Beginner's Plan of Action - Opinions Please

[Pappy Nick]

Hi everyone ...

I will have approx £200 to spend on my re-introduction to this great hobby. After lots (and lots) of forum lurking, review reading, researching and sifting i have come up with a very basic plan of action. If anybody has any comments/opinions they'd like to chip in, please do so -

I'd really like to get into astro-photography as I already own a DSLR, but I'm very aware that I need to get a basic grounding first. I'm therefore thinking about getting something like the Starwatcher Explorer 130P as my first telescope and trying to utilise a webcam for imaging as I'm under the impression that Reflectors don't play well with DSLRs.

Sometime in the future, if I decide that Asronomy's still for me, I'll probably invest in a Refractor (Starwatcher ST102) OTA as I assume that the EQ mount that comes with the Explorer will still be suitable.

Does this sound like a go-er !!!

All opinions/comments welcome.

Much Cheersness

[Nova]

Sounds like a plan to me. I would have said to go for 150P dobsonian which you can get for just under £200 but if you were going to hava a go at imaging then the starwatcher mount will be better, is it on an EQ2 or GOTO?. Although the EQ mount is of a lower spec than the reccomended for imagaing it will give you a starting point you will need to consider some form of tracking. The DSLR although perhaps not great on planets should give some results on DSO's

Good luck!! be sure to share your results

[Pappy Nick]

Hi Steve ...

I'll probably be going for the EQ-2 Mount to start with, as I'd like to re-aquaint myself with our night sky My logic being, that when/if I decide to buy the refractor then I'll probably get a skywatcher motor-drive as well. Not only that, I'm also hoping to get enough change out of my initial purchase that I'll be able to get an eyepiece kit.

Cheers

[Capricorn]

If you are thinking of the ST120 and EQ2 for astrophotography then it may not be a good idea. The ST120 will have significnt CA, possibly SA as well, and the EQ2 is too flimsy.

Mounts for astrophotography really start at HEQ5, you may if you use a light scope, 66-70mm, get away with an EQ5. The ST120 is not light.

Astrophotography is a specialised area, and the equipment used is generally expensive.

[Pappy Nick]

Hi Capricorn ....

Thanks for the input, you very succinctly pointed out a typo for me - it was the ST102 I was thinking of getting, and not the ST120

Does that sound a better proposition ???