new guy and new mount need help on a scope

[bigscope (James)]

hey guys. ive bin doing a bit of upgradeing past few weeks i have gone from a small eq130 pusher mount to a celestron 4se goto mount and to day i now have a eq6 non goto old style mount . the part i need help with is a scope for takeing pics of nebulars im verry new to this hobby . i have a bout $800 to play with at this point in time..... cheers for the help i now have a 1100D and a HEQ5 laptop looking for a guide set up

[silv (Annette)]

Hi James,

I reckon, weather in Australia has picked up which is why no one replied to your post, yet?

congrats to the purchase
I assume, the "eq6 non goto" is motorized for tracking?

For imaging nebulas it is good to choose a short focal ratio scope like f/6, f/5, f/4. Short focal ratio reduces the exposure time required for good images.
Your Eq6 can handle the weight of a reflector - so you could have a look for an 8" f/5 or there abouts. They are much cheaper than refractors.


Bear in mind that you will need a camera, too
t-mount adapter and t-ring for your camera to fit onto the focuser.
focuser: depending on what the tube comes with you might want to have a different focuser, too.
A tool for collimation would be good to align the mirrors properly.

I assume you want to wait with auto guiding, for now?
So that expense can be left out, atm.

Have a look here on the Bintel site:
http://www.bintel.com.au/Telescopes/OTA/37/catmenu.aspx
They are in your budget and leave some money for accessories.

And of course the IIS classifieds.

Hope some other ppl will help you, as well. Because I'm still a noob, too.

[Shiraz (Ray)]

good advice from Silv.
You could also consider wide field imaging with a DSLR and a standard lens on the EQ6. Depending on what camera you have, the scope options should also include a small APO refractor such as the ED80 (with field flattener).

[brian nordstrom (As avatar)]

Hi James there is a 10 inch f/4.7 for $350 and a Canon 400d with accesories for $450 in the classifieds right now ( the scope is in telescopes and the Canon is in imaging ) thats exactly $800 .
Have a look these 2 will work well together on your ner EQ6 and the 10 inch will give awsome visual views when you are not imaging .
Brian.