Considering purchasing a cassegrain/mak, any sugge

Hello all,

I'm considering about upgrading to a Cassegrain from my xt6 6" dob (orion). I have around a thousand to spend on this. I'd like to be able to use my new laptop to control the telescope (I have Starry Night Pro 6) and also use it for astrophotography. I love my dob but i'd like something bigger with more light gathering capability but don't we all? I'm still fairly new to astronomy but i'm in love with it and have been studying it non-stop since I started. I've seen/heard and read that the Meade ETX series is pretty nice. Any feedback would be appreciated. Would I notice a huge differance between
my 6" dob and say a 8" cassegrian?

>>> I've seen/heard and read that the Meade ETX series is pretty nice. Any feedback would be appreciated. Would I notice a huge differance between
my 6" dob and say a 8" cassegrian?
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The biggest ETX is the ETX-125. At F/15 it is not really well suited to astrophotography. The flip mirror system is also restrictive.

An 8 inch SCT is probably what you want to be looking at. But GOTO and long exposure Astrophotography are going push your $1000 budget for even a used 8 inch SCT, I guess you would be looking at a Celestron ASGT or Meade LXD-75 mounted scope.

Lots of differences between an 8 inch SCT and a 6 inch DOB, you are trading that simplicity and easy setup for a more complex system with various added features. If you can find a way to look at and/or look through an 8inch SCT, it would definitely be worthwhile. Lots of differences, field of view, cool down, collimation, dew control.... the list is long

jon

Hello:
I agree that wanting a larger scope, goto, and photographic capabilities for $1000 is pushing it. I've been doing visual observing for a long time and just started getting my feet wet with astrophotography (with a lot of help from a friend), and it's tough. If you want to do long exposure photography, a DSLR will eat up a big part of your $1000 budget. An equatorial mount will easily eat up the rest. I would recommend you first go in one of three directions: 1) a larger scope for visual use or 2) a small refractor for photography or 3) Get a larger scope for visual use and get add on the photography stuff later. For example, a C8 on a german mount with goto is about $1500. The increase in light gathering power is significant, but won't knock your socks off like a 12" will. But it does track, which I find very useful especially when observing the planets. A way to get your feet wet in photography is webcam imaging of the planets. In this case, the long f/ratio of a maksutov is an advantage, and good sized maks are in your budget.

Cheers
Mike Connelley

The Meade SN8 on LXD75 mount is about your only option at your price point. The SN8 will basically give you the same photo quality as an Intes MN84 at a fraction of the cost, but you need to add a JMI focuser for around $300.

You COULD buy a generic Chinese Mak on a Synta mount and when the guys with APO refractor scopes on Astro Physics mounts don't show up at your observing site you can pretend that your hotrodded gear must have scared them off just as those who own generic Asian sports cars think that the reason the Ferrari and Porsche guys don't show up at driving competition events is their cars and driving skills was too much for the Ferrari guys to handle. Such people do exist, and they will fill you full of BS on what to buy if you let them.

Then again, you could stay in realityville, buy the SN8/LXD75 outfit and just take lots of nice astrophotos.