dweller25

Without committing his services @Peter Drew may be able to help.

36 minutes ago, Flame Nebula said:

Thanks Dweller, 

I did also check that out, but the F5 version seems pretty good and is, supposedly, better for AP. I know the 200p has many good reviews for visual observation. 

Mark

I am confused now, I thought you wanted the Newtonian for planetary imaging, in which case the longer focal length and smaller secondary of the F/6 version should make it the better choice.

But if you are using the Newtonian for DSO then yes, the shorter focal lengths would be better.

There is also the 8” F/6 Newtonian to consider….

Wow, great setup and superb photos 👍

Hello and welcome to SGL 👍

There is a 10” and a 12” OO Newtonian in the SGL for sale section.

Did you read the article ?
It explains why a Newtonian out performs a similar sized SCT.

This may help…..

https://www.laughton.com/paul/rfo/obs/obs.html

This is the comparison from the above article, basically 1/8th wave and around 25% central obstruction could be all you need…….

Possibly Cosmos 1844 ?

3 minutes ago, Dibp said:

Oh - and the shooting something through the middle of Jupiter is right at the end of the very bad video. Video is terrible but it was the first attempt and only kept it because of the unexpected pot shot

Probably a satellite.

What was the date and time of the video ?

Great image Francis 👍

I thought long and hard about the Askar when I was looking for a 120mm scope. I eventually went with a different manufacturer but maybe I could have saved a bob or two buying the Askar ? 

Thanks for sharing 🙂

PS - Welcome to SGL 🙂

A well cooled and collimated SCT will show a lot - good choice 👍

Great images 👍

Great collection, they are such good mounts.

I have the GP and GP-DX for a very long time now, both still going strong 👍

I think Damian Peach does a lot of his imaging from some of the premium seeing sites all over the world ?

4 minutes ago, Flame Nebula said:

Maybe, it is a necessary path to travel on the road to enlightenment? 

True, But to save you some time and money…..

I have had many telescopes and all the different types and the only scope type I would recommend as truly sharp is a refractor.

But that is just me 🤣

10 minutes ago, IB20 said:

I do think the 5” frac is the one. If you go smaller you may always think what if, where you’re less likely to do that if you got a 5”. IME the mounting requirements between the 102ED & 120/125mms were no different.

Just a data point here….

I have a 100mm F/8 refractor that sits happily on a Vixen GP (similar to a SW EQ5) mounted  on a Berlebach UNI28.

I tried my 120mm F/7.5 refractor on the Vixen GP/Berlebach combo and it was too unstable for high power planetary.

54 minutes ago, Flame Nebula said:

Hi Dweller, 

1. In the region of £4K

2. Ed80, 127mm Mak. Az - Gti, D7000 dslr

3. DSO AP with ed80; planetary AP with good resolution ; splitting difficult doubles, including sirius. Planetary obs. Sharp clean views important. 

4. Nottingham area. Seeing varies, usually max out at 140 x with ed80,wrt sharpness. Naked eye limit about mag 4.5. 

5. Yes. Either from garage or house, depending on scope. Can't store it outside. Would need setting up each time. 

Oyher details : 59 yrs old, I'm told I have very early signs of cataracts (but I can't see any symptoms yet, that pleasure awaits). Reasonably strong when not having back issues (which randomly appear every so often) but in latter case, even setting up a tasco would be off the list.

Hope this helps paint a clearer picture. ☺️

Thanks 

Mark 

Ok, thanks.

You have a good budget but like me you like sharp clean views, have early cataract development, a bad back and move all your kit in and out for astro sessions.

It sounds like you have DSO AP covered with your ED80.

You can probably sell the 127 Mak to add funds to the kitty.

Your first choice probably needs to be the mount as that dictates what weight of scope you can use, You have mentioned an EQ6 in the past but they are heavy so would suggest you pay a visit to Rother Valley Optics and or your local astro club to see if you can manage one. 

Possibly the easiest choice for planetary and double star observing is a refractor but the OTA size depends on the mount. Refractors are less affected by the poor seeing we can get in the UK. Binoviewers are highly recommended for this.

I don’t do Planetary AP but would suggest a Newtonian with a rear mounted fan for quicker cool down, again the size is mount dependant.

Suggestion 1 : Heavy option (new prices)

SW EQ6 PRO: £1500

Askar 120 APO triplet: £1500

SW 10” F/5 Newtonian: £530

Suggestion 2 : Lighter option (new prices)

SW EQ5 PRO: £699

Starfield ED102: £899

SW 8” F/5 Newtonian: £349

Many other options are available 🙂

Hope that helps.

Hello Mark @Flame Nebula,

Perhaps you need to break things down a bit….

1. What is your total budget ?

2. What is your mount/scope kit list at the moment ?

3. What are you trying to achieve ?

4. Where do you live and what are your seeing conditions like ?

5. Do you need to move your kit around for an observing session ?
 

10 hours ago, Flame Nebula said:

I'm beginning to wonder if something like a used quattro 250mm F4 might be an option for planetary AP. I've seen these for sale at very low prices and some good images of Saturn. It would also be OK for visual, with coma corrector. 

Are you going round and round in circles ? 🤣

Too much choice these days 🤷🏻

BTW - checkout the planetary images posted by @Kon, he used a standard SW 8” F/6 Newtonian.

6 hours ago, Flame Nebula said:

I prefer clean sharp views.

News Flash…..

You are a refractor man 🤣

The best piece of kit that I ever bought to combat ageing eyes is ….

Binoviewers 🙂

A good C8 SCT will have a similar contrast level to a 135mm unobstructed telescope when used visually on the planets.

So you are probably right, a 120/125mm refractor would be a close call.

The 4” Starfield offers quick setup, low mass = quick cooling and will outperform your 127 Mak and ED80.

The 120/125mm refractor offers more resolution and a slightly brighter image than the 4”. But they are more bulky.

In my opinion a 4” refractor and a good 8” SCT are a great combination.

Just click on the home button (the house icon) at the top of the page then scroll down to the “Astro classifieds” section.