Quote:
Originally Posted by AlexN
Thinking about scope options, your best bet is to list your target priorities and local limitations then extrapolate your required specifications from that...
Eg:
Primary targets: wide emission/reflection/dark new vistas
Local limitations 2~3 arc sec seeing at best.
Camera is qhy9 with 5.4um pixels
Scope requirements:
<600mm f/l to match pixels and seeing conditions
F/5 or faster for dark nebs.
Options :
6" f/4 newt.
Fsq106
E180ed newt
That's how I go about selecting scopes. Figure out what I want to do with the new scope, figure out what my location will let me do.
Figure out what the optimal match to my location, camera and intentions are.
Compile a list of scopes within my budget that hit all those marks are then weigh up pros and cons.
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My objective has always been long FL imaging of Galaxies (the hard targets). the camera will be upgraded in time to a 9 micron chip, i do realise that the QHY has very small pixels, for the moment if i have average seeing conditions i can bin 2x2, so the pixels will be 10.8. however, this camera will eventually make its way to the APO.
seeing and LP conditions are pretty good at my observatory location, i really want to push the boundaries as much as possible and see what i can do.
oh and i also have ordered a Pegasus pier from Phil, should arrive around the same time as the MX