Guest Steve Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 Hi All, Newbie in Aylestone, Leicester. I've always been interested in astronomy/astrophysics, but have been armchair based up to now! I've been watching the planets hanging up there over the winter months, getting more and more frustrated that there is so much to be seen, but just out of reach. So I've decided I'm going to take the plunge and get out there and buy a scope. I've been madly researching for the last few weeks, including re-reading a copy of Rod Mollise's CHOOSING AND USING A SCHMIDT-CASSEGRAIN TELESCOPE that I bought in 2001! Is still seems full of good advice though. I separately saw advice that a first timer should go for maximum aperture to avoid disappointment, (I am aware of aperture fever!), and with a physically restricted, light polluted back garden, portability is going to be important. I intend to be wide-eyed, looking at everything out there initially, but I feel strongly that I will want to go down the astrophotography route - planetary and deep sky and, why not, some solar. I have Canon 450D SLR as a starting point. So I had a plan. Get a Celestron C9.25 SGT-XLT GOTO on the new CG-5 mount - FLO seems to have the best price on this, and this fits nicely into my initial budget of ~£1,500 to get started, and seems to be at the limit of reasonably movable. But last night I went to see Nik Symanek's excellent talk at the Leicester Astronomical Society and this has muddied the waters a little. Should I go for a smaller scope and better mount? Ah, still ruminating, but I'd welcome advice/reality check or whatever. Is this the biggest introduction ever? Ah well. I hope that this forum can offer some support and somewhere to talk over my initial fumblings as I get going on what I think will be long-term project! Pleased to meet you all. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Steve Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 OK - newbie mistake - I asked beginner questions in the Welcome area. I'll re-post in the beginner area... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Eddy Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 Hi Steve Welcome to the forum I'm sure with that kind of budget everyone can offer plenty of advice, and from what everyone keeps saying, if you want to get into astrophotography, get a good mount first CG-5 should be ok I think but I'm a newbie too really so I will let everyone else give advice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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