What can the Skywatcher Evostar ED80 do for me?

[MattJenko]

There are a some threads highlighting the capabilities of some of the more affordable AP setups (130PDS, RC6), so I thought I would start one for what is one of the most recommended AP startup kits: the HEQ5 mount with a Skywatcher Evostar 80ED DS-Pro. 650 Focal length, so F7.5. With the dedicated 0.85 flattener, this gives a very forgiving F6.38. It is rock solid on the HEQ5 and is a pleasure to use. It would be nice if people posted their ED80 images to show people getting into AP exactly what this humble equipment can do and just why it is such a recommended setup.

I use a modded Canon 450D, and with the considerable help and support of this forum, here are some of the images that I have obtained with this special gear in my first year of using it.

[MattJenko]

Sorry, Moon and Jupiter shots taken with an ASI120M.

[stepping beyond]

Matt, I must say you've got some awesome skills and knowledge. I enjoy reading your posts.

[MattJenko]

Too kind. This time last year I had only just bought my AstroMaster 130EQ and looked through a telescope for the first time. It is amazing what enthusiasm, joining a society, practice and this forum can do to one's understanding.

[brrttpaul]

thats the set up i was going to get come april (tax rebate) think the wife has put paid to that with roller shutter doors lol

[toxic]

great images Matt and a good thread i can join this thread as i have just got the evo 80ED.

work in progress with my little horsey.

not much data due to the blooming clouds only 6x900 sec HA - and 2x300 sec RGB each.

i will add more when i can.

[hjw]

Great pictures! I just bought a HEQ5 and the SW ED80 is somewhere in transit between Germany and Australia. If I ever get on this level, I would be more than pleased with myself! Great inspiration and a big boost for my impatience to finally get the scope.

Cheers

HJ

[Gazabone]

Fantastic pictures, they are something to be really proud of.

[skysculptor]

What has the ed80 done for you? Quite a lot! It seems looking at your pics!!

[frugal]

Some more ED80 images. These are another Skywatcher ED80 DS-Pro, but this time on an AZ-EQ GT6 mount with an unmodded Canon 60D SLR. All 4 were guided with a little ST-80 scope and a Lodestar X2 guide camera:

M45 (1.2 hours total time):

M31 (2.8 hours total time):

M42 (3.6 hours total time):

Rosette Nebula (3.1 hours total time):

[MattJenko]

Those are excellent. You have managed to control the halos around the stars in M45 much better than I did. I wonder if that is the replacement filter in my modded Canon that caused that. It certainly is not the ED80 from your images! That Rosette is stunning, and very well processed.

[wuthton]

Good topic and great images all round!

Hopefully there's enough contributions to rival that other thread... What was it now???.. You know.... It looks like a little bucket.... 130pdSomething.

[frugal]

Hopefully there's enough contributions to rival that other thread... What was it now???.. You know.... It looks like a little bucket.... 130pdSomething.

I am not going to throw stones about the beauty of the scope. My pristiness of the lovely white scope is somewhat marred by the zip-lock bag of pennies gaffer tapped to the end of the scope to counterbalance the heavy DSLR with extra battery pack

[wxsatuser]

I am not going to throw stones about the beauty of the scope. My pristiness of the lovely white scope is somewhat marred by the zip-lock bag of pennies gaffer tapped to the end of the scope to counterbalance the heavy DSLR with extra battery pack

Yer!

I had 2ibs of lead on the end of mine but it's a nice scope for a beginner.

Not using mine at the moment as I progressed to something faster, wider and smaller.

[toxic]

Yer!

I had 2ibs of lead on the end of mine but it's a nice scope for a beginner.

??? what is the weight for ??? . we are all talking about the evo 80ED aint we.

[MattJenko]

To get perfect balance can be awkward/impossible with a lot of weight hanging off the back of it. I found that when I added a guide scope, I could move the guide scope forwards and balance it that way.

It is however really light, so a weight imbalance on an HEQ5 doesn't really matter much in the greater scheme of things, or at least has not for me.

[frugal]

??? what is the weight for ??? . we are all talking about the evo 80ED aint we.

I have a Canon 60D with the extra battery pack,so it weighs about a kilo. The dovetail that comes with the scope is quite short, so you can not move the whole assembly backwards and forewards in the mount to achieve balance as it it so camera heavy. To ensure that the whole system is balanced I needed to add a bag of pennys to the sky end of the telescope, otherwise when I release the clutch the camera descends and the whole things points straight upwards.

[MattJenko]

That 60D looks rather fantastic, given the images you have made. Unmodded as well: really really good.

[prusling]

I have a Canon 60D with the extra battery pack,so it weighs about a kilo. The dovetail that comes with the scope is quite short, so you can not move the whole assembly backwards and forewards in the mount to achieve balance as it it so camera heavy. To ensure that the whole system is balanced I needed to add a bag of pennys to the sky end of the telescope, otherwise when I release the clutch the camera descends and the whole things points straight upwards.

I use wrist/ankle training weights from Tesco - fit around the dew shield, and Velcro to a safe snug fit (as long as the scope always points upwards!)

[wxsatuser]

??? what is the weight for ??? . we are all talking about the evo 80ED aint we.

Sure am.

With a finderguider in the normal position and a 60Da it just will not balance.

As pointed out not enough travel in the rings and short dovetail.

[toxic]

4x600 each of RGB then 4 x 30 - 60 - 90 seconds of rgb each for the core then 2 x 600 OIII - 2 x 600 HA - 2 x 600 S2 total 3 hours 24 mins then quite some time to put it all together.

different way of processing this time.

[MattJenko]

This has a more muted, pastel feel to it than most Orion images. I personally like it. How did you combine the narrowband data?

[toxic]

hi Matt

i stacked all channels as normal then i used 20 % HA and 20 % S2  added to red -------- 50 % OIII to blue --- 10 % S2 and 20 %HA to green then processed the channels individually then combined them in photoshop. did this for the core and the outer regions.

[hjw]

Just because I have so much fun with this scope and I think we should keep this thread alive I will add today's effort to it. The image is IC2948 - the lambda centauri nebula. It's a faint emission nebula close to the southern cross. With an unmodded camera it required 1 hour worth of subs at ISO6400 to capture. I think this and the fact that the nebula sits right on a bright part of the milky way brings out way too many stars.

[glowingturnip]

ooo - a thread I can contribute too - this was the first-light from the school obsy (http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/233947-school-observatory-finished/#entry2531249)

First light with school telescope by glowingturnip, on Flickr