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I_Heart_Astronomy /r/telescopes
3 points
1970-01-20 09:58:32.265 +0000 UTC

This will sound rude, but it's meant to be helpful. This is classic "all the gear, no idea" syndrome. You've got multiple items in this list that run contrary to your goals and you're blowing a ton of money.

I'm going to assume you want to primarily image the planets.

The only pieces of equipment you listed that would be useful in that endeavor, is the 8" SCT on the AVX mount. That's actually a very good scope and mount for planetary imaging. EVERYTHING ELSE you posted, is not good and a lot of it is redundant.

So let's start from scratch and talk about what you'll actually need:

  1. That 8" scope and AVX mount (definitely a good choice)
  2. 2" visual back: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1512119-REG/celestron_93661_sct_to_2_visual.html
  3. A one shot color camera optimized for high speed planetary, not DSO. Player One Uranus-C or equivalent from ZWO is good. If you want to save some cash, the ZWO ASI 224MC works beautifully. Still one of the best cameras you can buy despite its age. It's what I use in my 8" LX90
  4. Vibration dampening pads if you put the tripod on anything other than grass. Makes a BIG difference in minimizing vibrations when focusing. If you plan on putting it on grass, don't buy them, they'll make the tripod less stable.
  5. Dew shield if you live in a humid climate
  6. A 2x barlow. Take your pick, virtually any one will do. I recommend a 2x PowerMate because the multiplication factor does not vary with distance. This lets you add an ADC later should you need it.
  7. A laptop with SSD and USB 3.0 a least.

That's all you need for gear. With a little luck with atmospheric conditions, and a little practice, you'll be able to produce planetary and moon images as good or better than the ones taken through my 8" scope from the line above.

If you want to get into viewing the planets as well, since you have the money to spend, I recommend getting a good quality prism diagonal and some Tele Vue DeLites, Takahashi LEs, or Brandons.