Anonymous
Unregistered
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Well, so much for those such "sub-par" imaging capabilities on the SCT's! 
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ClownFish
Post Laureate
Reged: 04/26/05
Posts: 6254
Loc: Baghdad, Iraq
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Julian, we all agree that a great setup would be a SCT, especially an LX200 GPS and an autoguider setup.
But most beginners can't afford to start out a hobby with a second mortgage on their home!
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Learn all about Polar Alignment and Manual Guiding on my website at www.PetesAstrophotography.com! Or visit my Foreign Service Blog!
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00Scoots
member
Reged: 06/12/05
Posts: 33
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Haha! And now my plans have been curtailed for a little while. Lightning struck near my house and blew out the TV, so I have to replace that before I get anything.
So the price of the SN-6 compared so the LX200 is VERY nice.
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ClownFish
Post Laureate
Reged: 04/26/05
Posts: 6254
Loc: Baghdad, Iraq
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Heck, some days I feel like I'm on WIC!
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Learn all about Polar Alignment and Manual Guiding on my website at www.PetesAstrophotography.com! Or visit my Foreign Service Blog!
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00Scoots
member
Reged: 06/12/05
Posts: 33
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LOL!
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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Quote:
Julian, we all agree that a great setup would be a SCT, especially an LX200 GPS and an autoguider setup.
But most beginners can't afford to start out a hobby with a second mortgage on their home!
Absolutely. I was just responding to the images as I've seen so many people post about how SCT's are NOT good quality views or imaging, etc. Sorry to give the wrong impression. I personally have seen no scopes of the same size that give particularly better views than other designs. They all look pretty durn good to me!
I agree with your analysis however. Scope choice comes down to budget and what you want out of your scope and what you want to do. Feature sets of scopes vary and so do people's requirements. So, a good scope for one may be the very WRONG scope for another. That's what's so dangerous in giving advice on "what scope should I buy?" unless the person's already basically narrowed it down to a few models and has a grasp of what they really want out of a scope.
A few weeks ago, you could get a Hardin Dob for $99. That's the ONE scope I recommended to a TON of people. Even if it turned out not to be perfect for them, they weren't out much money and it was a nice, good performing scope. Too bad it's not available for that price now! I would get one myself at this point.
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ClownFish
Post Laureate
Reged: 04/26/05
Posts: 6254
Loc: Baghdad, Iraq
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Hey Scoots, if you do go with the SN6, here's 3 words of advice!
1. Do not remove the mirror to clean it. It takes a great deal of dust to become image degrading. The mirror coatings are extremely fragile.. they can be ruined in seconds.
2. Do not touch the corrector (at the front). It too has coatings, and is a fingerprint magnet. If it becomes overly dirty, read up on how to wipe it clean.
3. DO NOT unscrew the little black holder in the front corrector plate which hold the secondary mirror. If you do, the whole secondary will fall and drop onto your primary - destroying both. If you have to make an alignment correction to the secondary - gently left the protective cap on that little back holder. The cap opens to the screws.. unscrewing will remove it!
Peter
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Learn all about Polar Alignment and Manual Guiding on my website at www.PetesAstrophotography.com! Or visit my Foreign Service Blog!
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TeamGS
Post Laureate
.gif)
Reged: 01/20/04
Posts: 3073
Loc: Elk Grove, CA
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BTW,
While not having the GPS module, nor the latest AutoStar suite, LPI imager, and microfocuser, you can get a used 8" LX200 for around $1000. I paid slightly more for mine 2 years ago.
Just a thought.
Gary
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Celestron 80ED
Losmandy G11
NexStar 80
Starlight Xpress SXV-H9
SXV guidehead, ToUcam 840
http://www.teamgs.org/astrophotography.htm
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00Scoots
member
Reged: 06/12/05
Posts: 33
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Thanks for the advice Peter. I can just imagine my luck of destroying my scope before even using it.
Thanks for the spot on the LX200, Gary.
I'm trying to get into a astronomy class at the local college to try to increase my astro-knowledge I figure it will help in soem way or another. Plus I get obervatory time which means I'll get a variety of scopes to try out.
Josh
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ClownFish
Post Laureate
Reged: 04/26/05
Posts: 6254
Loc: Baghdad, Iraq
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I just found out that in Albuqerque (where I work) the Natural History Musium has a Meade 16" LX200 on a massive fork mount and pier. Unfortunaly not many people know how to use it, so it sits in the museums observatory unused most days. To add to the insult, they will only open it up at night in the winter, and then only until 10PM! Then again, it's located in the middle of the city, with no skies so all you can can see are Sun, planets and the moon! ARGHH!!! What a waste!
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Learn all about Polar Alignment and Manual Guiding on my website at www.PetesAstrophotography.com! Or visit my Foreign Service Blog!
Edited by ClownFish (07/25/05 03:58 PM)
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00Scoots
member
Reged: 06/12/05
Posts: 33
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Thats horrible!! Talk about a misappropriation of money! Just keeping it in the city and not using it where its useful, lol. You should see if they are willing to donate it to the "Peter Kennett Observatory" ^_^
I can only imagine the pictures you'd be able to get with that!
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southmike
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 11/22/04
Posts: 2844
Loc: Fayetteville, NC
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10 pm ...that is just silly...they need a fund raiser to generate astronomy awareness and put that monster to use..
I mean i can understand some staffing issues but I am sure there are a few knowledgeable volunteers out there.
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group scope pic
my refractors
LX200 10"-St120
LX200 8" f6.3-Orion 80ed
LX200 8" f10-Orion 90 Mak setup pic
Meade 102ED LXD650
Sky Watcher 100 ED Triplet prototype
Nexstar 5
etx125
etx70's
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ClownFish
Post Laureate
Reged: 04/26/05
Posts: 6254
Loc: Baghdad, Iraq
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No, it's a security issue. You have to go through the Natural History museum to get to the Observatory (bad planning!) and the security folks won't keep the place open past 10. Crazy.
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Learn all about Polar Alignment and Manual Guiding on my website at www.PetesAstrophotography.com! Or visit my Foreign Service Blog!
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southmike
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 11/22/04
Posts: 2844
Loc: Fayetteville, NC
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bah why bother most of the lights are still on at ten..
they need to send that thing my way.....why I would even offer one or two of my scopes for a replacement. 
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group scope pic
my refractors
LX200 10"-St120
LX200 8" f6.3-Orion 80ed
LX200 8" f10-Orion 90 Mak setup pic
Meade 102ED LXD650
Sky Watcher 100 ED Triplet prototype
Nexstar 5
etx125
etx70's
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