next telescope

[oldpink]

while thoroughly over the moon with my current setup I knew when I bought it it was just about capable of Imaging
due to the mount being the weak link regarding load and the motors

in about 1 months time I will have a budget of £1500 to spend on upgrading the mount and getting another telescope

my current thinking is the NEQ6 Pro and the SW 300P DS

this will be a dedicated imaging setup as I'm keeping my 200 & EQ5 as its more than capable of good Viewing
my main concern is the tube size and the extra aperture with my chronic LP issues
though the 300 will be used more at dark sites

firstly the wind issue, the 200 can suffer from wind shake in a moderate breeze (remember its on an EQ5) will the HEQ6 hold the larger tube more stable
or will it still have the same issues

as its basically a bigger sail for the wind to catch

on the LP front I'm worried the larger Aperture will just fill up with LP and take me back to step one

with this budget in mind is there a better alternative for imaging that I should look at say a faster scope (F4 or below)

or even a refractor say 120 - 150mm though they seem to have mostly a higher F rating

after taking the mount out of the budget I'll have about £600 to spend on the scope as I'm happy enough with my DSLR
and plan to use the ASI as a guide camera with the supplied finder scope to handle the tracking so the budget is purely Mount & scope

I await the knowledgeable advice from SGL on this matter
as I don't want to spent a lot of cash only to be disappointed with the results

[tingting44]

my choice would be a HEQ5 and 80ED with FF and carry case,

and one of these but thats just my novice choice  (well thats what i want lol.....the scope....)

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/light-pollution-reduction-imaging/idas-d1-light-pollution-suppression-filter.html

and one of these with the change

[sidelight]

What are you looking to image?  With a lot of DSO's you will find yourself getting deep in mosiac land.

For me at least the focal length of a 300P would make it less desirable, I know my 200P can only be used in fairly calm conditions on my NEQ6.  My 130PDS gets far more use.  

As for a refractor, FLO summed it up when I was in the same boat (hence the 130PDS and NEQ6), if you have spent the cash on Coma correctors etc for reflectors, you will be going out and spending the same level of cash for stuff for refractors.  I chose to stick with reflectors (I quite like the diffraction spikes), and put the cash I saved into accessories for both.  It was the right choice for me and one I was glad FLO expressed, but I don't know what you are after?

Cheers

Ross

[ronin]

The SW 300P DS will catch the wind, may be on a bigger mount but it is in effect a bigger sail.

Tea clippers have travelled the globe with sails about the same size as the SW 300P DS. :grin: :grin:

[Steve Ward]

I found the 200PDS a real pain in even the slightest breeze , the 300 would just frustrate you ... one sudden little gust during a 5 or 10 minute exposure and that's 5 or 10 minutes wasted .

I very soon invested in an ED80 + FF/FR and a very wise decision it was too ... influenced in no small part by all the advice I gleaned here on SGL ...  

[oldpink]

the 80 ED PRO looks as if it would be just as happy on a HEQ 5 Pro rather than the over the top HEQ6 and a cheaper option
inc a FF / FR it would be about £1350

my biggest worry with the 300 was the wind esp as I plan to do longer exposures, esp from a dark site

as you say 5 minutes ruined due to one gust of wind and I guess I could also swap the rigs around on calm nights and mount the 200P on the HEQ

the main reason I was looking at the HEQ6 was its ability to handle loads and from what I believe it has a much better motor system than the 5 series

so may stick with that idea as it makes any further purchases an easier upgrade to a heavier load / larger aperture

[ollypenrice]

You seem to be into aperture as if it were necessarily a virtue. It isn't.

85mm apo;

106mm apo...

What would be wrong with a smaller apo? So much easier. Always aim to be over-mounted, never the reverse.

Olly

[oldpink]

the mount upgrade is the main part of this and why I will most likely stick to the HEQ6
another scope is for getting the best results on DSO's on my budget, I have no problem going to an ED80 as has been suggested
and easier to get past the Mrs as its a lot smaller and in her mind cheaper

can't say the same about the 300
 

[ollypenrice]

The EQ6 is not a big mount, it's a moderate mount. A 12 inch Newt is a big scope, not a moderate scope in imaging terms.

Olly

[oldpink]

I understand that
but unfortunately I don't have the funds to spend on a real heavy duty mount or for that matter an expensive scope
I'd love a Edge HD but unless I start doing the lottery I simply can't afford to spend that type of money
the HEQ6 with the 300 mounted is getting pretty close to limit but it allows me options for future upgrades in the scope department
I'm seriously looking at a refractor and the ED 80 and 100 are looking a possible alternative or possibly a Quatro carbon

I am really open to suggestions outside the already mentioned, and plan a lot more research before I commit to buy

as it will be a while before I have any serious funds available and that will be a move to CCD

 

[wuthton]

After 7 years of imaging with an 80mm refractor. I've finally upgraded to a..... 80mm refractor.

[oldpink]

if it ain't broke don't fix it

[wuthton]

if it ain't broke don't fix it

As had been said above, a small APO refractor is joy to work with.

Easy to guide, low weight, what more could you want.

[oldpink]

this is exactly why I asked this question
seems consensus is good mount (HEQ6) and a decent refractor
sounds like a good choice as I can swap the scopes and mounts about depending on conditions and viewing
I thank the collective SGL for their input and backing up my initial thoughts that the 300 was just too much of a sail
now the question is which scope to go for as I see there is a few options on the spec's
 

FLO have the ED 100 with the Optically-matched 0.85x Focal Reducer at just over budget
but I gave myself some overhead allowance on the limit so achievable

[wuthton]

this is exactly why I asked this question

seems consensus is good mount (HEQ6) and a decent refractor

sounds like a good choice as I can swap the scopes and mounts about depending on conditions and viewing

I thank the collective SGL for their input and backing up my initial thoughts that the 300 was just too much of a sail

now the question is which scope to go for as I see there is a few options on the spec's

FLO have the ED 100 with the Optically-matched 0.85x Focal Reducer at just over budget

but I gave myself some overhead allowance on the limit so achievable

Even with the reducer the ED100 is quite slow.

My choices would be Equinox 80 on a budget or save a few more pounds for a William Optics GT81 or SW Esprit 80. The Skywatcher Flattener is very cheap and will work well with these scopes.

[oldpink]

I'm currently looking at the APO's in my range as well thanks to Ollys suggestion
the Skywatcher Equinox 80 APO is another alternative, the Esprit is outside my price range on the scope side
I just need to do some research on what will suit my situation and needs best
no doubt I will have further questions on this in the near future