ES AR152 F/6.5 - reducer to possibly F/4 ?

[astrorg]

Hi
I had this telescope a few years now and used very little and I would like to be able to reduce F down to f/4 if possible.
I used a Orion 0.8x reducer/flattener and that works well.

I currently own these cameras:

Altair 178M and C [both with fan] - [3040x2048, 2.4x2.4 um, Chip size: 7.296mm x 4.9152] - I believe sensor distance ~10mm
QHY5III-174M mini [uncooled] - sensor distance 11mm - 1936x1216 - 5.86um
Canon 100D T3 QE 43 - sensor distance 43-44mm [5184 x 3456, 4.3um]

Does anyone have any 'practical' help in choosing the correct reducer/flattener to match AR152 and cameras?

Trying hard to get back to do a bit more imaging - not easy with UK [Northern England]  weather to do tests - I wasted a lot of time ... a lot of times ... doing tests and reduced by 80% the actual outings to image! It is just not possible to spend the few nights I am free and match the weather + test. Often there is only a 2-3 hours window per night.

At the time I was using mainly DSLR and then went to use [a bit] the 178C with 0.8x flattener.

I started to test with GSO short 0.5x, but never really continued - I do not have any written data, I though it was best to ask the experts here.
Practical tips always better than theoretical, especially when it is not really my field ... I mean optics!

I know I am not much here, time is of essence in the last few years and combining free time + weather is hard here and I am getting older and fed up a bit - just trying to have 2-3 setups to do what is - lets' say 'in vogue' - planetary/deep sky or Sun and Moon.

I did Mars test and that was it ... ONCE but I was lucky to have had decent weather and I should have done more takes - idiot me!- 6 weeks of bad weather and the few times it was clear, it was NOT clear for astronomy. Just got a decent small image of Mars. My first time using IR_RGB filters and RGB filters were the old Meade 4000 series - not sure they have UV-IR leaks - probably!

Thank you in advance for any help - appreciated.
Mauro


Note: I do own the first edition SW 250PX F/4.7 - very nice, but my situation is: I have a very tight site, which 1/2 of it needs setting up and the SW is getting heavier as I get older>
It is not my strength the problem, it is the aching joints and lifting that HUGE tube very high ~ 1.6m is too much now. - it is that high because I have a garage wall obstructing South [!], so I built a wheeled 3 spikes ~28cm high trailer + EQ6 tripod + added SW 20cm extension tube - just to gain a few degrees!
I am to a point in which I need to decide which gear I 'really' need that also makes my life easier + be able to do Planetary/Sun/Moon and Deep sky - it is just hard.
I even thought to sell almost all I have to then get a HUGE motorised Dobsonian - say 16"-20" which would also allow me planetary and piggy back on it a small 72ED for wide field. Then use EQ3 for the self-built Ar90/900 solar scope.
Any practical suggestions WANTED ... please - without breaking the Bank!

My Deep Sky images are here - I rarely had anything finished apart from maybe M31-31-110 and maybe some others!
Using a DSLR is very slow and with my weather, I really need at fast camera - cannot afford one yet and thought if I make telescope faster would help DSLR a lot!
I also do really like 100D -very good camera - modified

Edited November 9, 2020 by astrorg