Cosmic Geoff

I have no idea what a GB70 is, but IIRC the C8 SE comes with a cigar-lighter to mount power cable so you should not have to buy another.

You need a Celestron remote control (=handset), and you need to check which remote (V4 or V5, Nexstar* or Nexstar+ is compatible with your mount).  70$ is cheap.

If you really don't want to buy a Nexstar handset, you can cable the mount to a laptop and control it that way, but if you are a beginner you should  start by using the handset.

You could have mentioned the GPS problem. 🙂

You need to read this: Hand Control Compatibility (nexstarsite.com)

The manual for the Nexstar* V4 handset explicitly says that it works with the C9.25 GPS.   Whether you can load the GPS update on it is something you will have to explore.

The Nexstar+ handset may be incompatible with your scope, but a suggested workaround is to load old firmware (definitely not what you want).

And " If your hand control does not have a Version command on the Utilities menu, it is NOT upgradeable. "

1 hour ago, newbie alert said:

Some mounts you can upgrade to the nexstar+

I demonstrated that my C8 SE would work with the Nexstar* handset (the original), a Nexstar+ handset, and the Starsense handset. 

Dare I ask what the problem is? If the handset works, why the need to upgrade? 

Referring to the foregoing, I suppose we can assume that V2 firmware is not going to be installed in an upgradeable handset.

If you need the functions of the later handset(s), check that it is going to be compatible and then buy one.  

When I had a 6 volt RA drive, I bought a 6v lead-acid rechargeable battery and a 6V charger.  The charger IIRC was designed with remote-controlled products in mind. I made up a connecting lead myself.

Whatever rechargeable battery solution you adopt, a matching battery charger will be required. 

No, definitely not.

I have a 127mm Mak and a 203mm SCT, and I can confirm that the 203mm SCT gives significantly better views and planetary images - but only if the seeing is good.  I have largely dropped visual viewing of the planets in favour of imaging (lucky-imaging) which gives a permanent record of detail one can otherwise only glimpse in moments of good seeing, and in practice the images show more than I could see visually.  I find that the mount is not critical for this, as even the SE mount (adequate for visual, awful for imaging) will deliver good results.

If you are purely interested in visual viewing of the planets, a Dobsonian Newtonian would be the cheapest choice.  For planetary imaging, until recently a SCT would be the tool of choice, but the Classical Cassegrain seems equally suitable, is competitively priced and is getting good reports from early adopters.   Note that the CC is heavier than a SCT of the same aperture, and would require a serious mount, probably costing a serious amount of money.

Unless you explain in some detail what exactly you do or did to align, so we can spot your error, it may be difficult for us to do more than make random suggestions.

One thing I found out is that accurate polar alignment is not necessary for an equatorial GoTo to work properly for visual observing.  The precise polar alignment is only required for imaging (to prevent field rotation).  If you are still not convinced, I will point out that alt-azimuth mounts manage the same task just fine without any polar alignment at all.

Newbies are often confused by the design concept of the Synscan software - you are meant to use a 'start position' so that the mount can slew to the approximate location of an alignment star before you have carried out the GoTo alignment.

Another thing I found out is that the mount can GoTo accurately on one side of the sky but allow it to do a 'meridian flip' and it is out of alignment on that other side of the sky...

Having done firmware upgrades as part of my job, I am a firm believer in the maxim "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

If there is a known problem and a firmware upgrade is known to fix it, then a firmware upgrade is worth doing. otherwise, leave well alone. When did you last upgrade the firmware in your electric toothbrush? Your microwave? Your washing machine? Your car? I thought not. 🙂

Upgrading the firmware in a SLT is not a simple operation, requiring sundry bits of software to be loaded and  a serial cable and USB-to-serial converter to be acquired. There is the potential of hours of 'fun' or things going terminally wrong.  That said, I have had to reload the motor control firmware a couple of times because it got mysteriously corrupted.  And if that happens, you'll know...  (You get Error 16 or Error 17 which means "This does Not Work" - which is kinda obvious anyway.)

Owners of SLT mounts will be interested in details of the conversion.

Personally I would be tempted by the AVX (with Nexstar) as I don't like the Skywatcher Synscan system much.

A few years ago I acquired a vintage brass scope of similar proportions - a 70mm Ross.  IIRC it had been sold to its previous owner by Charles Frank as an astro scope, complete with equatorial mount and surveyor style tripod. I did not fancy the mount (incomplete) or the tripod (overpriced IMHO) so just drove away with the scope for a bargain price. I found that it would  accept modern 1.25" eyepieces with the aid of a piece of card (the original eyepiece being a large Huygenian of ~38mm diameter).

I bought an AZ-4 to mount it on via a dovetail bar and custom rings, and found the optical performance was superb. I can't remember what it weighs but a EQ3-2 or AZ-4 was the minimum mount for it, costing a lot more than the scope did. However I have only used it occasionally as my modern 127mm Mak has a better performance and is far easier to manage.

With a 5.5/2/5 plug this differs slightly but significantly from the 5.5/2.1 plug used for the Celestron and Skywatcher mounts and lots of other unrelated devices.

Look critically at your proposed purchase from the point of view of ease of use.  The best scope to own is one you are going to use.  GoTo is great to have so long as you are not baffled by the alignment procedure and especially if you are not a fan of 'learning the sky', like taxi drivers used to do 'the knowledge' Nowadays I expect they all come from Syria and use a satnav. 🙂

GoTo (and other) mounts vary greatly in ease of use.  An equatorial GoTo is relatively complicated to set up and more bother than you need if your interests are purely visual.  An alt-azimuth GoTo is quicker and easier to set up, and the Celestron Nexstar system is IMHO easier to learn and use than the Skywatcher Synscan. 

