact looks but will reconsider the options now.
I am pleased you found it interesting and useful. For general guiding, I think either one works well. But perhaps some of the other unique features will help you make a choice more customized to your likes or needs. Thanks for watching Astrophotography Japan! Clear skies! PAUL
A careful, clear, comprehensive, and detailed review. Your results are quite substantiated. Many thanks for your thoroughness and accuracy.
Hey John, thanks for your kind comment. I try hard to be thorough. BTW, I just noticed that Askar released a 50mm version of their guidescope! Looks great! But I do not really have a use for it. Thanks for watching Astrophotography Japan!
Hello Paul
Thanks for this very detailed and nice review. It's always a pleasure to view a new episode of your journey.
Clear skies.
I appreciate the encouraging words! Clear skies!
Nice video, thank you for sharing.
My pleasure Tareq! Thank you for watching!
@@jpastroguy Welcome!
Great content Paul, outstanding and thorough presentation.
Thanks Tom. I am glad you thought it was worthwhile. Clear skies! I am heading out for a new travel adventure today! Its gonna be a cold one, though....
Great job on the comparison, but you might want to revisit your comparison chart. The FMA135 is now about 3x the price ($299) of the WO unit ($114) in US Dollars.
Hi Larry, I guessed you misinterpreted my intention. The purpose of this video was never to suggest the FMA135 be used as a guidescope. It was just a side reference to show that even tiny refractors can be made to be astrograph quality. But that quality is certainly not necessary for a guidescope. Thanks for watching Astrophotography Japan! PAUL
Awesome video. You rule 🤟🏼
Short and sweet and to the point. Thanks Andre, I appreciate that! Clear skies!
Very good test, Paul 👏👏👏
Thank you Massimo! Clear skies!
Hi Paul. Very useful comparison, you really go into depth to enable folk to make a very informed choice. I use a Skywatcher evo 50 mm guide scope but have just moved over to off axis guiding. OAG is supposed to give better guiding but as yet I’ve not had a chance to test things due to cloud cover.
Hi Melvin. Thanks for the kind comments. Someday I will try OAG, but it scares me a bit. I wonder if my image circles are even big enough to support it.....(?). Clear skies!
Another very interesting video!
Thanks Matthais!
Interesting.
Which guidescope do you use?
I confirm your conclusions. I own the Uniguide, the Zwo and the Askar. Askar is the best followed by the Zwo. The WO is the worse which is surprising knowing the quality of their refractors. But for guiding, no difference, they are doing the job. Thanks for this very detailed test.
Oh wow, thanks Olivier. I am glad to know that my assessment agrees with yours! Thanks for watching Astrophotography Japan! Clear skies!
Very informative once again thank you!
The Uniguide Scope came with Redcat51 when I purchased it but never used it because I already was using the 120mm mini guide scope. I’m going to use Uniguide scope on my next imaging session and see how it turns out as I’m currently practicing auto-guiding!
Can the Askar FMA135 be used as a main scope for wider field of view?
The Askar FMA135 is my favorite "main scope" for very wide-field astrophotography. The only thing I do not like about it, is the very touchy focuser; challenging to focus just right. But it is only a minor problem. The "new" FMA180 Pro is also very attractive; but I do not own that. Best wishes learning the ropes of "auto-guiding". It is easy.
Thanks, a great comparison. I am interested in the Askar 32mm. I would like to fit an extended dew shield, do you know what the front thread size and pitch is? (where the objective lens can screws in)
Thanks for watching and commenting. I am glad you found it useful. Unfortunately, I have no way to measure the threads and no information was provided with the scope. I suspect the only way to get this information is to contact Askar directly. Best wishes and clear skies!
Hey Paul: Question. This doesn't really pertain to this guidescope showdown video, I hope that's alright, but I have a question. If you have an AM5 mount with an asiair and you're in alt/az mode, you don't polar align, correct? I'm trying to use my guide scope as my main scope and my main scope for visual, so do you just aim anywhere in the sky and plate solve? And then it tracks after going to a planet? Not sure how to do what I'm trying to do. You touched on this in a previous video a while back. Anyhow, any help will be greatly appreciated.
By the way, all your videos are excellent and thanks for all you do to help those of us in this rewarding endeavor.
Hi Anthony. You are correct with your assumptions above. You cannot (and you do not need to) polar align. Just be sure the ASIAIR under the MOUNT MENU says ALT AZ mode. I recommend you assemble the system very roughly pointing to the North horizon, and be sure you are level. Pointing north will facilitate an easy and quick alignment. Also, in advance, you obviously need to align/calibrate your guidescope with the FOV of the telescope, too. When you engage the ASIAIR, tell it to take you to any bright star and then another one. Each time, press SYNCHRONIZE in the MOUNT MENU after it centers on the object. You have to rely on the camera and the ASIAIR. Synchronizing the object location in the visual eyepiece is useless.......you have to rely on your advance manual alignment of the guidescope and telescope to get centering in the eyepiece. It is super simple. I hope my explanation was clear. Anytime! Clear skies! PAUL
@@jpastroguy Thank you so much Paul, much appreciated
I was under the impression that color cameras aren't good for guiding due to the bayer pattern using more pixels.
With a longer OTA (840mm) is a smaller aperatur and shorter focal length guide scope such as these adequate? I have an Orion 50mm aperture, 162mm FL guidescope. Do you feel this would perform better than the scopes you evaluated here? I'm having some difficulty getting the Orion GS paired with ASI168MM to work on asiair. Gain settings? I'm presently using the ZWO 120 mini and 30 mm guide scope. It seems to work, but I use it on a smaller rig.
Hi Mike. There certainly is a theoretical ideal relationship between guidescope specifications, guide cameras, and the OTA set-up. I have seen a video or two explaining aspects of this relationship. But this is not in the realm of my expertise. I suggest you post a question like this on some forum or even a FACEBOOK page to get some feedback. I do not want to speculate and potentially lead you astray. As for using color cameras for guiding, you are correct; it is non-ideal, but it works. The Bayer matrix simply wastes photons that otherwise could have been used for better star images / star shapes. Guiding software can theoretically work better with monochrome data. But when "in a pinch", a color sensor works fine. Frankly, I could not really notice any difference in guiding performance with my ASI678MC planetary camera......but that is a gut-impression assessment..........I have no capability to measure or do any kind of guide-data / guide-camera comparison in a controlled experiment.
Good reporting. I actually wonder if slightly tighter (sharper) stars are slightly worse for guiding in poor seeing conditions. Could the guide scope be chasing seeing a bit more?
Hi Cliff. Considering that poor seeing conditions are the norm here in Yokohama, I would conclude that your concerns are probably not warranted. But I have no data to support my suspicions. For me, there seems to be no real difference in guiding performance. I just like the Askar unit a little better, for other reasons. Thanks for watching Astrophotography Japan!
@@jpastroguy And I don't disagree about the quality of the ASKAR, which I have and the 52mm on the way.
Why are these small guide scopes not suitable for larger OTA/longer focal length telescopes?
Greetings Felix. I am not a technical person to ask such a question. I could not give you a mathematical explanation. But it is my understanding that high focal length telescopes are naturally going to require better precision guiding. Hence larger guide scopes with higher focal length and aperture can offer that possibility. It is not that small guide scopes won’t work. They are simply sub optimal to use. That is my understanding. Clear skies!