Second Newtonian option, which one?

[TareqPhoto]

Hi,


I am planning to get a second Newt for dual imaging in future, and i have two choices, one i can make it sooner and the other i can make it later, i can afford any soon anyway, but one will need me to spend again more to get a mount, and one Newt smaller i can't be sure which i am still into it these days, but the other two options are no way with current mount for both, so that i can delay for later but i have to think about it from now and see all possibilities and stores.


The options are the following:


Orion 8" F/4.9 Newtonian [cheap without much accessories]
Any cheapest 10" F/4[F/3.9] so it will give me FL = 1000mm
Second GSO F/4 next to my first [this i still think about now for very soon urgent dual imaging system, but i won't rush if it won't].


I will get budget soon which i will put part of it for planetary scope [already decided], and will make a part for this future plan, i can buy any above options in price range of $300-400, but i don't know if buying now and leave it stored just in case any price changes and discontinued as it happens a lot and also to check out about accessories by the time stored, i can always buy now and use later in 1 year, i have budgets now or soon that i can't tell at all when it will be gone and i no longer can afford anything later or say i will need very long time to save again, so i better finish my plans very quick, i don't mind to buy now and not using it, i tested my 2 current Newt scopes i have and both are fine with one test each, so i am confident to buy more, galaxies will be back later, and clusters are also all around, i don't want to wait until next year to ask about it and i don't have time to decide and buy, so i will make it now.


With 8" and 10" scopes i will have to buy another mount, and next year i have two options also, either a strong expensive one so i can place two larger scopes two 8" or 8" and 10", or small cheaper affordable one but enough to handle either 10" or 8" at least cheaper than my AZ-EQ6, but in both cases the purchase of second scope is fixed, so i like to discuss it in advance to see what i can do sooner or later.


Thank you.

[doppler]

Hi Tareq, I guess from the lack of response no one has gone the two largish scopes on the single mount route here. Most would opt for two separate mounts. I have tried with 2 smaller scopes but found it was really hard to get them both aligned on the same target.

The weight of 2 x 6" f4 scopes would be well within payload capacities of a EQ6 mount, my setup (NEQ6pro + 10" f4.7) is about 18kgs and gets good guiding graphs, well below 1" RMS at 1200mm FL. Sometimes you need to just try it for yourself and see. There are a few images on the net of dual systems, here is a setup with a bit of weight on top(from the net, not mine).
Rick

[glend]

As far as newts are concerned, the GSO is going to give you the best mirror, their quality in that area is well known. I would go with two mounts, don't tie all your imaging activity up on one mount if you can avoid it. I would forget The 6", minimum should be the 8" as an all rounder. A 10" can be handled fine in an NEQ6 mount for imaging load. I generally prefer an f5 Newt, simply because they are easier to collimate correctly and you get longer focal length than an f4 for not much more exposure time.

[TareqPhoto]

I ordered one small scope, a refractor, and i will try to search for the next one second, and i am not sure about aligning, but someone told me that it doesn't have to be, not necessary perfect align, just i should make the FOV as much close to each other with the main target there in both, then software can handle it and i crop little around, in fact i also crop even if i use one scope anyway, so i wasn't really trying to make both scopes matching exactly 100% anyway, and that is why i wanted wide field scopes so i can have room around and i can crop.

I still don't want to risk about using 2x 6" F4 on my EQ6 mount even if it is possible, i feel either balancing will have issues or tracking quality, and with both i won't have good long exposures then, so i will decide to buy another mount even cheap, and i was thinking about one mount that is included with a scope as a kit or package, so in this case i will have second mount and second scope, and then i can play a lot with both.

[TareqPhoto]

I bought 6" for the plan of buying second one, but maybe now i will change my plans again, i already have 8" F/5 before, and i was asking if i should get 10" f/4 or 8" F/5, 10" is slightly bigger scope so more light gathering, and F4 means faster, but i don't know if collimation is a headache, my 6" is F/4, and i am very much deciding to buy the best collimator i can find in market, i will buy once for ALL Newts i can buy, so i will make sure i won't have any issue collimating reflectors even down to f2 if necessary.

I am thinking about buying a package of a scope with a mount, so this way i will have two mounts and two scope hopefully the same and by then i can do dual imaging even better, i may do dual imaging with two scopes together on one mount if they are smaller scopes, i will give it a try anyway, but until that is done i will keep my I's and mind about second mount/scope idea/plan.