Light "travel" mount with GOTO capabily

[Captain Harlock]

I am currently looking for a mount with GOTO capability, for visual use + experimenting with astro-photography.

I need something light and easy to carry around, as I plan to get to my stargazing spots on 2 wheels.

My telescope is a SW Equinox 80 (OTA is 2.9 kg), and my camera about 700g, so I probably won't need a payload capacity over 4 or 5 kg.

Budget is £500 max.

So far, the best match I found seems to be the SW EQ3 PRO SynScan GOTO (£380).

Are there any other models I should consider ?

Many thanks,

Hugo.

[Chinapig]

Hi Hugo

I don't have personal experience of it, but given your budget, the iOptron SmartEQ Pro looks to be a viable contender - 5kg capacity, and GOTO etc.  

Others on here may have some feedback on how it compares to the SW EQ3.  The iOptron's weight maybe in its favour to meet your two-wheel requirement, but I guess that minimum pack-down size is also pretty important.

Best of luck with your search.

Cheers

Simon

[happy-kat]

Virtuosa mount with handheld device?

[baggywrinkle]

4-5 Kg is not a large payload when you add cameras and guiders to the mass.......

[ronin]

The iOptron is really the other option, they look as if they are a little more solid then the EQ3's mainly as the tripod legs are tubular.

Payload is 5Kg, don't expect that the capacity will accomodate a guide system.

It is intended as a portable item, if you read and believe the blurb.

You will not be looking at extended long exposure imaging, expect 60-120 sec if you set the polar alignment up well.

Debating one myself, may have a trip to Tring to look at one.

Price is £449.

[Captain Harlock]

Sorry but what do you mean by guiders/guide system (noob question I know) ?

[Captain Harlock]

OK, so I did a bit of google-ing and found that I should also need a guide scope as well.

The spending seem to be never ending

Would you also have any recommendation on a light guide scope please ?

In the end either the EQ3 or the SmartEQ Pro might not be enough...

[D4N]

I'm not sure a guide scope is the way to go if your limited on weight. OAG could be better.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Captain Harlock]

Blimey, I think I need to wait and do much more research on astro-photography lol...

I will get myself the Steve Richards' book on AP which seems to be quite popular in here.

Thank you all for your help.

[ronin]

To get the LONG exposures that some people take you need to guide the scope that is taking the image.

You aim the imaging scope at the object you want to image and the guide scope at a convenient near star,

Means you can get exposures of 10-30 minutes.

If however you just have a goto (no guide) the exposure time is more limited. With good polar alignment you should get exposures of up to about 2 minutes.

One catch is you need a bigger mount for a guide camera set up - just heavier, and they take longer to set up, you still really need to do an accurate polar alignment. It will all depend on how serious you intend to get, but serious is also expensive. Sort of replace the ED80 with an apo and use the ED80 as the guide scope is the first idea.

Most will start with a goto, imaging scope and DSLR and take the shorter length exposures - OK no real choice in exposure length. It is likely the best way to start as you learn what is involved.

If you went for a guided system first I think you would lose so much time setting up that you would abandon it. Also transporting a guided setup and then setting it up takes a lot of time, a lot will be done in the dark and you need power for the mount, cameras and laptop. The only guided setup's I know of are on permanent piers or semi permanent arrangements, they are not generally put in cars and driven round then set up.

[Alien 13]

The limitations that a portable unguded set up is not the end of the world 1-2 mins tracking is usually the norm but this can be plenty for a lot of targets if using a fast scope or camera lens arangement and all the post prossesing principles are the same.

Alan

[D4N]

The smart eq pro has built in batteries and an ST4 port so the limiting factor will be laptop battery life. I don't think it would be suitable for mounting an APO with an ED80 strapped to it though as thats gonna be around 9kg with cameras and all.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[rowan46]

I am currently looking for a mount with GOTO capability, for visual use + experimenting with astro-photography.

I need something light and easy to carry around, as I plan to get to my stargazing spots on 2 wheels.

My telescope is a SW Equinox 80 (OTA is 2.9 kg), and my camera about 700g, so I probably won't need a payload capacity over 4 or 5 kg.

Budget is £500 max.

So far, the best match I found seems to be the SW EQ3 PRO SynScan GOTO (£380).

Are there any other models I should consider ?

Many thanks,

Hugo.

for astro imaging with a telescope you are looking at a mount that can take about double the weight of the equipment hanging off it this is particularly true of the smaller mounts where 50% is the top measure. There isn't a cheap goto that can take an 80 scope guiding equipment and is portable. you wouldn't want to lug an eq3 very far especially with scope tripod weights power tank etc. It would be fine for a star party or maybe camping by car but I would describe it as transportable rather than portable over more than a couple of hundred yards.  The smart eq is just about portable but doesn't really have the capacity  for imaging with a scope it is designed for photography with lenses or visual  with small scopes. The smart can be guided so if you used a finder guider and camera and lens  you may get some decent photographs or maybe a smaller scope and off axis guider may work.  There are portable mounts that can take a small scope for photography but these are not goto and are more expensive. 

[Captain Harlock]

Actually I never thought I would venture onto AS (due to budget), however I have recently found an interesting article about wide field photography in one of my photo blog.

The writer got some really nice results (to me) with "only" an Olympus OM-D (Micro 4:3 camera) on a Vixen Polarie mount.

The only trick is that he lives in an area with very dark skies and no LP.

Here's what he got after a 304 Seconds exposure – f/5.6 – ISO 400

Does it seem reasonable to expect something relatively similar by replacing the Polarie with an EQ3 (without a guide) ?

[rowan46]

I have seen some pretty decent pics taken with camera, lens  and eq3 but if you are going the camera and lens route you may be better off with the smart eq as that fits an ordinary photo tripod so it will  be easier to carry on your bike you will need a fairly good photo tripod however. not a cheap £10 one

[Captain Harlock]

Good to know, thanks Rowan.

I already have a good Manfrotto tripod. Some good photo equipment as well, but pretty much focused on street photography, which explains why I am broke