Scopes for dual imaging setup

[TareqPhoto]

Hi all,

Just very straight forward question.

If you have almost tight budget up to $1200, and you already have one scope or two but you can't be sure if you can have another one to use next to it for dual system imaging, what will you buy as scopes two of them maximum $1200?

Just ordered second cooled camera very similar same specifications of the one i have, so it means i have to find two scopes to use with it, i have Canon DSLR lenses but none two the same, i can buy one cheap of 3rd party with nice quality same to what i have, but i don't know if a lens is nice enough to be used in imaging.

I am mostly into doing wide field nebulae, something in 200-500mm range, but i see people using 135mm lens too, but i know not all targets i want to image at 135mm only.

My mount is AZ-EQ6, so, show me your suggestions/recommendations.

[sloz1664]

Firstly you have to consider your maximum weight your AZ-EQ6 can carry for your imaging purposes. This will determine what size scope you can use. and you are going to use an additional QHY 163M camera you may be adding an additional filter wheel, which adds further weight. If you are happy with the fov of your existing scope why not duplicate what you have.  Are you looking at a side by side setup? Unfortunately as my setup is installed in a domed observatory with a 520mm wide slit to image through I had to use a stacked scope setup.

Steve

 

[TareqPhoto]

21 minutes ago, sloz1664 said:

Firstly you have to consider your maximum weight your AZ-EQ6 can carry for your imaging purposes. This will determine what size scope you can use. and you are going to use an additional QHY 163M camera you may be adding an additional filter wheel, which adds further weight. If you are happy with the fov of your existing scope why not duplicate what you have.  Are you looking at a side by side setup? Unfortunately as my setup is installed in a domed observatory with a 520mm wide slit to image through I had to use a stacked scope setup.

Steve

 

First, thank you very much for answering me.

Second, very nice beautiful setup you have there, lucky you!

Now we talk about me in points.

1. I ordered ASI1600MM, this is exactly same as QHY163M but from ZWO.

2. The mount can handle up to 50lb, some said 55lb and some said 40-44lb and i read all about making it half, well, the mount came with an extra saddle anyway means it is capable.

3. I am still learning with my new scope, i like it, and yes, i can buy another one, but it is a Newt, most people hate collimation routine, and also i am not sure if i get another 6" F4 then this will make my dual setup like 12" F8 then, i mean not sure if two 6" F4 with all accessories including filter wheels will make it near the limitation of my mount, so that i am open to more options, i was thinking maybe going with 130PDS but it is not 6" and it has 650mm, very close to 6" F4, and if i use 0.9x reducer then it will be so slightly wider, not sure if i like any of those ideas.

4. I can go with lenses, i have some but i may duplicate one i have but from 3rd party cheaper one, such as that popular 135mm lens, i have Canon 135mm, but i don't know if i really want to practice and experiment with lenses over scopes.

5. I also just asked yesterday my time about adding OSC cooled camera, so if some targets i will do NB + RGB then shouldn't i just leave that RGB to OSC and keep mono for L and NB data? and ofcourse with OSC cooled i won't use any filter wheel as i will use only one filter that i can place directly on the camera or on the corrector/flattener, i have 2" LP filter already, but with two mono i can keep one for RGB filters anyway, so this mono + RGB vs.  OSC for RGB only is another idea to make things easier for me and reduce the total weight slightly too.

6. I am still in plan for getting another mount, if in hurry then something cheaper affordable such as HEQ5 or i don't know if CEM25/CEM40 can be good alternatives, not sure about AVX and then i can use the second setup separately. 

 

I have side by side dovetail, two or thee of them, i can buy one more for larger aperture scopes so they don't hit each other on that side by side, or i go with the second extra saddle with my mount, both can be done, and maybe one is better for balancing if not both, which one do you prefer if you have that choice/idea?

[TareqPhoto]

Is that William Optics Losmandy style dovetail blue one you have?

[sloz1664]

10 hours ago, TareqPhoto said:

Is that William Optics Losmandy style dovetail blue one you have?

No it's a Farpoint Losmandy style dovetail.

Steve

[sloz1664]

Sorry I didn't realize you had a Newtonian  telescope. I would certainly have a look at a refractor style of telescope for your next purchase and you don't need a full apochromatic if you use it for NB. If you are considering an OSC camera, investigate the quality of your skies if you have excessive LP it can be problematic in processing your colour images. I use a mono camera for NB and an OSC camera for RGB and in some instances the RGB can be tricky to process. I live in a Bortle 6 sky.

Steve

[TareqPhoto]

5 hours ago, sloz1664 said:

No it's a Farpoint Losmandy style dovetail.

Steve

Ah ok, i don't know from where did you buy it, i have the WO one, expensive but it is a piece of are and beauty really.

