Equipment

Stuff I own now...

At the moment of reviewing this page for the last time (August 2014), for deep-sky imaging I am mostly using a DUAL scope system, with two FSQ scopes and two STL11k CCD cameras. Actually, this also means 2x of a bunch of things (2xRoboFocus, 2x focal reducers, etc).

This allows me - and it's trickier than it may seem at first - to collect twice the data in the same amount of time. For my nightscape photography, I use a couple of Canon 5D Mk2's, but not in parallel :-)

More specifically, this is what I use/have at this moment:

• Takahashi EM-400 mount (love it!).
• Takahashi EM-200 mount (love it as well! This one's in Spain, so I can also do some astrophotography when I travel there).
• 2 x Takahashi FSQ-106 EDX refractors (a perfect match for the STL11k CCD).
• 2 Orion ShortTubes 80mm for guiding - one here in the US and one in Spain (why travel with a guidescope when you can just have one "there"?)
• 2 x SBIG STL-11000 Monochrome CCD cameras with 1st gen Astrodon LRGB + Ha filters.
• 2 x Canon EOS 5D Mark II. The Mk2 is an amazing DSLR camera. My workhorses for night-time photography.
• Canon EOS 40D IR/UV filter - also mainly for night-time photography.
• 2 x Orion StarShoot AutoGuider guiding CCDs.
• Assorted Canon and Sigma lenses, from 10mm to 200mm (primes, telephoto, etc)

I also have a load of accessories such as the two Takahashi focal reducers I mentioned earlier, or the extender for the FSQ, a FlipFlat (to generate flat field images), a TAKometer (to control camera angle from the computer), a TeleVue Powermate x4 I barely use, two RoboFocus focusers, a Moonlite electronic focuser also sitting on a shelf, a whole bunch of eyepieces, dozens of adapters of all sizes and colors (well, they're almost all black :-), and a long etc of "stuff"...

If I were to include EVERYTHING I take with me to an imaging session I'd also have to include my HP Beat laptop, five deep-cycle marine batteries (to power up laptop, mount, cameras, robofocus, etc), two battery packs (I use them only in case of emergency or for other stuff non-astro related while I'm out on a hilltop or camping), portable chair/table, a pair of binoculars, a green laser pointer that I practically never use, miscellaneous camping stuff - including a large tent/canopy - and some other "utility" gear as I call it. Oh, and hundreds of cables, adapters and what not.

Also, my good old 2006 Acura MDX played a huge role in my astro outings, of course - having driven well over 60,000 miles just going places to do astrophotography. The MDX however was totaled after I ran into a poor deer in a fast highway late August 2012. The car had almost 130,000 miles when that happened, but I'm sure it could have gone to another 130k if this unfortunate incident never happened. I came out okay from the accident by the way, although the poor deer didn't make it... Neither my car. The replacement was a 2009 Honda Pilot Touring that I've got in January 2013 which so far has been behaving like a champ.

Stuff I've owned in the past

Here's a complete list of all the astro gear I've owned at some point or another, including gear I currently own, in no particular order:

Cameras and CCDs:

• SBIG ST2000XCM CCD
• SBIG STL 11000 CCD (x2)
• FLI Proline 110002 OSC CCD
• Canon 400D camera
• Canon 450D camera
• Canon 40D camera - modified IR/UV filter
• Canon 5D Mark II camera (x2)

Telescopes:

• Takahashi FSQ106EDX (x2)
• Takahashi FS152
• Takahashi Mewlon 300
• Orion 80mm ED refractor
• Televue NP101-is refractor
• Celestron C11 reflector
• Celestron C9.25 reflector
• Vixen VC200L

Mounts and tripods:

• Orion Sirius EQ-G mount
• Takahashi EM-400 mount
• Takahashi EM-200 mount
• AstroPhysics AP900 mount
• Many different tripods of "assorted" quality.

Pictures of stuff