Replacement scope: 14in Meade ACF to Orion Optics ODK 14" ?

[jabberwock48]

Hi

At present I have a 14in Meade ACF f/10 mounted in a Homeyer cradle on a Paramount ME in a RoR observatory. The cradle also supports a 130mm Hiper APO for wide field imaging and a Skywatcher ED80 guidescope.

I am considering replacing the Meade with an Orion Optics 14in ODK which with minor alterations to the cradle will fit in it instead. The scopes use is mainly imaging. I would move across to the ODK my 2in Optics TCF-S, Optics Pyxis, QSI 683 wsg-8 and Lodestar, leaving out the Optec Lepus reducer which makes the Meade about f/7. I also have a QHy8 Pro and SX OAG to use with the ODK

.Any advice on whether this is a worthwhile move?

John

[jabberwock48]

Surely one of the 112 viewers must have an opinion?

John

[StarryEyed]

two points

Why?

Maybe not many people have travelled this path...

[John]

Hi John,

If there have been lots of views but little or no response then it usually means that folks don't have experience to offer with the kit concerned. It's generally a very responsive forum and those who have something to offer generally do.

I've never even seen a setup such as yours so I can't help, sorry.

What I have done though is to mention the scopes concerned in the thread title so hopefully that will catch the eye of someone who has some relevant experience 

[jambouk]

No idea, but if you want to get rid of the 14" give me a shout

[astronymonkey]

I too have no experience of this sort of kit but I was pretty impressed with the set up !

[Peter Drew]

I think John has hit the nail on the head, it's too unusual an alternative for an experienced answer. If the Meade had been on its standard fork mount and you were thinking of remounting it as you have, then I would recommend it. However, the difference between the Meade ACF OTA and an ODK OTA would probably be marginal. 

[Grotemobile]

http://www.orionoptics.co.uk/ODK/odkoptimiseddall.html

One is F10 .the other is F6.8 .A lot of money to

shell out to go from one 14" to another.

The other scope really looks good.

Will you get a lot of improvement

out of the new one, for what you have

got to pay out.Hope this helps

a bit .

Steve

[Bodkin]

John,

Have you looked at some of the images that people are producing with the ODK 14 and compared them to your Meade images?  There are a few places on the web with some very impressive shots, such as Yves's photos on AstroBin.

[jackrussell0232]

John,  

Always difficult when you're trying to make a decision as big as this.  

An ODK 14 is serious dollar, but as a PME, pyxis, OS refractor, QSI ccd and 14" ACF owner, I'm guessing budget is not a major concern.  I'm assuming there's more to it than just a change of OTA?  If the reduced meade ACF covers the KAF8300 ok then you wouldn't be changing, unless you're looking to move to a 16803 chip or similar.  If this is the case then the specs say the ODK would give you more flat field coverage.

The OO scopes are supposed to be really good, if you get a good one, but there are still people who end up disappointed with theirs.

Pretty sure this won't help, but it is a reply!

Jack

[ollypenrice]

The ODK14 isn't made any more but I operated Yve's version and it's pretty impressive, at least so far as I'm concerned. I haven't used the Meade 14 inch and wouldn't, myself, buy such a scope for DS imaging so all I can do is give you some images Yves and I did with his rig. Here the processing is mine.

http://ollypenrice.smugmug.com/Other/Best-of-Les-Granges/i-Sc3kgzc/0/O/M51%20DEC%20VERSION%20clip.jpg

http://ollypenrice.smugmug.com/Other/Best-of-Les-Granges/i-p5JCSFT/0/O/M64%20LRGB%205Hrs%20WEB%20CROP.jpg

http://ollypenrice.smugmug.com/Other/Best-of-Les-Granges/i-WXdJVhQ/0/X3/NGC4565%20cropweb-X3.jpg

Olly

[Bukko]

Olly,

just checked, looks like OO took it out of sales due to high demand; now they have he backlog under control, they inted to re-introduce it.

John,

Love your setup and I am sure the ODK build quality will impress.

As others have eluded, can you explain what you don't like about the 14" Meade so we can help?

I did have a 10" Meade and upgraded to a 12" VX from OO. Looking at the images produced; when enlarged so the images we both the same size, the stars were at least comparable, with the OO probably just ahead. But the FL was halved, so I was most likely seeing limited and the improved optics in the OO gave it the edge.

I have never used the ODK, but Olly does so well with it, but take note, he lives half way up a mountain with incredibly dark skies around...

I am not convinced us mere mortals, living at zero feet, with light and air polluted skies would do as well...

Gordon.

[riklaunim]

SCTs may be hard to use for DS imaging at long focal lengths. ODK will have it too, but few differences like smaller spot size, and easier cooling (open and totally different OTA). You would have to determine if the SCT is the problem (then upgrade would be good) or the long focal length (then it has to be solved before upgrade; like with a big pixel camera or other - maybe seeing related)

[ollypenrice]

I don't live half way up a mountain, I live most of the way up a hill!! 

We've just done a comparison of ODK10 with smaller pixels versus ODK14 with larger pixels and found no significant difference other than final image size presented at 100%. I doubt that the smaller pixels in the larger scope would have been useful because the big scope-big pixels were already working at 0.6 arcsecs per pixel.

Olly

[jabberwock48]

Well thanks for all the replies - given me a good deal to think about. The ODK 14 is indeed available again and Orion quoted me a reasonable price. But in view of the crummy weather here I guess I will persevere with the Meade for the moment.  Also as some have said the ODK is only really worth it if using a larger format camera which in turn means a 3in focuser and rotator, Besides since I make a point of buying second-hand equipment, why pay for a 'new' new scope.

John

[Bukko]

Sorry, Olly,

Exaggerating to make the point...

Higher altitude and dark skies = happiness (and great images)

OK, John,

good to hear you have a decision made.

After a slow start, hopefully, we helped.

Gordon.