XT10 Classic on an Atlas for photography?

[adrenalynn]

So I was thinkin'... I've run off and gotten myself a new "job". I normally buy myself a new toy when I do that. <br /><br />I want to upgrade my backyard telescope for astrophotography. I was kinda leaning towards an 11" Celestron, but probably not a FASTAR. Slap an f/6.3 reducer/corrector on it, and mount my DSLR. (For those not keeping up, my current backyard scope for photography is an N5 on a wedge)<br /><br />That got me thinking... Is there any reason I couldn't necessarily toss the tube from an XT10 on an Atlas (with the right rings and dovetail, of course), and (with an adapter and maybe changing to a focuser allowing deeper backfocus) mount-up my 20D? The XT10 is <f/5 (I'm thinking it was either an f/4.9 or f/4.7), so it's much faster than an SC scope. The Atlas is plenty large enough to handle it for photography, has an autoguider port, etc. It's rated for 40lbs, but everyone I talk to says that's really conservative. The XT10 with camera, spotting scope, a second spotting scope for guiding, etc would come in at about 34lbs.<br /><br />I'm thinking I wouldn't get to Zenith without a fair bit of engineering work. It would be pretty darned wind-sensitive, but it'd be in my backyard observatory so that would cut that down to close to zero. Near a hundred pounds [with counterweights] would certainly keep it put. <br /><br />Is there something I'm overlooking? It's really just a fairly fast Newt, and with the depth of the tube, stray light would be even less of an issue than it is with the SC.<br /><br />I love my Dob for visual. Turning one into a photography monster seems like an obvious choice unless I'm missing something?<br /><br />TIA for any thoughts!<br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>.</p><p><font size="3">bipartisan</font>  (<span style="color:blue" class="pointer"><span class="pron"><font face="Lucida Sans Unicode" size="2">bī-pär'tĭ-zən, -sən</font></span></span>) [Adj.]  Maintaining the ability to blame republications when your stimulus plan proves to be a devastating failure.</p><p><strong><font color="#ff0000"><font color="#ff0000">IMPE</font><font color="#c0c0c0">ACH</font> <font color="#0000ff"><font color="#c0c0c0">O</font>BAMA</font>!</font></strong></p> </div>

 

[Testing]

Good Morning, stayin dry up there?<br /><br />I think I remember you saying you already had the Dob right? If you sink a pillar in the ground to mount the Atlas on you can probably get enough offset on the tube to get to Zenith, no tripod leg to worry about. And get a near repeatable polar alignment. As for backfocus, why not space the primary forward on the colimation screws the needed amount to retain the existing focuser? Then for visual you just need a spacer for the eyepiece equal to the backfocus reduction. Just stirring the pot.<br /> <br />Looking thru the Spring '08 catalog I find a 10" f4.7 reflector mounted on an Atlas EQ-G mount. PN 24735 so you may be able to use factory rings (verify tube OD is same as your XT10, probably) and rail. If they did it you can too. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[adrenalynn]

Staying dry? Hardly... Actually, it's pretty nice today.<br /><br />Thanks for your suggestions!<br /><br />My home observatory has challenges for visable sky. It really only sees W/E/S. When I need northern sky, I have to go portable to the front yard. So I'd like to keep this scope portable-ish, at least for a hundred or so feet. That kinda wipes-out the pier. <br /><br />I'd be looking at getting a new XT10 and keeping my old white-tube classic stock for when I want a dob for visual... I have my new catalog, but haven't had time to browse through it - now I need to go look, thanks for the heads-up! Might be a much better deal!<br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>.</p><p><font size="3">bipartisan</font>  (<span style="color:blue" class="pointer"><span class="pron"><font face="Lucida Sans Unicode" size="2">bī-pär'tĭ-zən, -sən</font></span></span>) [Adj.]  Maintaining the ability to blame republications when your stimulus plan proves to be a devastating failure.</p><p><strong><font color="#ff0000"><font color="#ff0000">IMPE</font><font color="#c0c0c0">ACH</font> <font color="#0000ff"><font color="#c0c0c0">O</font>BAMA</font>!</font></strong></p> </div>

 

[adrenalynn]

Wowie-Zowie! Thanks!<br /><br />That's exactly what I'm thinking about - at a great price! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>.</p><p><font size="3">bipartisan</font>  (<span style="color:blue" class="pointer"><span class="pron"><font face="Lucida Sans Unicode" size="2">bī-pär'tĭ-zən, -sən</font></span></span>) [Adj.]  Maintaining the ability to blame republications when your stimulus plan proves to be a devastating failure.</p><p><strong><font color="#ff0000"><font color="#ff0000">IMPE</font><font color="#c0c0c0">ACH</font> <font color="#0000ff"><font color="#c0c0c0">O</font>BAMA</font>!</font></strong></p> </div>

 

[Testing]

I was thinking that the Atlas mount minus tripod could bolt to the pier with an index feature for repeatable alignment. When you want to go North throw it on the tripod. You did not indicate the resources for a whole new rig. Must have gotten one haul of a deposit on that new "job". I thought you wanted an R-C? And let me know when you are ready to get rid of your hand me downs. The backfocus will still be a problem on a new rig. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[adrenalynn]

Actually, there are reviews on that scope combo saying "I put my 30D on it the first night in prime focus [...]" and "Used my new 450D with the prime focus mount [...]", so I'm thinking it's going to like my 20D just fine. That Crawford focuser is very low profile with a lot of travel.<br /><br />My budget is whatever I wanna spend. <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /> I've been trying to keep my backyard photography inexpensive as a challenge to see what I could do with it. The much larger R/C should be delivered in time for Spring for my "real" observatory up in the hills... Just not every night I can get there.<br /><br />A pier in the backyard still might not be a bad idea, sure would improve setup times and accuracy, I agree!<br /><br />Thanks again for the pointer. $2k is really inexpensive, IMHO, for the amount of scope (and more importantly!) and mount it's buying...<br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>.</p><p><font size="3">bipartisan</font>  (<span style="color:blue" class="pointer"><span class="pron"><font face="Lucida Sans Unicode" size="2">bī-pär'tĭ-zən, -sən</font></span></span>) [Adj.]  Maintaining the ability to blame republications when your stimulus plan proves to be a devastating failure.</p><p><strong><font color="#ff0000"><font color="#ff0000">IMPE</font><font color="#c0c0c0">ACH</font> <font color="#0000ff"><font color="#c0c0c0">O</font>BAMA</font>!</font></strong></p> </div>

 

[Testing]

What did you order for the hill country, if I may ask? I have a place at 7000' SE Kennedy Meadow I can use when I can get there. Probably not till late March early April. Gusting 40+ and cold at home, bummer. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>