New Guide/Travel scope advice please

[Tozza Hen]

Hi everyone, just after some help...

Currently using a SW150p on a neq6 mount guided by a Orion SSAG with a 50mm mini guide scope. I'm looking at getting a new guide scope that I can also remove from the setup to take on holiday as a travel scope.

Now I know I am wanting the best of both worlds and budget is only about £250. 

So my question is this - keeping in mind it's main use will be guiding with occasional use for visual on holiday - do I get:

Orion or Skywatcher ST80

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/startravel/skywatcher-startravel-80-ota.html

 

Skywatcher 102t OTA

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/startravel/skywatcher-startravel-102t-ota.html

 

Skywatcher 120t OTA

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/startravel/skywatcher-startravel-120t-ota.html

 

Many thanks for your advice and input. I need to make a decision as my wife is buying it for me for my 40th.

 

Tony

[Tozza Hen]

Also open to other suggestions - doesn't have to be Skywatcher...

Tony

[assouptro]

Do you think you might be wanting to use the "travel scope" for imaging? Or will it be just guiding and visual? 

Cheers 

Bryan 

[Tozza Hen]

Maybe in the future but for now while on holiday I wouldn't have any form of tracking/guiding so it would just be visual or planetary imaging.

However - when it's mounted on my main scope at home I suppose it would be nice to be able to image through it if I felt so inclined  

T

[assouptro]

I haven't had any hands on experience of the scopes you have mentioned, so I can't advise you which would best to travel with.

Perhaps it would be good if you managed to get your "hands on" these scopes to weigh up the physical size and weight? 

Remember, when traveling with a telescope it also needs a tripod, eyepieces, diagonal etc, and all of these take up your weight and size limit for the aeroplane. I was going to suggest a decent pair of binoculars but obviously you won't be able to use them at home for guiding. 

I'm sure someone on this forum has used one of these to travel with or will have some other suggestions? They are a helpful bunch! 

 

Clear skies 

Bryan

[Geoff_L]

With a budget of £250, I suspect an APO ED is out of range.  I have an Orion ST80T, which I have used for lunar imaging. You will get CA with that tube, but Registax can realign the RGB channels to minimise CA in the final image. Orion also sell the basic OTA with a StarShoot camera as a dedicated guiding package. This tube also works well with a decent photo tripod at up to 100x.

HTH & Clear skies, Geoff

[Tozza Hen]

Hi Geoff,

As much as I would love an ED, it's not my money and so I need to keep within budget. I have looked so many times at the ST80 and it was going to be my choice - however seen as I already have the starshoot camera and just need the OTA, I thought bigger might be better?!

Tony

[vlaiv]

Tough one ...

I have ST102, and I used it for guiding and imaging. I guided with it in side by side configuration on heq5, and also imaged with it and small sensor. For proper imaging you need to do a lot of tweaking to get good image - use filters and aperture mask to bring down chromatic aberration. While it can be done, I don't think it is the best way to go. This scope is heavy - more than 3kg so you must be careful how you mount it to avoid flexure.

You really have 3 options here:

Small achromat - will have CA, poor on planets, good wide field, cheap, poor for AP, good as guider (provided that it is one of the smaller, lighter models) - things like SW ST80, or SW mercury 70 / 500

Small ed doublet - almost no CA, ok on planets, good wide field, will exceed your budget by about 50%, good for AP, good as guider (no worries about weight, since larger models go well beyond your budget) - things like TS INED70 (70mm F/6 ed doublet, carbon tube)

Small mak - no CA, best on planets, poor wide field (long focal length), cheap, good only for planetary AP not deep sky, questionable as a guider - technically it would work as a guide scope but there is issue of mirror flop / mirror shift - if it is a bit loose it will result in flexure regardless how well it is mounted - things like 90/102 SW mak.

I think I would go with ed doublet to cover most of needs if you can stretch your budget enough.

 

[Tozza Hen]

Hi vlaiv,

Very Informative, thanks. I have just been reading up on the ED Doublet and it looks great - it's lightweight; good for visual; good for guiding and occasional AP - this may be the one - I'll keep you posted ?

