Go for 80ED or keep 200p?

[Leebert]

I currently have a 200p on a HEQ5 and a Skymax 127 AltAz. I originally got the 200p for photography and observing. I got the 127 more recently as a grab and go and probably use it more unless I feel a DSO imaging session coming on.

Thanks to a 'heads up' on here, I've seen on the Altair Astro and Ian King websites that there are some good value 80mm fracs that you can get with a dedicated focal reducer. I am very tempted to go for one of them but I get the feeling that I would be getting a scope that is maybe too similar to the 200p for what I use it for?

My observing sessions tend to be relatively short and I think the 200p doesn't come out so often as it needs time to get set up and to cool down. If I got an 80mm frac and used the HEQ5 I think I could get the same/more use in a more compact package (and I wouldn't need steps to get to the eyepiece!).

Is there room for a 200p and a 80mm frac together or would I be better off selling the 200p (or forget the 80mm frac and continue using the 200p)?

I would appreciate peoples thoughts as I have never owned or used a refractor for either visual or photography.

Thanks,

Lee

[ollypenrice]

This is for visual? If so an 80mm aperture can't get near a 200mm aperture in terms of depth. The 80mm would perhaps be more productive for imaging because of the refractor 'plug and play' factor. You gain by not having to collimate, by asking less of the mount, by not needing a coma corrector, etc.

Olly

[Gina]

I have an ED80 (Skywatcher Evostar) and delighted with it It's the recommended scope for starting DSO imaging and would thoroughly recommend buying it but I would suggest keeping your 200p too, if you can possibly afford it.

[Capricorn]

For visual the 80mm is completely different to the 200P.

The 200P will collect a lot more light so show more.

For AP I wouldn't like to say. Many use short ED refractors for AP and have great success. In honesty the short ED and APO refractors seem to be the ones that supply the better images.

[Leebert]

A bit of both probably but I would err toward the imaging side.

On the imaging side, the 127 seems to work well with the SPC900 webcam on the planets whilst I have been using the 200p with a DSLR for nebulae and smaller clusters but find it tricky to get well set up and balanced etc.

Visually, I tend to use the 127 more as it is so much easier to get it set up.

When I was writing the post, I was thinking that an 80 frac would get me easier setup and just as good images for photography. I am still very much a newbie and have only imaged a few of the more popular Messier objects. My most recent - M76 didn't come out as well as I'd hoped but I wonder if it would have been different if taken using a frac?

[Leebert]

I think I must be a slow typer! I was replying to Olly's post but others have appeared!

The original intention is/was to have an 80mm frac and keep the 200p. However, I got to thinking that the 200p would just gather dust as I might use the 127 as the grab n go visual (& planetary imaging) scope and an 80mm frac would get used for DSO imaging.

[Black Knight]

My own opinion, for what it's worth.

I started imaging with a 200P, and compared to imaging with a refractor, it was an long excercise in frustration. To mitigate this somewhat, I should say however that my experience of imaging with my 200P did coincide with not only the whole AP learning process, but also learning about polar alignment, drift aligning and so on. So that might help to put some perspective on it . And I was using it on an EQ5 .

Later on when I bought an ED80, I simply couldn't believe how much easier it was to image with than the 200P. On the basis of my own experience I would definitely recommend a new starter into AP to use a refractor, at least to start with. Simply because they are easier to image with.

I still image with a newt - I have an 8" Quattro - but now I have gotten a lot of the initial learnings out of the way it is somewhat easier.

[FrankieValley]

One reason to keep the 200P is for planetary imaging. I find my 100ED refractor easier to image DSO's with, but my 250PDS wins for planetary imaging. Keep both.

[Black Knight]

I agree. My own 200p was great for planets .

[ollypenrice]

Interesting to have the 'refractors are easier' hypothesis confirmed. I'm a provider, mostly of imaging facilities and tuition when wanted. I want things to work, though this is asking rather a lot of an imaging setup!!! For this reaon my own imaging scopes are refractors. They don't need collimating. (Time saved. Remember you may have to redo flats if you take out the camera.) They are compact. (They don't get bumped into, they don't attract the wind, they don't give the mounts a hard time.) They don't give diffraction spikes. (Which I don't like on widefield images but which, more importantly, make it hard or impossible to combine images from different scopes or from previous seasons.)

Moving from a refractor to anyting else makes imaging life harder, there's no doubt about this.

Olly

[FrankieValley]

Good points Olly. I would also add 'guiding' as a con for a reflector. In my experience the 1200mm focal length of my 250PS means I need a piggy back guide scope or an OAG to guide. Both these guiding setups are expensive.

The 765mm f/l of my refractor means I can guide happily (for over 10min subs) with a finderguider with modest guide scope.

[Earl]

I currently use a 80mm meade which as you know im replacing, I guide this with a piggybacked ST80 on an EQ6.

I have a 180 Skymax pro for Planetary also now my 9.25 now its dried out will be used.

My 250 newt is ready to have the ST80 piggybacked for guiding also, this I have not tried yet as im awaiting an adapter for the focuser, but I fancy some real diffraction spikes, and having a try with it.

I like to keep my options open.

[Leebert]

Thanks for all the replies. It seems there maybe room for both the frac and the newt. I can always see what gets used over time and sell what doesn't if that makes sense.

Next question is do I hold off hitting the 'Add to cart' button for test results of do I bite the bullet whilst SWMBO has no objection?

[Carbon Brush]

For what it's worth...

I have always bought the 'extra' scope, then waited to see how I get on and whether it overlaps with the existing. So far, I have not found myself saying 'I shouldn't have sold the ..."

But then again. I seem to get 'extra' scopes more often than I sell on the 'overlap' scopes.

[FrankieValley]

Add to cart, gets my vote :-)

[Gina]

Mine too but it's not my money

[Specman]

I love mine and even use it for observing, I think its great. I use Hyperion EP's and a 2" x2 Barlow and get great views of the planets, doubles, DSO's and clusters.

It manages a 2x Barlow and 5mm EP on Jupiter no problem and with the focal reducer the images it is capable of are beyond my ability I'm sure.

42_Pixinsight_Final_labelled.jpg (249.8 KB)

[Gina]

That's a magnificent M42 Beautiful!

[Specman]

That's a magnificent M42 Beautiful!

Thanks Gina

Imagine the 80ED in the hands of somebody who knows what they are doing?

[Gina]

I have the same equipment except that it's the 1100D camera. I'll be pretty pleased if I can get results like that No night-time results of any sort lately though - too much cloud!

[Specman]

I have the same equipment except that it's the 1100D camera. I'll be pretty pleased if I can get results like that No night-time results of any sort lately though - too much cloud!

Its all down to you Gina! Your post helped me no end to polar align and set up the HEQ5.

Tell me about the weather. That is the best pic I have snatched this year. Only had two good nights out this season and one of those the full moon spoilt it!

Do you know it has rained EVERY day here since November!

I went to set up on Saturday night but as soon as I got my scope out the clouds rolled in.

My telescope came with its own rain cloud I think.