[Daemon]

Hi guys,

I’m after some advice for my first serious telescope purchase. I’ve had a cheap and nasty little 2 inch refractor for 30 years (except that 30 years ago they weren’t cheap, just nasty), but have mostly been using binoculars and naked eye for the last few decades. However, towards the end of this year, or perhaps next year, I’ll finally be able to afford the time and money to make it worth my while getting a descent amateur telescope, so I thought now would be a good time to start planning what I might want to purchase (with plenty of time to change my mind, think about it and learn what I might need to know in order to make the best purchases).

My greatest interest is in deep sky objects and their CCD imaging, but I find the whole CCD imaging thing very confusing with regards to what is needed to do it fairly well. This is not helped by the rapid improvements in imaging technologies for a given price point, meaning a lot of info on the web appears to be discussing equipment with one or two generations of development difference, alongside comments and techniques that may apply to the latest gear. And, quite frankly, I just know nothing about the subject, yet.

At the moment I’m thinking of a Meade LX200GPS 10 inch, or 12 inch, but I’m not sure. Some opinions I’ve read suggest these are a wonderful tool for the tasks I want, and others express various criticisms about mount stability, and optical quality, let alone my own confusion as to whether the highly criticized equatorial wedge is needed for CCD imaging, or should a field de-rotator be used instead, or should just the Meade (or someone else’s) optical tube assembly be purchased and put on someone else’s German equatorial mount (though either way I would like goto). Though I do require portability.

I’m even more confused about CCD cameras. Meade’s Sony chip B&W is a good price and the few reviews I’ve seen by those that have bought them are favorable, but there is little comparison reviewing except as sales aids to competing products. Sbigs seem way cool, but attract a big ouch factor in the price tag from the Australian retailers I’ve found so far (way beyond what the US exchange rate and shipping costs would suggest).

As far as other accessories go; no idea what I might want or need, and apart from obvious things like dew control, are probably going to be heavily influenced by the OTA, mount and CCD set up, but I need suggestions because there’s sure to be things I haven’t even thought of.

All up I’d like it to come in under $10,000 aus ready to run. That’s a lot of ground to cover, but I’d appreciate any opinions, thoughts and feedback. Feel free to suggest alternative brands, but I’d appreciate comments on why you think they’d be beter choices and a guestimate at price or link to an aus retailer.

Thanks in advance everybody.