some help please guys.

[cosmicdonkey]

hi everyone. I have just run into some money and decided to move on to something better than my skymax 127. I am wanting to buy a celestron cgem 9.25 but am having a lot of trouble understanding a lot of the terminology. I would require the scope for use with imaging the planets and dso's.

I understand that dso's can prove to be difficult with this scope due to the focal length. i was looking at an atik ccd camera to go with the setup. I know i need a focal reducer and was wondering what kind?

Basically my question is what do i really need to make this all come together? just trying to build a picture of the costs related to all this.

[rowan46]

have you read this http://www.firstlightoptics.com/books/making-every-photon-count-steve-richards.html If you haven't hold off on buying until you have. It shows the sort of equipment you need and more importantly why

[cosmicdonkey]

thanks will have a read now

[cosmicdonkey]

i will order in the morning:)

[Matt Scunthorpe]

I think Rowan hit the naul on the head in recommeded that book. I will hav to read it one day lol.

[cosmicdonkey]

ok i got the book and have started reading (very good book by the way) it does not really answer my question though. The book says sct's are excellent for imaging but refractors are better and goes on to speak mainly about refractors. I know refractors are better but by getting one i am limiting myself purely to dso imaging. I want a scope that is good for observing. Planetary imaging and some light deep space imaging. With your experience on these three points would i be better of using the cgem 9.25?

just to note i have a 10inch dob a 127 mak and a cheap celestron refractor. I want to get rid of all three and have just one scope. Would be really interested in your opinions

[rowan46]

To get the best out of the sct you will need a focal reducer and flattener probably a new focusser to eliminate mirror shift, an off axis guider

http://www.firstligh...al-reducer.html

http://www.firstligh...ct-focuser.html

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

Other makes and dealers are available

t-rings and things

Forgot to add most imagers use an ed80 or variant with a guidescope there is proably a reason for that

[cosmicdonkey]

thanks for the links:) i know that an ed80 is better for deep space imaging as i said above but would a 9.25 be better for observing and planetary imaging? i just don't want to spend a large amount of money and be disappointed. Could an ed80 be mounted on top of a 9.25 on a cgem mount as a later purchase and then use the ed80 as a dso only imaging scope and the celestron as a guide scope or would that not work?

[cosmicdonkey]

the more i read around the more i am thinking there is no perfect all round scope:( dam this is a tough decision can astrophotography be accomplished from a light polluted area or will i need to travel? sorry for all the questions

[rowan46]

There is no doubt that the sct is a better visual tool than an ed80 (by miles) It is a better planetary tool By miles but the ed80 is a much better dso imaging tool. I think you would be better off getting the ed80 as a later purchase. I don't think the sct will make a good guide scope I imagine the mirror flopping about will affect it. the sct will cover your visual and planetary needs but an ed 80 will better serve your dso imaging needs. try the sct as a guide scope but use the ed80 for your imaging scope. If it doesn't work a startravel 80 is very cheap especially 2nd user and use that as a guide scope. The sct on a cgem is a good package good scope good mount but surprise surprise it can't do everything well. put an ed 80 on it and you have all the bases covered

[rowan46]

the more i read around the more i am thinking there is no perfect all round scope:( dam this is a tough decision can astrophotography be accomplished from a light polluted area or will i need to travel? sorry for all the questions

Aint that the truth. the fact is what you need for visual isn't what you need for imaging. my cheapest perfect setup would be a 12" dob for visual and an ed80 on a heq5 for imaging, oh and maybe a C9.25 for planetary and a house in a darker location

[cosmicdonkey]

just want to say thanks for all your advice. I believe at this moment i will continue with the purchase of the cgem 9.25 purely for planetary imaging and observing use and at a later date add the ed80 to it with perhaps an off axis autoguider for deep space.

[VigdisVZ]

The 9.25 on the CGEM is a real good piece of kit. Expensive, but you will get value for the money both in stability and optics.

[swag72]

You are absolutely right, there is no one scope does it all. If there was, we'd all have one!! Instead I suppose we have to decide where our main interest will lie, how much money we have to spend and pick things accordingly. I image DSO's and so have a small refractor and a couple of CCD's to give me some different field of view options. I'd rather swap a camera in and out than change scopes round!!

As long as you get a good mount, then you will be able to mount the ED80 on it as and when.