Shopping List

[Theinvoker]

Hi all,

I'm looking to gradually upgrade my scope over the next year or so to get it up to a decent standard for observing and photography but not sure all of what I will need and what is best to buy for the money. I realize its never going to be an amazing setup but want to make the best of what I have

What I have so far:

Celestron C6-N (F5, 6 Inch)

CG-4 Mount

6mm E-lux Plossl, 20mm Omni Plossl, Celestron 2x Barlow

What I think ill need:

Dual axis drive

Filters - Coloured (Any particular colours?)

Filters - Other (Moon, light pollution etc?)

Eye pieces (Buy a set or just a couple of higher quality ones?)

Camera (Meade DSI or a Canon DSLR?)

I have a couple of hundred quid coming my way for my kit soon so think the main priority will be the motor drive (I'm sure the stars didn't move that much before I looked through a telescope! lol) and hopefully Santa will bring me so more funding. I'm mainly interested in DSO's although planets and lunar are also good to look at.

Any suggestions on what I should buy, makes that are good value or any other kit I will need to get? I've read a lot about guider scopes and so on but Ive really no clue how they work, I assume its another scope of some sort, so I maybe missing a trick as to what kits needed

I'm on a fairly tight budget and money for it comes in dribs and drabs, but as I say I'm going to build it up as I go and if there's something I really need to take decent photos I'll just bite the bullet and save like a mad man for it.

Sorry for all the questions! It's boggling my brain a bit, and if I buy a dud or something I don't need, being a poor astrophysics student with a family I cant just buy something else lol.

Thanks in advance,

Theinvoker

[The Warthog]

I ahve roughly the same scope and mount. My mount is an EQ3-2. I am getting motors for it. I have a 24mm and 7.5mm Antares Speers-WALER, and a 4.3mm Antares W70, which are all satisfactory eps with a nice wide FOV. There are a number of eps in the 66 degree range that are not budget breakers, and all seem to do a good job, but read some reviews before you leap in. When I replace my Barlow, which I plan to do soon, I will have all the ep choices I need.

I don't find my coloured filters very useful, but a nice UHC will enhance nebulae. Others on this forum can give you more specific advice. I have used the yellow filter more than any other, and I find the green and orange occasionally useful on the Moon. I occasionally, but rarely, use the Moon filter.