Wouldn't it be nice if you could take the whole imaging train off the back of the scope and house it beside your PC/Laptop - connecting the scope to CCD by fibre optics. They do amazing things with multi-channel spectroscopy using fibre-optics. It seems plausible to consider taking it a step further to CCD imaging. How crazy is that?
Peter
Wouldn't it be nice if you could take the whole imaging train off the back of the scope and house it beside your PC/Laptop - connecting the scope to CCD by fibre optics. They do amazing things with multi-channel spectroscopy using fibre-optics. It seems plausible to consider taking it a step further to CCD imaging. How crazy is that?
Peter
I suppose the technology to do all this is already there; just whether they can make it within reach of the average layperson in terms of cost and availability is another question. But would it be just as fun tho?
I have been recently thinking about the same Peter. In particular, having two smaller 80-100mm telescopes side by side on one mount, say 50 -100 cm away from each other, and using fibre optics to combine light from both telescopes (kind of an interferometer), and thus allowing for a much much greater resolution in astro-images. As Cheryl mentioned, I feel that cost is prohibitive though for such experimentation.
Wouldn't it be nice if you could take the whole imaging train off the back of the scope and house it beside your PC/Laptop - connecting the scope to CCD by fibre optics. They do amazing things with multi-channel spectroscopy using fibre-optics. It seems plausible to consider taking it a step further to CCD imaging. How crazy is that?
Peter
Perhaps you need to talk to Fred Watson at the AAO. What you have described seems to be right up his alley!
I am currently reading his book, "Star-Craving Mad," which is why it came so quickly to mind.
Wouldn't it be nice if you could take the whole imaging train off the back of the scope and house it beside your PC/Laptop - connecting the scope to CCD by fibre optics. They do amazing things with multi-channel spectroscopy using fibre-optics. It seems plausible to consider taking it a step further to CCD imaging. How crazy is that?
Peter
that might be a bit hard - you would need a fibre for each pixel and 16million fibres is a long way from the thousand or so that are currently used for big spectroscopy - I think that we are stuck with conventional image trains for a while..
This is a fairly decent length imaging train. It now has an AOX in the mix too but essentially 1 rotator > 1 focusor > AOX> Filter wheel > STXL. I don't think it is the longest but it is heavy.
I dunno about you lot, but I prefer to keep my imaging train as SHORT as possible. I thought reducer to sensor spacing of 83.9mm for my Tak was excessive... meh.
Wow Paul! Your imaging train does look heavy- approaching 10kg perhaps?
Lewis, I totally agree that simplicity is great, but you also need to keep the essentials in, if you aim for quality data. Essentials IMO are motorised focuser, corrector (for most scopes), OAG or ONAG, filter wheel and a camera plus whatever spacers are required. Rotator would be certainly needed for remote imaging.
Yes, we can stick a dslr directly into the focuser but will it allow for the best data possible to collect with a given telescope and location?
I like the idea of a streamlined approach, but sometimes when you try to make a device that can do everything--or rather, claim to do everything--it can't do all of it well, or cheaply. Not that we should stop trying.
There are days where I've contemplate renting time on a remote observatory setup than actually setting the darn things myself despite having plenty of scopes available to me.
...been sitting idle in the cupboard since late 2013 
...good luck with it! 
