Celerondon

The NexStar 5SE is a fine scope for beginners but as such, it is limited in many ways.  This is not necessarily a bad thing because all telescope setups will carry some limitations.  No one has endorsed the 5SE yet because we astronomers tend to recommend telescopes that we would like to have, even for others.  A good beginner’s telescope with modest capabilities is not as exciting to us as the 10” Dobsonian that davhei just recommended.  Even though I don’t currently own one I think that an 8” or 10” Dobsonian would be a great starter telescope for you on your farm.  As davhei said, it could end up being a lifetime scope for you as well. 
 

I have one piece of advice regarding astrophotography.  The bewildering array of options and ideas that we blast you with may make astrophotography seem expensive and endlessly complex. (Trust us, it can be!) But you can also get involved with nothing more than your cell phone.  In fact, it is possible to produce impressive results with an 8” or larger Dobsonian, an eyepiece, and this inexpensive cell phone adapter.
 

I just purchased this new Move Shoot Move product last week and I was impressed by the all metal construction and ease of use.  I was surprised to find that the MSM Tridapter costs less (in the USA) than the plastic Celestron NexYZ adapter that I bought several years ago. 

Which kit are you considering?  The kit in your picture does not include a USB Type-A to USB Type-B (printer) cable but many of them do.  You will also need a power cable that has a male DC5521 connector on one end to supply 12 volts to your control unit.  The other end of your power cable will connect to your power supply. 

I used the more expensive EQStarProEQ5 kit to upgrade my Vixen GP.  It came with a USB cable and a simple hand control, but I still had to purchase a power cable.  I spent the extra money for the refined AstroGadget kit that includes a user manual and technical support.  However, the Onstep kits seem like a great bargain if you are willing to do some research and provide your own technical support. 

My EQStarProEQ5 kit is INDI, EQMOD, and ASCOM compatible.  The controller appears to be a SynScan compatible telescope mount to my software.  I used a mobile app to connect to the built-in Wi-Fi so that I could control my mount with SkySafari and Stellarium.  It also connects to my PC and ASIAIR with no problem.

If your documentation for that Onstep controller says that it is INDI, EQMOD, and ASCOM compatible, then you should share the same capabilities as my AstroGadget kit. 

Don

For some reason, I cannot see the image that pipnina posted anymore.  However, I want to ask a question.  It appears to me that this mount slewed itself into that position.  Does anyone see how it could have tracked its way down there?  

Don

I see why you are confused because this story is as confusing as that picture. From your account, I can’t understand how the mount did anything after you parked it.  It is also hard to figure out how a GEM in the northern hemisphere tracked itself into the position shown in this picture. 
 

is there any way that someone or something could have slewed your HEQ5 into this unnatural position?  Doesn’t your mount park itself while pointed at the north celestial pole?  A tracking mount should rotate in the other direction and I don’t get why your dec axis isn’t aimed at the pole.   Kids, or cats, perhaps?

Don

Oh right, these strain wave mounts are sometimes faithful copies of each other but other times there are significant differences.  This particular design is remarkably similar to the ZWO mounts but there might not be many interchangeable parts, if any.  

Don 

On 10/04/2024 at 13:12, Elp said:

Is it me or are the ports in the wrong place at the front on the axis of RA rotation?

How so?  The layout seems similar to the AM5, at first glance.  

On 08/04/2024 at 04:40, Elp said:

…

What I'm confused about is what the view centre left is of:

It took me a moment but I think that that the center left view is the mounting flange for the dual (Type V & D) dovetail.  I have not pulled my mount out to confirm this theory but it seems to make sense.  Counting clockwise from the top left diagram they appear to show an AM5 that is in AltAz mode and aimed at the zenith from the:

1. south
2. west
3. below
4. east
5. above
6. dovetail flange

The north view which would have shown the back side of the wedge and the counterweight plug/toe saver is not shown. 

Don

I think that ZWO provides the flange diagram to show that it is easily possible to rotate the dovetail mount 90°. (This rotation enables side by side telescope mounting)  Compare the 38mm bolt spacings in position 1 and position 6 to see how this works. 

