No worries, I know how frustrating it can feel, and with the weather the past few months there have been precious few opportunities to be imaging!
So here's the thing with the focal ratio...the images should be brighter the faster the scope is. But it's a fine line. The faster scope you get, the shorter the focal length is, the wider the FOV becomes, and the resolution decreases as a result. There's no perfect scope. Maybe there is, I just haven't found one at a price I can afford
But faster is quicker...if you can't go faster, go longer...i.e. increase your exposure time. Simples!