Skywatcher Skymax-127

[starbright]

Hi all. I'm looking for someone who owns or has owned the Skywatcher Skymax 127. I'm thinking of getting back into Astrophotograghy but I don't have a telescope at the moment having recently sold my 10'' Skywatcher Black Diamond newtonian. I still have all the accessories including the 2'' adapter for my Canon 600D dslr. What I would like to know is can I use this with the Skymax 127 or does it only have 1.25'' focuser? Any help would be appreciated.

[nightfisher]

i think the new 127 skymax can take 2"...................but its far from ideal for imaging, you need a much shorter focal length unless you are looking at lunar and planets

[Scopemaster]

I'm keenly following this thread as I'm considering this scope too...but re the above post...not really anymore

[nightfisher]

the 127 skymax is very good for lunar and panet imaging, but not so good for deep sky, you need a faster focal length scope for deep sky, though JamesF has recently done a nice M13 image with his 127

[starbright]

The advice I've just been looking at says that the diagonal is best rerplaced by a 2'' one so it appears that it has a 2'' draw tube. Some of the DSO images taken with this scope are very good and I would be quite happy if I had taken them. It's compared to the Nexstar 5se and a note I read says that the Nexstar can be set up on a wedge for astrophotography whereas the Skymax can not. Surely any alt/az mount can be wedged to affectively make it into a equitorial. Or am I wrong? Anyway it gets glowing reports, so still considering it.

[JamesF]

The baffle tube is actually relatively narrow, but it is possible to get (say) an SCT adaptor to replace the visual back and put an SCT diagonal on it. The visual back will not take a 2" diagonal though. At least, mine won't. I very much doubt there's any benefit in having a 2" diagonal at all. Mine came with one fitted. I took it off. When I need a diagonal I use a 1.25" one.

It's not a fantastic DSO imaging scope because it's a slow scope and it suffers from mirror shift. It's not impossible though, as my M13 and Paulus's recently-posted images show. Given that mine was from an old EQ3-2 with after-market motors and no guiding I'm sure much better is possible with a decent mount, but it's never going to match an f/5 refractor, for instance.

I imagine you'd also need some fairly serious dew control. They do have a tendency to dew up when conditions aren't great.

James

[JamesF]

Here's my M13:

http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/186974-mak-m13/

James

[starbright]

Thanks James, quite impressive. As you have one, please tell me if I can stick my 2'' camera tube into the draw tube!!

[JamesF]

Thanks James, quite impressive. As you have one, please tell me if I can stick my 2'' camera tube into the draw tube!!

Not a chance on mine. I think a 2" tube would fit over the entire visual back with room to spare. To fit the DSLR I use the T-thread on the visual back.

James

[Russty]

Here's my M13:

http://stargazerslou...186974-mak-m13/

James

James just a question, did you take those 45 sec subs on your eq3 with the RA motor tracking?

[JamesF]

James just a question, did you take those 45 sec subs on your eq3 with the RA motor tracking?

I did indeed.

James

[Russty]

I did indeed.

James

Sorry not to hi jack the post but that's encouraging, I was chatting to a shopkeep about doing some dso work with my kit "EQ5 with dual motors" and he said using unguided with just the motors I would be lucky to get 30 second subs, just goes to show.

[JamesF]

I did throw away about half my subs for that image because of trailing, but then the mount is only aligned using the polar scope (no drift alignment) and it has been well used. I'm sure given a newer, better-aligned mount the results could be better.

Exposure length also depends on what focal length you're imaging at. This image was also from the same mount using just the camera and 200mm lens, again unguided, using four minute subs and I'm not sure I dropped any:

http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/162867-a-better-wide-field-andromeda-galaxy/

James