Adam J

One literally looks better on one of my monitors and the other looks better on the other monitor. Probably entiearly due to the background being slightly brighter in the second image. Between the two, I think I like the original more. Adam

it wont be as accurate for autoguiding as a mono camera as the system works off pixel brightness to locate the centre of a star. However it can still work and so long as you have some margin in the focal length of your guide scope in comparison to the main scope (<4:1) then you are likely to be ok.

The 385 is a much cleaner chip than the 294 in terms of dark current. Low ambient temperatures help too.

If you dont get the cooled version then you are going to be limited to 30s exposures, not impossible with the low read noise and High QE but the real pain will be calibration of the nasty amp glow that sensor has. I think that if I was going with a uncooled sensor then I would want something like the ASI533mc as that has some nice properties and no amp glow...unfortunately they have not yet released an uncooled version of that camera. In the end the answer is that you are much better off saving your pennies and waiting to get a cooled camera. Adam

Well that (H-FK71) looks similar in performance to OK-4 and that does very well for LZOS.

Likely to be fcd100 and that is good glass

I got a replacement Esprit 100 from FLO, it looking much better than the first one, but still not managed to take an full image with it.

Well I did say "worth doing a star test". I say astigmatism as there is a hint of a Maltese cross going on in the center stars.

Could be astigmatism could be caused by pinched optics. Worth doing a star test but I am not optimistic.

As discussed the CEM60 is not really an option due to price. In general so long as the AZ EQ6 GT is going to outperform my HEQ5 pro in terms of payload, tracking on heavier loads then I think Ill be going for it. Adam

Looks like this is now available for pre-order form FLO! ATIK look to be pricing this quite aggressively also to compete with the ZWO version. https://www.firstlightoptics.com/atik-cameras/atik-cosmos-full-format-cmos-imaging-camera.html At only a couple of hundred more it would make sense to go with the UK supplier from my perspective. Adam

I am looking for an upgrade, I am having issues with my Esprit 100 setup as its nudging towards 10kg and I have not been able to get consistently round stars, my pixel scale being 1.42"/pixel. Its possible that this issue is backlash in the RA axis, I do have a perceivable wobble, perhapse 1-2mm at the end of the counter weight shaft. I am not sure if that's normal or not, I do know that its not advised to have the worm too tight. Any advice is appreciated. On my 130PDS I used to get total RMS errors of 0.6 consistently, now I am struggling to get below 1.0 with most of that being in the RA axis hence that number being deceptive. I would say that the new setup is 3-4Kg heavier though. For the most part I am looking second hand and CEM60's are very rare, I also like using EQmod. Adam

Any particular reason that you did not like it? I think a statement like that needs expanding on.

Thanks for that, would you say that PPEC would significantly improve guiding in RA? I keep seeing this mount called: AZEQ6-GT or AZEQ6-GT Pro and even AZEQ6 Pro......whats the difference? Adam

Hi am not really following, can you expand on this?

Wow did not think it possible to make a 130mm FLP53 triplet for the same price i paid for my Esprit 100 (with flattener). I am not going to dismiss it just because of its price but i would be looking on astrobin for example images prior to purchase. Adam

What are the advantages of the AZ EQ6GT over the EQ6-R? Bearing in mind that I would only be using it in EQ mode and for imaging. I ask because I can get a good price on a AZ EQ6GT making it similar in price to the EQ6-R, are there any advantages to the EQ6-R over the AZ EQ6 GT? I would be running an Esprit 100 with the possibility of getting a refactor of up to 130mm in the future. Cheers. Adam

He does not qualify anyway, you only qualify for the Darwin Award if you have not already reproduced and hence failed to onward propagated your DNA.

Flattners dont correct vignetting, they correct for field curvature. Apart from that imaging at F7.5 is also not so great.

Yes I see that now, I was looking on another web page where the scope was pointing right to left and there was no split, but I can only think that they must have flipped the image of the scope as seen from the other side. I am guessing that the dove tail will need to be mounted quite far back to get balance and so if you need to rotate the entire scope in the clamp to get the correct sensor orientation it will be best to mount the scope with the focuser upside down. Also wondering if that is a compression ring on the 62mm or they went cheap and its just thumb screws. Adam

Not even sure its a clamp with the 62mm it might just be incorporated into the scope and not be removable.....in which case I dont see a camera rotator...which begs the question, how do you rotate the sensor if using a threaded connection to the dedicated 0.9x reducer flattener?

I see, you will almost inevitably want a flatterer / reducer in the near future for imaging.

Everything you will need, in terms of adapters for a 55mm back focus comes in the box with the camera. You will not need to buy anything.

Only way to add spikes to a refractor is to make a mask and do it properly. I personally think it adds something to open clusters, but spikes added in processing do look rubbish.

If you are just starting then a ED80 / 70 or a 130PDS are your best choices.