bosun21

Interesting video. Thanks for uploading it John.

The ASI585MC does require the addition of an UV/IR cut filter both for planetary as well as AP. Best to check the specs of the camera you intend to buy or use beforehand.

I have lost count the number of times your statement has applied to the end of many of my observing sessions. I also tip my hat to your short list of possible targets with redeeming qualities.

I have always powered the mount off after setting it in the home position. My routine is to polar align the mount then send it to the home position. Once the mount stops moving I loosen the clutches and set the home position manually. Power the mount off and back on again and select start from parked. Carry out the star alignment and that's it. The mount then works perfectly and the go to is accurate. At the end of the session I send it to park scope and it always returns perfectly to counterweights down and Dec pointing to the celestial pole. Then switch off. The mount then remembers the park position.

Yes I also check collimation before every session now that I think about it. I can then be sure that it's the seeing conditions that are the limiting factor on a particular night.

Having owned both the 8" and 12" solid tube Stella Lyra dobsonians I can also attest to the quality of the mirror(s) in both these scopes.

I am also a fan of the Concentre(Concenter) for an accurate alignment of the secondary mirror. Once properly aligned it shouldn't need to be adjusted again unless the telescope has been roughly handled. I also rate my 2" Hotech laser highly as it eliminates any movement of the laser inside the focuser. I can also position the laser on the primary mirror spot in the dark without having to use a torch as when the laser is on the centre spot it becomes a clear cross making the process both quick and accurate. The primary mirror reflection also becomes a cross ensuring accuracy. The most important aspect to me is that it is repeatable. I can collimate then remove and replace the laser and still be collimated. For peace of mind I also check against a cap and cheshire which always correspond with each other. I find that when planetary imaging I check the collimation every session as its vitally important.

I would also go for the Bresser unless when you mentioned being travel friendly you meant aeroplane or backpack friendly. The Bresser is easily transported in a car but not a backpack or aeroplane.

Hi Panos, welcome to SGL.

I started planetary imaging last year in earnest and I'll contribute my two pennies worth. I started out with a 150mm Maksutov on an EQ5 pro mount which I chose for its refractor like images. There's so much to learn and so many aspects that need to be fine tuned, usually on the night of capture itself. I will stick to the equipment i used. I used the Mak with EQ5 pro for months, imaging every clear sky i could get. I was pleased with the modest results I attained. I then moved to a 10" go to dobsonian which I bought primarily for planetary imaging but also some visual observing. The increase of 4" extra aperture didn't immediately produce drastically better images and is now a work in progress waiting for the planets return and better seeing conditions. I also bought a AZ-EQ6 but I have no intention of putting a larger Newtonian on it as the 10" is more than adequate. I want the AZ-EQ6 for an apo and a 180 Mak. The learning curve for planetary imaging is a steep one, but it's a journey I'm pleased to have started. I consciously left out any mention of the image processing which is a topic for another day. Planetary imaging whether captured on an EQ rig or ALT/AZ will have no bearing on the results of the final image. A coma corrector is not required for planetary imaging. You should ask yourself what is it you want to do. Is it planetary imaging, astrophotography or visual? You seem to be changing your aims between them. This will have a huge effect on what recommendations you receive.

You don't need the control panel. Just plug the hand controller into the Virtuoso mount via the dedicated HC port. The hand controller should be able to detect that it's now operating in ALT/AZ mode.

Having owned both the 8" and 12" solid tube Stella Lyra (GSO) dobsonians, both of which were optically very good. I found that moving them around the garden, and even to and fro from the house to the garden was relatively easy using a sack barrow @Ratlet has mentioned this fact in a previous post. I now have the 10" Flextube go to dobsonian which is also easily manoeuvred using the sack barrow despite the much heavier base. I never use the trusses to move the scope and this is clearly stated in literature. To me it's all about the bulk and not so much the weight that makes them problematic. This problem is taken care of with the addition of wheelbarrow handles or the use of a sack barrow.

It means that the motor controller boards aren't responding. Check that you have the correct power supply of 12v and 2.5A as low power input can cause this error. Also check all your connections and cables are tight and secure. This can be a costly error and is fairly common with AVX mounts.

The reason that the secondary is the same size in the 300PDS as it is in the 250PDS is due to its longer focal length. 1500mm as opposed to 1200mm. The extra focal length allows the light cone to be narrower. The only reason I would maybe lean towards the OO is for the 1/10th wave mirror and if weight saving is an issue. Some people have experienced flexure with the larger aluminium tubes of the OO. Coma correctors for visual are subjective. Some folk hate any edge of field distortion whereas some folk don't mind too much as they mainly observe on axis. For myself F5 and below benefit from a CC.

