malc-c

Stressful !! I did my 400d - removed both IR filters.... If you have good eyesight and steady hands it's a fairly easy job (assuming the 600d is similar). There are lots of tiny tiny screws, and the thin flexi printed cables don't like movement much. If you do the modification yourself, pick a day where you won't get interrupted, have a really bright light to help, and use plenty of pots for the screws.

There is no one scope fits all. The Nexstar 6 has a focal length and ratio that is twice that of the 150p, making the Nexstar a good choice for planetary work, but not as good for DSO's as the 150P, which is a faster scope, giving brighter images, but not as magnified as the Nexstar. The same target in a Nexstar will seem fainter by comparison. Focal reducers are often used with scopes with higher focal lengths, and barlow lenses are used to double or treble the focal length of shorter scopes, so in someway compromises the shortcomings, but the more glass you pot between your eye or sensor and the target can affect the image. We can't advise you which to get... that will be down to you. Your location, the quality of the skies, the subjects that interest you most etc is personal to you.

You could run an extension lead, but the issue is dampness and dew formation, which with 240v could lead to it tripping the house fuse board, or worse a potential shock when you come to unplug things, hence the suggestion to run low voltage 12v to the mount or use a battery. Use the search function to research polar alignment... there are hundreds of posts on how to do it using the polarscope built into the mount. - saves repeating what has already been written. There are also old but excellent videos on youtube on using EQMOD to position the mount and align polaris in the bubble. And yes... you need deep pockets to get into imaging... but unlike other hobbies after the initial outlay you don't have to add further expense... unless you want to.

Being able to Polar Align on Polaris makes things a lot easier. Personally I would pay the £10 for Sharpcap Pro, and use the built in tool to set the mount up using the guide camera / guidescope. It's a lot easier than peering through the polar scope with the mount set to the polar HA position.... As for the hub... can't say really... I stuck to branded hubs rather than a cheap no name off e-bay. One other thing.. I can't recall if you mentioned how you intend to power the mount... The HEQ5 likes to have a decent 12v supply, capable of delivering 2A with ease. In slewing tests mine draws 1.9 amps with both motors running. It's not really advisable to have mains outside, so running a standard mains extension lead to the mount and plugging in the power supply in the exposed damp cold air is not recommended. Ideally, look for a 13.8v regulated supply rated at 5 amps and then run some nice thick multi-stand cable to a weatherproof box (screwfix / toolstation) and then take the feed to the mount off that. Have a search of the DIY section to see how others have done their power distribution. Or you can look at a powerbank...https://www.rothervalleyoptics.co.uk/telescope-power-supplies.html The SW 7amp hour powerbank is around £50 and should give you a decent nights imaging run

That link was for a 5m EQDIR cable, do you intend to have the PC that far away ? If so then you may need 5m USB cables for the connection to the guide camera and for your main camera (assuming the manual exposure is controlled via USB and not a cable release socket as in the case with my 400D). Most people tend to have one long active USB cable between the PC and the mount, where it connects to something like a 4,5, or 6 port USB hub. Then the EQDIR cable, the USB cable for the guide camera, and the USB cable for the main imaging camera is connected to the hub.

It can be overwhelming, and whilst posting on forums for advice seems the logical thing to do, it can often lead to more confusion as we all give differing advice.

Hard to say IMO, but if you are placing a large order and the additional weight is not that expensive, and you can afford to do so, then it makes sense to add it to the order and save on postage.... If you find you don't need it, even with both weights all the way up the shaft you can always keep it should you add additional equipment or change the OTA for something larger and heavier

Alan, define "better results". An f5 isn't better than an f6, or f8.... it all depends on what you want you want from a scope. The higher the focal ratio the more magnification you can get for a given eyepiece. But in imaging terms it has an effect on exposure times. It's not an exact relationship, but an 8" f10 will be "slower" than an 8" f5. Think of the telescope as a lens for the camera rather than a visual device. As Vlaiv mentioned, for a given aperture a longer focal length (and thus higher focal ratio) reduces coma, but if you have a large sensor a corrector will probably still be needed. - Again, to the average amature, if an image of the same target was taken through an 8" f5 and an 8" f6, and then processed through software, would they be able to notice any real difference.... probably not. There is no one scope suits all.... If you want to do planetary work, long focal lengths are better, but then in order to compensate for the lower levels of light and to get resolution you also need aperture. That's why some of the best Mars images I've seen this year have come from guys with 14" schmidt-cassegrain with focal lengths of several metres.... You can still use such a scope for DSO's but you need to use focal reducers etc and thus it gets more complicated. It's a poor analogy, but it's like an f1 race car attempting the RAC rally... it would probably make it round the track, but not as well as a 4x4 scooby By comparison to Vlaiv's Orion Nebula image, here's an early image I took with my 200P (f5) - I grosley over exposed for the trapezium ...

That's interesting... Under normal imports, such as PCB's from China, the cut off for Duty was £18. Anything above was chargeable. As we are effectively in the same boat when purchasing from the EU from Friday, I would have thought the same conditions would have applied, unless this £390 limit (obscure, they could have rounded it to £400, or £375) is part of whatever deal Boris has negotiated

If that's the case then they have the wrong VAT shown on their listing Clearly shows 16% ????

