Usual newbie question, first scope

[billche]

:ashamed:
Hi all,
I'm going to invest my first scope with a budget of AUS4500. What I expected with the budget is I can view the open sky from my notebook with my family, and take some pic with my Nikon D70 or simply a cheap CCD, say DSI.
Future expansion of the scope is also preferrable when my interest in astrophotography growth further.
Any advise would be much appreciated.
billche:D

[ballaratdragons]

Hi billche.

Welcome!

Is that AUS $4500 or AUS$500. The number 4 and the $ sign are on the same key on the Keyboard and I'm not sure what you meant to type!

[[1ponders]]

:welcome:billche.

Do you mean by "view the open sky from my notebook" that you can drive the scope with a notebook, or see on your notebook screen, what comes through the eyepiece? what notebook are you using?

$4500 can get you an aweful lot of equipment even for a goto. Myself I fell in love with an 8" Meade LX200GPS-SMT (Currently around $3200) for your price you could get the 10" but that would leave you with next to nothing for other accessories like a few extra good eyepieces, or a wedge for equatorial mounting for astrophotography. If you want the same views with a bit less cost and automation (still with goto though) then consideration should be given for the LX90 range. Same optics as the LX200, just not as many gizmos.

Celestron have a similar sort of range but I'm not familiar with their pricing structure. From research I've done in the last few months (I'm currently re-outfitting) the Celestron 9.25 SCT is for its size the premium mid-range Sct available today at a reasonable price.

If your seriously considering going the Astrophotography way then straight to the EQ mounted scope would be the least frustrating way to go, IMHO. Minimum 8" SCT/MakNewt on a good quality EQ mount (Skywatcher, Losmandy G-8 etc) can be expensive when set up for goto but the minimum stability if considering photography.

I'm sure others here will pipe up with their opinion, its what we do here :D so you'll gets lots of valuable information. Also do an advanced search for previous post along the same lines as your questions. Incase we miss something you haven't thought of yet:)

[asimov]

Hi Billche & welcome to the forum.Not sure if I'm qualified to answer your question, there's too many choices these days. If your thinking second-hand, try the forsale section of this forum or http://www.geckooptical.com/

[toetoe]

Hi bllche and welcome.
If your budget is $4500.00 for astro gear i am sure you will get some good ideas from some members here. I am not up there with the good gear as i am fairly new to this hobby so i can`t help you with any avenues to take. Don`t jump onto the first scope you see until you have a good shop around. Plenty of help in here just for the asking. Good luck. :thumbsup:

[billche]

[QUOTE='[1ponders]']:welcome:billche.

Do you mean by "view the open sky from my notebook" that you can drive the scope with a notebook, or see on your notebook screen, what comes through the eyepiece? what notebook are you using?

Yes, view the open sky from my notebook/pc as I don't them queuing to view form the eyepiece. By using a DSI is an example. I have 1 notebook with 2000, 1 notebook with xp and a desktop with xp and they should be able to do the job.

$4500 can get you an aweful lot of equipment even for a goto. Myself I fell in love with an 8" Meade LX200GPS-SMT (Currently around $3200) for your price you could get the 10" but that would leave you with next to nothing for other accessories like a few extra good eyepieces, or a wedge for equatorial mounting for astrophotography. If you want the same views with a bit less cost and automation (still with goto though) then consideration should be given for the LX90 range. Same optics as the LX200, just not as many gizmos.

Currently around $3200????? Are you sure?? AU$? Where can I find it??

Celestron have a similar sort of range but I'm not familiar with their pricing structure. From research I've done in the last few months (I'm currently re-outfitting) the Celestron 9.25 SCT is for its size the premium mid-range Sct available today at a reasonable price.

If your seriously considering going the Astrophotography way then straight to the EQ mounted scope would be the least frustrating way to go, IMHO. Minimum 8" SCT/MakNewt on a good quality EQ mount (Skywatcher, Losmandy G-8 etc) can be expensive when set up for goto but the minimum stability if considering photography.

Good, firm advise, thanks. The issue is can I get a 8-10" OTA and a good EQ mount(with goto function)?? Further advise please.

:2thumbs:

[[1ponders]]

:doh: :ashamed: My apologise Bill, I should have re-read my post and checked my figures. The $3200 that was in my mind was the initial price I had worked out for my 8" a month ago when I sold it. The correct price for a new 8" is around $4200. I should have checked. I can only blame inattention, late nights and being destracted by Bangladesh giving the Aussie bowlers a caning in their last five overs in bat. Sorry for getting you hopeful.

