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Aperture Fever

CSM

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CSM

CSM

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I started off 3 years ago with a 130mm Skywatcher Reflector - manual but motorised so that I could at least track something when I found it. But like most astronomers I had my eye on bigger scopes. That way I could really start to see things. So ages spent pouring through the magazines and the web sites choosing my next bigger scope. But on the way I got myself an observatory - standing out in the cold and having to set up every time wasn't for me.

So having spent all that money I compromised on the next scope - and my friends had a fairly unused one for sale - a 150mm NexStar SE. A GOTO scope which would be relatively easy for me to handle if I did want to take it anywhere. And being a CAT it offered easy viewing positions. No lying on the floor or climbing steps or having to twist the tube around to get the eyepiece in a more convenient position. The other thought was that I had read somewhere that with atmospheric turbulence you were often limited by the size of air cells, and that because of that a 6in scope might be more often used than a larger one which would merely present you with unsteady images.

But still I thought I would be aiming higher, at least an 8in, maybe a 9.25 or even an 11in which is probably the largest that might be accomodated in my observatory. And these were the options on my wish list.

However in the last few months I have changed my mind. I have been cured - I think. No more Aperture Fever. Why? Well, I had bought a Phillips SPC900NC webcam a year of so ago when on offer at Morgan computers. First attempts at it with the Reflector hadn't been too successful, but once I had found a decent capture program, the images of Jupiter, Saturn and the Moon that I have managed have, as they say, blown me away. I'm more than happy with the marriage of this modest-sized scope with this webcam and if it is half as good with the Orion G3 Starshoot Color CCD camera I have just bought I will be 'over the Moon'. Maybe bigger isn't necessarily better.

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Northern Soul man

Northern Soul man

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Hi Ya CSM, Glad to hear it - there's alot on here that swear by aperture fever - to be honest your probably going to do just as well with your 6SE - over the years I've owned many a scope, still remember my first real scope - an 8" F8 reflector, I bought a set of mirrors from David Hinds (not sure they do them anymore) and bought the different bits and bobs - I can remember transporting some 10" diameter soil tube from the local builders merchants strapped to the top of my mini ( the neighbours were all out when I got home, they still think I'm a bit weird to this day!!!!!), assembled, mounted (my dad engineered an EQ mount for it (the slow motion controls were socket set adapters fitted to square bar off the worm gears) - worked amazingly well - the planetary/lunar images were to die for.

I've moved the same way as you - the Schmidt Cats for me are the ideal scope - sold the newt (oh how I miss it!!!), moved to a Meade LX90 for six years - bought a 12" dob - sold it (oh how I miss it !!! are you getting the picture yet!!)) bought a 127 Mak - still got that scope - sold the Meade an the Dob to part fund my CPC - i know - the fever struck me hard - to be honest - with the problems now with dew - the 8" was a really nice piece of kit - So I can see your thoughts - the marginal increase in aperture gives you a brighter image, but also increases poor seeing - so I think the slightly smaller scope will give more nights of better seeing - don't get me wrong - I'm really pleased with the set up i have now - but as we know, trully dark skies win hands down over aperture, as with you I think - light pollution is a real problem.

I don't want people to think that this is a negative post - far from it - Astronomy never fails to amaze me - after all these years of observing - I still get a buzz when setting up - and yes - recently I've been standing on the corner of our street in me slippers with a pair of Binos looking westward for Panstarrs - saw it on the 14th - every night since has been clouded out (except for 1 night where cloud was out to the West and only the West - no where else - JUST THE WEST (Damn you clouds!!) - seriously though - great post - I wish everyone could see this, you put a really good point across - nice 1. Paul.

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JamesF

JamesF

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I don't know James you've got some serious "Viral" contenders in your Signature mate.

They're all seeing the same thing at the moment though and whilst it may be grey and fuzzy, it's not what I'm looking for :)

James

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Stargazer_00

Stargazer_00

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Lol great post. It's horses for courses though I'd expect. Aperture fever is the domain of the visual obsever and it can be obsessive and you end up owning a behemoth that costs more than your first car (or maybe even 2nd and 3rd combined!).

however, the webcam is a stones throw from the cooled CCD 15 billion pixel 40 grand cameras, high end 7 grand apo refrators , 15 grand mounts and so on.

So it isn't aperture fever anymore, its much worse and far more expensive :)

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ollypenrice

ollypenrice

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You don't need aperture for DS imaging. I quite like this one done in collaboration with SGL friends all using scopes of 85 and 106mm. No big apertures.

M31%20LES%20OLLY%20TOM%20TEC%20CORE-XL.jpg

But if you want to see those dust lanes you do need aperture...

Olly

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LukeSkywatcher

LukeSkywatcher

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Aperture fever seems to last 12 months with me. My first scope was a 90mm refractor. About a year later i decided to go back to binocular astronomy and bought a set of 20x90 bins. About another year later i bought a 130mm Heritage Dob. Then i took a break from buying scopes for a couple of years and in Dec 2011 i bought an 8" SCT.

In my hiatus of buying scopes............i did buy a sneaky 70mm widefield refractor.

Hind sight is a great thing. I should have bought the 8SE to begin with and saved myself a fair few quid in cash......................but i've loved the learning curve of all the scopes/bins i own.

I cant bring myself to sell any of them.

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jimmyjamjoejoe

jimmyjamjoejoe

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There is no known cure for aperture fever, perhaps a nagging wife/partner or lack of funds may cool things though.

I think i might be onto something... Lots of perfectly timed clear nights while i'm working, and thick cloud on my nights off... Seems to have cured my aperture fever!

This whole spate of bad weather started last january when i bought my scope and has turned from just bad luck to downright taunting me. We had several clear nights in the leadup to my 5days off (a day off is a very rare occurance for me). Suddenly, solid cloud until tuesday when i return to work. :(

Maybe i should sell my scope and let you all get back to your hobby.

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Mez7000

Mez7000

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I got a 127 goto last Christmas on the basis that a goto would help me find stuff quicker but now I'm starting to look at larger aperture, 10" dobs are top of the list, on the dream list is a 9.25 celestron, purchasing or asking missus for either will without doubt result in instant death!

Hello my name is Mark...I have aperture fever

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cotterless45

cotterless45

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Really depends how dark a sky that you have or get to. Even the smallest aperture will amaze in dark sites.

I fear anything heavier than my 10", for me it's what is most used and practical before aperture.

Don't mind a look at star parties though !

Nick.

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