Help Please focal reducer

[Shawn]

The book says directly onto the back of scope on SCT, No way is it going to work there...You guys with all your experience, could you please explain your image train for both CCD work and vis, using the 6.3 FR. the scope is 14"Lx200R. And I only have 1 2" diagonal, Id like avoid spending too much more. It was mentioned that I may need a 2"visual back ???. Ive looked at these on the net and I dont see how one would help....Your image trains please if you have similar gear....

Thanks in advance

[Harpspitfire]

i dont know how your 200r is set up- but the f/r does screw right on a standard SCT visual back- i use both 1.25 and 2" diagonals- they both screw onto the f/r- i use the f/r for DSO imaging and observing- i take it off for planetary imaging and observing- john

[gbeal]

I am not Meade-wise so bear with me, but gut feeling is to image with the F/R directly on the rear (I assume also that it screws on from your comment about needing a 2" visual back). It seems that the distance from the reducer to the chip is important for optimum results. I don't think that a diagonal in between will help. I would suggest F/R, then camera.
For visual you could try it before the diagonal, but I would simply opt for a longer eyepiece, and as your signature suggests you already have this covered.

[Shawn]

Hi John
The only way I can get mine to work is

Tube / microfocuser / FR /diagonal / T/mount with extender / Camera

or I simply cant get enough focus reach.

What I want to do is use an eyepiece also, how do I efectively acheive that. BTW its a 2" diagonal, on a fork of course so distance from the primary has to bekept to a minimum, I tried the FR directly on the back of the Tube before the focuser, and I got a lively picture of the secondary.:) ..

[Lester]

Hi,

Still getting my image train together for DSO on my Meade 14" SCT LX200GPS. Don't know exactly everything you are wanting to put in your train? This is what I was trying to do. F6.3 focal reducer/field flattener, flip mirror, off axis guider and last of all 20Da. I couldn't focus. Even without the flip mirror I couldn't focus. I don't know if its just the 14" that has this problem, because others on IIS with different sized telescopes seem to be getting on okay.

Anyway Meade have aknowledged the problem and what I need to do is put the focal reducer after the off axis guider so that it is just infront of the camera. My train will be= flip mirror, off axis guider, focal reducer and camera. Steve Mogg is making me up 3 adapters which will take up 4mm each of focal length. I should have them week after next. Still no guarantees but I had to try something.

Good luck.

[astroboy]

Hi
For visual stuff with the 12" here I gave up on using the FR , much better results with using a 55mm plossel or 35mm Pan Optic.
For imaging I took the FR apart and made a cell out of plastic pipe and glued that to the inside of a visual back so it fitted up in side the baffle .
This gave me more room so the gear would swing through the forks , for the 14 you may have more room.
So the train was FR . Visual Back . Micro focuser . ST8
Just remember you need 110mm from the back of the FR to the image plane.
The FR mabe of some use for visual if you only have 1.1/4 eyepieces.

Hope this is of some help.
Zane

[Harpspitfire]

i set mine up like this- i guess you gotta do whatever it takes to reach focus though- tube/-F/R- diagonal or Tring with adaptor/ EP or DSLR, what remains is an enormous amount of focus travel either in or out of focus- john

[Shawn]

Hey thanx for you comments guys,,,I got it going by putting micro fucus back directly on the tube then the diagonal then the FR then the extender with t,ring, then a 26mm 4000, inside a toilet roll, used one of course..Wide Flat and BRIGHT. what I need is to elliminate the toilet roll. what bit do I need ??.. both for 2" and 1/14 EPs...
Basically its trying to get that distance,,,Thanks Zane,, but I can only do it with the camera and 350D,,at the moment..

[Shawn]

Which of the two EPs works best Zane, I have a vixen 40. and with the FR, I get vignetting, tho the 26mm 4000 I dont. Im confused...Is it really an issue with the 14" all I want is to get the toilet roll removed, the 26 with the roll gives a wider flatter feild than the 40 without the FR,,,

Im Confused

[Shawn]

Lester, hey if that works will you PM me, Please Please....
I will follow suit ....Whats it like to be a guinea pig ? LOL

[[1ponders]]

You're onto it now SD. If you are using the Micofocuser with the meade then the FR goes after the MF.

[Lester]

No Problem, been in the wilderness until this year with this hobby= trial and error stuff. You may have problems with flip mirror in your setup because of the fork mount= may not be enough room. I am using GE mount.

[astroboy]

I prefer the 35mm Panopic nice wide flat field and gives a 3.5mm exit pupil which is good for most DSOs particularly with the O111 filter.
Haven't used the 55 mm TV in a while I should sell it.
The scope seems to have become my dedicated Jupiter scope , just sits there tracking Jove all night with the Bino Vue , good combo for planets ,see a lot more detail and more relaxing on the eyes.
Go for the 35mm Pan nice views and gives you a workout just picking it up:D

Zane

[Shawn]

Hi Paul, thats exactly the setup I found to work ok , exept my canon is a black one :P . Now pictures make things easier, I need the thingo, that enables the diagonal to go onto the FR. I got a box full of auminium thingo,s and I dont have any combo that suits.

and Lester yes I believe there is room for low profile image train devices in the marketplace,

Thanks also Zane..

[[1ponders]]

What sort of diagonal do you have? One with the SCT threaded ring or a refractor style one? BTW I tried the 6.3 reducer visually ages ago, and never went back to it.

[Shawn]

Your the second to say that Paul, my diagonal Just the standard 2" came with the scope, When my wife comes home with the camera, Ill post pics to show my dilema..

Thanks shawn

[Shawn]

Zane

Would love to see some pics of your workaround,,,:prey::prey:

[Shawn]

Here you go I put the Tring etc where i need another thingo... so imagine the tring assy not there, what do I need to get the train on track:) ...Not too many shops to browse thru up here, and online not much help either..


Cheers shawn

[[1ponders]]

What you need is something like a 2" visual back to screw straight onto the FR. Like this one. It is the Orion one from Bintel and should screw straight onto the FR. Check with Bintel though, they would have other options.

[Shawn]

Thought that may be the case,,,thanks a lot Paul

All the picture on the net and the desriptions do not specify anything about the fthread you cant see here...Ill order one, Bintel huh ?

Thanks again

shawn

[rogerg]

A note that may or may not be relevant:

You'll find that by having the focuser between scope & FR the focal reduction won't be quite what it's expected to be. Ie, instead of it being F/6.3 it would likely be about F/7.5. I encounterred this with my setup that has the NGF-C between scope & FR.

Using the F/3.3 reducer in the same configuration I get F/5.7.

Something I have always wanted to solve this problem is one of these:
http://www.ziplink.net/~lester/FLR.html

This would allow the image train to be dramatically shorter, and allow me to achieve F/6.3 and F/3.3 or anything between. You might consider one of these.

I'm still trying to spare the cash for one (always so much else to spend it on!) but it would be ideal in these kinds of situations.

Roger.

[[1ponders]]

It's always one more thing on the shopping list isn't it :lol:. I looked at those as well, but it just didn't make the top ten priority list :)

[Shawn]

Having a look at that now thanks Roger,
My top ten list.
An Obervatory
An Obervatory
An Obervatory
An Obervatory
An Obervatory
An Obervatory
An Obervatory
An Obervatory
An Obervatory
An Obervatory.

:D