Choices, choices?

[mightymonoped]

 

Ok, I have the opportunity of purchasing new kit towards the end of the year. 
 

Budget is circa £2k 

current rig is:-

SW 80ED Pro (gold edition - my first scope)

WO Redcat 51

Samyang 135mm f2

ASI294 mc pro

Eq6-R pro mount

 

In my head, I am bouncing back and forth between:-

Askar 120 APO & Flattener

Mono setup (ASI2600 or ASI533) (have factored in selling existing camera)

Daystar Quark Solar setup

I image from my apartment balcony currently, limited view but good skies (Bortle 4)

 

Thoughts?

Tony

Edited June 21 by mightymonoped

[AstroMuni]

Tony, as you have posted the sentences about budget twice, I am guessing that means you now have 4k - LOL🤣 

On a serious note, what are your plans for existing kit?

If you are considering mono setup have you factored in the costs of filters, possibly an EFW?

Edited June 21 by AstroMuni

[Vroobel]

As I have both 2600MC and 2600MM (+ filters) I would pick the mono set. I was shocked how much details increased, even if I used 2" Askar FMA230. The mono set is a game-changer, if you are patient enough. Your scopes still can surprise you. 

[mightymonoped]

2 hours ago, AstroMuni said:

Tony, as you have posted the sentences about budget twice, I am guessing that means you now have 4k - LOL🤣 

On a serious note, what are your plans for existing kit?

If you are considering mono setup have you factored in the costs of filters, possibly an EFW?

Lots of options in all cases.

Would expect to sell the 294mc pro if going mono (would put funds towards the filters etc).

Keeping 80ED for use as future solar setup if going with the triplet.

Possible late entry into all of this is to get an Strainwave Mount and sell the EQ6-R

[Elp]

The mono camera will likely provide the most benefit barring the Quark as you can use it during the day, I have however found I use mine occasionally and theres only so much you can keep looking at one object however dynamic and be wowed every single time. I assume if considering the Quark your balcony is South facing in order to get the most utilisation.

With the mono camera expect to budget at least the price of the camera or more for filters, this is highly dependent on where you source them from. You'll want an LRGB set and quickly also an SHO set (or the other way around) and maybe the odd specific one for certain bandpasses (planetary imaging for example). With an SHO set you can punch through LP and even image near the moon (Ha/S2) so you'll likely use it more often, you also see a slight detail increase as you're using all the pixels.