Re: [APML] 80mm refractor as a guide scope? (was: ETX as Guide-scope)

["Frank Schwartz" <fschwartz@rcn.com>]

Hi Wil,
    I do value the opinions of the veterans here, and have heard this a
hundred times that I should just buy the ST4.  I should have learned my
lesson a long time ago- LX50 vs LX200 (I didn't then and still don't care
about goto, but I didn't know about the PEC), 12mm wired reticle vs. 9 mm
wireless (used ones are really cheap), Yashica vs. Nikon camera (wow was
that a mistake!), OAG vs Guide Scope, the list goes on.  I am going to save
my pennies and get an ST4.  Unfortunately, I couldn't possibly justify
getting an LX200 at this point, and if I could, it would be at least a
10"...  Well, gotta make do with what I have, but the ST4 makes sense.
Thanks
Frank



----- Original Message -----
From: Wil Milan <wmilan@airdigital.com>
To: <astro-photo@seds.org>
Sent: Sunday, January 02, 2000 2:50 AM
Subject: Re: [APML] 80mm refractor as a guide scope? (was: ETX as
Guide-scope)


> Frank,
>
> Since you're asking for opinions, I think you're going to put a lot of
effort
> into something that will be very frustrating and never accomplish what you
> want (which I assume are sharp, well-guided deep-sky photos).
>
> It's like starting across a bridge that you know only goes halfway across
the
> river: You'd be better off putting your money and effort into something
that
> eventually *will* get you where you want to go. In this case, a short
guide
> scope atop an SCT is *not* going to get you well-guided photos, the 201XT
> is never going to guide as accurately as an ST4, and it will never guide
on any
> but the very brightest stars (particulary with the LX50, which needs very
short
> autoguiding cycle times).
>
> I've done exactly what you're doing, buying a 201XT to save money, then
> expending a lot of effort and frustration into making it work. It was all
a
> waste of time because in the end I got rid of the 201XT and eventually got
an
> ST4 anyway. Had I done that from the beginning, or even opted to wait
until I
> could afford a used ST4 (which is what I eventually did) I would have
expended
> less money, less effort, and less frustration and had a good autoguider
much
> sooner.
>
> Wil Milan / Astrophotographer.com



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