Back to astronomy and need some tips.

[emadmoussa]

Hey guys, 

It's Emad again, warming up to get back into astronomy. 

For those who know me, you probably know that I have been away from astronomy for over three years now. 

We're finally FINALLY seeing a light at the end of the tunnel, and we're actually selling our house and leaving this terrible town. We're buying a house near Glossop, Derbyshire, on the border with the Peak District.  I'm personally done with what I wanted to achieve and planning on getting back into astronomy.

So, bottom line, as embarrassing as it might seem, turns out I actually forgot a lot about equipment and stuff. So, I'm hoping you could help me decide. 

If all goes well with the house sale, I should have a budget of £3000. My current options are:

1. 300P Flextube Dob + Baader zoom eyepiece & eyepieces 

2. 300P Flextube Dob with go to (like the tracking functionality) + eyepieces 

3. 350P Flextube Dob (but worried about the weight and size - assuming a 350P with tracking is too much?) + eyepieces 

4. Sky-Watcher AZ EQ6-GT GEQ & Alt-Az mount (I've been drooling over this mount for years now) + 2 scopes (perhaps, 250mm reflector & 120ED refractor side by side). This is my ideal situation, but ideal maybe only in my head. I'm not sure about the logistics involved here neither do I know hands on what the mount is like. I just like it's versatility and potential.  

 

I'm hoping to be able to do that maybe in September or October (you know how long it takes to buy/sell a house...)

 

These are just my thoughts, did I miss something? Please, be free to throw any suggestions my way! 

 

Thank you!! 

[Chris]

Hi, Emad. Good to see you posting again. Considering your new location, and the fact that it sounds dark! I'd be pretty tempted by option two:

- Relatively simple setup with large aperture. Has freedom find for manual moving as well as the goto to help with the rusty-ness and tracking.

Maybe get a frac setup as a separate thing down the line? 

[kendg]

Can't answer anything about the Dobs, but I really do like my AZ-EQ6 ?. 

It all depends on if you are mainly imaging or observing.

[garryblueboy]

Hi Emad good to see you back the dobs would be nice up where your going but also,the AZEQ6-GT With nice 120 ed and a C11 would be great also 

[Pig]

Hiya Imad, good to see you again ? I would go for a option 4 : A Tak and a nice goto portable mount with a couple or three eyepieces. £3k would just about cut it ?

[Corkeyno2]

I think you should go for option 2. I have a 300mm dobsonian and even without tracking the views are great. It really depends on what you want to prioritize: imaging or viewing? 

[Paz]

Comparing 350 to 300 aperture if in doubt about managing the weight and size I would vote for  erring on the side of going too small rather than risking too big.

Comparing the option of goto or a zoom eyepiece I would vote for goto as goto would add to the capabilities of the overall set up more than a zoom would.

[emadmoussa]

55 minutes ago, kendg said:

Can't answer anything about the Dobs, but I really do like my AZ-EQ6 ?. 

It all depends on if you are mainly imaging or observing.

How heavy or maneuverable is it? 

[emadmoussa]

28 minutes ago, Corkeyno2 said:

I think you should go for option 2. I have a 300mm dobsonian and even without tracking the views are great. It really depends on what you want to prioritize: imaging or viewing? 

Weight issues?

I used to have the version without the motor, and I could transport it into the garden and back without a problem. My only worry about the goto is the weight. 

[emadmoussa]

29 minutes ago, Paz said:

Comparing 350 to 300 aperture if in doubt about managing the weight and size I would vote for  erring on the side of going too small rather than risking too big.

Comparing the option of goto or a zoom eyepiece I would vote for goto as goto would add to the capabilities of the overall set up more than a zoom would.

Agreed. The 350p is probably too high as well. I based that on pictures, never tried it myself.  

[emadmoussa]

1 hour ago, Lockie said:

Hi, Emad. Good to see you posting again. Considering your new location, and the fact that it sounds dark! I'd be pretty tempted by option two:

- Relatively simple setup with large aperture. Has freedom find for manual moving as well as the goto to help with the rusty-ness and tracking.

Maybe get a frac setup as a separate thing down the line? 

Well, as we all know, there's the wife/gf's authority in all that  An expensive kit is one thing, what appears to be like two/three kits is another. This is why I was asking about the EQ6-GT mount. I can pretend that it comes with two telescopes

 

[Chris]

1 minute ago, emadmoussa said:

Well, as well all know, there's the wife's authority in all that  An expensive kit is one thing, what appears to be two/three kits is another. This is why I was asking about the EQ6-GT mount. I can pretend that it comes with two telescopes

 

Yep, dead right, most of us know the other half element. The good thing about the e6-gt is the benefit of being able to sneak different OTA's in a out so you're not limited in that respect. Maybe it is the better option if you don't mind the setup, I was mainly thinking option 2 because dark skies and 12" of aperture sounds like a match made in heaven, and I wouldn't like to try and mount a 12" Newt on a EQ6-GT! However as said above, a C11 and maybe an ED120 would be quite the setup!

