Cosmic Geoff

With a Canon 300D you can check the focus while looking through the viewfinder. Typically with a standard Newtonian the camera will not go far enough in, and the standard fix, drastic as it may sound, is to shorten the tube/ move the main mirror up, pushing the focal point further out. This is done in the imaging-ready 'PDS' models from Skywatcher. A Barlow may help, but don't ask me how or where you are supposed to fit the Barlow with the camera mounted to the focuser by a T-ring.

I assume you refer to the C6 SE + wedge. I hope you are not expecting too much of this setup. The C6 SE is a visual scope outfit, and if you manage to image anything with it, that is a bonus. I have the same 6/8 SE mount and IMHO it is not good enough for any serious imaging - too much backlash and wobble. A lot of people try to put these fork mount SCTs on a wedge with great hopes and a while later give up and buy a proper Equatorial mount. It has also been said in this Forum that the reason used SCTs are often available at a deep discount is that people buy them for deep sky imaging and then find they are not really suitable for this role.

Welcome to the forum. Here are some reasons for giving the Galileo a pass: Not a well known make, cheap so may not be of good quality, has a manual equatorial mount that many newbies find troublesome, used so no warranty and a newbie may find it hard to sort out any minor 'issues'. I would suggest that you set a budget and concentrate on models recommended here that are cheap but not a waste of money. A lot of entry level telescopes are cheap but do not provide a happy user experience and possibly put off a lot of people from persevering with the hobby. A common recommendation here for beginners is the Skywatcher 130mm Heritage table-top mini-Dobsonian, which has a simple mount and most of your money goes to the optics, which are of good quality. A similar model is sold in the USA under different branding. Be aware that astronomical equipment does not come cheap compared with some other consumer goods and if you want a good quality telescope, well mounted, and with quality accessories, the cost escalates alarmingly. Bargains are available in the used market but you need to know what you are buying and how to sort out any 'issues'.

I would not rely on the Latitude scale shown in the photo. The latitude scale on my EQ5 seems to be a degree or two off. You need to do a polar alignment.

Alternatives? Depends on whether you are determined to get a large GoTo Dob or are prepared to consider other alternatives. Compared with other designs, GoTo Dob outfits do not seem to get used for much other than visual observing, which is fine if that is all you want. Buying a smaller outfit would leave you more funds to buy something else if (like another recent poster here) you buy a 'scope outfit with one thing in mind and then find your interest takes you in another direction. Even a smaller instrument would give you plenty of amusement before you run out of things to look at. A SCT, while inherently more expensive, would be much more compact and lighter, and also offer more potential for planetary imaging. They are often available used at a large discount, reportedly because people buy them for deep-sky imaging and then find that they are not well suited to this role.

I'm pleased that you have pinpointed the problem. I'd definitely use balls described as 1/4" if I were you.

Yes, it does seem you have a problem with the azimuth bearing area. As I said, it should be free enough to move with minimal force and spin through an angle under its own momentum. If you search around on Cloudynights and elsewhere you may find some discussion of the issues. These instructions tell you how to replace failed nylon bearing balls with steel ones: https://nexstarsite.com/download/CPCHowToReplaceFactoryOriginalNylonAzimuthBearingBalls.pdf But if you just need to inspect, the procedure is essentially the same. In my case, slacking off the 45mm centre nut sorted the problem.

Depends on whether you want to just run the mount or an assortment of dew heaters, laptops, focusers, etc etc as well. Anything that provides the right volts and amps should work. Be aware that some PSUs (like the Nevada) will permit you to reverse the polarity, with terminal results! Your Halfords power tank could be life-expired, as lead acid cells don't last very long. I use an engine-starter as a DC battery power supply and it works fine. A couple of tips: Run the DC power lead through one of the lift handles to stop it flopping about and breaking the connection. Slacken the azimuth clutch off and spin the mount/OTA around though 360 degrees. It should carry on going under its own momentum. If it is binding, this will affect the tracking and you may also hear the gear whine changing as it slews. This is a known issue and can be fixed by opening up and adjusting the mount.