One thing to think of is that as from Friday we are no longer in the EU, so purchasing from Germany may work out expensive as you would need to purchase EX VAT from germany, then pay UK VAT and Duty when it arrives in the UK (normally done through the courier such as DHL). Looking at the GOV website, that's an additional 4.2% duty and 20% VAT on the Ex VAT price (Germany's VAT is 16%). The commodity codes needed are listed here https://www.trade-tariff.service.gov.uk/commodities/9005800000

Yes it should be fine, especially if you use something like the 9 x 50 finder guide scope listed on the same page - Regarding the new post... I personally know of one person who had lots of issues with their F4 quatro. Naturally a shorter focal lengths means the main mirror has more curvature.... IMO the F5 will be fine

Again, its not for me to steer your destiny (sounds like something out of Starwars )... I have no experience of that camera which has an RRP of around £1100. How it compares to other cameras in that price bracket (or cameras costing half that) I can't say as I have never used one. When I was looking at replacing my EQ5 the de facto guidescope that everyone used was an ST80 and QHY5 (shows how long ago that was !). Not sure how serious I was going to get, and being on a tight budget I opted to use a DSLR to dip my toe into the water. I'm also in the middle of a town, so the skies are not ideal, so having a super sharp expensive cooled CCD camera may not give me the same results compared to a nice dark location. For my level of imaging the DSLR has given me results I've been happy with. He's one of my better efforts after I had modified the 400d and removed all the IR filters Imaging is a dark art, sometimes it can all fall into place, on other times it all goes tits up for no apparent reason. Guiding is very important when imaging, whether it be done by using an camera / guide scope and software running on a PC, or connecting a autoguider or a camera with a port that uses the ST4 protocol directly to the mount, is again down to your personal preference. My setup is in a ROR observatory, so I have a PC running EQMOD, PHD2 and APT. As mentioned before I have a QHY5 (old original) and it is used in PHD2 to send correcting commands via EQMOD (ASCOM) to the mount. Now how better a job this does in comparison to a direct connected ST4 camera I can't say as I've never been inclined to try it. I can't tell you to get the camera, if its a real bargain, and you're flush for cash, then grab the opportunity by the horns if it feel right.... You can always sell it on if you find you can't get to grips with it, or it doesn't give you the results you expected.

Not really a good analogy, but you could have a car with a 1000cc engine and another with a 3000cc engine.... both will get you from A to B, but the car with the smaller engine would be under more load with five adults aboard than the car with the larger engine. The mount is the same... and for any mount there will be a limit.... I wouldn't consider putting a 250P on an HEQ5.... But an EQ6 would cope, and an EQ8 would take it in its stride.... but then you pay more for that ability, same as you would between the two cars.... You have the ideal platform on which to start the discovery....I should have also included availability in the list of options in my last post

The thing is asking this sort of question on a public forum will generate various responses. I can't say an ED80 won't suit your needs as I personally haven't used one as a substitute for my 200P. It has a focal ratio of 7.5 compared to the 200PDS's f5, so not as fast, and at 80mm objective compared to 200mm won't gather as much light, so would need longer exposures and with longer exposure comes a whole new can of worms.... but does that mean you won't achieve decent results, 'course not! - I based my comments on my own experience. My 200P with an upgraded secondary on an HEQ5, did well even when using a ST80 piggybacked to it... It does even better now I've opted to use the finder as the guider and reduced it weight a tad. I would equally wonder if those who are suggesting the HEQ5 / 200P combo is not an ideal match are saying so from their personal experience or simply offering an opinion based on just that, an opinion. Bottom line is that none of us can say what's suitable for you... we can make suggestions (ideally based on factual experience) but then its down to you to consider what suits your own circumstances. As I type this "Jamgood" has posed his opinion, which looking at his signature, is based on his own set up. The 130pDS is an f5 same as the 200P, so in theory exposures would be comparable, but the smaller objective means less resolution. But would you notice that if two identical images were placed side by side using the same camera... probably not. The 130PDS has the advantage of weight, so the setup is more stable, and less prone to wind than the 200P.... its all swings and roundabouts !! You have a great mount. What you put on it will be down to your own personal preference, budget, location, and setup (ie if you are thinking permanent mount or mobile)

Paul, can you give a little more detail. You previously mentioned that you use a laptop to control the scope. When wa she handset last used, a week ago, month, year ?? My gut feeling is the handset has developed some fault, either when it was last removed, or reconnected... and reflashing won't resolve this...

