Hyperstar - Page 2

coldspace · #21 19-01-2009, 11:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlexN

Matt... Trust me - every spare cent I have is in the CDK/AP1200 fund...

Got 1 year to wait for the AP1200.. I reckon I can get a most of the way to saving for the CDK by then.... Especially adding in the rough sale price of my current gear...

Hence why the Hyperstar is in my want list, but on the "probably wont get" list... No real point spending any more money on things like that when I know im a year or so away from a serious serious setup...

Alex.

That 1 year wait for the AP1200 will be worth it.
Friend of mine has one and it is so,so,so sweeeet. Moves like silk even with 14 inch Meade and 90mm refractor on top. Makes you stand there and just admire when you see one in action.
Put a CDK or RC on top and you can't get much better other than AP3600.

Regards Matt.

AlexN · #22 20-01-2009, 10:05 AM

yes... the AP3600 stole my heart the minute I saw pics of it... but lets be serious here... I live in light pollution city, so still have to travel to dark skies... I think the 1200 is quite enough.. the 17" CDK shouldnt be a problem weight or lever arm wise on the 1200, although closer to the delivery date of the 1200 I'll be in contact with AP to be very sure... If need be I might consider the 12.5" CDK + a nice wide field refractor to lower the weight load and broaden the options..

I had the pleasure of seeing a 20" CDK about a week ago, and was utterly amazed at the overall quality of it... (and the imposing size!) It reaffirmed in my mind that I really really want to save hard and get the CDK/ap1200 rather than wasting more and more money on lower end gear that I will eventually outgrow and need to replace anyway.. I figure buy the CDK and 1200, And I'll never need another mount or scope again.. from there on out its just a matter of buying some land in the middle of nowhere and setting it all up in a ROR obs..

renormalised (Carl) · #23 20-01-2009, 04:16 PM

Alex, why not have a look at some property up around Maleny/Woodford way, or Childers. Nice and dark, plus not too far from Bris' Vegas if you have to go there

Maybe even renting some property might be a short term solution.

AlexN · #24 20-01-2009, 04:20 PM

The Maleny area is where im looking... perhaps a little further out... But I am looking to go north, and up in the hills somewhere... hopefully a bit higher above sea level than I am here...

renormalised (Carl) · #25 20-01-2009, 04:28 PM

The problem with going up higher is in QLD we get a lot of orographic clouds from the moist easterlies hitting the mountains. They can spoil your day. Up my way, spring and summer can be a waste of time...too cloudy rainy and or blowy!!!. I know some fantastic place, up on hills, that'd be great for an observatory. Only problem they're out near Cloncurry!!!!.

AlexN · #26 20-01-2009, 05:01 PM

I dont necessarily need it to be close to brisbane.. close enough that I can drive up for a weekend... But 3~4hrs drive in any direction doesnt really phase me..

I still have plenty of time to worry about that though.. Untill said dark skies are available permanently, SII HA OIII imaging will have to do...

renormalised (Carl) · #27 20-01-2009, 05:35 PM

I know what you mean....that's why I liked the skies out near the 'curry. Where I was, was about 40kms away from McKinlay... where they filmed the pub scenes and such for Crocodile Dundee. Was doing some geo work at a place called Answer Downs. The skies there were that black I had no problem seeing 10-12 stars in the Pleaides. The zodiacal light was actually a pain in the butt. It and the Galaxy had no problems casting shadows...dimmish, but you could see them. It was that black. Incredible. This was in June to September, so you could say the winter months. Oh, and it was cold

Speaking of Hyperstar.... I wonder just how big they could make a hyperstar lens??. I was thinking how about mating one up with a 24-32" RCOS scope. The 32" has a primary f ratio of 1.5. Just think....32" monster running at f/1.5. With that much light gathering power and quickness!!!. Have the mega hyperstar as permanent fixture to the scope!!. It'd almost be too much!!!

AlexN · #28 20-01-2009, 06:09 PM

I dont think anyone would really modify a >$50k USD scope for hyperstar imaging... Personally... People who buy scopes like the RCOS know what they are buying, and buy it for a purpose... For example, I wouldnt be considering a 17" CDK if I wanted to do wide field imaging... I'd be buying a FSQ106 and a TOA150.. Or maybe hyperstar for my C11... but widefields really dont float my boat... Hence why I bought the C11 in the first place.. Nice long focal lenght for chasing planetary nebulae and distant galaxies.. with the 17" CDK I want to image PGC galaxies, planetaries like the cats eye, the eight burst, ghost of jupiter etc.. Maybe some of the smaller reflection and emission nebulae but mostly chasing tiny little objects that are a LONG LONG WAY away... Hyperstar may provide a very easy way to reveal these very low magnitude, distant objects, but not offer the focal length to resolve anything more than what would look like a bloated star..

The one thing that really got me considering hyperstar was the idea of fitting all of andromeda into one field, and capturing 10min subs to reveal all of its nebulae and clusters...

Dont forget that focusing the hyperstar is difficult due to being F/~2 at F/1.5 you would need autofocus, as it would be infuriating... Personally I think the hyperstar would be awesome for anyone with a SCT that they rarely use, that wants to start wide field imaging.... as you could do the modification, leave it on there rather than swapping it out for the secondary mirror every time you want to observe or do planetary imaging etc.. Its just not for me..

Alex.

renormalised (Carl) · #29 20-01-2009, 06:41 PM

True, but I was just entertaining a thought experiment.

If I had the money to buy a RCOS that size, I would definitely be using it for purposes other than widefield imaging.

That's why I was entertaining a purpose built scope of that size, for WF imaging. Practically, though, you'd be better off modding a C11 or a Meade than building a monster scope like that.

I like widefield as well as the faint, small fuzzies. I'd probably end up with several setups...one for normal work and one for widefield!!

A fast setup would be good for nova patrolling and NEO tracking.

AlexN · #30 20-01-2009, 06:52 PM

Yeah for sure...

My end plan is the CDK17/AP1200GTO for narrow work, and a G-11 or AP-Mach1 with a wide field scope... something like a TMB 130 Signature or an AP130 APO... But for the time being (as at sometime next year) it will be CDK17+ST10XME for narrow field work, and QHY8+Megrez 102 for wide fields on the EQ6