A curious omission. You could use your actual latitude and longitude instead, e.g. Baghdad is 33°20'26.09"N, 44°24'3.17"E

I never heard of this brand before, so wondered if these models were any good. Here is a reassuring review: https://www.amazon.com/product-reviews/B00DBXBIK4?ref_=fsclp_pl_nr_2 In answer to the original question, a 127mm Mak would be better than a 102mm Mak, but if you can't afford the bigger one... A 102 mm Mak should have a useful performance and work well on planets, showing some detail, and also work well on double stars and the like. How much you see will depend on your observing skills, the 'seeing', and the quality of the eyepieces you get with it. Few people have any complaints about the Chinese- made Maks from Celestron, Sky-watcher and Bresser, and the Levenhuk apparently comes from the same Chinese factories.

I bought an 8" SCT GoTo for half what it would have cost new. It was like new, and it came with a boxfull of valuable accessories. I had the impression that this was the going rate at the time. If I was buying a 17 year old SCT with a powered mount, I think I'd offer on the basis that the OTA could be OK, but the mount was of little or no value.

Have you checked the weight of a CPC1100?

I made a full aperture solar filter of conventional design, using Baader Astrosolar film, for a 127mm Maksutov. The filter was sandwiched between two pieces of cardboard stapled together, each with a 125mm hole, and securely glued on one side to a cardboard ring which fits over the telescope tube. Afrer some use, I found that the filter was wrinkling and doming out as a result of the pistoning action and trapped air when pushed onto the OTA. Not too worrying, till a gap appeared at one edge, allowing solar light through. 😲 On dismantling it, I found that the film was only pierced by one staple, and was otherwise free to slide. I stuck the filter edges in place with some adhesive tape.

Further to the above, some mounts are much easier to align than others. An equatorial mount requires a polar alignment (mechanical) to be performed before the star alignment (electronic). An alt-azimuth GoTo mount just requires the star alignment. Then there are plate-solving accessories, of which Celestron's 'Starsense' is the leading example, which image and recognise sections of the night sky, and proceed to automatically perform the star alignment. GPS, either built-in or as an accessory, will substantially ease the alignment process by automating the entry of date/time/location, a tiresome procedure which newbies in particular often get wrong. WiFi schemes in which the user's tablet or phone replaces the handset, or a scheme where a laptop replaces the handset, are becoming increasingly common. Whether this helps or hinders usability is a matter of personal choice. Finally, the GoTo software packages from different manufacturers differ significantly. IMHO the 'Nexstar' system is easier to use than the 'Synscan'. So all GoTo systems are not the same - it is far easier and quicker to align, for instance, a Nexstar alt-az mount with GPS than a Synscan EQ mount without GPS.

Try the smartphone first. It probably cost more than your Heritage 130 did. 🙂 if you own a DSLR, you could try that. Ideally you should use a planetary video camera and process the video to get a sharpened picture. For under £100 (new) you will not get a good planetary camera, but there are various cheap ones for as little as £10 or so that may satisfy you for the present. I have tried two cameras before settling on an ASI224MC. You could look for a Datyson T7C, said to be a cheaper clone of the ASI120MC, or try secondhand. It will also help if you can put your 'scope on a mount that tracks.

I imaged this late on 6 Aug with a 102mm f5 Startravel refractor, Celestron SLT mount and ASI224MC camera. I used GoTo to aim the telescope, then plate-solved to check position and re-aim the telescope. On plate-solving again it was clear that I had found the nova, as it showed on the platesolved image as a non-catalog object whose position exactly matched the co-ordinates for the nova. The lightly processed image is shown below.

I sympathise with your problems to a degree - I have an EQ5 Pro Synscan (an upgrade from a manual mount) and have never got it to work to my satisfaction. I did not have much trouble with inputting the correct data, as it does prompt you. I only had trouble occasionally mis-reading the display font characters. For the UK, time zone is zero and (in August) daylight saving time is 'yes') The instructions do not highlight the start position, which is an essential piece of information. The 'scope should be ON TOP OF the mount, pointing to the pole. (yes, in this position the dec. shaft does block the polar scope light path). I always attach the scopes to this mount with the scope facing West and the clamp knob(s) facing upward. Trying to access a Moon below the horizon suggests the wrong data has been input. However note that while a Celestron Nexstar will not display below-horizon planets at all, IIRC the Synscan does, only to display a warning message when you try to Go To them. To be frank, I have found the Celestron Nexstar alt-az GoTo mounts far easier to use than the EQ5 Synscan. I hope this is of some help.

