Hey Stephen,
I recently got into Astrophotography too (Earlier this year) and found out the hard way things I wish I could differently! First off, yes, your NEQ6 is perfect. I went from a EQ5 to the NEQ6 – it’s a great mount. Bit of hassle to set up as I don’t have the luxury of having a permanent setup but its manageable.
As for the guiding, I used to have the Orion setup your considering but honestly don’t think it was worth it (I mean the SSAG, sold it off in the end). I bought a used GPUSB for $60 and a $30 webcam and just taped the CCD onto a 1.25” barrel. After doing direct comparisons I found my webcam to be clearer, and a little more sensitive. So that’s a savings of about $200 right there. Downside is that you now need two USB ports instead of the simplicity of just one for the SSAG. If your still inclined to go for a SSAG then just get a QHY5 from Theo in VIC (Gamma electronics), the SSAG is just a rebranded QHY5 (And in fact has some features disabled which are enabled in the QHY5. Ive forgotten what they were but I can find the links again if you wish). The 80ST itself is great though, I love being able to move the scope around to find a good star that I can guide on. I find PHD guiding to be really good software and is free as well.
For your imaging telescope, the 10” OTA is good to start on (considering its ‘free’) but I found it a hassle to lug my 8” onto my EQ5, so unless u have someone to always help you put it on and off then it’ll just be a case of ‘I cant be bothered’ on some nights. Even if you have a permanent setup, it’s still recommended not to store your mount under load as over time it will put more wear and tear on your mount. Having used about 5 telescopes by now, my personal favorite is my 80ST + 80ED combination. I honestly cannot tell you how much a pleasure it is to use and if I had to start again, I’d buy this combo first. First off, the 80ED these days can be picked up really cheap. Secondly I’m sure you already know how great its pictures are for imaging. I would recommend a Field Flattener (FF) though, but if your just starting out I’d considering getting that later (Unless you can budget it now). You’ll have a hard enough time coming to grips with learning post processing and good imaging techniques, don’t be stressed out if you can’t afford a FF just yet. Thirdly, the 80ST’s focal length is similar to the 80ED so any guiding errors wont be as obvious in the 80ED. I used to struggle a little with getting good tracking my 8” newt with my 80ST (I didn’t have a NEQ6 so my EQ5 couldn’t handle a 8” + 80ED combo), but it wasn’t bad. Lastly, I really really struggled with getting some of my cameras into focus with a newt. Newts tend to have the focus point closer to the focuser. In my case it just wouldn’t work at all, so I couldn’t used a t-ring and had to (In a really dodgy and unsecure way) force into the focuser’s draw tube. So just be weary of that, it may happen to you or may not. Lastly, I can pick the whole combo up in one hand and mount it onto my NEQ6 with the other. It really is quite light, and being so, your NEQ6 will thank you for it.
As for your camera, I’ll leave that up to you. I used my 6 year old Nikon D80 for the first few months, and it really did taught me a lot about what I enjoy imaging, where the deficiencies lie etc. And I thought the images were great, I’ll upload some to show you that expensive cameras arnt always worth it. I’d recommend to get into imaging one step at a time rather than spending at once. It gives you time to explore what you enjoy and can tailor your needs later on. As you probably know you should tailor your CCD to match the scope, to get a good pixel angular sampling size. No point getting a cheapie CCD now and then regretting it later, and not being able to sell it 2nd hand. Out of the whole experience, I think learning to stack and edit the images is the hardest part. That alone will take a very long time to master, without having to worry about all your other gear.
I want to finish by saying it just comes down to ease of the damn thing. It used to take me almost an hour getting everything set up and good to go, to the point where some good nights I just couldn’t be bothered. It partially my equipment, and partially me. After all my experience, I can now set up in under 20min and pack up in the same time. It’s a real bonus especially since I wake up for work at 6.30 and get home at 6.30 too. Don’t spend in a haste, just buy progressively and learn about your equipment, and yourself, one clear night at a time. Living in Melbourne, I can assure that took many months
Anyway, sorry for the essay! Hope this helps, if you have any Qs just gimme a shout
J
Meru