Help with scope choice

[DaveS]

I'm returning to Astronomy, and trying to scrape enough cash together to buy something useful.

Dobs are out for me for 2 1/2 reasons:

1) I'm surrounded by high fences, so need a mount near eye-hight.

2) I want to get into imaging, so need a driven / autoguided mount.

1/2 I find the Dobsonian mount woefully un-engineered.

SCTs are out because of the large f/ no, and the big obstruction, and the idea of moving the primary to focus gives me the shivers.

I've considered a big-ish newt, and I could get a 300mm one on a HEQ5 for my budget, but weight is an issue.

So I'm coming to the idea of a moderate ED Achro on a good portable-ish mount like the HEQ5 Syntrek.

The question now is how big is big enough to be useful?, I'm thinking of the Megrez 72, or possibly a Skywatcher Pro 80 ED, while debating whether I can go as far as a Megrez 90.

I'm waiting for a quote to do some hard landscaping in my garden plus double-glazing repair, hopefully by then I'll know how much I have left to spend.

Eventually I'd like to get a 5" triplet Apo, possibly a Meade 5000 127, I probably won't be able to afford a FLT 132 as much as I'd like one!

My back garden doesn't have the room for an obsy (It's long enough but thin) so any 'scope / mount has to be portable to some extent.

I still have the main bits of my old 8" f/8 newt (Single beam construction), so may try mounting this on the new mounting.

Apologies for coming in so soon on this but the options are sending my head around in circles!

Dave

[Psychobilly]

Hard landscape an observing hump?

[DaveS]

It's actually to replace some horribly broken and weed infested concrete with brick pavers, but I will be emplacing three hard points where I'll place the tripod. Because of trees growing in neighbors gardens, I need at least two sites in the garden, one to see the east and north-east, the other for south and west / north-west.

Back when I was last observing the trees were much lower and only one site was needed, and i considered a pillar constructed of engineering bricks on a concrete foundation.

Dave

[Astro_Baby]

I've considered a big-ish newt, and I could get a 300mm one on a HEQ5 for my budget, but weight is an issue

I dont think the HEQ5 would be too stable with a 300mm Newt on it. I'd say 250 was the max and even that would be pushing it.

Mine carries a 200 and with that its stable enough but I think much more weight would produce wobbly views.

[DaveS]

Yes, you're right, thanks. The Skywatcher cat lists the 300 on an EQ6 minimum, but together within my budget, though an EQ6 level mount may be too heavy for me, I'm not that well built.

Maybe an HEQ5 with a small 'fract, and a dovetail plate for my old 8" f/8 to get it back in use.

Dave

[DaveS]

Well I've just got the quote for the landscaping, it's as I feared, I could get WO FLT 132 and mount for the money.

Ah well, back to bread and cheese for the duration!

Dave