The AM5 is a deceptively compact mount.  If attaching the base of the mount directly to your pier isn’t practical or if the arrangement leaves things too cramped, you could always use a pier extension as a pier adapter and retain the convenience that the PE200 provides.  Because the PE200 is a three part assembly with a standard ZWO adapter puck on its base, you could use the top of the pier extension or a combination of the three main components to create a custom pier adapter that fits your AM5 like a glove.   Here is a diagram that shows the dimensions of the PE200.  

It is difficult (impossible?) to secure an AM5 directly to a platform without access from below.  But one of the features of the PE200 is a lever actuated quick release system that is simple and secure.   Here is a diagram that shows the dimensions of the PE200.   If you compare these measurements with your pier platform you may see a way to simplify the process of securing the mount to the pier without needing access from below.  

Don

18 hours ago, GTom said:

Looks interesting, thank you! I was wondering if it goes in place of the 85mm diam. mounting pan or just screws on top of it: former would be of course the proper solution.

This piece is an 85mm aluminum puck that is similar to the kind that come with the TC40 and PE200. The difference is that this part includes the alignment post that Vixen family mounts use as an azimuth anchor.  These pucks are designed to slide into the top of the tripod so that they can be secured.  
 

Mating the adapter to the mount is accomplished by slightly different methods depending upon whether you use the PE200 or not.  When you use a plain TC40, the mount and puck assembly is secured by the tripod spreader bolt and a single locking lever.   With the PE200 installed, you simply use a trio of locking levers to secure the mount and puck assembly.  
 

I am curious about the procedure for azimuth adjustments with the PE200.  The Vixen mounts and their clones have a moderately fussy process for fine azimuth adjustments.  Because the axial mounting bolt also supplies the clamping force that locks the azimuth, you must loosen it before the adjustment screws will function.  Similarly, the bolt must be tightened after azimuth adjustment is done.  However, the axial mounting bolt does not appear to be accessible when the mount and adapter assembly is clamped atop a PE200 pier adapter.  

Don

Could this adapter be your solution?   It should be compatible with the PE200 pier extension as well.  With both, your setup would become a quick affair with a trio of levers to flip instead of a screw to center and thread.  
 

I store and transport my TC40 with the PE200 attached.  The assembled components are still compact and easy to handle.  
 

I noticed several similar adapters on the page that I linked.  Please let us know if this part works for you. 
 

Don

My AM5 does visual duty sometimes because I am done with carrying counterweights if I can help it.  Functionally, there should be hardly any difference between an AM3 and an AM5.  I have been experimenting with different polar alignment systems and plate solve enhanced GoTo.  

So far, the Polar Scope Align Pro utility for Daytime Polar Alignment is the quickest way to get my setup close to polar aligned.  This has been my experience for daytime and nighttime use.  When rough polar alignment is adequate, it may be enough.  Otherwise, I use my ASIAIR and guide scope/guide camera combination to get perfect centering, every time.   Between software assisted polar alignment and plate solve refined GoTo targeting, it may be worth it to install the ASIAIR and camera for nighttime visual use.  

The images down below show the aiming screen for Polar Scope Align Pro and the 3D printed bracket that I use to attach my iPhone to my mount.  Asides from holding the cell phone securely, the main purpose of the bracket is to get the sensitive compass away from the metal and magnetism of the mount. 

Don

That is another difference between those two CF tripods.  At first glance they seem similar but the TC40 is a single angle two section tripod with a leg spreader while the RT90C has three angles and four leg sections.  Of course, just as a pier extension or extended center column will degrade stability those flatter leg angles should degrade carrying capacity.   In particular, that 9° leg angle looks like it might be a good way to turn a fundamentally rigid tripod into a carbon fiber trampoline.  

Don

I also like to use my larger tripods fully collapsed.  However, the TC40 and compact photo tripods like the RT90C have such short leg sections that the tripod footprint gets disturbingly small when you don’t extend the second section of the legs.  Tripod stability is enhanced by footprint and mass and hampered by height.  I generally use my weighted TC40 at its maximum height. Does it seem like a weighted TC40 would provide adequate support without extending that second leg section?  

12 hours ago, JCIdaho said:

 

Excuse me - how did you widen the adaptor by 1mm? Filing?

11 hours ago, AstroGS said:

It was with a metal grinder - it took forever but, job was done at the end.

