Newbie advice on scope

[Doug64]

Hi,

I'm fairly new to astronomy and would like to concentrate on astrophotography with some visual.

I've bought and read every photon counts a number of times along with other books and have learnt that the main thing is the mount.  I am getting a NEQ6.

I was initially going to get the SW80ED or similar but then I read the wonderful thread about the SW 130PDS and noted that people also use the SW 150PDS and SW200PDS.  Now I'm not sure what to buy and would like some advice. 

I intend purchasing another scope to use for visual work and have already purchased a SW ST80 to use as a guide scope.

Thanks

Doug

 

 

 

 

 

[Dbswales]

Hi Doug, I'm really new to this astronomy lark myself but decided to get a 130pds with a heq5 mount as I wanted to get in the imaging side of things. Saying that, it's taken me months of reading the Every photon counts book and the wonderful advice on this site to eventually get my 1st image to post tonight. 

I thought about a bigger scope but decided on the 130 as I felt that the heq5 mount would cope with the weight and the added fact that I have several dark sites around me so transporting the gear was also a consideration. 

Just my opinion Doug but I'm sure others far better to advise will add their views. Whatever setup you decide to go with, I'm sure you'll find it every bit as enjoyable as I do. Just wish the clouds would do one!

Dan

[hjw]

Hi Doug, and welcome to the forum! You've done the right start and read "the bible", you also have a great mount. The next question you have to ask yourself what you want to take pictures of. If you are interested in nebulae then you need a short focal length. The ED80 is great maybe a bit slow but it has served me well and will do so for some time to come. The 130PDS has 650mm FL - therefore it is in the same ballpark. For galaxies you would need a longer focal length and the scope should be faster - a 8" f/4 or f/5 fits the bill nicely. If you are interested in planets or the moon, I would throw a cassegrain into the bunch...

Advantages of refractor: generally more contrast, no need for collimation, works out of the box Disadvantages: a lot more expensive, smaller aperture/slower scope

Advantages of reflector: Cheaper and faster Disadvantages: needs more maintenance.

With a refractor you will have to budget for a flattener/reducer and for the reflector you will need a coma corrector.

But in the end of the day the choice of your target will somehow dictate the type of scope you can use. Personal preferences will also play their part.

Clear skies!

HJ

[Owmuchonomy]

After imaging for a couple of years with a 4" refractor which definitely didn't "work out of the box" even with so called matched accessories, I was able to get a full refund. I then purchased a second hand 130 PDS and a coma corrector for a mere fraction of the price of the refractor and was able to capture satisfactory results. So my argument is about bang for your buck.

[PeterCPC]

Agree with all of the above. You pays your money etc. The ED80 requires no maintenance (collimation) whereas the reflector will but it's no big deal. I would not go for the 200PDS to start with due to guiding considerations.

Peter

[Doug64]

47 minutes ago, PeterCPC said:

Agree with all of the above. You pays your money etc. The ED80 requires no maintenance (collimation) whereas the reflector will but it's no big deal. I would not go for the 200PDS to start with due to guiding considerations.

Peter

Hi Pete,

What do you mean by guiding considerations.

Thanks

Doug

 

 

 

 

[PeterCPC]

It is far easier to guide a short focal length scope than a long one. So an ED80 would be easier to guide than a SW200 which has a focal length of 1m.

Peter

[Doug64]

Quote

 

Hi,

Thanks for all the comments, I'll have a look at the 130 pds and 150pds.

Doug