Think I've made my mind up!

[Sorarse]

I knew posting in this forum was going to cost me a lot of money. :(

When I started looking for a new scope a few weeks ago, I was looking at a Meade ETX125, after talking to a friend at work who has one.

Last week I paid a visit to the local telescope showroom and having seen what was on offer, came away thinking about the possibilities of a Meade LX90 8".

Then I started posting on here, looking at images you guys are capturing, and asking a few questions. Big mistake.

I think I now have it nailed down to a Celestron 9.25 on a HEQ5 Pro GOTO mount.

For a while I was considering the 10" Meade LX200, but from what I have been able to gather the Celestron is highly regarded for Astrophotography, and weighs a fair bit less than the Meade.

One last question (which won't affect my choice). I know about collimation, but was wondering how difficult it is, and does a tube typically come with instructions on how to carry out the procedure?

[Nighthound]

Congrats!

Collimation seems a little daunting at first but once you've done it a few times you'll get a better understanding of the process and it'll be quick and painless. Collimation holds very well in SCTs so you'll likely only need to do it about twice a year. Do yourself a favor and get yourself a set of Bob's Knobs to replace the three factory adjustment screws found on the scope's secondary mirror face.
http://www.bobsknobs.com/Celestron/SCT/C925met.htm

These are cheap and make collimation a whole lot easier than fumbling with that tiny allen wrench. Many scope retailers will throw a set in for no charge if you ask nicely.

You'll want to get the focal reducer/field flattener and I'd suggest strongly that you read up on drift alignment and get yourself a 12mm illuminated reticle to use in the process. Shooting at over 2000mm will require a very accurate alignment if you're planning long exposures. The scale will be awesome but you'll need to get that alignment tight.

VERY wise decision going with the German equatorial mount. The 9.25 is said to be a nice astrophotography OTA. Congrats, I think you'll have a very nice rig to get started with.

[FarmerDave8N]

Congrats!

The 9.25 is said to be a nice astrophotography OTA. Congrats, I think you'll have a very nice rig to get started with.

Ditto on the congrats - the 9.25 is an *excellent* for AP - I have one. Its design is slightly different from the other C SCTs, so you end up with a flatter field. Its fl is somewhat long, you're going to want a focal reducer for some DSO work. For planetary stuff, it's a killer.

Welcome to the dork side.

David

[Celestron]

I've never had one but for over 10 yrs i've heard nothing but good about them and how well they work for astrophotograhy . I have the Celestron SCT 8" but wish i had the 9.25" from the beginning :( . Congrats on a great OTA and Mount !

[troypiggo]

Is that scope you're talking about this one? http://www.adorama.com/CNOT9AX.html
I have also heard good things about the 9.25" SCTs for planetary stuff. Interested to see sample pics as I might be considering it down the track.

[A.S.I.G.N. Observatory]

You are on the right track with the equatorial mount for photography. It is a little more advanced than an alt-az fork mount, and a little more awkward for observational work, but it sure beats everything for tracking accuracy in long-exposure photography.

My site (in my signature) has lots of good info, based on my experiences of starting from knowing nothing, to building a wealth of know-how.

I hope it can help you.

Baz.

[Celestron]

Is that scope you're talking about this one? http://www.adorama.com/CNOT9AX.html
I have also heard good things about the 9.25" SCTs for planetary stuff. Interested to see sample pics as I might be considering it down the track.


Go to Celestrons site and see images taken with All Scopes (http://www.celestron.com/c2/category.php?CatID=17) and different cameras . Heres the 9.25" OTA (http://www.celestron.com/c2/product.php?CatID=17&ProdID=103) . Scroll down and the images are at bottom of the page . Gotta remember also . All scopes on equal ground take the the same images but where the difference is , is the person doing the editing . So not all images from the same scope will always look the same . All depends on the camera used , the sky conditions , collimation of the scope , the amount of data collected and finally the person and software used to edit to a final image release . I could take alot of data and stack them but i'm not as good as most at editing and i don't have all the software required to do all proper editing . But these images will give you a great idea what to expect from each OTA .

