Nigella Bryant

Just what I need with 35kg load capacity. My neq6 is 20kg and that's loaded to capacity. Hope it's not too long a wait. We are awaiting more information from the manufacturer - here's what we know....! The new Skywatcher CQ350 PRO appeared in the Skywatcher print catalogues in May 2019. The design looks very similar to the leading iOptron CEM60 and seems to be based on the "English Yoke" design (this implies it could have advantages over the German Equatorial, like the iOptron CEM series). Payload capacity 35kg. Belt driven. Includes 2x USB2.0 ports 2x Power output (we are guessing 12v) One or more autoguider interfaces (catalogue not clear) Power requirement 12v DC 2A. Launch price and date TBC! Exciting times for amateur astronomers! CQ350 Mount head with tripod: Product code 20309 (Price TBC) CQ350 Mount head with tripod: Product code 20309/20293 (Price TBC) Optional Polar Scope: Product code 20131 (Price TBC)

Yeah, my first real astronomical telescope was bought from B. C & F back around 1975 it was a 10inch newtononian on a MkIV mount with Dec and ra drive, none goto of course back than, lol. It had a little door towards the end so you could cover the main mirror. It was a wonderful scope and had many brilliant views of Jupiter. I think the whole set up was £600. I was 15 and worked in a summer job and saved all my money and tips on the scope and mount. Very fond memories of perusing the catalogue for a year before I bought that scope, lol. Found an image of my telescope tube but the mount I had was the MkIV, I think the pic is a MKIII.

So all of us are the culprits for all the cloud. I thought this one looked like a woman with a walking stick. Looking as though it'll be clear later though, from camping in South West.

Where it rains eight days out of seven. As the saying goes, lol.

Rest of the package arrived with cloud notice, but all I had to do was look out the window and see the rain. Az-GTI mount plus ioptron wedge, plus clouds and rain.

My 12inch f4 orion optics UK in action with the lunar eclipse.

A TS 70mm carbon tube Ed refractor. Just added my 50mm guide scope, and longer dovetail bar and awaiting the Az-GTI with eq wedge and field flatner for the above scope. Hopefully it'll be a nice grab and go scope for holiday's, etc. It has a nice rotating focuser too.

I think you can do a little more work on post processing, sharpening, contrast, etc. I've taken the liberty to process one of your image's a little more and hope you don't mind. Just to show you what I mean.

I've a 12inch f4 orion optics UK Newtonian and fitted a moonlight focuser to it but I did have to drill four new holes. Brilliant focuser and I modded it to a skywatcher electric focuser too. Great scope.

Using one as we speak on a camping trip in the southwest of England. I'm keeping to two mins sub's which I'd say is about right with my modded 1000d Canon at iso800. First time I've really used the mini mount, I've found polar alignment fairly difficult or should I say fidly. Last night messed up 6x2min sub's as I realised I wasn't polar aligned properly, got star trails. Second lot of 15x2min sub's seem good, I'll see when I'm home and able to process then. I captured m16 and m17 quite by accident as I was trying to aim for the lagoon nebula, lol. I'm using around 100mm telephoto. I found when the drive runs out turning the winder takes the camera off target and you have to realign. Fine if you've finished that shoot on that object but a pain if you want more subs. Moral of that story is rewind and align with each new object you wish to image, that will give probably 40 to 50mins of subs, which is plenty. My brief take on it, seems good but proof of the pudding will be what comes out of my images when home.

Thanks everyone, goodness a very good discussion. I've obviously not thought thing's through enough. After all I'd be talking a good part of £6,000 for changing my mount and scope. The mount I've still yet to decide upon, but that's the priority as my neq6 is at top load capacity of 20kg. I'll be keeping my 12inch f4 Newtonian for some time yet, so the mount is priority this year. I'm not in a rush and obviously don't want to make the wrong decision. I understand skywatcher is bringing out a new mount next year with more payload than a cem60 but similar design. Probably somewhere between a CEM60 and a CEM120. Seen some illustrations of the mount. I may hold off until then and see. I'm not deffinet on upgrading to a 16inch f4 Newtonian anytime soon. Thanks all, alway's a great debate with much that washes over my head I'm afraid.

I'm just cringing at the thought, my modded Canon 1000d has just done a runner, lol.

Me too, best thing for an old neq6/eq6 is to do the belt mod. Made a huge difference in smotheness and tracking.

The WiFi suggestion was mearly to see if a goto could be performed in the bedroom with you seeing it track to the alignment star on skysafari. You may have a malfunction on the handset.

I understand, it's not the same as mine but if it says it's for the synscan mount I guess it's OK. It does say it connects to skysafari. It's only to get WiFi from mount to your phone /tablet to use skysafari, etc. Other's will know how to build a WiFi unit, unfortunately I'm not that good at building my own, but I know others do.

I guess you could use a polar align app on a phone or tablet then do a star align. Using skysafari pro6 if your mount has WiFi. If you use a WiFi adapter and skysafari you can see your scope slew to your align star on your phone or tablet. Skysafari pro6 is half price till 18th June I think around £5. WiFi adapter around £20

I alway's park my mount in home position when finished and unpark and then align, usually two star alignment is enough to put the object in the field of view. Are you properly polar aligned?

I took a 3 day trip to tendaba Gambia when in Gambia, no light pollution a small campsite. Stars reflecting in the water.

Here's my grab and go scope, modded 12inch OO12 UK f4 on a modded neq6.

If they're that bad I'd be looking at Lrgb imaging but that's expensive and a huge learning curve. My skies are bortle 6 so quite bad. It may be worth taking more 30 to 45sec exposures and stacking a lot more of those rather than going for 60secs plus. There isn't much difference between stacking say 60x30sec than stacking 30x60secs. Shorter exposures means the image is less affected by light pollution. I guess if sodium is your most worry then go for the cls. However it's not future proof, most council's are replacing sodium lighting with LEDs and then you'll have to buy a filter that stops that. I guess the ordinary cls filters will be difficult to sell on as more people will be looking for the led suppression filters. I guess it could be another 5yrs+ for all council's to change their lighting to LEDs but my home in Devon is now all LEDs. Just my take on things.

I would look at the Idas D2 filter for your Dslr. I've been thinking of getting one. I use however a modded Canon 1000d. The D2 is a little bit more expensive but filters out led lighting which most of the UK will eventually be using so it's future proof too.

I bought it second hand and was supposed to be in good condition. Wasn't under warranty.

I had the same problem with the blue filter going cloudy. TH replaced it for £30 and took only 7 days. I thought, really great service.

Oooooo, implying I wanted to get rid of 70ft conifers for a better easterly view? Now why would any amateur astronomer resort to such behaviour, lol in all seriousness I had visions of my dome melting and my neighbour hadn't house insurance, crazy, I know.