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Advantages of Go-To over dual axis drive
Hi there,
After several very happy months with a Dobsonian I'm keen to get a new rig specifically for beginner AP (having exhausted the possibilities using my pro-level DSLR & 2x Barlow through the Dob).
After much discussion in these and other pages, I've decided a motorised mount is the next purchase. When I master using it with a 200mm lens, I'll get something like the standard ED80 and go from there.
Being a cheapskate I'm looking to spend maximum $1k. Ideally I'd get a HEQ5 Pro, but the cheapest I can find is $1300 plus postage. I'd take an EQ5 Pro for around $800 but again no-one's selling any.
So, I was wondering... how would I go with spending about $750 on an EQ5 tripod and $250 on dual motor drives? How lucky would I have to be with my polar alignment to get 3-min subs at 600mm?
Am I vastly better off saving a while longer and going the Go-To option? Is it not even worth considering going the cheaper dual axis route? Or is it actually quite possible to get decent results using such a system (without first having attained a Masters degree in astrophysics)?
Any advice appreciated!!
Cheers
~C
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