[Sorarse]

Well, I'm on the slippery slope already. Went to the shop to buy the mount today and in talking to the lad who normally works 'out back' (he looks after repairs and optical tests etc.) discovered that the HEQ5 might be towards its upper capacity with a 9.25 scope, and would be marginal if I wanted to add any extras in the future.

So I came away with the EQ6 PRO. (Had to get permission frpm the purse holder first ;) )

Don't know if it was just a sales pitch, but it seems like a nice mount.

Have just followed that link for the 9.25 and can confirm that's the one. I'm amazed at the price you get in the States. We pay more than that figure in pounds, which makes the scope half as expensive again here in the UK! Really frustrating when I think what I could have bought with my budget if I was on the other side of the pond.

Better start saving for my G11 now.

[Nighthound]

Congratulations. You made a wise choice going with more mount to grow with. Money well spent in my opinion. Sorry to hear about the big cost difference and I hope you are soon enjoying your new rig under the stars. Let us know if we can help once you're ready to go.

[Sorarse]

Thanks Steve.

It's going to take a while to go through the manual to learn how to set it up properly. No doubt I'll have to keep referring back to the manual for the first few sessions until it sinks in. I'll be ordering the scope on Monday, as the suppliers of my mount only sell Meade tubes.

Apparently they are the sole importers for Meade here in the UK. They used to deal with Celestron as well, until a few years ago, when Meadeinsisted that they deal with one or the other, but not both.

[Celestron]

I'll second the Congratulations ! You've accomplished what some of us have been dreaming for for a long time and probably will be for ever :( .

[Adrena1in]

So I came away with the EQ6 PRO. (Had to get permission frpm the purse holder first ;) )

Let us know how you get on with it...it's the mount I would look at if I were to upgrade my EQ5 I think. May I also ask how much it was please?

[Sorarse]

Let us know how you get on with it...it's the mount I would look at if I were to upgrade my EQ5 I think. May I also ask how much it was please?

At the moment I'm still trying to get everything on it set up - polar scope etc. Initially I thought the polar retcule illuminating diode wasn't working, but I've since discovered that it's just very, very faint, and your eyes need to be dark accustomed to see it.

So far all seems well. I was surprised at how heavy it is, but I'm reckoning that's a good thing - except for when I've got to move it. :eek:

I managed to get it for £829 from Telescopehouse. Seems to be reasonable, though I didn't do much research, as when I went to the shop to buy a mount, I went with the intention of buying a HEQ5! :o

[Adrena1in]

...Initially I thought the polar retcule illuminating diode wasn't working, but I've since discovered that it's just very, very faint...

Are you sure the dial on the LED illuminator is turned all the way up to full brightness, and that the hole where is screws is in is the right position? When I first put an illuminator in my EQ5 I couldn't see a thing. In taking apart the Polar Scope I realised there's a sort of washer in there, with a section missing, and the illuminator is meant to shine through the bit that's missing...my missing bit wasn't lined up with the illuminator hole, so it wasn't lighting anything up.

And I realise that doesn't make a whole lot of sense... ;)

[Sorarse]

Can't see a dial that affects the brightness, but I'll go and have another look.

Actually, having had a closer look, I can see that the poloar scope LED isn't on at all. The very faint glow I can see through the polar scope is in fact coming from the backwash light of the power on LED.

Anyone got any suggestions?

[FarmerDave8N]

Can't see a dial that affects the brightness, but I'll go and have another look.

Actually, having had a closer look, I can see that the poloar scope LED isn't on at all. The very faint glow I can see through the polar scope is in fact coming from the backwash light of the power on LED.

Anyone got any suggestions?

There is no dial on the EQ6, the LED is integral to the mount, and is illuminated whenever power is supplied to the mount, and the power switch is in the "on" position. Apparently, for years people complained that the EQ6 polar alignment illuminator was too bright; Synta changed the design, now people complain that it's too dim. If you're seeing any light in the polar scope, I'd bet that's the illuminator LED. Try it in the dark, if it still doesn't appear that it's working, take it back. :)