Pre-Order Information
PRE-ORDER:
Expected Arrival Late December 2025 –
Secure Your SQA130 from the Next UK Batch
The Askar SQA130 Quintuplet Petzval APO is available to pre-order ahead of the next UK shipment, expected in late December 2025. Placing a pre-order now reserves stock from this delivery; units will ship in the order that fully paid pre-orders are received.
This product is sold as a standard pre-order at full price – there is no separate deposit or balance payment.
Product Introduction
The Askar SQA130 Quintuplet Petzval APO is a flagship 130mm f/4.8 wide-field astrograph designed for astrophotographers who demand uncompromising image quality. Its sophisticated five-element Petzval optical system—including two premium SD (Super-Dispersion) glass elements—delivers exceptional chromatic correction and a perfectly flat, fully illuminated image circle without the need for external flatteners.
This optical architecture provides pinpoint stars corner-to-corner, outstanding colour fidelity, and imaging performance optimised for modern full-frame (44mm) and medium-format (55mm) sensors. Whether capturing expansive nebulae or high-resolution galaxy fields, the SQA130 delivers the resolution, contrast, and uniformity demanded by serious imagers.
With a native 624mm focal length and robust rear mechanical system supporting M48, M54, and M68 interfaces, the SQA130 is fully compatible with dedicated astronomy cameras, filter wheels, OAGs, tilt adjusters, rotators, and electronic focusers. A flexible 46–76mm back-focus range accommodates even the most complex imaging trains.
Precision machining throughout the OTA ensures mechanical rigidity and long-term collimation stability. The retractable dew shield, oversized focuser, and smooth focusing system all contribute to a highly refined imaging platform ideal for demanding astrophotography projects such as deep nebula structures, large mosaics, and detailed broadband galaxy imaging.
Flagship 130mm Quintuplet Astrograph
The SQA130 is a premium 130mm f/4.8 Petzval APO for imagers who want observatory-class results from a single tube. Unlike typical 130mm triplets, it’s a complete, matched optical system – no add-on flattener, no spacing shims, just a flat, wide field ready for modern CMOS cameras.
Stars That Stay Tight to the Corners
Dual SD glass and the built-in Petzval rear group keep stars tight and round from centre to extreme corners of full-frame and larger sensors. Many triplet + flattener setups still show corner distortion – the SQA130 is engineered specifically to avoid that.
Precision CNC Build for Heavy Imaging Trains
Close-up machining shows why the SQA130 feels solid on the mount. The OTA, rings and hardware are built to hold heavy cameras, wheels and guiders with less flex than lighter, more “visual-only” refractors.
Optimised Internal Structure for Contrast
The internal layout is designed to control stray light and maintain alignment. Compared to simpler tubes with basic baffling, the SQA130’s structure helps keep backgrounds darker and stars cleaner in long integrations.
True Five-Element SD Petzval Design
The lens-group diagram shows the front SD triplet and rear Petzval doublet. Unlike a triplet with a separate flattener, spacing here is factory-set. You get a flat field and stable performance without constantly tuning back-focus.
High Contrast & Even Field for Fine Detail
The MTF and illumination plots show strong contrast at fine spatial frequencies and smooth, high illumination across the frame. Compared to slower f/6–f/7 refractors, the SQA130 at f/4.8 pulls in more signal per hour without sacrificing detail.
Diffraction-Limited Spots Across the Field
The spot diagrams confirm that the SQA130 keeps star images well within the Airy disk across the frame. On today’s small-pixel CMOS cameras, that translates directly into crisp galaxies, tight clusters and sharp nebula detail.
Every Part Designed Around Imaging
The labelled overview highlights the retractable dew shield, robust rings, dovetail, handle and focuser. It’s laid out for stable mounting and cable management, not just visual use at the eyepiece.
Optional Handle & Riser for Better Balance
The all-metal handle and heightening section improve balance on the mount and give extra space for guidescopes, mini-PCs and accessories – cleaner and more flexible than standard single-handle solutions.
Specifications
| Parameters | ||
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Aperture size |
130mm |
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Focal length |
624mm |
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Focal ratio |
f/4.8 |
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Objective lens |
Quintuplet Petzval APO (including two SD glass elements) |
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Total length |
650mm (dew shield retracted) |
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Format compatibility |
Full-frame 44mm; upgradeable to medium-format 55mm |
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OTA weight |
9.18kg |
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Gross weight |
11.76kg (including rings & dovetail) |
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Rear thread interfaces |
M48 / M54 / M68 adapters |
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Back-focus distance |
46–76mm (recommended: 55mm) |
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Included items |
SQA130 OTA, Oxford cloth padded case |
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| Product Size Diagram |
Compact for a 130mm Imaging Workhorse
With a tube length of 650–764mm, the SQA130 is compact enough for quality mid-range EQ mounts while still offering serious light-gathering power. It’s easier to handle than long f/7–f/8 refractors of similar aperture.
| Connection Diagram |
Designed to Drop Into Modern Imaging Rigs
The connection diagram shows how easily the SQA130 works with cameras, filter wheels, OAGs and rotators via M48, M54 and M68. You spend less time hunting adapters and more time collecting data.
| Locking Screw Position Diagram |
Heavy-Duty Focuser That Stays Put
The focuser diagram marks the locking and adjustment points that keep focus solid, even with heavy cameras. It’s a more imaging-oriented solution than the smaller focusers often found on purely visual 4–5" refractors.
| Electronic Focuser Assembly Diagram |
Autofocus Ready for Remote Imaging
The electronic focuser assembly diagram shows the dedicated mounting for EAF systems, making automated, temperature-compensated focusing straightforward for remote or semi-remote observatories.