Which 2" Focal Reducer best suites a Skywatcher Skymax 180 Pro.?

[Andy P]

Hi all

As christmas is just around the corner my wife asked what i needed.

Well one item ive been meaning to find answers to is which size focal reducer best suites the Skywatch Skymax 180 Pro f/15.

I need something to be able to reduce the focal lenght so i can capture the Pleiades M45 etc . The last time and first time i tried to capture this

i couldnt get the whole cluters in view. I'm hope one of these reducers will do the job.?

I hope someone can give me the answer as ive no idea.?

Thanks in advance.. Andy

[Steve Ward]

Sorry to say you've no chance of getting the whole of M45 on the chip using the f15 Mak180 , even with a reducer .

It fills the chip with my ED80Pro and flattener at f6 or so.

The Mak is more suited to small DSO's and planetary work.

Steve.

[Andy P]

Hi Steve

So am i waisting my time then in purchasing one even for other objects.?

Andy

[Steve Ward]

If you're going down the imaging road I would recommend getting the SW ED80 Pro and F/F rather than trying to reduce the Mak.

It's a lovely bit of glass at a reasonable price , I think Scopes 'n' Skies still sell the OTA without cases and I think FLO do too now for abut £350 ( F/F another £150 )

Couple of Stellarium screenshots to demonstrate the views

M45 with 1000D and Mak180.

M45 with ED80 Pro + F/F.

Hope this helps

Steve.

I'm going in the opposite direction and aiming to get a Mak180Pro for planetary imaging , never ending game this . . .

[Andy P]

So really a waste of time then, I'm glade I asked and thanks for the answers.

Your pictures are what exactly the kind of pictures I was getting with the mak180 pro with the canon d600.

I guess I'll stick where I am at the moment S I do have my starter scope still to play with D=114 F=1000.

[Andy P]

Oh by the way the Mak 180 Pro is in my eye a great scope... Really good views of Jupiter and Saturn.

[Steve Ward]

Hi Andy ,

We're both at opposite ends of the game , you're struggling to get the wide stuff and I can't get the image scale for the planets , a kinda Astro Jack Spratt thing . . .

Steve.

[alan potts]

You two should meet up somewhere the scopes are made for each other.

Alan.

[Andy P]

M45 with ED80 Pro + F/F.

Hope this helps

Steve.

Hi Steve

How did you do the pictures with the different focal lenghts in.?

would be nice to try and see what i will actually see through my scope before heading out and finding it wont fit in the image.

Andy

[Steve Ward]

Hi Andy ,

They're screenshots from Stellarium using the Ocular plug-in.

Go into the Configuration box and you'll find Oculars in the RH Plug-In box.

You can enter all the info about your scopes , eyepieces and cameras and then see your target as either the camera sees it or the eyepiece shows it.

Good tutorial here . . . http://www.astronomy...9&t=9172#p64728

Steve.

[Andy P]

Thank Steve

Just watched the video and look easy enough. So glade this is available as it will save so much time trying to find an object that would maybe otherwise not fit into view on the scope...

[ollypenrice]

You also need to be careful that a focal reducer will really give you a wider field at the EP. In a common SCT it won't, if you have a 2 inch back, because the baffle tube is the limiting factor. I'd check this out for the Mak. I don't know the scope at all. However, F15 and a DSLR is not the way to go for DS imaging, do trust me on this. It is way, way too slow.

Olly

[Andy P]

Hi olly

Thanks for the info..

When you say it's too slow, what do you mean.? I've taken some DS images with this setup and they have come out in my eyes quiet well. What do you think should be the best setup should be.?

Sorry I'm a beginner.