Change of plan maybe?

[Mark-mck]

well being as the cloud's cleared last night i dragged my argos crimbo prezzie 'scope out last night before work and decided it was time for my first gander at our closest celestial neighbour.... the moon, wow.

only problem i had was i wasn't the only one it had that effect on, my dad decided to to come outside and see what i was upto and said "come on then you silly [removed word] let;s have a look", well that was it i couldn't get him off the 'scope , he was absolutly fascinated.

so here i was embarking on my long and frought astronomy journey, hell bent on DSO AP, but having seen the reaction of my dad and his 5 year old like questions and fascination i think i'll take a different route. i'm thinking lunar and planetery imaging to start with so i can share some of the wonder's of the night sky with my dad.

would i be correct in thinking something like a good old fashioned 8" newt would do the trick? not too bothered about the grab and go ability as it'll only be used in the back garden, was thinkling along the lines of the 200p or 200p ds on a NEQ6 mount as the mount will be good enough when i do go down the DSO AP route.

Thanks in advance.

Mark

[Peter Drew]

Sounds a good plan, get your dad to chip in with the cost whilst he's keen! . You can always upgrade for AP later.

[Mark-mck]

that's the plan, well the upgrading to DSO AP is, getting the old man to chip in dont sound too bad too, year left on the mortgage = lot's of disposable income lol

it's just nice to see someone else totally fascinated by what the night sky has to offer, he was a bit upset earlier cos i managed to bad saturn this morning, with rings and 3 moons. hopefully i'll of bought a decent scope and mount in the next few weeks and i'll let him have a look being as she's comming round earlier as the year goes on.

[MG1]

Lovely story mate. I'd spend the time learning with your Dad. Hobbies are even more fun when shared.

[ozwebuk]

That would be a very credible scope. Probably just depends on your budget what you can afford. Have dig around on this forum and you'll find lots of info about different options. Ebay doesn't seem to produce many bargains these days, check out seond user kit on a number of the major web shops, there is also a for sale section on SGL but you need to qualify to view. Member for more than a month and 50+ postings.

[valleyman]

200p mounted on at least a EQ5 goto, spc900c webcam with adpator, registax software for stacking, Amcap for capturing, Laptop. you will get all the moon and Planet pics with that as a starter for AP

[JamesM]

If you can afford it I would certainly get hold of an NEQ6 as its a great mount and would future proof any decision you make after that. There are cheaper options but that would save you money in the longer run and holds its value very well if you ever needed to sell it in the future.

James

[Steve C]

Good set up, I use a 200 on an eq5 goto with a toucam, does the job for lunar & planetary work just fine

[nightfisher]

good plan, go for it

[Mark-mck]

i'm a bit confused between the 200p and the 200p ds. whats the difference? is one better suited to lunar and planatery work?