Continue with NEQ6 or change to the LX200 mount?

[Jutscher (Sam)]

Hi,

I have been tinkering around with my 10inch dob mounted on a EQ6 mount for the past couple of years and have decided its time to upgrade the tube.

After a bit of saving, I now have enough to go one of two ways, I could either go for a 10" Meade LX 200 with mount, or go the larger 12" OTA and continue with my current EQ6 mount.

I plan to piggyback an ED80 either way I go for photography, however still enjoy old fashioned viewing of DSO's (hence the 'want' for the larger aperature).

So cutting to the chase, is there any particular benefit to going one way or the other?

I would obviously prefer a mount that is well balanced and accurate, however I would also appreciate the visual benefits of a larger aperature.
And this is the point I have been stuck at for weeks

Thanks for any help or suggestions

[bmitchell82 (Brendan)]

http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/s...ad.php?t=66164

Read the last few posts

what your looking at are two completely different beasts they do completely different types of photography.

Ask your question first, what type of photos do you like to take.

[Jutscher (Sam)]

Thanks Brendan,

Yeah, for the last couple, I have been using the 10"skywatcher dob on the EQ6 mount to hunt out those faint fuzzy objects and then try to pull some colour out of them with an unmodded 400d. tarantula, lagoon, m22, orion etc.

Like you said however, the long and heavy tube on this particular mount tends to get beaten up a little by both wind and gravity, especially when lumped with guide scope, camera etc.

I was hoping that by going for the shorter LX200 tube, I could eliminate most of the flex and bounce.

Or am I just expecting to much from what has been a good mount so far.

[bmitchell82 (Brendan)]

hahaha you can do well with the 10" and 40d look at my website most of it is with a modded 40d, 10" SW dob and EQ6 with a ED80 stuck ontop. i have modded the guts out of it now to make it do what i want to do.

http://www.brendanmitchell.net/Proje...54/254side.jpg

To be honest if it was me stick with the 10" and upgrade your mount. if your doing photography the 10" is very capable as a astrophotography rig a few small modifications and it is very very capable.

Look at something like the Losmandy G11 with a ovision worm gear. that will sure up the tracking and stability so it will hold on to a little bit more wind. If it gets too windy just run with your ED80.

[Merlin66 (Ken)]

I have and use a 12" Lx200 Classic on a wedge.
I also had a 10" Lx and a 8" Lx; The 10" was pulled off the forks and remounted on a NEQ6pro - an excellent solution!
If you've already had experience with a GEM then I'd continue to use it.
The NEQ6 will take the 10" and the ED80...

[Jutscher (Sam)]

lol. I have seen that picture before... or at least I have taken one incredibly similar. Only difference being crayford mod and looks like you have done a heap on the primary to.

Yeh, it seems the more I look into this, the more options and variations that open up.

I have not spent a lot of time looking into modifying the EQ6 mount, but it might be a good option for improving the quality of my mount without having to shell out the bucks.

Unfortunately I have sold the 10" SW a while ago to help with the funds for the new ota... buggar maybe?

[bmitchell82 (Brendan)]

Bugger definitely! hehehehe.... well its upto you what you do really and it all comes down to what kind of pictures that you want to take. The LX200's have a very long focal length where as the newt a very short focal length. Start there and go forward.

Oh and just for information on the mods i preformed for the 10", Feather touch 3" focuser, Orion optics mirror cell, re designed Secondary mirror vanes. and a few other nick nacks.

[Jutscher (Sam)]

Or go for that coveted Tak while the dollar is so good...?
+ would be light on the mount..
To many choices

[bmitchell82 (Brendan)]

Like i said the best place to start is what kind of photos you are wanting to take.

Once that has been figured, then look at the scopes that fit the bill and then refine that by cost. Good luck

[Jutscher (Sam)]

Yeah, seems that after much reading on different forums, reviews and comparing countless images from various scopes, I am more inclined to head down the wide field path.
Meaning I will most likely go for an APO in my price range. But the comparisons etc will go on for a while yet..
In the mean time I think I will work on improving my EQ6 mount, probably hypertune to begin with and a general tidy up.
Thanks for your help and preventing a bad case of hasty buyers remorse.

[bmitchell82 (Brendan)]

That is what we are here for! keep asking questions and we will endeavor to do our best