newbie alert

I'm looking at either the 2 inch 3.5nm or 1.25 7nm myself Adam.. I have a 12nm at the moment which is pants.. it be nice to go Astrodon or chroma but just too much for me.. Let us know how you get on

Great scope..more of less identical to the altair one

More likely conditions, jet stream out of the way..light winds,transparent skies..is it too much to ask!!..but I feel you will get better results without the barlow I did read here that you was on 13 fps? If you use roi that frame rate will inrease

I have a 8 inch sct and a camera with similar pixel size..and have never managed to get a decent shot of Jupiter, now that it's only 20 odd degrees that's going to be alot harder as fighting the atmospheics too..id drop the Barlow and use the roi to get the frame rate up

Oops,I must apologise..yes I am talking on a imaging perspective as I thought I was on a imaging page...feel free to carry on as you were...!

If not you could find out what the tube is made from and what they use to paint it with.. enamel..powdercoat..some paints need baking on..

I'm not talking about focal ratio as it's all relative..all I'm saying is if you increase the aperture it won't necessarily give you a bigger image scale..you need to increase the focal length to do that..focal length gives you the image scale..aperture gives you the brightness..think about the photons on a 16 inch dob,It will catch more photons it won't change the size of them.. As a comparison ,same camera,same target..16 inch dob verses a 8 inch sct..both have the same focal length..dob has double the aperture F ratio is the combination of aperture and focal length

If going down the AP route I'd grab a 80mm frac, neq5 mount setup..sct are better on planets..and Az mounts aren't really suited to AP.. if funds are the issue as they are in most cases then a 60-70mm frac on a star adventurer is still a better option in my mind..or purchase the S.A. first..use it with your camera and purchase the scope at a later date when you are sure that' the direction you want to go..

I use a peg and a 90degree bend peice of cardboard to locate the right screw then slacken or tighten it which ever way it needs to go..i use my capture program and go either side of focus..my tube holds collimation fairly well but worth a check..this isn't 100% but will correct it when I have more time

I'd suggest a reducer too as it will flatten the field too..i played with collimation too the other night..and like yours is say not quite spot on..what oag are you using?

Solar imaging or just visual is a awesome...

To increae image scale you have to incease focal length..aperture increases brightness as it increases the photons captured..

I have a 8sct and I have a 12mm and 6mm xcel ep..the 12 you can use most of the time and the 6 I've managed only to use twice in 2 years..but the image of Saturn I see with it is etched in my memory for ever..seeing transparency has to be spot on and with the planets so low in the uk you'e be fighting the atmospherics..where are you in uk?

Personally I'd go for the esprit.. that will take you far beyond the time once you have purchased the ccd..awesome triplet

Try to calibrate on a star as close to DEC 0 and the meriian.. stay away from the pole and zenith