ToupTek AAF review: the Type-C focuser on my Askar 71F
Where does it rank on our leaderboard
| Rank | Accessory | Stars for Your Buck | Recorded UK price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GEMINI EAF | 100 out of 100 | £42 |
| 2 | Generic Dew Heater | 93 out of 100 | £9 |
| 11 | Altair Solar White Light Angle Eyepiece | 82 out of 100 | £170 |
| 14 | Rechargeable hand warmers | 80 out of 100 | £12 |
| 20 | ToupTek EAF | 75 out of 100 | £170 |
| 28 | ASIAIR Mini | 64 out of 100 | £215 |
| 42 | Celestron Binoviewers | 40 out of 100 | £242 |
| 45 | SKY ROVER 2x54 Binoculars | 28 out of 100 | £139 |
| 46 | 365 Solar Telescope Cover | 5 out of 100 | £73 |
Contents
- 01 Where does it rank on our leaderboard
- 02 Specifications and features
- 03 In use
- 04 In my words
- 05 Watch it in my videos
- 06 Should you buy it?
- 07 Questions and more about this review
In 30 seconds
Stars for Your Buck 75/100
Reviewed 20 Nov 2024 Updated 25 Sep 2026
- Rank
- #20 of 46 accessories
- Verdict
- Damon recommends
Written by Damon Scotting 3 min read
Buy it if
- You want a motor focuser that runs off one Type-C cable.
- You image with ToupTek's AstroStation or with ASCOM or INDI software such as NINA.
- You want a temperature sensor and a hand controller in the box.
Skip it if
- You run an ASIAIR: it only drives ZWO's own focuser.
- You want the lowest price: the GEMINI EAF costs far less.
The ToupTek AAF is a 5 V Type-C motor focuser that ships with a temperature sensor and a hand controller, and on my Askar 71F it did the job very nicely.
Specifications and features
Against the accessories I have reviewed
Compare with
| ToupTek AAF reviewed #20 of 46 | Altair EAF #26 of 46 | ZWO EAF #33 of 46 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recorded UK price | £170 | £139 | £199 |
| Stars for Your Buck | 75/100 | 70/100 | 51/100 |
| Model | AAF | AAF-UNIV | EAFN, the standard Type-C EAF |
| Housing | Aluminium alloy | Aluminium | Metal |
| Dimensions | 45 x 60 x 47 mm | 45 x 60 x 47 mm | 41 x 52 x 70.3 mm |
| Motor | 35 mm stepper | not recorded | Stepper, 7.5 degree step angle, 1:128 reduction |
| Torque | 1.2 N/M | 1.2 N m | not recorded |
| Payload | 5 kg | not recorded | 5 kg |
| Power and data | USB Type-C, 5 V | USB Type-C, 5 V | USB Type-C, 5 V 500 mA |
| Accessory socket | TEMP/HBX jack for the temperature sensor or hand controller | TEMP/HBX jack for the temperature sensor or hand controller | Temperature sensor or hand controller |
| Software | ASCOM and INDI, ToupTek AstroStation | Altair ASCOM driver (NINA, SharpCap and other ASCOM programs) | ASIAIR, ASIStudio, ASCOM and INDI |
| In the box | Hand controller, temperature sensor, two mounting plates, flexible couplers, USB cable | Focuser, universal bracket with screws and washers, 4, 5, 6 and 7 mm couplers, temperature sensor, USB cable, hand controller | EAFN; bracket; four couplers; 2 m USB-C cable; five spacers; mounting screws; two hex keys; quick guide |
| Colours | Blue, Stellar Magenta, Fjord Green | Purple | Red |
| Operating temperature | Down to approximately -5 °C without heating, according to Astrogarten; heating recommended below this. Upper limit not specified | Plus or minus 30 C | -20 to +40 °C (model-specific specification) |
In use
Six frames from my videos
The blue AAF
TEMP/HBX and Type-C on the back plate
Under the focuser of my Askar 71F
Plugging in the temperature sensor
Driven from the AstroStation app
On the 71F beside two other rigs
In my words
“It's easy to control and even comes with a temperature sensor and a remote control, although I mostly use my computer to control the focuser.”
