Skyline

The 130PDS with EQ5 Pro.

The choice can only lay with you Chris, whatever you choose - Enjoy !

10 hours ago, Lockie said:

It's just the money mate, else I'd jump at an ED100, especially as a self confessed refractor man. I just can't escape the fact that a Newt is over half a grand cheaper. 

Then I would go for something like a 130PDS, slightly bigger aperture without CA and invest more on the mount.

Nadeem.

A 100ED is a nice alternative to a 200mm newt, easy to handle, good for visual and some dabbling imaging with brighter dso's also if you want planetary and lunar imaging but without the weight of a newt and also better handling. 

When the moon was at its gibbous phase earlier this month I was observing the moon with my 100ED. Not a hint of false colour.

It's a good compromise over a 200m newt, grab and go.

Nadeem

You've had it before, why not have it again:

sw130pds with something like a eq5/heq5 pro mount. good for handling, visual and imaging also does not break the bank account. If you want I can print a focus mask out for you - foc.

Nadeem.

Anything to get rid of the wires

On 02/12/2019 at 13:46, alacant said:

A dreamy rosette, but unfortunately running out of frame. The nebula extends further than suggested by kstars. Or -far more likely- I entered the focal length incorrectly in the first place. Maybe a two frame mosaic?

Comments for improvement always appreciated.

Thanks for looking.

It's a wonderful render of the rosette and the star colour is good. 

Since moving over from a modded dslr onto a ASI294MC Pro. So far I have only been dabbling with APT and the camera, as I am still trying to iron out the spacing with my TSRED279 reducer.

I find this camera is better sampled with anything from a 600mm focal length scope.

A few nights ago I was using this camera with my Celestron 80ED, I still need to find the reducer sweet spot for this scope, the framing of IC1848 is out but the results speak for themselves.

Coupled with a Dual Enhance filter and 2.5 hours of data, this was my result.

Nadeem.
 

Very nice Francis, I take it was done with your ASi294MC Pro ?

Data taken with a Sky-Watcher 130PDS, taken around 24 months ago, but was deciding to trash the data or process the image, taken with Modded 1100D, 24x300 Subs. 

Can you not go back to TS, I am sure they could offer a service?

What did you use to cut the holes in the plastic box if you don't mind me asking?

N.

Wonderful clean image, with a very good balance of colours, I always struggle with galaxy colour processing.

A picture paints a thousand words, good picture that, your guiding must be good.

For this scope which I had in a past life 😀, your very much on the limit with this mount.  My 200PDS was mounted on an eq6.

I would not put anything above 8kg for dso imaging on an heq5 pro. Even though I'm sure others would disagree. 

For planetary or visual you should be fine, just balance it properly, might I suggest another 5kg counterweight so you are using 2x 5 kg counterweights.

N.

Hi,

In the early days of me having a 130PDS, I was archiving my old pictures, I somewhat forgot to process a data set of M45, looking at the lights they were 26x300sec subs with bias and flats applied using a modded 1100D and a SW CC.

I have just compared the two ota's with Astronomy Tools, there is some undersampling with the ASI294 MC Pro, the C80ED is well suited including a 130PDS (a lot portable then a bulky 6"), however still want to avoid a reflector set up if I can.

Hi Alan,

I have been contemplating the same thing even I have a ed72. I like the WO73 due to its build quality retractable dew shield, fpl53, better focuser. 

I also hear TS do a good one as well.

I seem to have reducer for it as well. I am also thinking about just keeping 3 quality refractors and doing away with my reflector from having spinal surgery. The other scopes have good r&p focusers on them the C80ED and C100ED.

Nadeem.

Hi Mike,

The 6" Newt was used for imaging, so to answer your question I would like to use it for imaging.

Hi

I am in a bit of a dilemma, after my spinal surgery I was told the maximum amount of weight I would be able to handle now is more likely to be no more then 6kg regarding telescopes, even after a few years. 😭

I would like to replace my OMNI XLT 6" newt with something more manageable - Newtonian or Refractor, as now I find it very much bulky especially when my guide scope is fitted. The XLT mirrors are fantastic and don't get me wrong I am very fond of the scope, its just the bulkiness which is not on my side no more. Collimation has never been a concern mostly as I only need to slightly tweak the primary if needed when mounted.

I initially thought replacing it with something like a 120ED, but recently being told that it will weigh somewhat more then my C100ED and would be bulky, apart from the 120ED being slightly faster the FOV imaging indicators shows very little difference If I used the C100ED with a TSRED279 0.79x reducer. I can somewhat still handle the C100ED and it doubles as a Lunar and Planetary scope due to its long focal length. It is mostly used for observing and on rare occasions lunar imaging.

My main  imaging setup telescope combination at one given time are with these telescopes:

C80ED + TSRED279 Reducer + AI294MC Pro

SWED72 + TSRED279 Reducer + AI294MC Pro

The only one to come close would be a either a ES 6" MakNewt Comet Hunter, but then even though it has a carbon fibre tubing, total including accessories is 7.9kg which is over my weight allowance or should I just replace it with a 5" 130PDS again, which nicely it weighs just under 5kg with a guidescope.

I would like to hear your views please.

Nadeem.

I never used to take darks, spent more time processing data. Always used ISO800 less noise to deal with.

When dithering,  I found darks to inherit more noise into your picture when using DSLR.

I used to take with my modded 1100d, lights, flats and bias. 

20-30 flats with 20 bias 

I love the colour combo

My own personal concern I am not allowed anything above 5 - 6kg and I think the StellaMira would be over my medical allowance.

That means I have to spend on something else 😁

14 minutes ago, FLO said:

A photo of the StellaMira 104 ED2 Triplet refractor: 

It looks really good £££££  😁

I love scopes with black high gloss piano finish.

Guaranteed with also a piece of mind your buying from a very reputable seller with excellent customer service. 

9 hours ago, Lockie said:

Yes speaking to Steve, FLO are launching their own brand of scopes - Stella Mira ! The Apo on display was a 104mm f6.25 Triplet with not one but two ED elements! It's in a lovely black and red livery and of course very nice CNC machining inc a carry handle I was impressed. There is more but I can't remember what I'm allowed to say?

This reminds me of another branded scope which is on the market already. 

It would be interesting how much the costs differs between the two. 

I look forward to FLO's new revelation. 😉