Ideas for upgrade ?

[gingergeek]

Hi,

I've decided to treat myself to some sort of upgrade following a payrise. I currently have the kit in my signature and I want to continue AP but I'm mulling over the following ideas :

• Camera rotator (cheap and easy http://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p4609_TS-2--Adapter--Skywatcher-0-85x-Reducer-to-ED-Apos.html)
  
• Focuser upgrade (worth it on ED80 and if so which ?)
  
• OAG to replace ST80
  
• New scope - wider or faster Borg/Tak
  
• CCD to replace noisy DSLR (not trying to replace OSC versus Mono debate !) and if so which chip/micron size ?
  

How much money to spend ? Well ignoring the fact I have a conservatory (for remote scope) being planned in late spring and other boring domestic commitments lets see what proposals will give me the best return of investment......if the awful weather allows any use of new kit course !

Regards

[Sirius Bizness]

I would go for a CCD next. You mention the word Tak so I guess your budget is healthy. Therefore the Atik 460EX looks very nice.

[gingergeek]

I would have to include a remote focuser as well since at the moment I use liveview on the DSLR to focus not forgetting the associated filter wheel and filters, if I go mono and the weather is not very predictable. I should have mentioned I setup and tear down my scope each night since not all of us have the luxury of observatory and plural like the expat in France (yes that means you Olly !)

[swag72]

A couple of thoughts from me. Are you happy with your focuser on the ED80? If there is any doubt about it's effectiveness then that does need to be rectified. While that will not give you much of a quality increase, if you have a sloppy focuser, then you will be pushing water uphill whatever you decide to do.

If the focuser on the ED80 is fine and capable of holding an imaging rig, then thats good news.

A Tak would be a fantastic upgrade, but I think that for that extra 10% of quality you'd get from the Tak, you'd be better off getting a CCD and sticking with the ED80 - In my opinion. Then a bit of time with CCDCalc or similar to decide what size chip you want to work with on the ED80. I have a small Atik 314L+ chip on my scope and it gets me in pretty close (although many galaxies are still too small to bother with) and then for the wider field stuff I've got an Atik 460EX. A good difference in field of view on the one scope for me. Of course, don't forget that you will have to pay a lot of money for the same size chip as you have on your DSLR at the moment.

OAG? Is your current guiding poor? If it's working out OK, then I'd not even consider this route, it will be unlikely to get you better images and with an ED80, you should be fine with the ST80 for guding.

[gingergeek]

I'm certainly no expert since the ED80 is the only scope I've ever owned but certainly when I tighten the focus lock then the focus does move but at the moment it does not appear to slip but then I have not tried to image objects directly overhead yet.