Imaging scope dilema - advice needed

[adamsp123]

I apologise for the long write up so please bear with me. I really could do with some sound practical advice from you level headed ones!

Due to rushes of blood, retail therapy, bad timing, swapping stuff, I have ended up with too many scopes and I need some advice on what to keep and what to sell. Currently I am imaging using a modded Canon 1000D but will be getting a mono CCD and filter wheel and filters at some later stage.

I have in order of size, a 10" Meade SNT F/4 - bit battered but the optics are good, however at 30lbs it was too heavy to keep setting up so I got a new GSO F/4 200mm Newt at 7Kgs, and this is my main imaging scope at the mo.

A SW 120ED pro F/7.5 refractor which I would be reluctant to sell, I have a soft spot for it as it is a nice portable imaging and visual scope.

A 80mm Finderscope, it is extremely well built and has a micro focuser on it but it can go.

2x WOs, a 72mm Megrez and a 66mm.

Soon I will be building a ROR obsy so I can permanantly set up my kit on my S/H Vixen Atlux mount - capacity 75lbs inc CWs

So first, which WO to sell, I would like to keep one as a guide/widefield imaging scope?

I liked the 10" SNT, a veritable light bucket, fast and would be OK in a permanent setup as would the GSO, a fast scope also but lightweight....or sell both and get a SW Mak Newt which I sort of drool over!

Should I sell the 120ED or use that for imaging....or sell it along with both Reflectors and get something else eg the Orion UK 200mm astrograph... maybe that is getting little too expensive....

Thanks for taking your time and reading through all of this, any ideas gratefully welcome.

[skye at night]

sell me your 66!!!

sell the snt and newt and buy the Orion astrograph...

Sorted.

Steve

[adamsp123]

sell me your 66!!!

sell the snt and newt and buy the Orion astrograph...

Sorted.

Steve

I thought some of the responses would be "tactical" ones LOL

[skye at night]

tactically serious..

Steve

[catburglar]

I'm no expert but I'm full of opinion:D:

I would suspect the Megrez is a little better corrected than the 66 (and with only a slightly narrower field) so I would sell the 66.

The other scopes have focal lengths of 800mm (GSO), 900mm (SW) and 1000mm (Meade). Of these the GSO should have the poorest edge of field corrections (unless you have a coma corrector) so that would go, and the SW will be slower for imaging so that should go.

The Meade should have a well corrected flat field with a similar focal length to the SW Mak/Newt so I would keep your money in your pocket.

However, most of these decisions are driven by you heart as much as your head. Taking MY heart into account I would keep the SW 120, sell the Meade and get a SW MN190. Your images may not improve, but the feel good factor will!

[step_hen]

following this with interest as i have similar scopes- Meade 10" SNT, 8" Newt, 120mm frac and two 80mm frac's!

[adamsp123]

following this with interest as i have similar scopes- Meade 10" SNT, 8" Newt, 120mm frac and two 80mm frac's!

So am I LOL:D

CB actually sort of "rapped le nail sur la tete" - his heartless logic is pretty in tune with mine but my heart agrees with his final statement....I really do need help

[step_hen]

Keep the 120 then! Leaving your biggest issue being the Meade SNT vs the GSO vs a new 190MNT! The 10" SNT is a big beast isnt it, and really needs a permanent setup- bigger light grab than the others though. I'd be interested to hear from others how it compares with the Mak- Newt?

[ngc2403]

i would say keep the GSO it's a great scope is it not?

[ollypenrice]

I would ALWAYS prefer to image through a refractor than anything else. Even for me with lots of good nights I hate wasting a moment and everything is easier and more reliable with a refractor. Collimation, dew, focus, image shift, cool down... no problems. Keep or upgrade the 120. Refractors are just - nice. Nice to use, nice images, (I don't like diffraction spikes. Big ones are okay but thousands of little diamond shaped stars, no, that's not what I see when I look at the sky.)

What upgrade? Well, our Baby Q delivers for imaging and I have high hopes for a Tec 140 coming in a fortnight. I know these perform because two guests bring them regularly. In fact they are both coming this weekend. Watching them will be torture! The Baby Q is just a dream to use and it's fast. F3.9 with reducer...

Refractors, refractors.... soooooo sexy!

Olly

[FLO]

The 190MN will outperform the GSO, without a doubt. The SN10 has aperture on its side but a larger central obstruction and a horrendous focuser...

[step_hen]

The SN10 focuser is worse than ive seen on some toy scopes! mine has been upgraded to baader steeltrack. I've also fitted a mpcc, primary cooling fan and bobs knobs on the secondary. Do these mods put it in league with the 190MN?

I agree with Olly too on refractors- nice and simple with good results! Keep or upgrade the 120 Pete

[FLO]

Possibly, it certainly would be interesting to see a comparison. I do like the SN10, I briefly owned one. If Meade Had offered it as an OTA we would have put some into stock then sold it with a Moonlite focuser upgrade.

[adamsp123]

Ooooh! - see this is getting very interesting with the various ideas/thoughts, my SN10 has an uprated focuser and I already have a MPCC.

If I was starting from scratch and going directly into imaging I would in all probabilty go for a combo of small refractor and a MN190, it being APO like without the price tag, flat field etc etc.

I like the SN it is a nice scope but it is very heavy beast, athough I am sure the mount can take it when you add the extra weight of guidescopes, camera etc it is a fair old load and I wonder if tracking will suffer.

I also take Ollys point regarding refractors and my 120ED is just such a nice scope for the money and fits like a glove on my Sphinx mount, BTW my Vixen mounts are both secondhand I really don't have that much money to burn on those two new!

Well one of the WOs has to go as does the 80mm finder, if I got rid of the SNT it would go cheap as this is the scope that fell off the mount, the optics are just fine but the tube is a bit sad looking.

The 120ED is a keeper I have decided.

The GSO is so light, good aperture and has fine optics to boot.

I think what I need to do is try the different scopes (120, GSO and SN10) out on the same target if we ever got a run of clear skies, check the guiding and the images.

If I do that should I compensate the overall time imaging with each scope based on their F ratio? or do, say 1 hours worth of subs for each?

Then have another think!

So many thanks for your ideas, please keep them coming!

[Whippy]

Are you using the MPCC with the SN10? It wouldn't be as well corrected as a Mak-Newt but it should be good enough when collimated to give a flat enough field without one. Why get a 190MN?

If you're building an obs, then wind isn't an issue which is what would make me sell the SN10. It's fast, flat and the focuser isn't an issue if you've upgraded it.

Keep the 120, it's probably the best all round scope I've used and keep the M72, the 66 is lovely but the 72 is better .

So if it was me, I'd sell the GSO and the 66.

Tony..

[kev 102 42]

I Think you should give one to me another 10 incher to my collection.....THANKS........kev

[adamsp123]

Are you using the MPCC with the SN10? It wouldn't be as well corrected as a Mak-Newt but it should be good enough when collimated to give a flat enough field without one. Why get a 190MN?

If you're building an obs, then wind isn't an issue which is what would make me sell the SN10. It's fast, flat and the focuser isn't an issue if you've upgraded it.

Keep the 120, it's probably the best all round scope I've used and keep the M72, the 66 is lovely but the 72 is better .

So if it was me, I'd sell the GSO and the 66.

Tony..

Sound advice Tony,

I will run some loading tests with the SNT on the mount, I haven't done this yet as I have been using the GSO.

Yes the 66 will go and the others are under scrutiny so to speak.