RE: [APML] Orion Min-EQ + EQ-1M

["Frank Barrett" <frankb@celestialwonders.com>]

Andrew,

No shortage of good advice here, but let me add my experience and counsel
FWIW.  I had a mid 80's vintage Super Polaris C8 when I started AP.  Piggy
backs worked great but I couldn't go longer than about 15 minutes at prime
focus.  It was very frustrating and I just couldn't figure out what I was
doing wrong.  Turns out the periodic error was just too much to keep up
with and about 50% of my shots would have guiding errors (and some were
operator error too).  But I kept on trying and when I finally understood
that not all my errors were necessarily operator error and that I was
reaching the limits of my equipment I made the move to a Losmandy G11.  It
was a turning point for me.  My success rate was much higher and I began
climbing the learning curve at a less frustrating rate.

Here's my advice.  Astrophotography is a very time consuming, tedious
discipline.  The only folk that do well and "survive" in this hobby are
the ones who have a passion for it and are driven to go on.  You have to
decide where your passions are leading you.  If piggyback is as much as
you think you will ever want to do then building your own high precision
barn door might be the most rewarding thing to do.  If you think you will
want to do prime focus work through the scope then an investment in a good
mount will save you a lot of heartache and frustration, IMHO.  If you're
still in "discovery mode" then I would recommend starting slow.

Whatever you decide, just know that there is a group of dedicated kindred
spirits here to help you along!

-- 
Frank Barrett
http://celestialwonders.com


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