#1  
Old 12-05-2012, 03:15 PM
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baileys2611 (Simon Bailey)
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Choices, so many...

Hi Everyone,

I am new(ish) so hello. I'd just like to say up front that I like the word 'Pique' and I like biscuits.

Oh, I also like astronomy.

I've been using an 8" Meade 200GPS for a while now and have been enjoying the sights. I'm selling it and changing things (who knows if this is upgrading or otherwise) to an HEQ5 Pro mount...BUT...

What scope to use? So many conversation on the site are around what goals we have and what our intentions are going forward, so in a nutshell, I want to do everything at an amateur level.

I want something that will allow me to see the sights of deep sky (within reason and limits of the mount), something that I can take photos with eventually as this piques my interest (did I mention I like that word?). I'm less interested in the planets but want to see them anyway, so does my 6 year old daughter. My wife thinks I do too much introspective reflection on the night sky...or in other words am an idiot , but it's all part of the package I say!

With all that in mind, what do I look at? I've got 15kg to play with, $2.5k budget for the tube assembly (mount not included), an HEQ5 Pro mount and live in an area where there's no light pollution. I don't have a dome but am not looking at wanting to do long exposure photographs at this point - I'm still enjoying the journey and am beyond my first scope.

Can anyone suggest a setup that will let me enjoy the sights with my eyes and do some amateur shots (later) so I can continue my journey?

Thanks everyone for your experience and insights.

Simon.
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Old 12-05-2012, 05:14 PM
casstony
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Hi Simon, you could buy a 12" dob for deep sky visual and a smaller scope to go on the HEQ5, maybe an ED80 because the weight will not stress your mount and the short focal length will make it easier to get decent images. This would also allow you to be imaging and viewing at the same time.
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Old 12-05-2012, 06:37 PM
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baileys2611 (Simon Bailey)
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Thanks Tony, familiar with the ED80s - was actually looking at that and wondering if I should just use that - or a 100 for personal viewing as well as photography. The 80s are f7.5 and 100s are f9 - this is going into dusty territory for me though as I don't know much about how that affects the shot.

Still, I guess as long as the Dob + ED (+ camera + whatever else tacks on) doesn't go over about 12kg then I should be clear - is that about right?
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Old 12-05-2012, 07:06 PM
brian nordstrom (As avatar)
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Hi Simon , go the f7.5 ED80 . These scopes have captured some of the best astro photos ever taken , you wont be dissapointed .
Brian.
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Old 12-05-2012, 07:10 PM
casstony
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If you wanted to mount both scopes on the HEQ5 I think you'd need to stick with an 8" dob/newt tube and the ED80 at a maximum. I was thinking more along the lines of a seperate 12" dob and base which will give great views of nebulae and globular clusters with smaller scopes on the HEQ5 for imaging - less weight on the mount is desirable to achieve steady images.

Hopefully IIS'ers who image with that mount will step in and say what load they limit themselves too.
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Old 12-05-2012, 07:27 PM
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baileys2611 (Simon Bailey)
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Aha! Light dawns on marblehead, yes of course. Didn't think of being able to take the scope off the mount for different experiences. Thanks!

Thanks Brian also on the ED80 info. I not in your impressively huge and many numbered signature block you have a Long Perngengerneerng. How are you finding that?
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Old 12-05-2012, 08:07 PM
brian nordstrom (As avatar)
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I am most impressed with it , it is so very well made and the views it gives are awsome , from 15x using my 31mm Celestrom Axiom LX to 166x with my LP3mm planetary ( a great eyepiece ) .
It sits on the Vixen mount so well , they are a match made in heaven.
Brian.
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Originally Posted by baileys2611 View Post
Aha! Light dawns on marblehead, yes of course. Didn't think of being able to take the scope off the mount for different experiences. Thanks!

Thanks Brian also on the ED80 info. I not in your impressively huge and many numbered signature block you have a Long Perngengerneerng. How are you finding that?
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