All depends on how strong you are, plus how far away you need to setup. My CPC800 Edge is the largest I could manage to carry and setup. 

Now if you were to build a RoR obsy shed, and have the setup in situ, you could really go quite big!   

[Stu]

Welcome back Emad!

Out of your list, I would go for the 300 Goto, manageable but will be great under dark skies

[emadmoussa]

3 minutes ago, Stu said:

Welcome back Emad!

Out of your list, I would go for the 300 Goto, manageable but will be great under dark skies

I think I narrowed it down to the 300p GoTo and the EQ6-GT. I guess the 300P will be great for growing my shrunk biceps. 

[emadmoussa]

22 minutes ago, Lockie said:

Yep, dead right, most of us know the other half element. The good thing about the e6-gt is the benefit of being able to sneak different OTA's in a out so you're not limited in that respect. Maybe it is the better option if you don't mind the setup, I was mainly thinking option 2 because dark skies and 12" of aperture sounds like a match made in heaven, and I wouldn't like to try and mount a 12" Newt on a EQ6-GT! However as said above, a C11 and maybe an ED120 would be quite the setup!

All depends on how strong you are, plus how far away you need to setup. My CPC800 Edge is the largest I could manage to carry and setup. 

Now if you were to build a RoR obsy shed, and have the setup in situ, you could really go quite big!   

I had a C11 before. I never felt it was as sharp and contrasty as a reflector or refractor. The 300P GoTo dob is still on the table and it's the most viable option financially for me. But, damn, the EQ6-GT is sinfully tempting.  

[Chris]

2 minutes ago, emadmoussa said:

I had a C11 before. I never felt it was as sharp and contrasty as a reflector or refractor. The 300P GoTo dob is still on the table and it's the most viable financially for me. But, damn, the EQ6-GT is sinfully tempting.  

Sounds like the 300p Dob is a decision of the head, and the EQ6-GT is of the heart (well.... and the head when it comes to SWMBO scope evasion ). 

ruling out the C11, what do you reckon you'd manage to cope with in terms of lifting, and securing an OTA onto the saddle? 10" Newt?   

[kendg]

41 minutes ago, emadmoussa said:

How heavy or maneuverable is it? 

Heavy but maneuverable.  I just have it set up fairly permanently so I don't have to move it very often (read never) ?

[emadmoussa]

Just now, Lockie said:

Sounds like the 300p Dob is a decision of the head, and the EQ6-GT is of the heart (well.... and the head when it comes to SWMBO scope evasion ). 

ruling out the C11, what do you reckon you'd manage to cope with in terms of lifting, and securing an OTA onto the saddle? 10" Newt?   

That's exactly it. I had the 300P (not goto) and loved it. I just don't like buying the same thing again  And yes, I want something that can track. 

[Chris]

22 minutes ago, emadmoussa said:

That's exactly it. I had the 300P (not goto) and loved it

 

23 minutes ago, emadmoussa said:

And yes, I want something that can track. 

Well that definitely points towards the 300p goto Dob

24 minutes ago, emadmoussa said:

I just don't like buying the same thing again

Well it's not quite the same.....in that it has goto  

I've had two C8 Edge HD's over the last 4 years. The first one on an AVX mount in my old obsy, and now the CPC version which I carry and setup. All I can say is it feels great to have it back. Maybe you would feel the same? 

It's tricky when your heart wants something though, because you only live once and all that!

Sorry, I'm not helping much it seems lol

[emadmoussa]

2 minutes ago, Lockie said:

 

Well that definitely points towards the 300p goto Dob

Well it's not quite the same.....in that it has goto  

I've had two C8 Edge HD's over the last 4 years. The first one on an AVX mount in my old obsy, and now the CPC version which I carry and setup. All I can say is it feels great to have it back. Maybe you would feel the same? 

It's tricky when your heart wants something though, because you only live once and all that!

Sorry, I'm not helping much it seems lol

Well, empathy helps!  

[Gina]

Great to have you back Emad ?

[dobbie]

welcome  back emad ..nice dilemma you have there... 300p goto gets my vote .

[emadmoussa]

28 minutes ago, dobbie said:

welcome  back emad ..nice dilemma you have there... 300p goto gets my vote .

Thanks! Although, I love how you can describe a dilemma as nice.  

[Stu]

42 minutes ago, emadmoussa said:

Thanks! Although, I love how you can describe a dilemma as nice.  

Well it’s a dilemma choosing between two good things, if it were between two bad things then it would be....well, bad I guess  

[LukeSkywatcher]

Welcome back. Has it really been three years?.