 

Tony

[Tozza Hen]

40 minutes ago, Tozza Hen said:

Hi Geoff,

As much as I would love an ED, it's not my money and so I need to keep within budget. I have looked so many times at the ST80 and it was going to be my choice - however seen as I already have the starshoot camera and just need the OTA, I thought bigger might be better?!

Tony

I may just have to add to her budget and get the ED ?

[assouptro]

49 minutes ago, vlaiv said:

Tough one ...

I have ST102, and I used it for guiding and imaging. I guided with it in side by side configuration on heq5, and also imaged with it and small sensor. For proper imaging you need to do a lot of tweaking to get good image - use filters and aperture mask to bring down chromatic aberration. While it can be done, I don't think it is the best way to go. This scope is heavy - more than 3kg so you must be careful how you mount it to avoid flexure.

You really have 3 options here:

Small achromat - will have CA, poor on planets, good wide field, cheap, poor for AP, good as guider (provided that it is one of the smaller, lighter models) - things like SW ST80, or SW mercury 70 / 500

Small ed doublet - almost no CA, ok on planets, good wide field, will exceed your budget by about 50%, good for AP, good as guider (no worries about weight, since larger models go well beyond your budget) - things like TS INED70 (70mm F/6 ed doublet, carbon tube)

Small mak - no CA, best on planets, poor wide field (long focal length), cheap, good only for planetary AP not deep sky, questionable as a guider - technically it would work as a guide scope but there is issue of mirror flop / mirror shift - if it is a bit loose it will result in flexure regardless how well it is mounted - things like 90/102 SW mak.

I think I would go with ed doublet to cover most of needs if you can stretch your budget enough.

 

 Said they were helpful! 

Thats a good suggestion Vlaiv.  I really like the look if the INED-70. I'd like to own one myself! 

Looks like you'll have to persuade  extended family to club together and get a birthday present that you will enjoy for years avoiding the  "I wish I'd got a better one" thoughts creeping in. 

 

[Geoff_L]

4 hours ago, Tozza Hen said:

Hi Geoff,

As much as I would love an ED, it's not my money and so I need to keep within budget. I have looked so many times at the ST80 and it was going to be my choice - however seen as I already have the starshoot camera and just need the OTA, I thought bigger might be better?!

Tony

Hi Tony,

My point about Orion selling the ST80 and Starshoot camera as a guiding package was that it's a proven combination. You already have the camera, so you'd just need to buy the OTA, which is available from Orion (uk.telescope.com) for £85 without rings, dovetail or other accessories, £153 in "Terrestrial" guise, and £160 in "Astronomical" format.

HTH & clear skies, Geoff

[m.tweedy]

could your budget stretch to this.

https://ensoptical.co.uk/index.php?_route_=skywatcher-equinox-80-apo-pro-ota

brilliant scope and price. would tick every box

[vlaiv]

20 minutes ago, m.tweedy said:

could your budget stretch to this.

https://ensoptical.co.uk/index.php?_route_=skywatcher-equinox-80-apo-pro-ota

brilliant scope and price. would tick every box

That is quite a discount!

[Paz]

I've got an st80 and st120 and both have been smuggled into the car on different holidays, along with an az3 and more recently a porta 2 mount.

Both are fine for travel, it's just a case of how much physical room you have to fit them in your boot/trailer/etc and what kind of a deal you can negotiate with your household director.

I would of course upgrade to ed80/ed120 if I could but the St scopes have an advantage of being less of a worry in terms of value and getting nicked/lost/stolen/damaged/etc.

[Tozza Hen]

4 hours ago, Geoff_L said:

Hi Tony,

My point about Orion selling the ST80 and Starshoot camera as a guiding package was that it's a proven combination. You already have the camera, so you'd just need to buy the OTA, which is available from Orion (uk.telescope.com) for £85 without rings, dovetail or other accessories, £153 in "Terrestrial" guise, and £160 in "Astronomical" format.

HTH & clear skies, Geoff

Hi Geoff,

Thanks for your reply, I see your point now - makes sense when I am already halfway there with the guide camera. I have a lot to think about now as I'm also tempted to add some cash to my birthday present and get the TS INED-70 as suggested earlier. 

