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Skywatcher 80ED pro or Skywatcher 150PDS?

Gohan75

By Gohan75
in Getting Started With Imaging

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tingting44

tingting44

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thanks to everyone in this thread! im also loving that blackwater site!! bloooomin awsome playing about with it lol....

id love to get all these photons in frame with my 130-pds and 7D :D

http://www.blackwaterskies.co.uk/p/imagingtoolbox.html?BWSFOV=%7B%22version%22%3A2%2C%22fovStyle%22%3A%22Z%22%2C%22fovYOffset%22%3A0%2C%22fovXOffset%22%3A0%2C%22compDesc%22%3A%22130p%20%2B%207D%22%2C%22compDisplay%22%3Atrue%2C%22searchTarget%22%3A%22%22%2C%22searchPopular%22%3A%22%22%2C%22gotoRaHD%22%3A169.39188759345035%2C%22gotoAddSign%22%3A%22%22%2C%22gotoDecDD%22%3A13.117617557932041%2C%22fovWidth%22%3A1.96%2C%22fovHeight%22%3A1.31%2C%22fovColour%22%3A%22%2300FF00%22%2C%22fovRotation%22%3A0%2C%22fovAppH%22%3A1.3639864700736513%2C%22fovAppV%22%3A1.3642833522919207%2C%22fovScopeRes%22%3A0.8923076923076924%2C%22searchSurveySelection%22%3A%22P%2FDSS2%2Fcolor%22%2C%22gotoRaH%22%3A11%2C%22gotoRaM%22%3A17%2C%22gotoRaS%22%3A34.05302242808375%2C%22gotoDecD%22%3A13%2C%22gotoDecM%22%3A7%2C%22gotoDecS%22%3A3.423208555347934%2C%22ccdWidth%22%3A22.2912%2C%22ccdHeight%22%3A14.8608%2C%22ccdFocalLength%22%3A650%2C%22pixelWidth%22%3A4.3%2C%22pixelHeight%22%3A4.3%2C%22pixelHRes%22%3A5184%2C%22pixelVRes%22%3A3456%2C%22pixelFocalLength%22%3A650%2C%22pixelAperture%22%3A130%2C%22equipReducer%22%3A1%2C%22equipRawFL%22%3A650%2C%22equipFocalLength%22%3A650%2C%22equipAperture%22%3A130%2C%22equipCameraVal%22%3A%22%7B%5C%22pixelWidth%5C%22%3A%5C%224.3%5C%22%2C%5C%22pixelHeight%5C%22%3A%5C%224.3%5C%22%2C%5C%22ccdWidth%5C%22%3A%5C%2222.29%5C%22%2C%5C%22ccdHeight%5C%22%3A%5C%2214.86%5C%22%2C%5C%22pixelHRes%5C%22%3A%5C%225184%5C%22%2C%5C%22pixelVRes%5C%22%3A%5C%223456%5C%22%7D%22%2C%22equipCameraText%22%3A%22Canon%20EOS-550D%20%2F%2060D%20%2F%2060Da%20%2F%20600D%20%2F%20650D%20%2F%207D%20%2F%20700D%22%2C%22equipScopeVal%22%3A%22%7B%5C%22aperture%5C%22%3A%5C%22130%5C%22%2C%5C%22focalLength%5C%22%3A%5C%22650%5C%22%7D%22%2C%22equipScopeText%22%3A%22Skywatcher%20Explorer%20130P%22%2C%22zoom%22%3A2.318482248089723%7D

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Thalestris24

Thalestris24

Posted
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I just hate diffraction spikes. /sigh

So when it comes to imaging, I am stuck with refractors and SCT´s.

I quite like them but don't seem to get them - at least not very strongly. I suppose it depends on the targets/exposures. 

Each to his own!

Louise

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ianpwilliams

ianpwilliams

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I'm 99% sure I'm going for the 150pds now, and then the Startravel 80 as a guide scope when imaging. Just waiting for my mount to arrive first.

Once I've got this setup would I be able to use the Startravel 80 (which I note is a lot cheaper than the 80ED Pro) on its own on the mount to take more wide field shots (eg all of the Andromeda Galaxy)? Or would the Startravel 80 not be up to it? There must be a reason for the big price difference between the Startravel and the ED Pro.

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GuillermoBarrancos

GuillermoBarrancos

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I'm 99% sure I'm going for the 150pds now, and then the Startravel 80 as a guide scope when imaging. Just waiting for my mount to arrive first.

Once I've got this setup would I be able to use the Startravel 80 (which I note is a lot cheaper than the 80ED Pro) on its own on the mount to take more wide field shots (eg all of the Andromeda Galaxy)? Or would the Startravel 80 not be up to it? There must be a reason for the big price difference between the Startravel and the ED Pro.

Startravel is een achromat. Hence, indeed the huge price difference.

So no. Not really suited for imaging.

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GuillermoBarrancos

GuillermoBarrancos

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Fair enough. Presumably you could use the the 80ED Pro as a guide scope though, and have the option of also imaging with that (although that could be a bit overkill).

A lot of people with multiple scopes do that actually. ;)

So not really overkill. It would be more overkill to buy yet another scope for just guiding.

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ChrisLX200

ChrisLX200

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Posted

Fair enough. Presumably you could use the the 80ED Pro as a guide scope though, and have the option of also imaging with that (although that could be a bit overkill).

I'm doing exactly that. The 80 will sit on top of the SCT and either can image or guide alternately. Only minor adjustments are required to correct the balance after moving the camera from one to the other.

ChrisH

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Thalestris24

Thalestris24

Posted
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Hi

Alternatively, you can use a 9 x 50 finder for guiding :tongue: (but you'll probably need an adapter to attach the guide cam).  I don't think the basic SW Evostar 80ED ota comes with a finder but the kit with the diagonal does come with a 9 x 50. In any case the supplied 150pds finder isn't very good so adding a 9 x 50 is an improvement anyway. With a guide cam attached and the finder aligned with the imaging scope, you can use it as a remote finder as well as a guider.

Louise

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ianpwilliams

ianpwilliams

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For some reason I didn't budget in a guide camera...the Photon book recommends the Starlight Xpress Lodestar Autoguider, which seems one of the cheaper options at £385:

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/guide-cameras/starlight-xpress-lodestar-autoguider.html

Is it not possible to use a webcam connected to a laptop for autoguiding instead? Because I could buy a laptop for that money...

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GuillermoBarrancos

GuillermoBarrancos

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For some reason I didn't budget in a guide camera...the Photon book recommends the Starlight Xpress Lodestar Autoguider, which seems one of the cheaper options at £385:

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/guide-cameras/starlight-xpress-lodestar-autoguider.html

Is it not possible to use a webcam connected to a laptop for autoguiding instead? Because I could buy a laptop for that money...

You can buy a QHY5L-II for a lot less.

Best bang for buck you can buy atm.

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GuillermoBarrancos

GuillermoBarrancos

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So it looks like it would be roughly £300 for a Startravel 80 guide scope and a QHY5L guide camera, or £220 for a Celestron off-axis auto-guider?

I wouldn't use an OAG on a small newt nor a refractor to be honest.

OAG's are mostly used when imaging with long focal length imaging, due to guiding being much more critical.

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Chris

Chris

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Maybe Louise's idea of using a 9x50 as a finder and guide scope would be a better option then? In which case, why wouldn't everyone do that rather than adding another scope as a guide scope?

Loads of people do use a finder guider, especially when cost and weight are a consideration. They work very well with say a QHY5 :)

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