The Celestron C8 SE outfit (same aperture as a 8" Meade SCT) is light enough to be picked up as one lump and carried through a standard doorway.  I have mine as a quick-deploy outfit with the addition of a Starsense kit.

Isn't the LX200 a relatively old system?  Meades have a good reputation for optics but their mounts do not have a good reputation. For instance I know of a LX200 observtory installation that had mechanical trouble.  Last I heard about Meade was that they had filed for bankruptcy and been taken over by Orion.

You should first check for problems elsewhere, as the reduction gear ratio is such that even a weedy motor will exert quite a degree of force at the RA or Dec axis.  My EQ5 handled a 9Kg newtonian OK with a RA drive, and if your kit weighs more than that, you need a bigger mount, as the nominal limit of this mount for visual is 9Kg.

The Exos 2 manual should specify the power supply (volts, amps, size of plug, size of centre pin, polarity of centre pin)  A particular plug is common to most GoTos and a variety of suitable supplies are on the market, but DO NOT make any unwarranted assumptions in case yours is different.  The common mounts can also be powered from an astro power pack containing a rechargeable battery (or from a car engine starter, which is essentially the same).

DO NOT plug in a laptop PSU to see if it works.

When I was a youth, I made an alt-azimuth fork mount and tripod for a Newtonian reflector.  That was a long time ago and I don't have any photos, but it indicates that it should be possible for a person with average DIY skills and access to a workshop and tools to do the same.

If that's not possible the best option would be to buy another cheap outfit with tripod and make "best of 2".

11 hours ago, Kimboman said:

The image of the telescopes looks very similar to my Celestron 102 GT .this scope works fine with both types of diagonal .

The reducer is tapered and it is removed to take the 2 inch eyepiece

I have the same reducer as Kimboman.

Very odd. First of all, '102' does not define the scope as there are long and short versions.  I have the 102mm f5 'Startravel'.   It came with a 45 degree diagonal, which proved not fit for astro use. However it came into focus just fine.   I  substituted a 90 deg 1.25" star diagonal - a stock skywatcher/Celestron type, and it focuses just fine with the eyepieces with around an inch of focus travel available either way.  My 2"/1.25 adapter is not the same as the one in the photos and is rather short - about 1.5cm of it is visible when assembled.

As the others say, it looks like you have got too much length between the focuser and eyepiece.  And stop using the 45 deg diagonal and buy a 90 deg mirror diagonal right now - even a cheap one will work better for high powered astro views than the 45 deg erecting prism.

1 hour ago, Damien2904 said:

Do I set to record in .ser in ASICap??

If it supports it. I actually use Sharpcap.  IIRC I tried ASIcap once and was not inclined to use it again.

I have taken many live-stacked images with a ASI224MC camera attached to a 102mm f5 Startravel on a SLT mount, typical exposure 5secs.  There is sometimes a shift or rotation at the edges, but nothing major.

Alternatively if you record in .ser format you will not need to debayer the video afterwards.

You should be aware that planetary imaging and deep sky imaging are very different and require totally different kit.  Then there is EVAA which again may require diferent kit.

For planetary imaging you require a large aperture, long focal length scope and a planetary camera, and a mount that tracks.

For deep sky imaging you require ideally a heavy duty equatorial GoTo mount and a small aperture widefield ED refractor (or maybe a small f5 Newtonian adapted for photo use) and a large sensor camera, either a DSLR or a dedicated astro camera. For longer and better quality exposures you would also need autoguiding. 

I happen to have a Startravel ST 102 and a ASI224MC planetary camera and have found that this combination works well as an EVAA outfit on either an alt-az GoTo mount or an equatorial GoTo mount.  The field is wide enough for small and medium sized targets and also wide enough to permit blind finding with the GoTo, and I have imaged a variety of objects with this, some of them invisible visually from this location.

I do have a Canon 300D camera but have found it much more difficult to use at night than a dedicated astro camera.

The essential guide for deep sky imaging is "Making Every Photon Count" by Steve Richards, available form forum sponsor FLO.

I assume you refer to the Skywatcher 180mm Maksutov.  This has a very long focal ratio, so a 10mm eyepiece will give a magnification of a massive x270 and if it's a starter kit eyepiece the results may not be great.  If it is one of those, then replace it ASAP with something better.

With a f15 focal ratio a Barlow will be non-essential for visual and unless you have great seeing at your site a Barlow or Powermate will be non-essential for imaging also.  With my f10 SCT I have in general found a Barlow to be no help for planetary imaging.

You don't say what you want to image.  The scope is far more suited to planetary or double star viewing and planetary imaging than for any other role.  Rather than using the Canon 550D, I suggest you try a dedicated planetary camera. Your ASI224MC would be ideal for this purpose.

1 hour ago, travelbug10 said:

Thanks Guys, I am starting think i might be best to start again, with something that does it all to start with. So any ideas as to what i should get, thinking no more then £400, and if i could use the tripod that i have then i wouldn't mind. Unless i could sell what i have for reasonable money. Thanks

 

 

If you check ebay you may see what your outfit is worth if sold used. FLO has a section on scopes for beginners. You should look there first for ideas and see what you like that you can afford (assuming it is in stock).  £400 is barely enough for an outfit with GoTo unless you buy used.

I doubt that you can re-use your tripod.  It is unlikely that you can buy a GoTo mount head that fits straight onto it and anyway the tripod will not be worth much.  It would probably make more financial sense to dispose of your existing kit as a complete setup.