Long, yellow and very fast

[MarkS]

I'm long, yellow and very fast.  But I'm not a jet propelled banana. What am I?

[Tony G]

The cake mix from the new mixer, after leaving the bowl with the mixer on full speed, flying across the kitchen.

Tony G

[mickw]

Oh I was going to say that  

OK, how about a resprayed ED80 with a ridiculous FR

Or Faststar for the C11

[Daniel]

Not a Takahashi Epsilon by any chance??

[MarkS]

Spot on, Daniel!

Yes, I'm now the proud owner of a Takahashi Epsilon 180ED.  Focal length of 500mm at a very fast F2.8

I've been really impressed what you've managed to achieve from an urban location with your hyperstar at F2 and decided that fast optics is definitely the way to go.  I think C14 + Hyperstar would be great for a permanent setup but I definitely need it to be portable.  So the Tak Epsilon astrograph is the next best thing.

It's been designed ground up for astrophotography and is built like a tank (just like everything Takahashi).  It also has pin sharp stars over a much bigger area than a DSLR CCD.  I can't wait to try it out, but I've got to buy the Canon adaptor for it first.

Mark

[Daniel]

Wow, can't wait to see what you produce with this beast, my one dissapointment with the hyperstar has been the vignetting you'd get with anything larger than an APS-C size sensor.

By the way, now I know who's to blame for this awful weather we've been having!!!


Daniel
:O)

[Rick]

this awful weather

Too many folks spending Way Too Much(tm) on Very Expensive Telescopes(tm) ...

We're Doomed...

[Tony G]

Well, it's times like these when someone buy's a new item and the clouds roll in, that the knitting classes come in handy, and with this purchase, 2010 looks good for knitted gear. 

Tony G

PS..........................Great purchase Mark, but won't the colour affect your night vision, I'd respray it if it was mine.

[RobertM]

Just when you thought we'd had enough clouds a load more appear on the horizon.

Well done Mark, a wonderful choice.  I'm a bit sceptical about the colour scheme but I'm sure you'll get used to it   

PS. Hope you're not allergic to bananas.

[Fay]

Mark, you are certainly a man of means!!!!!!  Expecting very big things of you now!!!!!!

[JohnP]

Mark, Judging by the quality of images you got with the 'old' setup can't wait to see what you can do with the new scope...

John

PS - RU going to sell the old scope...?

[MarkS]

I've been considering a new scope for quite a while now and the Tak Epsilon was the top of my shortlist.  So when this one came up for sale I took the plunge.  It's quite an extreme scope - I don't think there's anything else in the market at F2.8.  

I weighed the whole thing up very carefully:  which component would make the biggest difference to my images?  A dedicated astro-CCD would be nice, but I would want multi-megapixels to replace my DSLR which is expensive and with my existing optics I would never get pin sharp stars from corner to corner in any case.  As for mount - my EQ6 is good enough for now - it handles the long focal length C11 so it will easily cope with the Tak.  Which leaves the optics - very fast pin sharp optics should take my imaging up a level or two. Also, as Daniel has ably demonstrated with his setup, very fast optics is a boon when coping with light pollution and I'm sure quite stunning under dark skies.

As for my existing 2 scopes, the C11 is definitely a keeper - for planetary, lunar, ISS and the occasional deep sky object.  The ED80 is my most portable scope so I'll almost certainly keep that as well.

Mark

[Fay]

Can't wait to see your first image Mark

[JohnP]

As for mount - my ED80....

How much of the french stuff were you drinking last night then.....

[Carole]

Judging by the quality of images you got with the 'old' setup can't wait to see what you can do with the new scope...

I ditto that!!

Carole

[MarkS]

How much of the french stuff were you drinking last night then.....

Funny you shopuld say that - I did have a glass or two of wine!  I meant EQ6 mount of course - now corrected in earlier post.

[Daniel]

I think you've probably made the right decision, have you checked how narrowband filters perform at F2.8? if you don't get the bandshift problems I get with the hyperstar then you realy have an incredible all round scope!

Just can't wait for a first light!!


Daniel
:O)

[MarkS]

It depends on the exact filter but the bandshift problems generally start when using optics faster than F3.  So F2.8 should be just about OK.

BTW I just saw this info about halos on the astronomik site:
[New thread] http://forum.orpington-astronomy.org.uk/index.php?topic=5725

[RobertM]

The Baaders I bought are certified down to at least f/2.8 and I've been using them at that without issue.

[Mac]

Yes, I'm now the proud owner of a Takahashi Epsilon 180ED.  Focal length of 500mm at a very fast F2.8

how about an autofocus version 500mm f2.8, But its green.

http://www.sigmaphoto.com/lenses/lenses_all_details.asp?id=3349&navigator=3

[MarkS]

It's massive!!  Weighs 35lb.  Take a look:
http://images.google.co.uk/images?hl=en&um=1&q=sigma+APO+200-500mm+F2.8&sa=N&start=0&ndsp=20

If that lens gives pin sharp stars without being stopped down, then it's an astrophotographers dream.  Very useful "wide field" range of 200-500mm at a whopping F2.8 and then a "closer up" range of 400-1000mm at F5.6.

And no diffraction spikes ...

Mac - buy one for your Nikon and let us know how you get on.  But being green you risk losing it in the grass at DSC.

Mark

[Mac]

But being green you risk losing it in the grass at DSC.

That's what i was thinking.

[mickw]

The kids could take rides on it 

[Rocket Pooch]

One of the QSI Users has one of them, here's a picture with the QSI I have

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4033/4281477453_5977cb5365_o.jpg

[MarkS]

I'll have to get used to diffraction spikes!

Mark