A Two inch 40mm eyepiece would give you a wider field. I was assuming you had only a 1.25" diagonal. This is correct. An object fine centred with a 40mm eyepiece will be roughly centred in a 15mm eyepiece. But this might entail switching from 2" to 1.25" fittings, unless you have higher powered eyepieces in the 2" size. Or you could invest in a cheap optical finder. As I wrote elsewhere, you should only have to calibrate from scratch once, so little point in buying an eyepiece just for this. I always use a 25mm eyepiece for both the calibration (occasional) and initial viewing of the object (every time).

This is not something you need to worry about too much. You are directed to pick a named star from a list, so just pick one that sounds familiar (and preferably bright and not too near the horizon), and the software will do the rest, hopefully pointing the 'scope close to the bright star you selected. For instance, Arcturus is bright, and currently at a convenient altitude soon after dusk. If your scope has a finder other than the Starsense, and you have pre-aligned it with the main scope in daylight, that will make the calibration easier to do. If you want to use Solar System Align at any time, you will need a finder other than the Starsense.

If the diagonal does not clear the mount, be aware that the OTA tube is NOT meant to be balanced; it is meant to be pushed as far forward in the clamp as it will go. See the stock sales pictures of your scope. There should be no problem aiming at the zenith with the stock 1.25" diagonal and 25mm Plossl eyepiece, only if you have attached bulky accessories (camera, etc) on the back end. A 40mm eyepiece will give you no more field than a 32mm within the confines of a 1.25" barrel. Remember that, barring major accidents, you will only ever have to do this Starsense calibration once. Periodic recalibration is recommended, but in this latter case the calibration star should be much easier to find.

You should use the handset for your next attempt, not the apps. Trying to use the apps at the outset is to try running before you can walk. But watch out for the gap in the printed instructions. In the FIRST TIME SETUP: CALIBRATE CENTER, at the end of para 2. you need to press ALIGN before following the rest of the instructions. (para. 3.) If an alignment does not work, I always switch off power, switch on and return the telescope to the start position. The manual is vague about what the start or index position is, but I always start mine with the tube horizontal and pointing due south.

Yes, the mount will track automatically with the Starsense handset attached, defaulting to Siderial rate. All GoTo mounts will track automatically AFAIK. I assume you did not get the Nexstar handset as you bought the Starsense in a bundle with the 'scope. Actually I prefer the Starsense handset to the Nexstar one, as it has menus of deep sky objects arranged in order of decreasing brightness. Not so good is that you have to wait till it's fairly dark for the Starsense to work (align), or do a Solar System align. The C8+Starsense is a handy outfit for quick deployment, as you can carry the whole assembly outside in one lump and get the self align going in minutes. Do you still have the C9.25 on order, BTW?

I upgraded a used EQ5 I bought a while ago with a Synscan kit I bought earlier this year. I did not have any problems, except that the fitting instructions are a bit vague. I had to search online for more detail of part of the process. The result should be the same as the GoTo version of the mount. If you want to save money, used EQ5 Synscans come up for sale from time to time.

Sadly, astronomical equipment is not cheap and the lowest priced scopes available from department stores, Amazon, etc include a lot of rubbish that beginners will find under-performing, frustrating and hard to use. The cheapest items from leading brands may be no better. It is possble, with the right advice, to find equipment that is of decent quality and relatively inexpensive. See, for instance, the 'beginners' section of forum sponsors FLO. Bargains can be had on the second-hand market, but this can require the ability to tell a good one from a dud, an ability to make adjustments to unfamiliar kit, and some luck. I don't know if it is possible to improve your Bushnell by adjustment or buying accessories, but ask us.

I think, with respect to the terrestrial use, you are proposing to do something which will work on paper, but not in the real world with a real atmosphere between telescope and target. In theory, you could fit a Barlow lens to the Meade and get a 4m focal length. However, I have performed imaging of low altitude planets with an 8" SCT and found that the atmosphere is the limiting factor, and that adding a x2 Barlow to the imaging train is not helpful. Many amateur astronomers find that there are nights in which reducing the aperture of their telescope improves the image. In daylight, the warmth of the Sun will make matters worse than at night. Single images will, I anticipate, be completely useless for your scheme, and you should consider the 'lucky imaging' video method used by planetary astro imagers to reduce the effects of atmospheric shimmer and distortion. I have never heard of an 8" spotting scope, only a 5" (the Celestron C5) I wonder why that is? re the mount you cite, it is not ideal for terrestial use, but you would be able to swivel the Meade's diagonal to get an upright image. A SCT with its large focal range should be able to focus on relatively close objects. But really you want a smaller telescope on a manual alt-azimuth mount.