From my own experience the HEQ5 is an excellent mount for imaging with. It's also worth converting to belt drive, either using the Rowan Astronomy upgrade if you wish to continue to use the handset, or if using a PC and EQMOD then you can go DIY and use a custom ratio. It makes the mount smoother and, in the case of a DIY ratio such as 4:1 makes PEC easier, but I digress.... IMO For DSO's follow the tried and tested route of large aperture fast scopes. The 200PDS OTA is currently £300 new. The PDS has the larger secondary and is designed for imaging compared to the slightly cheaper optical version. A guidescope is a must IMO. You can have the scope perfectly polar aligned, balanced and its CofG correct, but with the backlash of the gearing and precision level of the machining it will still drift within most exposure length. You can get away with converting the 9 x 50 finder to a finder guider by using an adaptor to suit the C mount of various cameras. Budget £140 - £180 for an adaptor and guide camera. Most of us start out with a DSLR camera. Canon cameras are by far the best for this purpose. I use a secondhand 400d, but the 450d and above have liveview. You should be able to pickup a secondhand body for £80 - £150. Add in additional items such as coma corrector, an EQDIR cable etc and you have a very capable set up. I would also recommend using EQMOD and a laptop / PC to control and run the imaging sessions

The key factor here is don't expect too much from the scope. Looking at pictures on the net or books can often lead to disappointment when you view them for the first time, even through a larger much more capable scope. Having a dark site might help a bit more with resolution, but you are still going to be limited. However it will be a fine scope for observing the Moon, which IMO is often overlooked. You could possibly attach a small webcam in place or to the eyepiece and use free software such as Sharpcap to record a short clip and then use free software that stacks the individual frames to give a detailed image. Or if you are good at drawing, use the scope to look at the mountains or craters and keep notes and sketches in a book.

When a handset is connected it sends out a command to the motor board and expects to receive a response back. The handset typically displays "initializing" whilst it does this. Once it has established communications with the mount it then displays the firmware version running on the handset. If after this, pressing the menu (or any other button for that matter) has no effect then either there is a hardware fault on the handset, or the firmware on the handset has been corrupted. In order to reflash the handset with the current or updated firmware you are going to need a suitable USB to serial adaptor (examples listed previously) and the free software from Skywatcher. The 3.29 suggest its a version 3 handset - Full details can be found here http://skywatcher.com/download/software/synscan-v3-hand-controller-firmware/ including the instructions. If after flashing the handset you still can't control the mount using it, then it would seem to be a hardware issue which would be impossible to diagnose over the internet. The fact that you have mentioned an observatory and use a PC and EQMOD to control the scope might make all this a bit of a pointless exercise

To be honest, you won't see much with that scope IMO. 40x being the max theoretical magnification, will give a dark image. You should still be able to resolve the inner moons of Jupiter, Mars will be on orange dot, but you might struggle with any but the brighter wider spaced binary stars. On a good night in a dark location, with the 10x magnification, you should be able to pick out the Orion nebula as a greenish fuzzy blob... but at around £80 including a small tripod, it is what it is... There is nothing that will improve the scopes performance.

So once it's connected with the mount powered up all you get is the current firmware version, and then nothing else? - no messages such as "no response both axis" would suggest communication with the motorboard, so does pressing any of the buttons allow you to set date, time etc ? If I recall by default the slew rates are set low, so this would need increasing to detect movement, but that would be an option way down the list... If you connect the mount back to the PC (presumably you are running EQMOD?) can you establish communications and control the mount now having tried the handset with the mount?

Just checking to see if you spotted that deliberate omission -

All the images I can see have the cable connected to the socket next to the power connector on the handset... maybe you just have it in the wrong socket

Deleted - you answered the question I was going to ask

Here's my 2p worth For imaging the mount is very important. Only EQ mounts are suitable as they track in the same axis as the Earth, thus preventing field rotation which by design is caused by the left right up down movement of an ALT AZ mount. What you put on the mount will be a key factor in which mount you should look at. A large long focal length refractor for planetary imaging will not bode well on an EQ5, nor will a C11 as its weight when combined with other equipment such as guide scopes and cameras will exceed the load capacity of the mount. Personally I would go as far as suggesting an Explorer 150PDS on a EQ5 pro goto with a lightweight DSLR such as a Canon D450 would be an ideal starting point for DSO imaging. For planetary any of the 5" Maks would be an alternative. When it comes to DSO imaging, guiding is a must. You can get a coupler to convert the 9 x 50 finder into a guidescope using a ZWO 120MM mini guide camera, thus keeping the weight down but still giving you adequate tracking options. So EQ5 Pro - 150PDS https://www.rothervalleyoptics.co.uk/skywatcher-explorer-150pds-eq5-pro-goto-telescope.html £778 Guide camera and adaptor circa £180 EQDIR Cable to connect to laptop / computer £32 (although some new synscan units have USB connectors so this may not be required) APT / EOS Backyard software - £15 EQMOD / ASCOM etc - Free Sharpcap - £10 (pro version has an excellent polar alignment tool) So a modest imaging set up for DSO's can be had for £1015 give or take. If you were looking at planetary work than you would need to purchase the EQ5 pro goto and 127 mak individually but it only increase the cost by £56. However if you are seriously considering imaging then ideally you should be looking at the HEQ5 pro goto mount as the defacto entry level imaging mount. The precision and accuracy of the tracking is what you pay for, but then you're looking at £780 for the basic mount, or just shy of a gran for the belt driven version, which I would recommend. However the biggest issue is availability..... Most of the above are impossible to get hold of due to the current shortages.