Dan B

This could get messy.....

Okay, yep, fair enough. However, you will have this problem with every telescope, no matter how fancy, even HST. I take it you use established techiques for finding objects, e.g. star hopping/finder 'scopes etc. You may be able to save yourself a load of money just by addressing your methods.

It sounds like you've got a budget, but after reviewing their specs I would go for the LXD55. For that extra £200 quid you get three more inches

defo LXD....

Ignore F ratios....

What kind? Using a standard SLR and film will only be good for constellations, for which you need a small aperture, large FOV 'scope. i.e. none of the above. For nebulae etc you need to get some really expensive films (with the correct spectral efficiency/responses for your targets) which need to be cooled etc. Then, the 'scope is only gonna give you about 5 minutes max before it'll need to be guided, or you'll get streaking.

Get a CCD when you next have a £1000 lying around. There is now free (windows based, puuuuck) software out there to reduce the images. It'll be cheaper in the long run....

hope that helps a bit.

carl

I think what he's saying is that his current telescope has an Alt/Az mount rather than an equatorial. Alt/Az is a PITA to keep locked on, whereas with an Equatorial you can find the object then let the motor drive do the work.

IMHO Schmidt Cassegrain with a decent equatorial mount and motor drive is the way to go because you get an enormous field of view and a decent focal length in a short tube. And they're waaaay cool

With a decent motor drive you'll be able to do long exposures (e.g. several hours) into your CCD or SLR (CCDs are also waaay cool because of their quantum efficiency). Only problem is all the batteries you have to lug around (for both the telescope and the laptop).

Scooby Snacks 23

You gonna be looking at uranus?

beemerboy

i expected CC to come out with something along those lines LOL.

BB

TVR Gary

Dont bother with a telescope just stand a little closer to the object you wanna look at .......(stolen from viz)

Alas

Either that or get binoculars and close one eye.
Read the thread and did'nt understand a word. Great!! Something I've wanted to get into but was put off when told a cheap telescope(under 500) is'nt woth the money. Is this right?
Alasdair

bigsinky

sad but i actually remember this one. still have roger's profanisaurus booked marked, absolute classic

cheers

big sinky

bigsinky

dan said
yep i am fairly conversant with star hoping but the 10x50 finder is a PITA when you are trying to spot stuff at azimuth because it doesn't have a right angle on it. i find myself getting into some weird positions trying to look through the finder. thought about a telrad sight to make things easier but then you have the hassle of mounting, and my dob OTA is made from rolled steel, not carpet tubes.

though about using the mx5 (no it is not a car before you ask, but funny how I am asking these questions on a car forum). the 12 bit version is coming in at £500, but it is the ancilliary costs that worry me. attachments etc, what else do i need.

hmmm.... dunno the dob was a light bucket but it was f5 while the ldx55 is f10 or worse i think. are short focal ratio scope not better for deep sky work?

@alas

£500 quid would get you a half decent starter scope mate so don't knock. in fact i have a 10" dob that i might be selling soon for no where near £500

thanks for the replies

cheers

big sinky

bigsinky

blip for today's interesting replies

bigsinky

bump again

hades

For less than £500 we got a 3.5" Carl Zeiss refractor, which definitely doesn't fit into the "not worth having" category, either. Doesn't have the light gathering of the 8.75" Newtonian thing we built, but much more convenient. And you can put it in the boot and drive to find dark skies, which is relevant if you live near towns.

The Schmidt Cassegrains are very nice looking scopes, very compact for their light gathering power. Wouldn't mind one, but haven't really used the scopes I've got for ages.

Dan B

You could pick up an ST6 ccd for about £500, will be air cooled and should come with all the bits you need. Its not a bad CCD, but is now fairly behind the times... On a 16" LX200 you get and 11"x11" FOV, with 1024^2pixels.

Jay m A

iTrader: (2)

Seems a hell of an expense to see the Swedish au pair living in the flats across the road.....



unless you've got a good view of the en suite

chinnybloke

Hello,

I am also newish to astronomy. I started with a Helios Evostar 120. Really impressed with it but it annoyed be how things moved out of view so quickly. I have just just bought a Meade LX90 UHTC. The goto auto tracking thing on that is excellent. Just set it up (which is easy - locate 2 stars) then choose what you want of off it goes. I haven't had any probs with that so far but I've only had 3 nights when I could use it so far. Bit heavy for shifting in and out of the house though.

Evostar is for sale is anyones interested...

Cheers,
Chinnybloke

bigsinky

I was thinking about buying a new telescope as one of my other hobbies is amatueur astronomy. i currently have a 10" dobsonian but am fed up with hunting about for what i want to view then having to make adjustments to keep the object in the field of view. i was thinking about 2 different scopes 1. the meade etx 125 and 2. the meade ldx 55 Schmit-Cass (not Newt).

the etx 125 is portable, comes with mount and has autostar. it can track in Alt-Az and Polar,costs £1049, but i am worried that a five inch will give disapointing results.

the ldx 55 is the new meade schmit cass and uses the same optics as the top of the range LX200. it is 8inch catadiaoptric with the coated optics. it has a GEM mount, which is not so portable but I think managable. comes with the same autostar and will track better because of better gearing in the GEM mount. cost is only marginally dearer at £1249.

I would like to do some general viewing as well as deepsky work (i know the F-ratio on both scopes doesn't lend themselves to deep sky work) as well as some astro photgraphy.

Any budding astronomers out there among the scooby community have either of these scopes that could give me an unbiased, warts and all opinion of their capabilities?

cheers

big sinky

[Edited by bigsinky - 5/8/2003 11:59:26 AM]