Help me out of the swamp...

[fatwoul]

OK, I am getting lost in a forest of tripod tubes. And mounts. The more I look, the less focused (excuse the pun) my selection becomes.

To recap: I am interested in imaging, predominantly DSOs, but also enjoy occasional visual work. For a telescope, I have a Vixen 80M on a doddery old Polaris mount, and my cameras are an equally ancient Starlight Xpress MX5C, my Nikon D3, and a D300.

Initially I was lusting after a Celestron 925, as I previously mentioned on here, but as I read on, I decided that an C8 Edge HD would better suit me, since my D3's big sensor would make better use of the flatter field offered by the C8.

However, Adam (nice chap) at RVO suggested I also consider the SW Equinox 120 Pro on an EQ6. Thing is, for wider field deep sky stuff I do already have the Vixen, which I plan to put on whatever new mount I get anyway. I know it is smaller and considerably dimmer, but the lens has always served me well.

So I was all set to go for an Edge HD C8 on a CGEM...

But then I started reading about the SW 190MN DS Pro, and now don't know WHAT to do!

I'd thought I'd settled for the CGEM mount, too, until I read some early users had problems with them. I have yet to determine whether those problems have been ironed out. I've read just as many positive reviews, and my understanding was that the CGEM was from the same Synta stable as the EQ6.

To be honest, I'm more keen to get the mount aspect right, as I can always sell on an OTA should it prove unsuitable for the work I end up doing. I can't stretch to anything crazy expensive, but I'm back to square one, with 2,500 to spend and even further from making a decision than I was a week ago!

[ollypenrice]

The EQ6 is a known quantity with lots of backup, Astro Baby's strip down guide, spare parts everywhere and useful mods. It is a happy bunny dealing with focal lengths up to a metre. Beyond that it might deliver, as I said before. The Mak Newt has done some good stuff on here and is a bit faster than the 120. I think the 120 would be easier to work with though. No collimation and less bulk. I wanted to buy a Mak Newt when they came out but SCS Astro wouldn't sell me one.

Oh dear... nightmare all this choice.

Olly

[fatwoul]

Thanks Olly. Nightmare indeed.

OK, so you'd go for either the Mak Newt or the 120, but either way you'd shove them on an EQ6. Collimation doesn't worry me too much, as I gather it gets easier the more you do it, and I'm keen to learn...stuff.

This is swaying me a little more towards the MN190. Anybody want to speak up for the merits of the SCTs I was considering? Or are most of you going to agree with Olly and point me towards the refractor?

[astrokat]

refactor what sort of bugit you working to if your looking to imaging i would say a eq6 with apo refractor

toby

[fatwoul]

Thanks Toby.

If an EQ6 is about £900 with goto, then I'd be left with about £1600 or so to spend on the OTA. What would you say would be a suitable refractor for that?

[astrokat]

ahhh what i would do do 1600 quid ive have my eye on the william optics megrez 120 very nice scope have a look on flo bewear you will need money for power and bits and bobs i would go for a lesuire batary 70ah about 60 quid you will wanna get a field flatner and other bits

[ollypenrice]

Depends on your focal length. Meade 127 or SW 120 for me. I have upgraded from a Meade 127 to a six (plus) thousand dollar TEC 140. What is the difference? Build quality, yes. And after that, for imaging, the stars. If you shoot a galaxy the galaxy is very similar in both but the stars in the TEC are a lot better, smaller and with no blue bloat. Both are fine in terms of field flatness on the chip I use. (15mm square, Atik 4000.) Visually you might consider the 127 to be colour-free, until you looked through the TEC! It is darned good, though, the 127.

On your budget I would, to be honest, be scouring the second hand apos. I paid less than £4000 for the TEC second hand. But there are some good scopes out there; WO 110 for instance. Get an early one of those and it might have a lens made by TEC. Result! WO FLT98? But the focuser has issues, I'm told. Ask Ian King about it, he will tell you the truth.

Olly

[Astro_Baby]

Well if someone wants to lend me a CGEM I'll take it to bits and write a guide for you all

[Dimitris]

How about the MAKSUTOV-NEWTON 190 Black Diamond? A good friend in Greece has one on an EQ-6 and doing miracles!

[fatwoul]

Well, I've done it. I've bitten the bullet...

I've got an MN190 and EQ6 Pro on their way to me from FLO. Steve is a marvellously helpful chap, isn't he?

I ordered a few other bits while I was at it, so I'm expecting one heck of a parcel soon!

[ollypenrice]

You will be smiling all night!

Olly

[fatwoul]

Yep. I'm Mr Coat-Hanger-Face already.