[gregbradley]

If I were buying a FLI camera I would chose the Microline due to the lighter weight. It seems to have all the features of the Proline mostly but is half the weight or so.

Cooling on the 16803 chip per Tim Khan is only 3 or 4 degrees C less than the Proline. Both have RBI control, both fast downloads, both good shutters, the Proline has a usb hub with 2 usb ports and 2 power outlets for connecting filter wheel and guider or a focuser.

CFW 5/7 has 2 large bolts that screw onto Proline body. I am not sure the Microline has the same 2 bolts. I suspect not but ask FLI.

I usually image with the Proline 16803 at -35C but if its a warm night I get -30C. I have always been able to get -30C. But if you were able to get -25C on a Microline on the same night I don't think there is a lot of difference in dark noise.

As far as RBI goes I basically have only seen it twice and it did not affect the image. When you stack multiple images you are usually using mean combine or similar and it gets rid of a lot of minor artifacts.

I saw RBI on one image where a jet flew through the image and the very bright jet light trails lasted faintly in the next several subexposures. They disappeared with mean combine.

I saw some white splotches on darks taken after imaging a bright globular cluster.

So I would not worry about RBI. I hve not seen any ill effects in my images from that.

I did have the .73 reducer and it is fantastic. It really is a great accessory.

You can orient the camera on the TEC110. You can loosen the adapter ring for the flattener to achieve turning and tighten it up once rotated. Or you could loosen the collet and rotate the focuser with a lighter load. From my limited use it seems to handle a microline fine and Tim Khan is using a Microline 16803 with the TEC and no problems so it is adequate for that load. My imaging train is outside the specification for weight load for the TEC.

An option for either scope is to replace the focuser with a solid tube and fit an Atlas or PDF focuser and then the camera.

I never used my Microline 8300 on the FSQ but I believe it would be a great choice. I did not use it as I have other scopes that would create that same image scale but are larger scopes and therefore better resolution.

The 16803 is one of the great imaging chips and in my opinion the best chip on the amateur market at the moment. It has it all, sensitive, good Ha response, low noise, large FOV, large well depth, antiblooming. Its hard to beat. But of course it is more expensive.

SoCal rings fit FSQ106ED very nicely and they have a raised section at the bottom to help the scope's focuser clear the dovetail plate.

Greg.