New Equipment Advice

[Cliffy Biro]

Hello, I have been lurking in the background for the last few months, reading the great posts from many very knowledgable members, I’m now after some personal equipment advice and thought it was time I asked the pros!

I’ve been interested in the stargazing for a long time and have been enjoying casual scanning with tripod mounted binoculars for the past year. Up until now, due to work commitments, I’ve been unable to dedicate much time to my interest. However, I recently changed jobs and now have a lot more free time and the opportunity to really get started.

I’m in Yorkshire, fairly rural and not too much light pollution. I’ll be setup primarily from the garden but I’m only five minutes drive from remote moorland for any local out-of-home viewing. My aim initially is visual viewing and studying with a good quality scope. I worked as a photographer a long time ago so further down the line I’d like to try AP and add a second scope specifically for imaging. I’m thinking long term overall but would like to jump in with a solid core setup I can add to over time. My budget can be up to £2,500.

After much research I’m considering the Sky Watcher AZ-EQ5 or AZ-EQ6 mount - both these seem highly regarded and adaptable to future needs, I believe the EQ6 may be better considering future imaging use? For the OTA I’ve been looking at the Celestron 9.25? It seems to deliver well for planets and lunar but I would welcome personal recommendations of other ideal scopes within budget. I’ve also briefly looked into accessories such as the Baader Hyperion Zoom Eyepiece and William Optics / Baader diagonals but one area I need to know more about is eyepieces.

Thanks for your time, I’d really welcome advice from you all on what I should consider for my aims and budget.

Cheers 🙂

Edited June 25, 2020 by Cliffy Biro

[Cosmic Geoff]

The C9.25 OTA would be great for planetary viewing and imaging.  Almost the ideal size and design for the task.  Just a few cm bigger than my C8.  The depth of focus makes it easy to add on various imaging accessories. Or you could look at the new and less well known Classic Cassegrain designs, available in 8" aperture.

The AZ-EQ5 or AZ-EQ6 would be good mounts, and save you the annoyance of polar alignment if you plan to use the AZ mode for general viewing and planetary imaging.

As you hint, you will need a second scope (a small high quality refractor) for deep sky imaging.  The C9.25 is NOT suitable for this.

By the way, if you are intending excursions to the moors, I hope you've been to the gym, as the AZ-EQ5 and AZ-EQ6 are not lightweight. 🙂

Don't agonise over eyepieces as the C9.25 is f10, I think, and the CC's even longer FR, so eyepiece choice is not critical.  Inexpensive Plossls will work, so don't think that you have to buy expensive exotic types. Unless you really want to.

Likewise don't agonise over diagonals. Tests have shown that the cheap ones work just as well - the expensive ones are better made, the coatings will last longer and the light transmission is better (not that you'd notice in practice).  The C8 comes with a nice prism diagonal and I have seen no reason to change it.

CC: https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/357242-ts-optics-cassegrain-telescope-c-2032436-ota/

 

Edited June 25, 2020 by Cosmic Geoff