Thread: Scope's-R-us
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Old 17-08-2008, 10:46 PM
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strongmanmike (Michael)
Highest Observatory in Oz

strongmanmike is offline
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Canberra
Posts: 17,150
Yes, I Had a look at the Light Buckets site too and although I didn't join from what I could establish from their prices page (I'll stand corrected if I am in error), the prices seem quite affordable for shortish images say LRGB = 60 30 30 30min = 250 points or $235 for the 6" APO (like I have). This assumes of course that I only have to pay for the "actual imaging time" and not the pointing to my target, framing time, focusing, filter changes etc. but I would imagine I would have to pay for this also so the total cost would then likely be closer to about US$300 or about AU$350 I guess? Is this tollerable as an outlay occassionally? For some people I would think so..?

But it looks to be on the expensive side to do bigger deeper imaging projects...? My three night deep Cen A image I did with my 6" APO for example took 20hrs of "actual" imaging time over three consecutive clear nights that had to be done with no moon. Now from what I can work out from the LightBuckets website and using their TOA 150 (basically the same scope as mine) cost of 100pts/hr and buying these points in bulk at US $0.90/pt this would equate to US$1800 or about AU$2200 but will cost even more if I have to add the extra time to do all the other things required during each imaging session, so I'm thinking..?.Oooh? about AU$2500 or so all up? Hmmm?...I think this would have been out of the question? ...and my wife would have left me had I secretly done it, especially since I didn't even win my category at the DM awards with it...a $2500 Honorable Mention huh? hmmm? ...my other awarded image was 16hrs of imaging time... so two Honorable Mentions would have cost me over $4000 )

I imagine once you are savy you can cut corners a bit to save on costs and using higher QE cameras would help too so it certainly might be worth considering for some...but it ain't exactly cheap

Plus...and I'm not sure if I have said this before? ...it's cheating IMO if you then enter this proffessionally acquired image in an imaging contest anyway

Mike
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