lsintampa wrote: ↑Thu Jan 16, 2020 8:02 pmInterest here is lunar, planets, stars, and DSO
Well, that narrows it down: to
everything!!
To do
DSO AP and planetary/lunar
AP, you need two different rigs, because the requirements are different.
For
DSOs, you need accurate tracking, possibly guiding (though you can get by without it for a long time), extreme stability, and fast optics (
f/6 or less).
Goto is not a requirement, but it is helpful for finding dim targets. Personally, I don't use
goto, because I use plate-solving instead. But plate-solving requires a
goto mount, even if you don't use the
goto capability. It needs the encoders, so it can tell the mount to move 1 arc-minute to the left, or whatever. With just tracking motors, you will have to do your target acquisition manually through an eyepiece or by taking test frames.
For planetary
AP, you need long focal length and fast frame rates. Tracking is helpful, but not essential: some people do decent planetary
AP with a hand-tracked
Dob! It is normal to use a scope that already has a long focal length, and to add a barlow to it. Planets are tiny, and need all the focal length you can get.
So, a compromise solution is an 8"
SCT. A 2x barlow will get it up to 4000mm focal length, which is reasonable for planetary. A 0.63x reducer will speed up the optics to a usable range for
DSOs. Mount it on an AVX, or, even better, on an EQ6/Atlas, and it will be a good all-round
AP platform.
DSO AP: Orion 200mm f/4 Newtonian Astrograph; ATIK 383L+; EFW2 filter wheel; Astrodon Ha,Oiii,LRGB filters; KWIQ/QHY5 guide scope;
Planetary AP: Celestron C-11; ZWO ASI120MC;
Portable: Celestron C-8 on HEQ5 pro; C-90 on wedge; 20x80 binos;
Etc: Canon 350D; Various EPs, etc.
Obs: 8' Exploradome; iOptron CEM60 (pier);
Helena Observatory (H2O) Astrobin