Observatory, telescope and equipment advice needed!

Hi, you could get a Celestron 14" SCT and put in on the Paramount, or you can get a 16" for the Paramount or just go mad on a 16" or 20" on the Maxmount and you could get SBIG self-guiding cameras like the ST-2000XCM for imaging and FLI digital focusers.... and then house it all in a big Astro-Haven not rotating clamshell dome..or the rotatable 15ft Home-Dome

I would recommend against a clam shell dome in such a situation, one of the primary functions of an observatory is to block out street lights, youd be very surprised at how good a dome is at doing this.

Albert, from my own experiances of having a 12" SCT permanently in a domed observatory which I use for visual and photographic sessions, this is the initial startup tweaking scenario I can see yourselves in,,

Firstly, once all the equipment is assembled and leveled, your first goal is to get exact polar allignment, this is critical for astrophotoggraphy, guided cameras can someway compensate for a slightly misalligned mount, but why make it difficult for the guider?? with a setup like this it should only have to compensate for periodic error in the mount. With a good enough mount that is balanced, this should never be adjusted once established, be it using drift alignment or dead reckoning on the pole, which is what I currently use.

Secondly, Program the periodic error.

Thirdly, once the camera is on the mount you need to focus it, Using the guider with the CCD camera will take a fair amount of practice to get working like a well oiled machine, you'll need to become familiar with its quirks and personality

4, If you want to be interchanging the camera and eyepiece, then you must always focus, why not use some sort of flip-mirror system or a filter wheel with a built-in diagonal, this way once the camera is focused you rarely have to go near that again. As many here can say, focusing is a complete pain, this is what they have in NUI Galway.
Many astrophoto setups dont like taking the CCD off once established.
This will take alot of the daily startup work away.

Once you have good polar alignment and good periodic error programmed, you are most of the way there.


Daily startup once the above is correctly performed,

1, Turn the scope mount and PC on.
2, Select whether to use the CCD or eyepieces, hopefully you'd have a setup which allows use of either without taking either off the scope, this also helps for keeping good consistant balance.
3, If you're imaging the CCD camera must be cooled before imaging commences, AND the CCD must be heated under control when finished which can take an hour or so, you cant just plug it out when finished or you risk cracking the CCD chip due to thermal stress.
4, If going visual, select and focus the eyepiece
5, Open the hatch and remove the front cover off the scope and off you go, nice and easy, ready to go in 5 minutes

I have to say, if you have the money, forget the the LX200 and C14 and get an RCOS, they are simply the BEST reflecting scope out there AND they are F8 so you get a wider field of view with your CCD camera and tracking is slightly easier (as opposed to F10).

How about this? Does this take your fancy??
www.rcopticalsystems.com/rc_cine.html

How about this? Does this take your fancy??
www.rcopticalsystems.com/rc_cine.html

Hah! Yes, I'd seen this one alright. Quite something!

Just to say that we've 2 years before this is project goes ahead, so there's no rush at all... I think we're going to be having a lot of meetings over summer though!

Thanks to everyone so far.

Whenever and whatever gets built, I hope it works out and hope that maybe we'll get a look at it some day.

The Meade LX200's (16") are supposedly good value. The Celestron C14 is used by a lot of amateurs doing science so that's a good choice.

For photography, the mount is critical and the number one priority. The RCX's seem to be getting a poor enough press. The mounts are temperamental and tracking is apparently not great. The OTA's seem to perform OK but some complain of design flaws. Also, if you buy one, you've pretty much cut yourself out of an upgrade path. I don't know anyhting about the new LX200R's (which you can buy as an OTA only). You can't buy a Meade RCX OTA on its own AFAIK. The 20" RCX on the MaxMount looks tasty alright but is unproven.

FWIW, I've just noticed on the OPT website that one can no longer buy a separate LX200 OTA as they have been "discontinued" and they site directs one to look at the LX200R OTAs instead. The Telescope House website no longer mentions LX200 OTAs, only LX200R. Interesting...