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VigdisVZ

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Posts posted by VigdisVZ

  1. Hi guys.

    Old-timer back after some years inactive.

    I'm planning on upgrading the finder scopes on my 200p flextube, and was looking through the options, and I decided to go with the telrad and a 8x50 finder scope with the 90 degree angle. The store lists two version at the same price, one with the keyword "erect" in it. What would be the difference between the two? I have searched a little and found nothing of value.

    Have a great sunday.

  2. It's not "unimportant". It's however much less important than mounting.

    You can see stunning pictures made with small lens APO's, but you rarely see those long-sub, narrowband composites executed well on a flimsy mount because you'll be throwing away too much material when the mounting is sub-par.

    Also, aperture works somewhat in reverese: you will have more strain on the mount, and the focal length might make it impractical since some objects wont fit. I have also heard that large aperture photo-newts take a lot of TLC to get work properly with collimation, and I suspect that larger apertures generally might be more demanding on maintenance.

    I tend to think of it as long-distance vs sprinting. When visually observing you want large aperture since the eye cannot alter its "exposure time" and basicly cram as much light in there as possible. However when you're set for a long distance run, you want to go slow and steady to to get a consistent pace and should only go faster if you know can last for the entire race.

    • Like 2
  3. Hi and welcome. Great name :D I have the same.

    First of all you dont need an EQ mount to track, however, if you try to take long exposure photos without an EQ mount (or a wedge) you will get field rotation, ie the image will rotate and get blurry.

    Also, a reflector isnt always the best choice, some people will tell you a refractor is the way to go for beginner AP, however it usually comes with a lesser focal length and is somewhat less suited to planetary work.

    1) I can only speak from experience. I bought a NEQ-6 and scope separately. Worked fine for me :)

    2) Telescopes usually come with rings and a dovetail bar. Consult your retailer for specifics.

    3) Yes, you need to have a motorized EQ mount. Otherwise youre limited to really bright objects that require short exposure and even take a movie with a webcame and stack.(moon, Jupiter).

    4) Piggybacking is a good option if you want to take pictures with your regular lens. It depends on what you want to do.

    5) The camera wont be as much of an issue as the weight of the telescope. Aslong as you check what the mount is rated for, and try to stay well below that for better chance of getting a nice picture ;) And you need to balance the the scope ofcourse.

    My question for you is what do you intend to do? Are you serious about DSO photography or do you want moon/planets? If you invest in a smaller rig now do moon/planets, will it be come obsolete later? Is DSO's were you will end up? In that case you need the best possible mount you can afford. You can work with a motorized EQ 3-2 but be aware that you might someday want to start loading heavier scopes. I'd suggest nothing less than the EQ-5 (better yet the EQ-6) Unfortunately DSO photography is very expensive unless you constantly want to struggle uphill to get good results. The good news is that if you get the unmotorized 200p/ EQ-5 kit, you can add motors later. So if budget is an issue, see if you can invest in stuff that wont get obsolete quickly.

    Like rowan said, you could just wait with the EQ mount and get a 200p dob, and start out with that. There are a ton of options open to you if you dont intend to do long exposure photography. However, getting the EQ-5 opens up the possibility of upgrading the mount.

    Finally, and I cannot stress this enough: If youre serious about DSO photography, get Steves book "Making Every Photon Count". It's a complete walkthrough to DSO AP. And also, see if you can meet up with some fellow astronomers in your local Society. That way you could get first hand advice and even have a look at the equipment.

    • Like 1
  4. Thanks for the calculation. I am no scholar, but I'm beginning to realise that it's not hard to build these things yourself with basic electricity knowledge. Already looking at DIY parts.

    Speaking of dew and frost. I actually noticed something this morning (since Stockholm got its first hit of morning frost today). My car windows were all frosted over. Except a small patch underneath an aerodynamic part I have above my back window. This indicates that frost really do seem to fall from above, which in turn seems prove the concept of a dew shield.

  5. sorry if this is a daft question but how do heated dew shields work if you are in the middle of nowhere? Do they plug into your car cigarette lighter, or is that too simple? Perhaps I could get a solar powered one...... :wink:

    Since you're already carrying a battery tank or car battery for your GO-TO mount, camera, laptop, guide setup you can easily heat a few low power heaters.

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