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Total noob, would like to ask for help regarding a mount


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Hi, I am a totally noob person in stargazing looking to enjoy the night sky, have been interested since I was little, but only until now I am able to get myself something, after some googling, I came up with this telescope, Explore Scientific ED 127mm, and I really like it, plus in pages like telescopicwatch it is rated as very good, plus it is mentioned that it is good for astro photography, which I want to do at some point once I am comfy with the telescope, so why not already have something capable of it(OFC if there is any recommendations for something good that is a bit cheaper, I might look into it, the cheaper[for a good device] the better

What I thought of asking for help about is mounts, what mount would you recommend for it, I was advised by B&H to buy these with the telescope(I hope it is ok to put links to other stores, I know this forum is sponsored by a specific store, if it is not allowed, I'll remove them): https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/917599-REG/celestron_91519_advanced_vx_computerized_mount.htmlhttps://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/761387-REG/Celestron_18780_AC_Adapter_5.html and https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/285704-REG/Celestron_18774_Power_Tank_12_Volt_7_Amp.html  

So I want to know if that is good(I mean, at least the mount, already paying the 2k for the telescope and 1.2k for the mount is WAAAY over the budget I planned(750USD +/-) but I am willing to pay that if it is really that good

I really appreciate your recommendations and any other advise you can give to a complete noob

 

Thanks!

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First of all, warm welcome to the lounge!

Then, i would say you need to take a step back and figure out your total budget for everything required to do what you want to do, that is mount, scope, scope corrector (most scopes need some kind of corrector at around 200-500USD) scope related accessories, camera, camera control accessories, dew control accessories, mount control accessories, etc. Write "astrophotography" on the side of a bucket and start throwing money in it. Dont stop for 3 years. Maybe now you have all you want, maybe not, thing is you will spend 3x what you thought was the "max" you might have spent at first. Its very easy to overlook the extra spending needed to do AP.

What kind of imaging is it that you want to do? 127mm Triplet is hardly entry level and you will find that there are many scopes that do the entry level stuff for half the price, just depending on what exactly you want to do.

And i would not do imaging with an AVX, at least not with a serious scope like this. The more realistic imaging limit for a mount is 50% of the stated manufacturer limit, so you would be severely undermounted with a fully equipped 127mm triplet with the AVX. With that scope i would recommend no less than an EQ6, and even that will not be "trouble free".

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41 minutes ago, ONIKKINEN said:

First of all, warm welcome to the lounge!

Then, i would say you need to take a step back and figure out your total budget for everything required to do what you want to do, that is mount, scope, scope corrector (most scopes need some kind of corrector at around 200-500USD) scope related accessories, camera, camera control accessories, dew control accessories, mount control accessories, etc. Write "astrophotography" on the side of a bucket and start throwing money in it. Dont stop for 3 years. Maybe now you have all you want, maybe not, thing is you will spend 3x what you thought was the "max" you might have spent at first. Its very easy to overlook the extra spending needed to do AP.

What kind of imaging is it that you want to do? 127mm Triplet is hardly entry level and you will find that there are many scopes that do the entry level stuff for half the price, just depending on what exactly you want to do.

And i would not do imaging with an AVX, at least not with a serious scope like this. The more realistic imaging limit for a mount is 50% of the stated manufacturer limit, so you would be severely undermounted with a fully equipped 127mm triplet with the AVX. With that scope i would recommend no less than an EQ6, and even that will not be "trouble free".

OK, so I need to start with something below that one, say, a tabletop dobsonian or something of the sort, and save for a while for the 127, or is it a completely different monster and I should just relax and save without buying something different on the meantime? I see that I will spend even more than what the telescope is worth in accessories, so that is going to require some saving, as you advised

Thanks for the recommendation, helps a lot :) 

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I image with a 60mm refractor most of the time and have no issue with it, even dslr lenses produce excellent results so don't go thinking aperture is the prime concern. Aperture is good and the ES you're looking at would be a good scope, but do not skimp on the mount or tripod it's mounted onto as it will cause trouble from the start.

You have to decide what you want to do in the environmental conditions available around you. Do you want to do planetary, deep sky, visual, imaging. Very rarely does one setup do everything and many people who can, have more than one setup.

As @ONIKKINEN said, AP is a blank cheque and you'll end up spending lots on it (you don't have to if you know what you're doing but that comes from experience, and it's likely you'll spend more anyway due to wanting to change the setup at some point).

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Welcome to the forum,

There is no "one scope fits all"  option.  Also it's really hard for anyone to make recommendations as most of us don't know how good (or bad) your skies are, or what your expectations are.  If you are looking for something portable so you can access good quality skies then that will rule out a huge Dobsonian.  If you want to image then ideally you'll need an EQ mount...  If imaging, you may not want a scope at all, and a decent DSLR camera and lens on a tracer mount would be a better option.  Then once you've worked that out then you have the fun of finding something that fits your budget, and is also in stock.

If you have a local astronomical society near you, then well worth joining it just to pick their brains and see at first hand some of the equipment they use under the same conditions.  Also read through previous posts on this forum.  The question or posts seeking the same advice crop up regularly so you may get a lot of useful info from previous discusions.

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19 hours ago, CharlyLeyequien said:

good for astro photography, which I want to do at some point once I am comfy with the telescope, so why not already have something capable of it(OFC if there is any recommendations for something good that is a bit cheaper, I might look into it, the cheaper[for a good device] the better

Please be aware that the telescopic requirements for visual, for planetary imaging, or for deep sky imaging are all substantially different.

Also note that while a 127 ED may be a fine scope, look great and be cool, there are other options of the same aperture that will work almost as well and cost far less (as well as weighing much less, probably.)

For visual you want a scope of significant aperture (as much as you can afford) while the mount is less critical.

For planetary imaging, you want a telescope of significant aperture, and it helps to have a really rigid mount that is at least powered for tracking.

For deep sky imaging, you want a scope with a short focal ratio (e.g f5), but the aperture is not important and can be small. Though optical quality should be good. A large aperture (also at f5) will allow you to capture images at larger scale, but smaller actual sky area (not necessarily what you want in all cases.)  And a solid mount of the GoTo variety is essential.

There is no scope that ticks all boxes, and if you find a mount that ticks all boxes there may be some other considerations, like its weight.  In fact you should consider the size and weight of any kit before you rush to purchase.

Do you have dark skies? If not, you can forget some kinds of imaging.

Can you observe from your backyard, or do you have to put the outfit in your small car and then carry it up a hillside? If the latter, you don't want a big heavy scope and mount. 

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Welcome to SGL.

The ES ED127 triplet is a great scope, but as others have said you will need to spend a fair bit on a new mount too. Have a good look through the many 'which scope' threads on SGL and you will get a good idea of the options. As it has been said, AP is a money pit (he says from experience). If you already have a suitable DSLR you can use this, which will certainly keep costs down. The other thing to consider is buying second hand - but make sure it is from a reliable source.

You also need to consider what you want to view / image as this will have a bearing on what you need. A large SCT is great for planets, but useless on most nebulae. Similarly, a small refractor would be great for widefield imaging, but poor for planets and most galaxies. 

Good luck with your journey.

 

 

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