From: main@ap-gto.groups.io <main@ap-gto.groups.io> On Behalf Of CurtisC via groups.io
Sent: Tuesday, September 01, 2020 4:49 PM
To: main@ap-gto.groups.io
Subject: Re: [ap-gto] Drift Alignment To Help With Unguided Images

 

The guy who makes AG Optical's optics is a neighbor and personal friend of mine, so -- just speaking for myself -- I'd look at AGO first.  As for PlaneWave -- they moved from Calif. to Michigan, which converts delivery from a simple drive to the factory into a $1000 crating and shipping adventure.  Of course, I'd have to pay for shipping an AGO scope, too, since his plant is in Alabama.  But, of the two telescope manufacturers, the other consideration puts AGO at the top of my personal list.

HOWEVER -- when I was throwing around retirement money a few years ago, to build my observatory and buy my equipment, I specifically chose a refractor (TEC140ED), because I didn't want to worry about flopping mirrors or sagging secondaries and endless attempts to get the collimation just right.  I don't have enough remaining years to waste my time on that.  My only regret is that I like galaxies.  The TEC140ED is fine for extended nebulae and galaxy clusters, but not so much for capturing details of individual galaxies.  I have occasionally looked at the EdgeHD 11 as an economical alternative to get some additional aperture, without exceeding the capabilities of my Mach1GTO mount, but the preceding discussion pretty much nixes that idea.