From my ToupTek ATR2600C video
Watch it in my videos
I tried out the SUPER POWERFUL ToupTek ATR2600C! (Who are ToupTek??) · published 20 November 2024 · 7:11 · Watch on YouTube · 13,944 views, 452 likes on 2 Oct 2026
Jump to
- 6:05 The AAF on my Askar 71F
- 6:09 Driving it from the AstroStation app
- 6:18 Under the 71F's focuser
- 6:32 The temperature sensor socket
Check out more videos on the ToupTek AAF
CHEAP v.s EXPENSIVE Telescope Gear?!
18 Dec 2024
Should you buy it?
75/100 Stars for Your Buck
Pros
- Easy to control from the AstroStation app, with a hand controller for manual focusing.
- A temperature sensor and a hand controller come in the box.
- One Type-C cable carries power and data at 5 V.
- ASCOM and INDI drivers, so it is not tied to ToupTek's own controller.
- Rated for a 5 kg load.
Cons
- The ASIAIR will not drive it: ZWO's controller only works with ZWO's own focuser.
- Harder to find in the UK: First Light Optics does not list it.
- The Stellar Magenta and Fjord Green versions cost $10 more than the blue one.
I've been using the AAF on my Askar 71F and it has been doing the job very nicely.
Two alternatives I have reviewed
- GEMINI EAF my top-rated focuser, remote and sensor included, for far less 100/100 £42 Read the review
- Altair EAF the same AAF name and published figures in Altair purple, £139 70/100 £139 Read the review
Questions and more about this review
Reviewed by
Damon Scotting
The Telescope Man Verified
BSc (Hons) Physics with Astrophysics and Cosmology, Loughborough University PGCE / QTS, University of Nottingham
About Damon About Damon Damon Scotting is The Telescope Man. He holds a BSc (Hons) in Physics with Astrophysics and Cosmology from Loughborough University and a PGCE with QTS from the University of Nottingham, and taught physics in secondary schools before becoming an astronomy creator. He is a contributing writer for BBC Sky at Night Magazine and the author of 42 Wonders of Our Night Sky, and his photograph of the galaxy M100 with the dwarf planet Ceres was Highly Commended in the Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2024 competition run by Royal Observatory Greenwich. He has appeared on the BBC's Blue Peter. More than 750,000 people follow his astronomy channels on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, and he has reviewed more than 140 telescopes, mounts, cameras, filters and accessories hands-on for this site. More about Damon · How I test · Damon's book
I review all kinds of gear: most of it I buy, some is gifted and some is loaned, and all of it is reviewed the same way. How this site is funded
Five questions, answered
Questions about the ToupTek AAF
Reviewed 20 November 2024 ·Updated 25 September 2026
I review all kinds of gear. Most of it I buy, some is gifted and some is loaned, and all of it is reviewed the same way: no company sees or approves a review before it is published. Shop links marked Ad are affiliate links: I earn a commission when you buy through them, at no extra cost to you. How this site is funded
- Does the ToupTek AAF work with the ASIAIR? No. The ASIAIR only drives ZWO's own focuser. I ran the AAF from ToupTek's AstroStation app, and ToupTek publishes ASCOM and INDI drivers for other software. In use ↓
- What comes in the box? The focuser, a hand controller, a temperature sensor, two mounting plates, flexible couplers in several sizes and a USB cable. The specifications and the comparison table ↓
- Is the ToupTek AAF the same as the Altair AAF? Both are sold as the AAF, Astro Automatic Focuser, and both makers publish the same 45 x 60 x 47 mm body, 1.2 torque figure and Type-C power. Mine is the blue ToupTek; Altair's is purple. I have not opened either to compare the insides. The specifications and the comparison table ↓
- How much does the ToupTek AAF cost? The prices I recorded: £170 at Dark Clear Skies (UK), in stock; $179 at Astroworld Telescopes (US), in stock; $179 at ToupTek Astro (Global), in stock. A record, not a live price The verdict, the readers and the sellers ↓
- What have I not tested on the AAF? I have not recorded autofocus runs, backlash or temperature-compensation logs with the AAF.