HELP with choosing OTA

[GrantEb]

Hi all

I am new to the forum, although I have been reading it for a while, thank you, very informative.

I have just sold my Skywatcher 130, which I had mounted on my HEQ5 pro. I tried this OTA for deep sky, but didn't get very impressive results.

I am looking at getting either the Skywatcher 200PDS or 250PDS.

Which would you go for? I will be autoguiding, and use a EOS 1000d for imaging.

I have attached a picture of the Ring Nebula, which I got using the Skywatcher 130. Will I get much better results with a 200mm up?

Many Thanks in advance.

[oldfruit]

Hi and welcome to the group, someone is bound to reply shortly with some help and great advice. Enjoy.

[russ]

I would rule out the 250PX DS as it's just too much for the HEQ5. Especially as an imaging rig. But the 200PDS is a lovely scope and well suited to the HEQ5.

[Tim]

In many ways, getting better results will depend more on the time and dedication you are willing to put into the hobby than on a different telescope. For instance, spending longer on the M57 image would have made it a better picture, so you have to beware really of thinking that a bigger better scope will automatically mean bigger better pictures.......

However, that said, you'd do well do look for the biggest aperture that you mount can handle comfortably, and a means of flattening the image if you are looking at newtonians, ie. a coma corrector. An F ratio of between 4 and 7 should be useful for imaging.

But the main things to concentrate on would be good guiding, perfect focus, as near perfect collimation as you can, quantity and length of exposures, using bias flat and dark frames, and then the big jump into image processing. If you apply yourself to these elements, then better pictures will come automatically, whatever scope you go for.

Cheers

Tim

PS, I have moved your post into the imaging>help section, thanks.

[GrantEb]

Cheers for that Tim.

I have been beginning to think that it would be better to go for an 8" and spend the extra cash on a coma corrector.

I must admit, I am still very impatient when it comes to post processing, I just need to sit down and practice, play around, a little more.

I have tried Registax, K3ccd etc, with a few of my images, but don't see much change in the result, so it must be settings that I need to get right.

Thanks for the reply all, I will post more pics soon, for you guys to judge...

Cheers

[adamsp123]

As stated before, take lots more subs, also take darks, bias and flats and don't skimp on these take quite a few say 16 minimum of each.

Stack with DSS - try Kappa Sigma stacking and just start with the other settings as suggested by the program.

As for kit it is- mount mount mount for imaging!

[Damien]

Nice image of M57, I agree with the others Mount Mount Mount and longer exposures