Easy Celestron question

[Casper15]

I'm researching what I want for my next scope. I'm leaning toward the CPC 1100 HD, with the intention of getting started in astrophotography. I plan on starting with the hyperstar/ccd arraignment. Maybe I'll add a wedge later. The question: I've read that the fork mount can be removed and a dovetail added for a GEM mount. Is the OTA on a CPC the same as the CGEM series just with a different mount? It appears so. The CPC 1100 HD is only a few hundred $ more then the OTA only. It appears the CPC is a good deal, with the possibility of upgrading to a more advanced mount.

Any suggestions?

Thanks

[ollypenrice]

My suggestion would be, 'Slow down.'

If you read the advertisements then it's a no brainer that the Hyperstar wipes the floor with all other systems. So fast that you don't even need to have an equatorial mount. Etc etc etc. Marvellous. But not the whole story and not what the majority of experienced imagers choose to use. Some do use it and there are good images out there, largely in narrowband, but looking at what most people use to image in the roughly 500/600mm focal length range doesn't confirm the superiority of the Hyperstar. There are issues. The focal depth sub F2 is insanely shallow. How do you intend to find and maintain that focus? This is using the crude moving secondary mirror system. How well will your filters work with such a steep light cone? How will you manage the cables passing in front of the light path? You can make an artificial four vane spider and run the cables along that but then you have diff spikes on a widefeild image. Do you want this? 

Don't rely on the adverts for good advice.

If you use the SCT at native FL or reduced to F6.3 or whatever, that will be a long focal length and will need good, very good, autoguiding. This is not something you can rely on finding from a budget mount - or indeed from almost any mount. It will tae effort.

There are alternatives to the SCT. It took me a while to find them but I'm glad I did...

Olly http://ollypenrice.smugmug.com/Other/Best-of-Les-Granges/22435624_WLMPTM#!i=2266922474&k=Sc3kgzc

[Casper15]

Thanks Olly.

I'm glad I'm researching before I plunk down thousands. This is likely way harder than the adverts suggest.

Thanks. I'll keep reading

Barry

[damnut]

Hi Barry,

Whooa, that's some investment. I can't add anything to Olly's advice (have you seen his images??) bar saying go along to a local astro group, I bet there will be some heavy duty imagers there, see what they have and see what may suit you best.

[ollypenrice]

I sometimes come across as anti SCT which, really, I'm not. But I do think they are a challenge for DS imaging. I just try to put the brakes on the massive advertising and marketing momentum which lies behind them.

Olly