What telescope with STL-11000M

[Phil]

Hi just thinking of putting a new telescope next to my Televue NP101mm on my G11 mount. Around $2000 to spend in the new year. So i would like to get some input into what you guys and girls would do. I will be imaging the planets with it and everything thing esle. My camera is the STL-11000M. Also have the toucam for the planets.
Phil:thumbsup:

[Astroman]

C9.25 :) Great all round scope, not sure how it would go with the STL though.

[Gama]

With the size of the chip, your limited to what telescope you can use. Unless you dont mind some coma or minor distotions.
You may get away with using a SCT with a flatner/reducer, but its still going to give some distortions at the edges.
I have seen schmidt newtonians with flatners giving a full width resolution with sharp stars at the edge. This would be my recomendation.
Next would be another good APO refractor, but you will again need a flatner.
Do a google for images from these scopes, and compare results.

[Striker]

Phil,

Stay away from SCT's until they sought out focal reducers and flatteners for these huge chips...if you had a smaller chip I would say go for it.
But if you want to head in this direction and have it sitting sided by side with your NP101....... 8" is the max aperture to fit.

How about something like Berts TAL200K
http://www.telescopes.ru/product.html?cat=1&prod=3

Or the vixen VC200L
http://www.optcorp.com/product.aspx?pid=1-600-624-1087-6667

These scopes would suit your large chip more so then a Meade or Celestron SCT.

Enjoy your shopping.

[Kal]

Roland Christen (from Astro-Physics) took this (http://www.astromart.com/common/image_popup.asp?image=/images/forums/488000-488999/488712.jpg) pic using a 10" LX200R OTA on his new Mach1 mount with the STL11k camera. He used the AP .75 telecompressor, and he will be making available an adaptor soon so that these OTA's can use this telecompressor.

Note: picture was binned 2x2 and shown at half size.

Here is a comment from the thread where he posted the pic: "The results that I got with this tube assembly are quite nice, but not earth shatteringly so. For anyone who is knowledgeable in imaging, the scope does not match smaller CCD chips very well. On my ST10XE with its 6.8 micron pixels, the stars come out typically around 10 - 12 pixels FWHM. Binning 2x2 is necessary to make the image look half way reasonable on that chip, otherwise the image has very little aesthetic appeal. The scope really only comes alive with the STL1100, because it can cover that format nicely without producing horrendous comatic stars in the outer part of the field. Even here, with the 9 micron pixel size, it is best to bin 2x2 to get a reasonably sharp looking image. With binning I was getting around 4 pixel FWHM stars. The image that I posted was reduced to 1/2 size from the original 2x2 binning, so it is equivalent to 4x4 binning. What saves you, of course, is the long focal length, so you actually do get a very nice result with decent resolution."

[Phil]

What do you think about the LX200 GPS 10" I have sitting in the box in the garage. I am worried about the weight on the G11 with the NP101mm. What do tou think.

[Striker]

Yep pushing it Phil....the ED80 was pushing the bounderies with the 10" LX200R.

I'm sure you would make it work but if I had a choice I would be looking for something smaller.

[Phil]

Yeh that is what i thought

[avandonk]

Here is how I solved the weight problem as the TAL 200K is close to (or exceeds) the photographic weight limit for a HEQ5 mount.

http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=14071

To obtain a flat field for a full frame some modification has to be made for most telescopes. For the TAL I used a Hutech focal reducer (7887) to obtain a flat field.
The Orion 100ED was modified to take an Astro Physics 2.7" focuser with a AP focal reducer. The field was then flat for a full frame.
See here for some pics
http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=15883

Below is another taken with the TAL. 1.2MB
http://users.bigpond.net.au/avandonk/CAR_lt.jpg

The Hutech FR had not been quite optimised when this image was collected. This FR is adjustable with spacers between the element pairs. It can accomodate 500 to 800mm refractors and also works very well for the Tal.

There is no correct answer only the best compromise.

Bert