SCT Carbon Fiber OTA Specs

I am looking for a light bucket to do spectrometry. Because the SBIG
SGS is designed for the Meade/Celestron SCT, I am restricted to these
options. My highest priority is aperture vs weight. I have an APO
for visual observing, so quality of optics is a low priority.

I am strongly considering a Celestron carbon fiber OTA. From what I
can gather, they are significantly lighter than Meades, although I
can't find the spec for the 9.25". Does anyone know the weight of the
9.25" Celestron carbon fiber OTA? Does anyone have experience with
any of the other Celestron (8", 11") carbon fiber OTA's?

Thanks,

Daniel Cervantes

On 24 Nov 2004 09:27:52 -0800, (Daniel Cervantes)
wrote:

Does anyone know the weight of the
9.25" Celestron carbon fiber OTA?

Astronomics lists it as 20 lbs. for the carbon fiber OTA only.

---
Michael McCulloch

On 24 Nov 2004 09:27:52 -0800, (Daniel Cervantes)
wrote:

I am looking for a light bucket to do spectrometry.
Daniel Cervantes

If the [stellar] image is not pin sharp onto the spectrograph slit
then energy is wasted and exposures become exceptionally long. Sharp
optics are needed and an efficient blazed grating producing a bright
1st order spectrum.

WPO - home of amateur spectroscopy
www.astroman.fsnet.co.uk

(Maurice Gavin) wrote in message ...
On 24 Nov 2004 09:27:52 -0800, (Daniel Cervantes)
wrote:

I am looking for a light bucket to do spectrometry.
Daniel Cervantes

If the [stellar] image is not pin sharp onto the spectrograph slit
then energy is wasted and exposures become exceptionally long. Sharp
optics are needed and an efficient blazed grating producing a bright
1st order spectrum.

WPO - home of amateur spectroscopy
www.astroman.fsnet.co.uk


Maurice,

I am assuming that Celestron/Meade optics are reasonably sharp. To
keep my tracking errors to a minimum, I want to keep the weight down.
I have emailed some of the distributors of the Celestron products, but
have received varying numbers for the weight of the Carbon fiber
OTA's. Many of the websites also give conflicting numbers for the
Carbon fiber OTA's. I was hoping to hear from some Celestron owners
(or previous owners) to get the actual numbers.


Daniel Cervantes

(Maurice Gavin) wrote in message
...
On 24 Nov 2004 09:27:52 -0800, (Daniel Cervantes)
wrote:

I am looking for a light bucket to do spectrometry.
Daniel Cervantes

If the [stellar] image is not pin sharp onto the spectrograph slit
then energy is wasted and exposures become exceptionally long.

I'm assuming you want to try long-slit spectroscopy, in which case, it's
worse than just inefficient to have poor imaging. You lose resolution in
the wavelength direction (since each wavelength contains an image of the
illuminated slit), and it also gets harder to do sky subtraction.

The best spectra are made by dispersing good images.

--Pete