Need help choosing new set up please people!

[stargazer1980]

To my disappointment and to no fault of Steve's at FLO Skywatcher aren't releasing their 300PX EQ6 pro till end of the year/early next, so was wanting to put it to you guys as to any suggestions as to what i could buy!

My total budget is between the 1500-2000 mark! I'm wanting something for visual as well as something to start me on my path into astrophotography! Maybe a refractor piggy backed on a reflector using either one as a guide scope changing between both for visual and photographic work! EQ6 DOES need to be included as thats a dead cert!!!!

It doesn't need to be light as I'm 6ft 5 and not exactly a light weight in the lifting department!

Any suggestions would be appreciated

Darren

[GazOC]

For visual you could buy a 12" Dob, some tube rings and mount the scope on an EQ6? For imaging you'd probably be better of getting a decent short f# refractor....for £2000 you'll get a decent setup for both visual and imaging.

[stargazer1980]

any suggestions on the refractor/s front! Might go for 2 for imaging to start off with, also the dob for visual then photo when a little more experienced!

Darren

[Grant]

Not sure if your budget includes the EQ6 but assuming it doesn't, if I had that budget and was starting again, I would go for:

Skywatcher Explorer 250PX (EQ6 PRO) - £1295

Evostar 80ED PRO 2 - £425

The explorer 10" for visual and a bit of imaging and the ED80 for imaging.... that comes to £1720, minus 10% SGL discount = £1548 leaving you enough cash for a Canon 350D and adaptors... or, a 3rd scope Skymax 150 PRO - £440

That way, if you go the three scope route you've got your visual scope, your imaging scope and your planet/moon killer.... Thats a whole lot of kit for your money!

[GazOC]

The ED80 is a great scope for imaging (or so I'm told, I'm no imager!) but the ED100 is a great imaging scope and a great visual scope.

[Cloudwatcher]

Not sure if your budget includes the EQ6 but assuming it doesn't, if I had that budget and was starting again, I would go for:

Skywatcher Explorer 250PX (EQ6 PRO) - £1295

Evostar 80ED PRO 2 - £425

The explorer 10" for visual and a bit of imaging and the ED80 for imaging.... that comes to £1720, minus 10% SGL discount = £1548 leaving you enough cash for a Canon 350D and adaptors... or, a 3rd scope Skymax 150 PRO - £440

That way, if you go the three scope route you've got your visual scope, your imaging scope and your planet/moon killer.... Thats a whole lot of kit for your money!

You couldn't go far wrong with a line up like that! However, as I'm no 6' 4' weightlifter I would go for the HEQ5pro rather than the '6' and save some 'dosh' for extras.

CW

[MartinB]

EQ6 ED80 and PX200. This is assuming you are going for the SXV H9 as your camera.

EQ6 - no brainer for this budget, will carry all your kit with plenty to spare.

ED80 - hits the sweet spot for for the H9 or the Atik 16HR. Get yourself a focal reducer - Celestron 0.63 or better still an Astrophysics 0.67 (+tapered nosepiece)

PX250 - high performance imaging scope with loads of aperture for visual. Image with the H9 when the seeing is good.

This gives you focal lengths of 400 600 and 1250mm.