Equipment

3" Takahashi FS-78 on Losmandy GM-8 Mount - The Takahashi FS-78 is a 78mm apochromatic doublet refractor providing high contrasting, sharp views of solar system objects, star clusters, and bright nebulae. It performs bigger than its aperture. Gives high magnified views without any noticable secondary color on even bright objects. The Losmandy mount is solid for visual use or imaging using scopes of 4" or less. This is the minimum EQ mount I can recommend for astrophotography. To see a mini-review of the Losmandy GM-8 mount, click <here>.

10" Meade LX50 Schmidt Cassegrain - My first real telescope purchased in early 1997 during Hale-Bopp (though I soon learned that the best views of the comets were with binoculars). Now discontinued, it is basically an LX200 without the GOTO function and periodic error correction (PEC). Still a fine instrument and great value if you can find a used model.

Santa Barbara Imaging Group (SBIG) STV Deluxe - I hated to sell this but I just no longer had a need for a $2000 autoguider. Plus, I outgrew it as a stand-alone imager. Still an excellent and easy-to-use imager for the beginning CCDer. Its video functions are very powerful and I woulding mind having it for just that reason if it didn't cost so much.

Astro-Physics 80mm/900mm Guidescope - Astro-Physics is known for its line of exquisite apochromatic refractors, but few realize that they also produce a nice achromatic guidescope. This scope, as shown at right on the CGE mount and Tak FSQ-106, is perfect for a large range of applications. Its 900mm focal length makes it a versatile guidescope for use with longer focal length imagers. It also works well when used along side shorter focal length imagers. The AP guidescope comes with a built in 1.25" focuser, which is my only gripe in an otherwise great giudescope. When used visually, the AP gives some nice, sharp stars, though nothing like the Tak. I don't have a lot of practice with visual observations with the AP. Why would I?

Meade 208xt Autoguider/Imager - I purchased this just prior to TSP 2003 because I needed a decent, low cost autoguider. I came away from TSP with the ST-7E so I've sold this camera. Still, a good quality, easy to use autoguider for a terrific price. These autoguiders seem to get a bad rap when compared to the ST-4 but I really don't see why. In retrospect, I should have kept it since it doesn't require a computer in the field and I often just like to do piggyback film work; perfect for that application.

CAMERAS

SOFTWARE