MarsG76

true that...

Welcome to SGL.

Hello Rich and welcome to SGL.

Hello and welcome to SGL... we're all infected with the same bug here.

I had my CGEM loaded with 25Kg at a time and when it was balanced, it performed fine.. when it became slightly out of balance because I removed a DSLR from the piggy back and lost about a kilo, than it struggled a bit slewing in one direction and started to "bounce" slightly when I stopped it and re balanced the mount... so from experience I think that being close to or over the mounts limit, this is when balance is very crucial. How much you are willing to go over the limit is up to you but I think it should be reasonable. For the record, right now my CGEM is running with a +/-35lb load on a 40lb limit mount, balanced both in RA and DEC and its smooth.

How cool, you can see the Gallilean moons!!

Hello and Welcome to SGL, also from downunder.

So Android won this Android vs iOS war?

Great images...

Cooling the DSLR did improve my images slightly, definitely much less noise in long subs like 1800s long exposures. I found that I can also push the DSLR to ISO 1600 now instead of ISO800 max of before cooling and have better noise performance. I find also that NB images look more interesting than just natural color... thats in most nebula cases, not all but most.

If your mount is balanced, I think you can get away with having a bit more weight that stated to be a max load... try it and see how the mount behaves.. if it looks like it's struggling than think about a bigger mount otherwise you might be OK, I think you'll be OK.

Great composition and color.... love it.

Plenty of detail there in the Trifid.

Cool colors

Nice pic of one of my favourite globulars to observe.

Hi All, Entering my DSLR imaged image of the Centaurus Radio Galaxy. Imaged using a Astromodded Canon 40D DSLR in natural color through a 8" SCT at F10, 2032mm focal length. MG

Hello All, This image of the Orion Nebula was imaged using my Astro modded and cooled Canon 40D DSLR through my 8" SCT at 2032mm focal length. This image has been exposed in natural color using only the IR/UV Cut filter. MG

Hello all, This image of the Rosette nebula was imaged using my Astro modded and now cooled Canon 40D DSLR, through a 80mm Refractor and Baader SII, OIII and HAlpha filters. MG

Hello all, Entering my Swan nebula to the competition... This has been imaged using my Modded Canon 40D, using Baader narrowband filters and a 80mm Refractor. MG.

Mate, thats a schmick classy looking scope.. enjoy... of course you're looking at weeks of cloudy weather from now on....

I totally agree with the above... I use a C8 for imaging on a CGEM mount and it works well, for portability a 8SE or Evolution 8 (or even a 9.25") would be great is only observing.... Visually I saw plenty of DSOs through the 8" SCT, from globs to galaxies to nebulae, and seen them quite well as far as visual astronomy goes..... Planets and the moon look great too. I to recommend a C8 or C9.25 SCT in your case.

Definitely the GPS Epoch week rollover issue... Check for updates for your system.

I guess the downside would be limited to low magnification imaging only and that it's only for imaging, can't use it for observing.... unlike a 8" SCT, like a EdgeHD that come with a Fastar compatible secondary and can be converted to a RASA 8 like system, with the added bonus of being able to use it for observing also..... The price difference is negligible since it'll the same once you get the Hyperstar lens for the SCT.

Personally I'm very happy with the 8" SCT.. it's small enough and powerful enough to last one a life time..... I'd say that would be it.

Oh no, in an eyepiece apocalypse you are only allowed to have one...