If money were no option - ideal imaging rig

[bloodhound31]

I've been thinking, what if I could find the money somehow to put a serious rig in the observatory?

So, I've been online looking at a lot of stuff and it looks like I could be up for around $100,00 dollars....ish...

Here's what I was thinking of:
*A big RC Optical Systems 16 inch truss telescope

*A paramount ME II German Equatorial Mount

*I have no idea on camera's, but thinking a large-format camera with filter wheels for narrowband imaging.

*Appropriate accessories to have it all up and running.

What do all the hob-knobs, big-wigs and guru swarmies say?

Baz.

[issdaol (Phil)]

Money No Barrier? ..... What about the Takahashi FET300 300mm Triplet Flourite APO Refractor and the Tak Mount for it ... he he

[bloodhound31]

Originally Posted by issdaol

Money No Barrier? ..... What about the Takahashi FET300 300mm Triplet Flourite APO Refractor and the Tak Mount for it ... he he

Googling now!

[bloodhound31]

Crikey! Is this the one you speak of?

http://www.takahashi-europe.com/en/FET-300.php

[issdaol (Phil)]

Yep And I think the Mount is the Takahashi EM 3500 or 4500

[vaztr (Andrew)]

one word - Keck

http://keckobservatory.org/index.php

[Paul Haese]

I wouldn't bother with another Tak mount for imaging. Nice mounts but homing makes it hard to image the same target from night to night.

PME II is a good choice. I would go with a 14.5 rather than 16". That is just over kill for city imaging. In fact a good refractor would be better as you will most likely be imaging nebulae with narrowband than go for galaxies in broad band. Only the really bright galaxies can be imaged well from city lights and a big scope is really made for light collection in dark skies.

Camera, either FLI or SBIG 11,000 and up sensors. Filters either Astronomiks or Astrodons.

Spending 100000K on a rig with lots of light pollution is really not necessary. Just a waste of money really. Based on the images I have seen of your new obs at night I think there is too much sky glow for useful imaging in broad band.

[Poita (Peter)]

I'd be getting a Mesu mount or an ASA Direct Drive mount, and one of these:
http://www.baader-planetarium.de/tec...300mm_7deg.pdf

Mmmmm.... f1.44

[LewisM]

Originally Posted by issdaol

Money No Barrier? ..... What about the Takahashi FET300 300mm Triplet Flourite APO Refractor and the Tak Mount for it ... he he

You do know what FET means? F^&*()#Enormous Telescope... A dream scope.

I beleive each mount is custom made to the purchasers mag dec too.

I wonder if a team of Tak scientists comes and installs it in your observatory too. I doubt they'd make me one on a tripod

[lacad01 (Adam)]

Don't want to spoil your dream but would you want to spend so much money imaging from Canberra Maybe invest the money in a stealth EMP device which knocks out all the lights around your area

[issdaol (Phil)]

Originally Posted by LewisM

You do know what FET means? F^&*()#Enormous Telescope... A dream scope.

I beleive each mount is custom made to the purchasers mag dec too.

I wonder if a team of Tak scientists comes and installs it in your observatory too. I doubt they'd make me one on a tripod

Yep from what I have read it is a custom job and install that Takahashi Does for you themselves. The objective supposedly takes a very long time to produce.

I found a price for the mount which is $99000.00 USD

I wonder what the OTA Price is ??

[Wavytone]

Nah...

I'd start with:

- a Baker-Nunn camera (60 cm aperture at f/0.6) on a modern mount,
http://www.google.com.au/imgres?imgu...QEwAg&dur=3978

- a 60 cm f/3.7 Honders-Riccardi, and
- a 30 cm f/15 classical cassegrain for visual of the planets.

[OICURMT]

You could have had this one for A$50k two years ago...

[bloodhound31]

Originally Posted by lacad01

Don't want to spoil your dream but would you want to spend so much money imaging from Canberra Maybe invest the money in a stealth EMP device which knocks out all the lights around your area

Not spoiling any dream mate, it's purely hypothetical.

[AstralTraveller (David)]

Originally Posted by lacad01

Don't want to spoil your dream but would you want to spend so much money imaging from Canberra Maybe invest the money in a stealth EMP device which knocks out all the lights around your area

So the first expense is a dark-sky site. You might look around Meekatharra or Mt Magnet, though if you are worried about future light pollution from the SKA you might opt for the northern Flinders Ranges. I believe these were the other two areas on the short-list when the site for the AAT was chosen.

BTW when considering an 'imaging rig' don't you need to identify the targets? Are you after tiny little galaxies or great swathes of milky way or planets.

[issdaol (Phil)]

Hmmm, Which scope to go with ..... 12inch Triplet Flourite APO or 16 inch reflector with 40% obstruction?

[netwolf]

Hmm were to start.

I will take this one
http://www.astrooptik.com/Komplettgeraete/Cassf9_e.htm
http://panther-observatory.com/telescopes.htm
Check out the Gallery at http://panther-observatory.com/

[OICURMT]

http://www.dfmengineering.com/cct_50.html

[alistairsam]

I'd go with the CDK700 Alt-Az mount and 28inch scope.
0.05arc sec tracking, no PE, no backlash, high speed, quiet, direct drive, nasmyth focus. I'm sure there are better ones, but at $185k, I'd start with this
http://www.planewave.com/index.php?page=1&id0=0&id=5. Like buying a Merc.

[issdaol (Phil)]

Originally Posted by alistairsam

I'd go with the CDK700 Alt-Az mount and 28inch scope.
0.05arc sec tracking, no PE, no backlash, high speed, quiet, direct drive, nasmyth focus. I'm sure there are better ones, but at $185k, I'd start with this
http://www.planewave.com/index.php?page=1&id0=0&id=5. Like buying a Merc.

Lucky I have 3 phase