Re: [APML] Getting started for 1000$

["Stuart Heggie" <Stuart.J.Heggie@sympatico.ca>]

Patrick - I have read all the responses you got so far and agree with pretty
well everything. In the hopes that a little more feedback can still help, I
would offer this:

Buy a good German Equatorial mount (used) that will take an autoguider
already. Rules out the GP/GP-DX unless you want to spend your whole budget
just on the upgrade to SS2K. GM8 is the way to go in my opin. Will be more
than your budget though. You can try the Meade mounts - not sure you'll be
happy - I've heard many of the horror stories Jerry mentioned.

Get a smaller refractor that you can use as a guide scope and that will
accept rings that are robust enough to carry a piggyback camera with even a
heavy telephoto lens. Ideally you'll be able to mount a Losmandy dovetail on
it because those things will carry anything. If you hope one day to shoot
through the refractor, buy a better one and look closely at the focuser
(some are not worth their weight as scrap metal).

Shoot piggy back until you have figured out manual guiding and focusing the
longer lenses (my 180mm Nikkor ED focuses past infinity - you need to learn
how to focus it sharply).

Hope this helps!

Stuart Heggie
http://www.astrofoto.ca/stuartheggie
Flesherton, Ontario, Canada

"Beauty in things exists in the mind that contemplates them."

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Patrick Huber" <huber@wisc.edu>
To: <astro-photo@seds.org>
Sent: Thursday, June 09, 2005 5:43 PM
Subject: [APML] Getting started for 1000$


> Hi there,
>
> I have done some very basic astrophotography in the past and
> would like to start with a little more effort. I probaly will
> start with film, since I used to have my own darkroom and have
> some experience with photography in general. Moreover I have an
> old but decent SLR. Now I am about to by some new equipment and
> really like to hear some opionions what a good start might be.
>
> Since I am not sure how much time I will be able to spent on this
> new hobby, I'd like to start out modest and would not like to
> spend more than 1000$ on the telescope, the mount and the tripod.
> I plan for something like additional 500$ for all the small stuff.
>
> The plan I have figured out looks like that:
> I take the Meade LXD75 SN-6" with UHTC which comes with the LPI
> for something like 1000$ and ad an off-axis guider like the
> taurus tracker. Then I can use the LPI and my laptop to guide the
> telescope. I know the LXD75 is not a photo mount, but with my
> budget I really doubt that a Vixen GP or something similar would
> be affordable. I've seen some very decent pictures taken on this
> mount with heavier OTAs, so I guess it anyhow takes me a long
> time to be really limited by the mount. Once that happens I still
> can consider an upgrade and the SN-6" is supposed to be a decent
> optic.
>
> What do you think, am I nuts or can I get along with this?
>
> Thanks,
> Patrick
>
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