Getting Excited About Starting But Need Helping Out Please

[Dbswales]

Hi everyone. After poking my head above the parapet in introductions, it's been suggested that I post here to see if anybody can help me through the starting up process.

I'm fairly new to astronomy apart from a dabble over 35 years ago when my scope picked up Saturn and the excitement has been with me ever since, I won't bore everyone with my tale but suffice to say that I'm now ready to take the next step.

Originally I was interested in the photography side of things but the great advice from the site has plainer the pros and cons and I feel that I'll be better off going the observing direction with some photography of lunar and planetary if possible. Some of the photographs on the site are awesome and it'd be fantastic to be in a position to maybe try my hand at this aspect.

Anyway, budget is around £1000 or so, ideally I'd like a goto to make the most of the rare clear nights.

I've been impressed by the C9.25 and the ne8 and have also been recommended the HEQ5 as a mount.

I know it's going to cost more than my budget but I've also noticed quite a few people here have opted for the skywatchers range which may work out a little cheaper I think?

Anyway thanks for reading and looking forward to hearing some of your advice.

Dan

[Putaendo Patrick]

Your budget gives you a wide range of options, and could certainly get your foot in the astrophotography door if that's where you want to go.

One thing to consider is weight, mobility and storage. Will you be using your telescope from your house or do you plan to travel etc.?

The STC catadioptrics that you mention would certainly be one way to go.

If size is no problem, for visual you could also get a 10" reflector on a Dobsonian mount with go-to, or even a 14" without go-to.

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/dobsonians/skywatcher-skyliner-250px-flextube-goto.html

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/dobsonians/skywatcher-skyliner-350p-flextube-dobsonian.html

For photography, you might consider an apochromatic refractor:

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/pro-series/skywatcher-evostar-80ed-pro-heq5-pro.html

I might also suggest you start off with a considerably cheaper scope such as an 8" Dobsonian reflector. This would allow you to get to know the night sky and help to determine your future interests/specialisation (Planetary, DSO, Astrophotos etc). Once you know more about where you want to go, you could easily sell the 8" for a reasonably small loss (which might be much less than making a wrong decision too early on) and upgrade to something in your original budget range.

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/dobsonians/skywatcher-skyliner-200p-dobsonian.html

[Dbswales]

Thanks for your advice Patrick.

I'm still in-between in my choice but have searched the site for the models you've mentioned above and I'm still really keen on getting some photographs etc so may mean the Skywatcher Evostar 80ED DS Pro. As far as the mount goes, would I be able to use a Dob mounted on it in the future? If so would it be better to go the next model up in a 6 so it'd be capable of supporting the weight and size of a larger scope? Obviously this wouldn't be in the near future but one day hopefully. 

Does anyone have the Evostar? I have read a few bits and pieces after carrying out a search and it sounds like it might just what I'm looking for and at just about what I've managed to save as long as the wife and kids can go without dinner for a month or so!!  

Dan

[PeterCPC]

I use an ED80 for some DSO imaging. I recently put a post on of the California Nebula if you are interested its here http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/260787-california-dreaming-ngc1499/

Peter

[Putaendo Patrick]

According to the specifications from FLO, the HEQ-5 Pro has a "Payload capacity: 11kg for imaging, 15kg for visual"

The telescope part of the Dobsonian 200 (the OTA) weights approx 8.8 kg, I think, and it should be quite easy to fit the tube with rings and a dovetail to mount on the HEQ - perhaps someone can confirm this. I'm not sure I would want to put a larger reflector on this mount. Large reflectors on equatorial mounts can get quite difficult to position!

[Dbswales]

That's beautiful Patrick. To be honest if that's what the gear can do with experience id be totally made up. Thank you for that Patrick, its appreciated.

[Dbswales]

Sorry I didn't realise that it was Peters post. Fantastic image. Thank you both for your help. This is just the sort of thing that I wanted. So many helpful people here.

[Putaendo Patrick]

That's a great photo from Peter, and as noted, certainly not mine! I'm purely visual for the moment.

[Alan64]

If you want that £1000+ to stretch out for an imaging-and-sometimes-visual kit...

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/reflectors/skywatcher-explorer-130p-ds-ota.html

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/skywatcher-mounts/skywatcher-heq5-pro-synscan.html

Deep-sky imaging requires a fast telescope, at f/4 to f/6.

[Alan64]

The 650mm focal-length of a 130mm f/5 is ideal for imaging.  The shorter the focal length, the faster the imaging session is accomplished.  Cameras are far more sensitive to light than the human eye, therefore larger apertures are not required.

[Dbswales]

Ok, I seem to have spent ages and ages reading pages and pages of the merits of both observing and astrophotography and I think that maybe I may have been aiming a bit too high to think I might be able to cope with the later. I think I may be ready to step up in the future but I realise that I need to be far more aware of the whole situation and the to give it a fair go, I also need to be able to understand the lingo that everyone uses here without thinking that my brain is about to explode!! 

I really appreciate the time and trouble lots of you have given me with my ramblings and the like but think I may be better of initially going down the observing route. 

Saying that I still really like the idea of the proper mount and will go for the HEQ5 PRO Synscan which will be fine for, and if I ever progress to the photography element. 

I wondered about a Dob and thought that maybe I'd go for a 250mm but it appears that these can be a problem with eps, weight and going to a HEQ6 is a bit much at this time methinks 

So looking at some other scopes I've noticed a Skywatcher Explorer 200PDS HEQ5 Pro. It's got the mount I want, as it will be ok is I go for a 80ED DS-Pro. Granted, I may never end up with one if I can't understand the rudiments of stacking, etc etc but at least this way I know I have a good start with the mount. 

Maybe some of you have an opinion of which I'd be grateful for. All of your advice has been in laymans language thankfully which has been a fantastic help.

Cheers

Dan

   

[happy-kat]

You don't need a large telescope to image. Large is great for visual where you want to see lots. But large otherwise is heavy and a wind sail.