No one scope will do it all... And I hate to disappoint, but I have it on good authority that I will be winning the lotto on Sunday...
What will **I** do?... well.. Money, being no object..
Long focal length setup:
14.25" RCOS, Fitted with an SBIG STX16803, an 8 Position 50mm square filter wheel with L, R, G, B, Ha, SII, OIII and NII filters, Adaptive optics etc.. All the bells and whistles..
Medium focal length setup.
TMB/LZOS 152 F/8 Triplet APO, FLI PL11002M/FLI 2-7 CFW Fully loaded with the same filters as above, minus the NII filter.
Wide field setup.
TMB/LOMO 80mm F/6 Triplet APO, SBIG ST8300/FLI 2-7 CFW, same filters again...
All this, riding atop an Astro-Physics AP3600GTO mount, housed in a 3.8m fully automated dome observatory, minimum 500km from the nearest moderately populated area, preferably at or over 800m ASL...
Oh yeah you better dream alex.....
My stars said that i would be coming in to a large amount of money over xmas..... and since i havnt got any over xmas brerak yet.......
Thanks for all the ideas guys about what to do with all my money. That observatory sounds great, but with a large family i suppose they would have to come first.
The hubble would be good for a short term investment Highjack the space shuttle on your way to the ISS,
TO INFINITY AND BEYOND!!!!!!!!!
Meh.. Hubble is over rated... Who wants to do mosaics of EVERY target? who could be bothered... Thats why we need 3 telescopes, one to encompass every conceivable target without having to do mosaics..
If money was no object I'd buy the Hubble Space Telescope.
The ultimate remote imaging scope, no clouds or atmosphere to contend with.
If only...
If you're referring to the $30,000,000 draw, that would only be a deposit on the Hubble Space Telescope.
I would pay off my credit card. Maybe buy a new (to me) telescope transporter (see pics below) if it's not a lemon. And mabe learn to fly a helicopter.
Oh, yeah! I almost forgot ... Got to make Gary happy and buy an Argo Navis for my 12" Dob.
Alex. you're on the right track, but I reckon you're thinking a bit small. RCOS do make bigger scopes, and with $30M to play will they wouldn't be that painful.
The property you were planning on putting it on would be more expensive.
500Km from populated space and over 800m in Au? You'll need an airstrip and somthing nice to fly. A Pilatus PC-12 NG maybe? If you got bored with it, the RFDS can always use another plane.
And something "portable" to take to the Pony Club/Katoomba/etc. Say a 32" SDM with all the trimmings.
Alex. you're on the right track, but I reckon you're thinking a bit small. RCOS do make bigger scopes, and with $30M to play will they wouldn't be that painful.
The property you were planning on putting it on would be more expensive.
500Km from populated space and over 800m in Au? You'll need an airstrip and somthing nice to fly. A Pilatus PC-12 NG maybe? If you got bored with it, the RFDS can always use another plane.
And something "portable" to take to the Pony Club/Katoomba/etc. Say a 32" SDM with all the trimmings.
Theres nothing (That I know of) that you can do with 32" of RCOS that you couldnt do with the 14.25 or 16".. And the sizes I chose were ones that I thought big enough to do anything I want to do...
I never said the property had to be in Australia.. I don't really care where it is! Something portable, An AP900GTO + AP155EDF + STX-16803? that'll do!
Pay mortgages etc, probably buy the couple of unused acres next to us and put in an olive grove so I have something to do in my expected sudden retirement.
Yes, the astro goodies would only take up a small portion of the overall winnings.. I guess I'd also finish off my body art, buy a couple of investment properties, put a few mil in the super fund and a few mil in a term deposit, live of the interest and do nothing but draw, paint and photograph the night sky for as long as I so desire...
When I win GoldLotto on Saturday I am going to put up a remote control killer scope
Something portable, An AP900GTO + AP155EDF + STX-16803? that'll do! 
