Short Cloudy Nights = Shopping List Extensions

[Anweniel]

So with these miserable cloud filled nights and the hours of darkness getting thinner I find myself window shopping for astro gear (can it be called window shopping on the internet?) For a long time I have known that working on my alt/az Supatrak mount is very restrictive when it comes to my aspirations of imagaing although I am pleased with what I have achieved with it so far, but I think now I have a firm idea of how I would like to make a nice modest imaging setup and am starting to find more funds to add to a savings pot for it.

Keeping in mind that I plan to continue imaging with the telescopes I already own (primarily the Megrez 90), what do people think of my current shopping list? Just to give me an idea if I am shooting for the right thing or I am barking wildy up the wrong kind of tree.

Im not thinking of a strict budget as such but keeping the costs to (in astronomy terms) a 'reasonable' and attainable level (no paramount ME or fancy mesu mounts for me!)

Here it is and any comments really would help and be appreciated

http://www.firstligh...-cgem-goto.html

http://www.firstligh...xis-guider.html

http://www.firstligh...rtguider-2.html

http://www.firstligh...ch-2458384.html - 7nm Hα

This comes nicely to a round £2000 and I have done a bit of research into each product and have reasons for selecting each of them but having no real experience I may well be making bad choices. I also seem to get some unnatural pleasure from checking this stuff out lol!

Thanks in advance

[pete_l]

An interesting combination.

You've listed a CGEM mount, OAG, Baader smartguider and a 2-inch H-alpha filter

Presumably this is to go with your existing scope and camera.

If you can get it, there was an article published called Guider Roundup (Google for that) which has some handy info about guiders - though it doesn't mention any dedicated self-guiders and it's a few years old, now.

The thing is, when you use an OAG, the amount of sky the guiding camera can see is very limited. It's much less than if you had a secondary guide 'scope. As a consequence, you either have to pick your targets so that there's a bright enough star in the OAG view, or use a sensitive guider camera that can "see" deep enough to improve the chances of there being a bright enough star.

[Anweniel]

Thanks Pete, I'll try to look that up. The reason I have plumped for oag is mainly to avoid having to deal with such matters as differential flexure, and as seems much more straight forrward, less weighty and therefore less strain on the mount. I guess as with everything theres pros and cons to each method and although OAG appears to be the pricier route it does appear also the m ost beneficial. The question of finding a bright star in the OAG's FOV - well I was hoping maybe someone with experience of using a smartguider could comment as I agree with you it could be an issue but having not tried I wouldnt know. Still its food for thought.

To be honest I was expecting the CGEM to be the biggest bone of contention as I know most favour the NEQ6 and the huge amount of software support available for it and it is still for me a toss up between the two.

Yes I do intend to make an imaging packagee to go with my existing scope and camera (well my other halfs camera atm but intend on getting the same model and modding it)

Maybe I will require a flattener too but thats something else to think about