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Old 14-08-2015, 12:17 PM
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gregbradley
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Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Sydney
Posts: 18,185
I am running 2 mounts at the same time at present (well I did one night and then needed some spare parts to continue!).

For me its the CDK17 on a PME and the AP RHA on an AP1600. The AP scope is quite widefield, the same as Mike Sionios. The CDK can either image at 3 metres or about 2 with a reducer. I am currently using the reducer as it matches my local seeing better and reduces imaging time.

So a Proline 16803 on the CDK with reducer is the same image scale as an 8300 sensor on the AP. The CDK can give more luminance detail and the RHA colour and or narrowband quickly. Both are fast scopes. 2 scopes and cameras is about matching the image scale.

If you have a dual mount wouldn't you be autoguiding with only one of them with an OAG and if you use dither they both dither at the same time?

I think also with that weight I can pretty much guarantee you your subs will not land on the same pixels one after the other.

Peter Reito is using a dual scope setup. I think he's spent a lot of time (and ongoing) resolving issues with this.

Obvious problems would be balance, alignment so they image the same thing and weight for the mount.

Thomas Davis images with 2 scopes, an FSQ and AP RHA. Not sure if its on 2 separate mounts or at the same time. He uses an STL11 colour for the FSQ and an STL11 mono on the RHA as I recall.

I used 2 different mounts as sometimes these setups will be in different locations but I built my observatory intending to have 2 setups at the same time so there is provision for a 2nd one. A 2nd one is a lot easier.
It was fun running 2 setups with 2 computers and setting up one and then adjusting the other whilst the other was doing something. I think it would end up being a whole lot easier than the flexure, mounting, aligning issues of scopes in tandem. Perhaps a smaller refractor on top would work. I have used an FSQ mounted on top of an FS152. One guider.

Too much weight and you will have tracking issues.

2 separate mounted systems can be framing the same image. You may need to allow for a small amount of cropping if they are not exactly the same. Perhaps it would be better if one was just slightly wider FV to give some tolerance.

Greg.
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