You don't mention what camera you are going to use..
My opinion ( highly controversial probably)
Choose what you want to photograph, i.e planets, moon, or deep sky stuff first, then look at a rig to suit.
Mounts: Equatorial mounts are the go for longer exposure but are harder to set up. In this bracket I would add- EQ 6 mounts are cheaper, rock solid and will take heavier loads but they are like a muscle car, they need tuning, expect to be losing skin off hands and kicking the f****r before you are happy with it. People can make them sing like a Stradi but it takes work and dedication (See B.Mitchell's work).
I have one and have had issues with slews and dampness affecting the electronics- so much so that it stopped working for a while (it's stored outside with towels and covers but Tas is still a little too damp for it I think)
When it stopped working I invested in a CGEM mount, plus because I have limited horizons at home the all star align protocol on the hand set was an attractive feature. Obviously as soon as I made a payment for the CGEM my EQ 6 sparked back into life!
Anyway, back to the CGEM- not your work horse heavy lifter like the EQ 6 but with a small refractor on board I have never been happier.
My advice, (personal opinion warning) if you are interested in deep sky stuff (not really planets) then get a CGEM and a cheap 80mm refractor (W.optics/Orion/Skywatcher etc) doesn't matter really as the glass is pretty much the same, it's the focuser that's the difference.
Starting out you can get loads of deep sky mileage with a small scope and a CGEM.
Scopes:
Big scopes like the Meade SCT are lovely for visual but I have found (opinion again) that photography is difficult-re. I use a DSLR so it hangs off the back like a big bat, focusing with the tiny knob is hard, and in the usual alt az config you are limited by rotation. Would be interested to see how it performs on the new mount.
After spending too much on gear this past few years my shopping list would be....
CGEM
Short tube mini guider package from Bintel ( SSAG and modified scope)
Small refractor of any description- but the sell a kidney and buy a Moonlite focuser, not only you get a great focuser,you also get two dove tails brackets on the focuser so you can fit your guide scope and a finderscope/ laser finder.
Now you are ready to astro-photo -party!!
Welcome to the money pit!!
Graham
Frankly, I would first spend money on a damn good mount and bung a DSLR on it for the time being (if you have on) if the cost of a scope puts you over budget. Get a good scope later. There is no substitute for a reliable solid mount.
when I was bewteen the NEQ6-Pro and the HEQ5-Pro the guys at Bintel told me to get the EQ6 and I think it was the right decission.
The weight isnīt really an issue. I am a normal guy, working in an office, donīt go to the gym and never had any issues moving the whole lot (tripod and mounthead without counterweights) out into the backyard and back after a tiring night.
The load capacity of around 17kg enables you to put more and heavier gear on as the HEQ5 would allow and with some improvement of the mount you can extend to even more (some guys load up to 25kg on it and still achieve decent accuracy).
The mount (same as with the HEQ5) is on the market for a pretty long time and sold under different brands. There are forums (EQmod-yahoo group) that focus entirely on the improvement of it. There is plenty of experience from other long time users and if you look around the profiles of some iceinspace members youīll notice that a lot of them have one.
The EQ6-Pro has been a workhorse for quite some time and it is probably the EQ mount with the highest payload capacity in its price range. It also is Ascom compatible and hence works with almost any planetarium software capable of controlling EQ mounts.
Iīve had mine for 2 years and it worked out of the box, never failed and I havenīt even yet explored all its capacities like PEC i.e.
The only issues I could see for you is the set up process (which is the same for all EQ mounts) as it becomes a drama if you have no free view to the south celestial pole. But there are ways around it.
As for your scope choice: the bigger the telescope (the more focal length I should say) the harder it becomes to avoid trailed stars in the final image. Visually Iīd say spend all your money on apperture and even borough from friends for another inch more. For AP and especially for the first AP experience ever it does not matter so much. With a DSLR and an ED80, you are likely to be pretty happy with a 2min unguided exposure provided you have pitch black skies. The ED80 is a good device. In my opinion, donīt even bother about the SW Black Diamond ED, take the SW ED80 instead. It safes you about $400 and is basically the same scope. Only differences are that you donīt get the aluminium case and that the focuser has no 10:1 facility. I image with an EOS 450D and usually focus with a Bhatinov mask - no dramas, always sharp. Heavier cameras may stress the focuser too much but that is something to consider when stepping up to the next level of AP, when the camera only will cost as much as all my current gear together.
Most important for astrophotography is a guide system consisting of an autoguider and some sort of a telescope which should be mounted in a way that it can be pointed at a star even though your imaging scope points at an area in the sky where there are no obvious stars. Without autoguider, the maximum exposure time is rather short and will be even shorter the longer the focal lenght of the telescope. Every mount produces errors and no polar alignment really is perfect. Long focal lenghts magnify this faster than short ones.
There is an interesting combo on the market that utilises an Orion autoguider and a finderscope-type guide scope.
I had a look at Bintels website and you schould be able to get a HEQ5-Pro, an ED80 plus the Miniautoguider package within your budget limits. However, you will need a camera too.
