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Need help with choosing an APO / Guide Scope


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I been thinking - I need an APO refractor to compliment my C9.25 SCT.

I'll use the f/10 SCT for planetary and smaller angle images, but i've found that doing DSO's theres just too much trailing and limitation on exposure length due to the small FOV.

I believe a decent 4"-6" APO f/5'ish would be fine for general DSO work.

Can anyone recommend a decent quality not too expensive model?

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If you want 4-6" apo F5 at native focal length then you are talking Takahashi FSQ 106 http://www.trutek-uk.com/takahashi/fsq106ed.htm. The price quoted is for tha absolute basic OTA. It is an astrograph and wont provide very comfortable visual performance because of the lens configuration. One of my dream scopes and definitely on the list for 2 or 3 years time. Gives a wonderful flat field across a big chip.

Alternatively, use a focal reducer and one of the WO scopes at FLO and you are in business http://www.firstlightoptics.com/products.php?cat=107

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Can "not too expensive" and 4"-6" Apo at f5 be used in the same post ?

Dave Cooke

:lol: Guess not.

Really i need to be more specific. I would like to "kill 2 birds with 1 stone" so to speak, by buying a smallish APO that i could still use for decent planetary/DSO work seperately, as well as as a guide scope on my C9.25 being not too heavy.

I have been pointed at this: http://www.celestron.uk.com/catalogues/view_item.asp?ItemID=35008&CatalogueID=272&CategoryID=4422

or what about this? http://www.firstlightoptics.com/proddetail.php?prod=WOzenithstar66sd

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your criteria was 4-6" and f5(ish) but not expensive. A couple spring to mind:

William Optics Megrez 110 - 4.5" f5.9 Doublet ED for £849 (before discount)

Or

William Optics Zentihstar 110 - 4.5" f7 Triplet Flourite for £1249 (before disount)

or

Burgess/TMB 91mm Triplet Apo - 3.7" Triplet Apo with 40mm Paragon for £649

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Well they are different beasts altogether Kevin. I have a ZS66 which I sometimes piggy back on an Nexstar 8" GPS. Works a treat - fantastic imaging scope with my SXV H9 and guides the NS8 very well. It doesn't provide a very flat field for larger chips such as DSLR although you can get a field flattener (although not brilliant apparently). I don't know about the Scopos but suspect it is very similar.

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I actually just sold my ED80 and replaced it with a Skywatcher ST80 for my widefield scope, purely because the oversized, overweight ED80 was just too large for safe piggyback mounting. The ST80 is half the size, although non-APO. Doesn't hurt its widefield performance though. Cheap too, although again you're looking at £150 to mount the thing on the parent SCT.

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