Decisions decisions

Tony

 

 

[Tozza Hen]

2 hours ago, m.tweedy said:

could your budget stretch to this.

https://ensoptical.co.uk/index.php?_route_=skywatcher-equinox-80-apo-pro-ota

brilliant scope and price. would tick every box

My budget could stretch to this - I've decided I do need to spend more and have been reading about the TS INED-70 all day which is more expensive than this bargain.  Out of the two - which is better? The equinox 80 for the bigger aperture?

Tony

 

[Tozza Hen]

1 hour ago, Paz said:

I've got an st80 and st120 and both have been smuggled into the car on different holidays, along with an az3 and more recently a porta 2 mount.

Both are fine for travel, it's just a case of how much physical room you have to fit them in your boot/trailer/etc and what kind of a deal you can negotiate with your household director.

I would of course upgrade to ed80/ed120 if I could but the St scopes have an advantage of being less of a worry in terms of value and getting nicked/lost/stolen/damaged/etc.

Hi Paz,

Lost stolen damaged isn't at the top of my worry list - the biggest thing I worry about is buyers remorse - hence the questions. 

 

It looks like it's now between an TS ed70 or a Skywatcher 80APO

 

Tony

[vlaiv]

Equinox is, no doubt about it, I'm simply amazed at that price, it usually goes for something like 500.

Equinox is faster scope (good for imaging), uses FPL53 glass - potential for better color correction, and from what I've read on that scope it indeed has really good color correction. It is more heavy though, but that is minor compared to benefits.

 

Huh, sorry, I made mistake, it is not F/5, for some reason I mixed specs on equinox and esprit series of scopes from SW. So yes, it is still very good scope, and I would guess that it has better correction than TS INED70, being F/6.25 and having FPL53 glass as opposed to FPL-51 (this in it self does not guarantee that color correction will be better, but it usually is - manufacturers tend insure top quality when working with expensive glass). But again, price on that posted link is real bargain.

[Tozza Hen]

6 minutes ago, vlaiv said:

Equinox is, no doubt about it, I'm simply amazed at that price, it usually goes for something like 500.

Equinox is faster scope (good for imaging), uses FPL53 glass - potential for better color correction, and from what I've read on that scope it indeed has really good color correction. It is more heavy though, but that is minor compared to benefits.

Damn - just been reading up on the equinox and FLO raved about it. 

I need my birthday to be now. Bryan if you are reading this you need to go nudge my wife in the right direction ?.

Tony

[m.tweedy]

I have had one and our society also has one (Equinox 80) and they are very good. We paid much more than that advertised. Be quick as it will go and i doubt you will see another at that price.

[Tozza Hen]

1 hour ago, m.tweedy said:

I have had one and our society also has one (Equinox 80) and they are very good. We paid much more than that advertised. Be quick as it will go and i doubt you will see another at that price.

Yeah it looks great - it's now however, between the equinox 80 or an Altair astro ed70mm triplet...

Funny how bargains start appearing when you really get exploring on the ol' interweb. 

[Ricochet]

In case it isn't obvious I feel that I should point out that ENS are a buyer/seller of used equipment, hence the chrome damage and low price compared to a new one. As such if you want the scope you should be reasonably quick about it as there is only that one available and it will also currently be listed on eBay.

[Tozza Hen]

Well, just like to say thank you to everyone for your help, tips and advice - you've all been brilliant. 

Ended up going for the Skywatcher Equinox 80mm APO PRO. Very excited - just need a 2" diagonal, 2" eyepiece, field flattener, tube rings and bar for piggybacking and so on ?.

List is endless but at least I got the scope ?.

Thanks again everyone 

 

Tony

[assouptro]

40 minutes ago, Tozza Hen said:

Well, just like to say thank you to everyone for your help, tips and advice - you've all been brilliant. 

Ended up going for the Skywatcher Equinox 80mm APO PRO. Very excited - just need a 2" diagonal, 2" eyepiece, field flattener, tube rings and bar for piggybacking and so on ?.

List is endless but at least I got the scope ?.

Thanks again everyone 

 

Tony

I think you have made a wise choice there Tony, and I'm sure you won't regret it. 

The list of required, and wanted kit never ends!