Another starter....

[viking58]

Hi this will start some discussion I hope :)

Starting from scratch with a budget of $5k I'm looking for suggestions for an initial rig as a basis to build on. I'd like to start with some astrophotography (low end) with the option upgrade this part later as long as the initial optics/mount investment is up to it.

I'm open to suggestions - be nice:lol:. Just some suggested combos of gear to start looking at. Especially what to avoid.

Once again all help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Viking

[toryglen-boy]

Ask anything you want fella, rather that, than make expensive mistakes !!

ok ...

EQ6 $2000
SW600 200mm F5 OTA $350
Orion SSAG $450
Orion ST80 pack $320
Canon 1000D $900
Baader MPCC (option) $340


thats, $4360

oh, and a laptop or something to guide with, but i assume you already have this, the mount is the most important, and i would use nothing less than an EQ6 with an 8" scope, i have used a HEQ5 Pro with an Orion ED80, but i cant stress enough, how important it is, to overmount.



:)

[Moon]

Do you already have any gear that you can use (like a laptop or DSLR) ??

This will help keep the costs down.

[picklesrules]

wish i had 5k to spend on my first rig :(

[[1ponders]]

Or a second hand ED80 if you can pick one up, instead of the SW600. I just like ED80s :P

[AlexN]

Losmandy GM8s - $2499
2nd hand ED80 - ~$400
2nd hand modified 350D - $500
QHY5 guide camera - $380
70~80mm guide scope - maximum $250

Total $4029.. Leaving you $971 for miscellaneous cables and connectors that you will need... For that money you could nearly buy an ArgoNavis for the GM8 to give you "push to" The scope wont slew itself to the target, but it will tell you where to point...

Mount should be THE single most expensive thing you buy.

[Esseth]

Ill second that, i had to work hard enough to get my dob and binos... now i have to try to see if i can get an eye piece or two lol.

[toryglen-boy]

I like ED80's to, thats why i have one! :rofl:


i just thought that for the same money a 200mm F5 reflector OTA would offer roughly the same FOV, but be more versatile.

:)

[toryglen-boy]

The Losmandy is by far the better mount, no problem there, but the EQ6 would give goto, and save another $500, and would be moer than enough mount for an ED80

wouldnt you agree?

;)

[viking58]

Really appreciate the info guys - I was disappearing up my own orifice going through various options and then getting indecisive.

Now that I've got a good starting point I'll probably be annoying you further in rest of the forums looking for other detail.

Once again thanks v much.

Viking

[[1ponders]]

I use the GM8 (and G11) and the only issue with the Digital Drive that comes with the 8 is there is no autoguide port. You unplug the hand paddle cable and plug the GPUSB into there.

[AlexN]

go to is only as useful as you think it is. My mount is go to, i rarely use go to though.. If i had the choice for refractor setup, eq6 go to or gm8 no go to, i'd go the gm8 any day. The gm8 will carry nearly as much weight as an eq6 and is of overall much higher quality.. How much is go to worth te you? With argo navis the gm8 push to would be better than eq6 go to.

[bmitchell82]

the only reason why i didn't go the losmundy route was that the eq6 at the time was 1499... when your a student a exta 1000 is un obtainable!

Goto is nice but at the end of the day i actually don't use it, thats where my laptop comes in as long as you can control the mount via laptop you can run the best data set of objects to slew to.

In saying that the EQ6pro is more than capable as a mount!

[[1ponders]]

Sorry to disappoint Alex, but the GM8 will only carry about half as much as the EQ6. The GM8 is really only any good up to about 12-13kg (visual), the EQ6 takes much more than that (rated 25 kg visual), almost G11 load (27kg visual).

[toryglen-boy]

That made me laugh, can i use that, anything is only as useful as you think it is !!

:lol:

using a 200mm F5 OTA, would open up visual observing as well, and this is where teh goto would come into its own. I agree the Losmandy and the Argo Navis are a great combo, and the mounts are higher quality than the EQ6 no question. But bang for buck + load carrying ability = EQ6


:)