Hi there & thanks for the advice.
I am indeed hunting around for used gear at present. The challenge is finding someone who is prepared to freight a bulky item to Cairns, particularly on Gumtree.
I'm looking at a used Nexstar 8SE on Gumtree at present. Not the latest & greatest but, is this a good setup, say comparable with the Nexstar evolution mounts at least?
Cheers
Quote:
Originally Posted by netwolf
Firstly try to find used gear, In Australia new prices are high and used gear can be just as good for a good price and comes with plenty of accessories. Iceinspace Classfieds, Astrobuysell, Gumtree.
The Celestron Evolution mount with a C6 or C8 is a good fit for me and I am currently using it from my newly repaired Balcony. Though I have a backyard its just too cold. The trouble with balcony setup is limited alignment star options. The Evolution is a good mount for planetary imaging, and also you can do some DSO work with same PLanetary cameras using live stacking (Video Astronomy, or EAA Electronicaly assisted astronomy). Evolution mount also gives you the option to use a short refractor if you chose. Some people have adapted the mount for larger. The challenge is the length of OTA is an issue for accesories you hang at the back as well as for getting correct balance. With a C6 or C8 this is not a big issue.
If you are serious about doing more DSO work then you need to consider an EQ mount. But an EQ mount on a balcony may not work depending on the direction you have available to you as you need to do a Polar alignment.
There is one hard learned lesson I will share, the best scope is the one you use most. I have two Equatorial mounts a G11 and Pentax MS-5 both have had little use compared to my Evoloution. I also have a Meade ETX-125 which is also more used than my EQ mounts. The older Meade ETX can be had used for a bargain and perform very well. Again there F12-F15 FL means your DSO options are limited to visual and maybe short exposure. The older ETX's do have a build in wedge if you want to try EQ long exposure. But with my Evo moutn I now have a C8, C6, Mak180 (hefty), 80mm Refractor, ETX-125 OTA that I can use all with this mount.
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