But perhaps you check out the classifieds here on iceinspace to save some bucks.
PS: I still image a lot through my 6" Newton and use the ED80 as a guide scope. But in case you look at a biggish Newton instead of the refractor: most of these Newtons need to be modified to achieve focus with a DSLR unless they are specific AP scopes and all Newtons technically require coma correctors (and perhaps field flatteners) to produce pleasing results off centre.
PPS: Be warned! Once you bought all your equipment and desperately want to try it all out: it will rain for weeks, not during the day but every night-at least it heavy clouds.
Thanks for that advice Northernlight and jjjnettie
and i do have a dslr to use as the image taker
have made an offer for a SE8 (1K, owner says its mine at this stage) and am awaiting the outcome of that ..if it doesnt turn out I might have recovered from the pricing from Bintel for this stuff...NEQ6 Mount: $1,799
SWED80 w/Case: $999
Bintel 2 Camera Adapter: $39
Canon EOS T-ring: $35
Televue 2 2x BIG Barlow: $209
Televue 10mm Delos: $339
Orion Mini-Autoguider Package: $419
SHIPPING: $56
TOTAL: $3845..ouch!!!
your right northernlight...I think my eyes are bigger than my wallet
Although the HEQ5 is alright, ide really be pushing you to a EQ6. If its brand new that you want to purchase then youll be paying that kind of money but eq6's come up from time to time
here is a guy selling the complete package, which includes virtually everything you need to kick off imaging bar the mount. Now if you are crafty, you can buy the whole lot sell off the other parts you don't want/need recoup your dollars and get the mount with the funds raised.
Both of those scopes hold their value as they are quite good! My ED 80 sold for 550 last month to give you a idea and the 120 is a whole lot bigger!
If you use your noodle you can get a good deal with good gear and not have to fork out the world!
I'd agree that I would try to buy a 2nd hand EQ6Pro or save the extra few Hungies to get it if possible, but we all have a price cap, and the HEQ5Pro will handle an ED80 and associated gear without a problem, and they hold their value for resale fairly well.
But try putting a wanted ad in for a used EQ6Pro and you may get one for about a grand.
you guys are pretty good at spending my money for me
yeah I saw & thought about that gear bmitchell...but then i still need a neq6 and then all i can see is $$$$ expended...swmbo aint going to like it if I tell her what it cost
but....mmmm still waiting to hear on the SE8..i know it wont be the best solution in the short term..but I will gain, well at least I hope to gain, experience for a cheaper initial outlay...which may keep her on my side
If it, the SE8 doesnt work out then its back to the drawing board and probably the scopes you mention will be looked at again.
I agree, I like the idea of getting the NEQ6 for what I reckon will be its increased rigidity (& carrying capacity) over the 5?
ah well, to give you a idea im just a uni student and all my gear has been accumulated over the last 3 years.
I started out with.
10" dobsonian
Then I got the mount later and so went forth my little journey till what i have today which is a full on astro-graph.
I guess what im saying is that although SWMBO might baulk at the initial outlay which really isn't that much once you start using it and if you really have a passion for it not just a fleeting fad then they are normally quite supportive because your out of trouble and it can be a family event .
I think I calculated everything up and came to a rough estimate including my laptops cameras mount scope and im sitting about the 6k mark total thats over 3 years.
well not what you guys recommended, and not what I now understand I should really have....
but at $1000.00 it was too good to pass up.
hurriedly put it together last night but was having trouble getting it to focus on the moon, mozzies were getting a free meal and were really annoying the ^%#p out of me so i went inside and went to bed. ...When all else fails read the instructions, if that fails ring 1800 000 000 where your usually told to read the instructions!! duh big focus knob wasnt there last night...I swear.....hahaha
oh well tonight...bugga we have rain forecast for next 5 days days or so
I have a mill and lathe so hopefully a project will be to make up a wedge to allow AP?
other projects will be to make up a small battery supply and a AC to dc supply
need to get timer and AC supply for to control aperture on canon 40d and provide adequate power ..any one know if the are the ones on ebay from china/hong kong are ok?
Well congrats on your buy, welcome to the clouds. What else did you expect, I think you got off lightly with only 5 days of rain..
Cheap easy power supply for almost everything ... you seem very handy with tools etc .. get an old PC power supply, 250 -400 watts maybe. Google for the mod to get it to run without connection to a main board ( a big resistor ) and you have a very smooth, multivoltage supply. + & - 12v, 5v and 3.3 V for the newer units. All with plenty of amps available to run dew heaters etc. I have my fans on 12 and 5 v (hi/lo speed ) and the mount etc on 12v. And you can run PWM controllers if you want other variable voltages or power levels. Plenty of old PCs chucked out so the PS can be had for free mostly. And they are nice little compact units as well.
You could do some planetary with that setup, but to do anything serious, forget the wedge and grab an EQ mount and defork that fella!
Building a wedge is a simple project though, and will get you started.