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Old 26-03-2019, 09:10 AM
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JeniSkunk (Jenifur)
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Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 368
Quote:
Originally Posted by PTZONE View Post
I'm warming up to the idea of buying a Heritage Virtuoso Mak 90mm, and a skywatcher 130P.
That way I have a portable system with a tracker, 2 scopes one at f13.8 and another with f5 which will allow me to observe DSO and planets as well as terrestrial objects.
Astro Pete's http://www.astroanarchy.com.au/teles...Dob_Mak90.html, says I can mount the virtuoso on a tripod as well. I think I can do this within my original budget as well.

Anything wrong with my thinking here?
With getting a tripod for the Virtuoso, you just have to make sure it can handle the total weight and remain stable.

The main weights involved:
4.0 Kg Virtuoso mount with batteries
1.4 Kg 90mm Mak-Cass scope
3.6 Kg 130p scope
So using a tripod with the Virtuoso mount, the tripod has to be able to handle weights of at least 8Kg (the total weight of the Virtuoso mount and the 130p scope).
I'm not sure what prices, properly stout camera tripods are, and how badly such a tripod will dent your planned budget.

There's also another weight limit to be aware of. The one for the helical focuser on the 130p, 250g. Too heavy an eyepiece, and the plastic plate the focuser is on, will sag.
The 130p scope isn't much good for cellphone astrophotography because of this.

170g and up decent eyepiece
60g - 70g 2x Barlow
150g - 180g cellphone
285g telescope cellphone holder
So for cellphone astrophotography, you're well over the weight limit for the focuser of the 130p.
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