Could someone please comment and provide recommendations for my best options
for upgrading my drive.

I have a Meade 16" Starfinder Newtonian with the original drive. I have had
some success with astrophotography and CCD work. I've managed to
painstakingly, manually guide some images for astrophotography
http://members.aol.com/tchphysics/astropho.htm ). For CCD work, I have
found that I am pretty-much limited to 20-second exposures. To get any
results, I usually take more than 100 20-second unguided exposures and end
up with 15-30 usable exposures to stack. The 16" allows for some decent
shots even at these short exposures, but I would like to improve from here.
(See http://members.aol.com/tchphysics/ for CCD results).

Using my CCD it appears that the periodic error in the current drive is in
the neighbourhood of up to 2 arcminutes or so. I obviously need to get this
down into the 10-20 arcsecond or less range.

I see my options as:

1. Purchase a JMI Mototrak V and attempt to improve the current drive's
results through the use of this controller's PEC option. This is the
cheapest of the possible options, however, I have no idea how much
improvement I can expect from this. Anyone care to offer a guess? Cost
$300-400 (depending on whether used or new).

2. Upgrade the current drive to a Byer's gear and worm set. I called Ed
Byer's today and inquired about the 9" gear set. When I told him what
telescope I had, he really recommended going with the 11 5/16". The cost of
this would come out near $1,800, which is a tad higher than I want to go in
upgrading this scope. The 9" would run about half that ($900). Would I get
significantly better results with the 9" than I am getting now? Would it
even work with my scope? I assume that the answer to the two previous
questions is yes and yes, but Mr. Byers, sounded like I should really not
choose the 9" (which I can afford).

3. Combination of 1 and 2 above. The 9" plus the PEC of the Mototrak V.
Perhaps this option would get me closer to where I want to be. (Cost:
around $1,200).

4. Scrap the whole plan, sell the scope and buy a 10" LX-200, which
advertises +/- 5 arcsecond results with the PEC. This option seems very
real when I consider the cost of the Byers gear. I give up 6" of aperture,
but I gain a GOTO capability, a slightly-easier setup and portability.

I appeal to the experienced on this list to provide their thoughts,
recommendations and guidance. I am agonizing over the decision.

Regards and thanks,
Jeff MacQuarrie

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