I can tell you that the 8" Meade OTA is available for $1599 (I'm looking at the email I received when I ordered my new OTA. Checking again. Yes $1599), but are usually ordered from the states as a special shipment by the Aus companies. Which leaves you with $2900 for a good mount, mounting rails and accessories. You can also get the Celestron OTAs as well but these are generally realdily available not requiring special ordering from the states. On of our members recently went through the process of price comparing 10, 11, and 12" OTAs so hopefully he'll pop in with some prices

Not sure how you will go getting views from your eyepiece to the laptop that are good enough for viewing. For the moon and planets and bright objects NP using something like a ToUcam, but DSOs, I'm not sure how successful you would be trying that. We're talking about really low light levels here. Multiple long exposure images are stacked to achieve a single image for photography, I'm not sure if there is equipment light sensitive enough to try to do what you want. There are electronic eyepieces as well, but again I've heard they are only useful on brighter objects.

[astro_south]

G'day Billche

Not sure about advice on astrophoto scopes (Dobman myself :D), but just wanted to say welcome, especially as Stretton is only a 5 minute drive from Parkinson (where I am). You are welcome around to check out the night skies through my dob while you wait for your new toy to arrive!

[billche]

Thanks Paul althought your advise is a bit disappointed, that means I cannot show the DSO in real time easily. I think I need to re-considerate the budget and equipment.
Thanks Andrew too, I of course have the interest to share your scope, just drop me an email let me know when will it happen and I will be there.

[seeker372011]

The closest you can come to a live view is if you use a DSLR and use some software to view the captured image on your laptop-you will still have to wait several minutes for the image to be captured and then downloaded.

Remember these raw images will have noise, hot pixels, vignetting and will not look anywhere near as pretty as a finished image where a number of such long exposure frames are stacked together and then processed in photoshop or similar to bring out subtle detail

Electronic eyepices are Ok only for very bright objects. Not really worth the money IMHO

[Striker]

You get live view on the Canon 20DA...you can even zoom in for focussing using the live view on the LCD or through your computer....

[asimov]

I've done the live view thing with my DSLR & TV....While several people can view at once, the down-fall is the image quality......that would perhaps depend on camera quality. IMHO the view through the EP was heaps better.

[dhumpie]

Hi Bill,

Welcome to the group. Before jumping into the deep end, I do suggest that you go to a star party and test drive some scopes before making any purchases. Also do you have any experience with stargazing and starhopping? If not then it is best to review what you like to look at first (i.e DSO's vs. lunar and planetary). With that knowledge you can proceed to make an informed choice. A word of warning though if you want to get into astrophotography, there is a steep learning curve and it usually involves a lot of heartache and a lot of cash :) I am sure many here will elaborate further.

Hope that helps.

Darren

[billche]

Thanks for all the replys, I expected there will be a painful leurning curve in the astrophotography. I'd attend some public field night and spoke to the good people but still can't satisfied my hunger on the topic, I do want to have my own gear and get more hands on practice or you can say to kill myself.:bashcomp:
By the way, what is the difference between a star party and a public field night? How can I join the star party and do you guys have a regular star party that I can join?
What do you reckon between the Meade lx200gps 10" and the Celestron CGE1100, I'm seriously thinking about the Celestron.

[billche]

Darren,
Are you living in westend??
bill

[asimov]

http://www.geckooptical.com/cgi-bin/gecko/index.cgi?catid=2&subcatid=12&adid=760

No doubt youv'e already seen this, but just in case you have'nt :o

[ballaratdragons]

Bill,

There is not a lot of difference between a public field night and a star party.

Public is usually that, it's for the general public to come and have a look through the scopes.

A star Party is usually, but not always, a bunch of observers who get together just to share the experience as a group of friends.

Then there is a Star Camp! Now that is something altogether different!! That is when anyone can attend and stay (camping style or Accommodation) for several days and nights and events are held. Competitions, Lectures, outings, etc.

Ice in Space is holding one in Victoria this Oct/Nov. It will be fantastic hint, hint!

[dhumpie]

Hi Bill,

I am in Indooroopilly and very close to the Westfield shoppingtown :) If you want to try out some astro gear, some of the SEQ ice in spacers meet regularly at Mark Hodson's place in Glenore Groove (sometimes twice a month). Andrew astro_south Durick usually organizes them. Maybe I can get him to PM you when we will have the next gathering. In fact they are having a gathering today up near Kenilworth (did I spell it right) at astrorons place (pity I can't be there...it is going to be a blast with Paul's new binoviewer). There is a good selection of scopes usually represented there. I have a modest Celestron/Vixen C6 tube on an e b** EQ mounted, an Orion 80ST on photo tripod and a 15x70's Saxon binoculars. Andrew has a 12.5" f/6 truss dob, a 6"f/5 EQ scope, a 4"ST refractor and the same pair of binoculars. Mark also has a 12.5" which has yet to be mounted on his humongous fork mount and an 80ED on an EQ6 :) I am a visual only observer. Regarding your question, I say go for the Celestron. I am a big Celestron fan :)

Darren

[billche]

Thanks Darren,
Please PM me when and where will the gathering held, will try my best to get there. Many thanks
Bill

[dhumpie]

Will do Bill. I will get Andrew to arrange something and then we can PM you. Do you have transport?

Cheers,
Darren