Help me choose an 11" plus setup please

[FLO]

Do you have a 2" diagonal Gurney?

[gurney]

I believe so yes, but I'll have to double check when I get home.

As for the eyepieces ... I was wondering about swapping the 13mm for a barlow to be used with the 24mm. What are your thoughts on that?

[FLO]

You could but Hyperions are typical of modern complex eyepieces in that they essentially incorporate a barlow in their design. Simpler designs, like Plossls, are more commonly used with barlows. Also, a barlow is often used to increase eye-relief (useful if you wear glasses at the eyepiece) but Hyperions already have plenty of eye-relief.

[gurney]

Thanks for the advice everyone.

Ordered a set of Baader Hyperions (8, 13, 17 and 24mm) from FLO today.

Turns out I don't have a 2" diagonal on the scope, so I'll have to get one of those before going for one of the big boys (2" 33mm Swan or something akin!)

[NickH]

William Optics 2 inch diagonals are superb...

[gurney]

Thank you ... they're also very expensive!

[NickH]

Best £130 I ever spent (for a visual accesory)

Don't get the Antares one...that's all I can say...(from personal experience)

[FLO]

It also comes with both SCT and 2" fittings (for refractors).

[gurney]

Yes, just what is the deal with the whole 'SCT Adaptor' thing? I have no idea what that's about

[Helen]

The back of your scope will have a screw thread on it. SCT accessories screw to that. To use eyepieces you need to attach either an SCT diagonal, or a 'visual back', which has a screw thread on one end and an eyepiece holder on the other end. Refractors don't need the screw attachment - you just slot the eyepiece/diagonal whatever into the round hole at the back!

Helen

[gurney]

Aha! Thanks.

Now then - I have a Meade motorised focuser with this scope I've picked up. That attaches to the back of the scope (onto the SCT thread I guess). And then the eyepieces (1.25" or 2" - it takes both) slot into that.

So if this is for an SCT thread will it work with that electric focuser? I'm guessing it's just the adapter that has the thread and I can just leave the adapter out, can I?

[Helen]

Sounds like you can just slot the non-SCT fit into the back of the motorised focuser in the same way you slot the smaller diagonal in now

Helen

[gurney]

Hey! My Hyperions arrived today!

Very very lovely!

...

Unlike the weather!

Thanks Steve for the advice and patience! Absolutely first rate service from First Light Optics! Thank you very much!!!

[FLO]

:salute:

[Paxo]

Aha! Thanks.

Now then - I have a Meade motorised focuser with this scope I've picked up. That attaches to the back of the scope (onto the SCT thread I guess). And then the eyepieces (1.25" or 2" - it takes both) slot into that.

So if this is for an SCT thread will it work with that electric focuser? I'm guessing it's just the adapter that has the thread and I can just leave the adapter out, can I?

Gurney,

I am assuming the 10" is the same as the 12", the motorised focuser attaches by 3 grub screws. There is a ring which screw onto the SCT thread to which you attach the focuser. There are several connectors which go into the back of the focuser (these are 2" push fit), you will probably still need a diagonal to make sure you can bring an image to focus.

Steve..

[NickH]

Just trust me...get the WO diagonal...

When you start looking at stuff near the Zenith, you'll be on your back unless you do...and anything cheaper than that is going to compromise the optical quality..

Personally, and having tried both, I prefer the WO one (quartz) to the Televue one... that's how highly I rate them.

[gurney]

I've just ordered one off of ebay for about £70!

(Sorry Steve!)

[NickH]

:hello1: :hello1:

Sorry also Steve...but great deal Gurney...you'll not regret that purchase

[FLO]

That is a remarkably good price, even after VAT and duty...

[gurney]

Aha! Now there's the sting - it's an import from taiwan, so we'll have to see about the import costs - but bizarely it includes P&P!

Expect an order for that Williams SWAN 33mm soon though Steve!

[gurney]

It's all coming together slowly!

Got the 10" LX200

Got some eyepieces (Baader Hyperion 8, 13, 17, and 24mm)

Ordered a new 2" diagonal from ebay (Williams Optics SCT Carbon Fibre)

Ordered a focal reducer from ebay (f6.3 Meade)

Ordered a modified 350d from dslrastromod

Picking up a Superwedge tonight (£180 off of Astrobuysell)

A couple of filters left to get , and a big old 33mm eyepiece, and we're good to go!

The camera setup is intended to do for now. I wanted a DSLR for now to take to France with me in a few weeks time. I'm going to be dragging my newly acquired gear to test out on the west coast of France for 2 weeks.

Miles from anywhere, near the coast, no light pollution and a lot further south than we are where I live! So hopefully a fair chance of some clear skies.

Just need to work out how to use it all - and the worst thing will be no SGL to call for help on!!!

[NickH]

Okay suggestions

1: Get a filter wheel, the Atik one is nice and woks, the Trutek one is better.

2: What about a guide scope..or how are you going to image? LX drives have relatively high PE, so imaging unless you get absolutely bang on polar alignment is not going to be for very long exposures. You can autoguide the LX relatively easily with the Envisage software and a Meade DSI camera, but you'd probably need someone else to help get that set up for you (as I use an EQ6 with PHD guider)

3: Piggy back a cheap ST80 on to the LX, as the weight is low, and that will be a more than fine guide scope, or if you want a nice all roung setup, get a WO80mm or even the new Meade 5000 series APO's and piggy back that. That way you have a very good wide field refractor (also portable for when you just fancy a quick view in the field) for imaging as well as doubling up as a guide scope.

There is a lot to this, but you have 80% of the pieces towards a cracking imaging rig, and 100% of the bits for a cracking visual rig..

[gurney]

Yeah, that was my plan. Thanks.

For going to France, and just getting used to what I have now, I wasn't planning on having the full rig - but further down the line, I certainly intend to mount an 80mm refractor for guiding purposes.

For now, my main aim is to get the scope out to some dark skies and look through some eyepieces. That's my primary objective. Having the 350d on the way means I will hopefully try to just take some short exposures and not worry to much about the outcome. I've got tonnes to learn yet about the imaging malarky, so I'm not going to get too carried away with myself.

Anyway - the issue with imaging will be that in France we're going to be with friends, one of whom is a fellow astronomy buff, and if there's a camera stuck on the thing it means we're not going to get much observing done.

[Whippy]

3: Piggy back a cheap ST80 on to the LX, as the weight is low, and that will be a more than fine guide scope, or if you want a nice all roung setup, get a WO80mm or even the new Meade 5000 series APO's and piggy back that. That way you have a very good wide field refractor (also portable for when you just fancy a quick view in the field) for imaging as well as doubling up as a guide scope.

Just out interest Nick, would a WO ZS66 do the job too?

Tony..

[NickH]

It would...and the 66 is a nice scope, but ...well , 66mm, is a bit small I think, to complement a 10 inch SCT.. but the 66 is a corking travel scope...and the FOV is superb

Just my thoughts, matching a ZS66 to say a 6 inch or smaller i think would be good.

People who know much much more than I do about optics feel the same way..