I have the SW 10" go to dobsonian which is very good for planetary imaging in my opinion. There are several very good planetary imagers on the forum that use these scopes of varying sizes. The reason that the secondary is larger on the SW PDS and Flextube dobsonians as opposed to the OO is to allow for a camera to reach focus easily without the need for a barlow etc. Visually they are also very good, and the PDS with a coma corrector fitted makes a competent AP scope. I was actually thinking of getting an OO tube to mount on my AZ-EQ6 but the fact that I already have a new 10" go to dobsonian renders this a mute point.

Whilst astro landscaping was never my forte, this didn't stop me from reading and watching his videos with admiration. His passion and knowledge base was truly captivating. RIP Alyn Wallace.

Completely finished with the focuser changeover now. I have taped the redundant fixing holes and used black foam to completely eradicate any light ingress. What was initially frustrating at the start with nothing whatsoever lining up as they miraculously seem to do on the YouTube videos. I'm pleased as punch with the final outcome.

Very nice images Paul 👍.

A very warm welcome to SGL Jessilee 👋. We are generally a very friendly and helpful bunch.

Three years! And you still haven't decided. If I were you I would narrow it down to the serious contenders, then list their pros and cons. Any reviews you read for the said telescopes try and ensure that they are from experienced observers. Even on this forum while I read every comment on equipment purchase and observing results etc, I only ingest and allow myself to be guided by those comments coming from experienced members whose many years at the eyepiece with different scopes forms the basis of their knowledge. I'll say it once again. If you can allow for the cool down time of an 180mm Maksutov then you will have the closest to apo refractor performance in my experience. They are sharper both for visual and planetary imaging than an SCT. They are also good for doubles. They are also compact and easy to transport. The other choice you mention is the ED120 or the SM125. Buying new then the 125 would be my choice simply for the extra 5mm aperture and the better 2.5" R&P focuser fitted as standard. When I'm personally deciding on buying a new telescope it's on the particular model I'm purchasing, as I have decided on scope design and manufacturer some time prior. I also am a planetary enthusiast and have viewed and imaged the planets with refractors (both apo & achro), reflectors, SCT's as well as Maksutovs. The best views were from my 4" apo refractor with lovely colours and sharpness all round. The Maksutovs (once cooled) were snapping at the heels of the refractors along with the Newtonians. Slightly behind the Newts came the SCT's solely due to the views being softer. As you increase aperture the playing field changes in my opinion. Ideally we would just want to increase the size of our apo refractor scope but cost throws a proverbial spanner in the works. For planetary imaging then it's all about resolution to tease out the details on the planets surface which means aperture basically. For this reason it's large Newts and SCT's that are the scopes of choice. As you are already aware the seeing conditions here in the UK hinders the performance we can achieve with larger apertures. So I have found it to be something of a balancing act between conditions and equipment regarding the planets. I have captured images of the planets with a 180 Mak that I haven't beaten with a 300mm Newt. I know that this is solely due to the seeing conditions not being conducive to the larger scope.But I have started asking myself am I getting more enjoyment from several nice images with the smaller scope or perhaps the one excellent image (if any at all) from the larger scope. I am now in the smaller scope camp. I think I will settle on my existing 10" go to dobsonian and I will add a 180mm Maksutov onto my AZ-EQ6 for the nights of poorer seeing. Either that or a SM25 apo and I can then open the sky up to a multitude of amazing views and targets. The only thing that I do know for sure at this second is that it won't take me three years to decide. Good luck with whichever avenue you decide to venture down.

I have never owned this particular scope but FLO sells an Oklop bag for 150/750 reflectors. You could always drop them a message asking them to verify the dimensions.

No you just need to plug the WiFi dongle into the handset port and connect to the Synscan pro app. This then allows ASCOM to communicate to each other using this method. It worked a treat for me as I was pulling my hair out before being told to try this from Alex at FLO.

Another 👍 for the Duplex Moon Atlas.

For what it's worth I couldn't get my dobsonian to connect via ASCOM using the USB connection on the handset. I also tried everything to no avail. I ended up just using the WiFi signal to connect to the Synscan pro app and its mobile driver. This then allows everything else on ASCOM to communicate. In my case it was Sharpcap and Stellarium. You could use the WiFi dongle unless this isn't practical for you.

It appears that the telescope is sold without any extension pieces so focus should be achievable as it comes. This leads me to think that the collimation of the mirrors must be way off if focus is unachievable. Search on YouTube for collimating a Newtonian as there are a lot of good videos on the subject.