[TareqPhoto]

5 hours ago, sloz1664 said:

Sorry I didn't realize you had a Newtonian  telescope. I would certainly have a look at a refractor style of telescope for your next purchase and you don't need a full apochromatic if you use it for NB. If you are considering an OSC camera, investigate the quality of your skies if you have excessive LP it can be problematic in processing your colour images. I use a mono camera for NB and an OSC camera for RGB and in some instances the RGB can be tricky to process. I live in a Bortle 6 sky.

Steve

I live under Bortle 8 sky, it looks like 6/7 sometimes and 9 another time, but sounds i can be fine with RGB sometimes not always, and that few times is like enough for me to try and experiment, i saw people did RGB or OSC under Bortle 8 or 9 themselves, so i was thinking how much it can be in my sky then.

I looked at more options as second scope, i don't know if i may change my ideas, as i saw Newt sold with EQ mounts, i made like maximum $1200 to buy two small scopes new that i don't have, or another Newt same of what i have, but i didn't think about buying a Newt such as 6" or even 8" with an affordable EQ mount they came with, this way i don't need to put two scopes on one mount, but i have to question the performance of those cheaper mounts that are coming with the scopes as a kit, it is just a plan and not confirm yet, i have to decide as the camera is being shipped and i should expect it to come within 3-4 weeks at best, so i have to decide quickly.

I was thinking about 130PDS scope which is popular here, but i feel like i am too much downgrading, from 8" to 6" and now 5"? I feel i should either stay with 6" or 8" and no less, also Carole is doing amazing with a lens 135mm, i have this lens of Canon model, i can buy Samyang/Rokinon version cheaper or even very very cheap Chinese one of F/2.8 versions, but i also doubt if a lens for super ultra wide will be my favorite optics for long time anyway.

[sloz1664]

49 minutes ago, TareqPhoto said:

Ah ok, i don't know from where did you buy it, i have the WO one, expensive but it is a piece of are and beauty really.

I purchased it from 365astronomy in the UK. I do like WO equipment, expensive but very well made.

Steve

Edited June 16, 2020 by sloz1664

[TareqPhoto]

1 hour ago, sloz1664 said:

I purchased it from 365astronomy in the UK. I do like WO equipment, expensive but very well made.

Steve

Ah ok, i will check it out there and maybe i will buy something from them since 1 year of surfing their site.

Well, i don't have any WO items or equipment except this dovetail, i bought it to use it for my Meade 8" F5 Newt lol

Thank you very much

[TareqPhoto]

So, i am still not deciding anything, i will wait the camera to arrive and then i play with it for a while and later i decide, i may play with Canon lenses only for a while, i could buy an achromatic refractor so i can make it side by side with my ST80, but all said that an achro isn't a quality scope even if using NB filters only, and buying two 130PDS to be able to mount both on my mount i feel like not a good idea either.

[tooth_dr]

21 hours ago, TareqPhoto said:

Just ordered second cooled camera very similar same specifications of the one i have, so it means i have to find two scopes to use with it

What was/is your plans for this camera?  Often a camera is bought to suit a scope, with consideration for pixel size, not the other way around?  Or at least not with some idea of what scope you are planning on?

[TareqPhoto]

2 minutes ago, tooth_dr said:

What was/is your plans for this camera?  Often a camera is bought to suit a scope, with consideration for pixel size, not the other way around?  Or at least not with some idea of what scope you are planning on?

I couldn't understand your question better, can you explain it more for me please?

Well, the main plan was to shoot 2 different filters at the same time rather than do one per time and waiting to finish it and then change to another filter and another and another, i wasted last 2 years with that changing and having issues, even with one filter i have issues so i ended up like having so many bad data either with one filter or all, and that definitely resulted to that i don't have any one good DSO image really, many can spend even 10 years for 1 target, i really don't bear to stay full night for 1 filter only and even more nights for one filter, so i decided that i shouldn't waste every night with one filter only, so if i have two cameras then either i have one filter is bad or two bad or two good, and when i do that i know that i can shoot say 3-7 filters in less nights than spending 7 nights using each filter individual, and i am not necessary have to spend too much money to buy very fast system such as RASA or SCT with Hyperstar, for me a second mono is always cheaper, and many did use dual imaging system just fine and successfully, so all what i have to do is work hard to make both systems working together fine, at least if one isn't going good then at least the second one is success.

[tooth_dr]

36 minutes ago, TareqPhoto said:

I couldn't understand your question better, can you explain it more for me please?

Ok, why have you purchased another camera without knowing what telescope you are going to buy?

[TareqPhoto]

3 minutes ago, tooth_dr said:

Ok, why have you purchased another camera without knowing what telescope you are going to buy?

You get it wrong my friend, i bought the camera because i have same one from another brand and i am happy with it, and i have few telescopes or say two actually, but those two i can't decide i must buy the same again and place them both on my mount, so i buy the camera and later i search for a scope, and my need is simple, just a cheap scope giving nice quality and it is anywhere between 250mm up to 600mm of focal length, i just have to find that two scopes of that condition, i have one which is a Newtonian, the other one is a guide scope which is an achro refractor, ST80, so, do you have any idea which scope to match my two cameras under that category?