Grinding is an option if you only need to remove a small amount of material but there is another way.  My Planet had a basic head with a flat profile so I decided to purchase the Berlebach head that was designed for the AM5.  The Berlebach website has a menu system tha that allows customers to select heads, adapters, and other accessories for their various tripod lines.  Now the PE200 seats firmly on my Planet and I am tempted to use this spare tripod head casting as the basis for a first-rate DIY tripod.

Don 

19 hours ago, GTom said:

The ZWO TC40 seems to share the same specs but I'd spare the hunt for (not the Red October) a 3/8"->Astro mount adapter. It claims 50kg payload but I doubt that it's any stronger than the RC90:

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/zwo-mounts/zwo-tc40-carbon-fibre-tripod.html

I agree that the two tripods are fairly similar but I think that the two section legs of the TC40 are both a bug and a feature in this case.  Their disadvantage is that a TC40 will need a pier extension to reach a marginally usable height for visual use.  The corresponding advantage is that the RT90C is definitely weaker when you extend those additional leg sections for more height.  So, with a built in spreader, the TC40 is slightly more robust but the RT90C is certainly more versatile. 
 

Don

On 24/02/2024 at 17:23, adyj1 said:

I can confirm that Virgin Atlantic only allow 2 x 100Wh batteries, and I purchased similar batteries to @Adam Jwhen I travelled in September 2023. (British Airways allowed 2 x150Wh).

The VA website said to ring the help desk if you were carrying these batteries, which I dutifully did a couple of weeks before the flight. Having taken all my flight details, I expected some extra checks at check-in, but nothing happened - at no time did anyone ask anything about batteries... 

I don't have anything as fancy as Adam for connecting the batteries in the field - a diy barrel power connector wired to two pairs of spade connectors so they are both connected at the same time. My diy 1-to-4 3d-printed power box has five 5.5/2.1 barrel sockets, with one fused for input. This worked a treat with an AP rig of AZ-Gti, NUC PC, and ASI533MC Pro. (I didn't need dew straps on account of being in the mojave desert 😁) 

Did British Airways change their battery capacity specifications?  This page states a 2 X 160Wh limitation.  

I am like you.  My power connections are fairly simple.  I use a circuit breaker/switch assembly, an online power meter, and a 100Wh LiFePO4 beast that was much less expensive than the Celestron Lithium Powertank Pro.  Everything is connected with Powerpole connectors, and this setup could hardly be easier to manage.  

I am interested in building a box like Adam's, but I haven't yet decided which features it will have.  USB and DC5521 ports are a given but inverters give me pause.  Will the effort, expense, and bulk required to include one be worth the trouble?  The vendors love selling inverter equipped power stations and solar generators to the public, but I am not a big user of wall warts.

Don

1 hour ago, bomberbaz said:

Some very useful information on this thread, I have the Celestron Lithium 13.2 Ah LiFePO4 Powertank Pro | First Light Optics which I believe meets flight regulations. 

I have setup the imaging rig (details below) but I haven't had a go with it yet. Forcast is for clear spells later so I am just going to have a bash M81, 82 and the garland.  Right now as @Ags I am interested in tracking and seeing how the RNS is. Also bought an auto focuser so want to see how that works and will be running it all from my local network rather than direct connection so want to see how that behaves. No further hijacking, I will report how I get on in my own thread below if anyone is interested. 

)

I don't want to highjack this thread into a regulatory rabbit hole, but things will depend on which airline you fly with.  The 160Wh limit is specified by CAA.  But, depending on which airline you use you can either carry two 160Wh batteries, one 100Wh battery, or perhaps something in between.  The relevant CAA regulations were linked earlier in this thread and the FAA regulations are easy to find but both authorities say that different airlines such as British Airways have final say so about batteries over the 100Wh capacity threshold.  At first, I thought that British Airways might follow the lower limit but then I found this page.  So, it seems as if most major carriers allow two 160Wh batteries and according to the British Airways guidance and other sources, you "do NOT need to contact the airline or inform staff at the airport that you are carrying this item." 

Don

23 hours ago, fireballxl5 said:

Not so if flying under CAA regs,  limit is 100Wh for  "Spare batteries for portable electronic devices (including metal devices) containing lithium metal or lithium ion cells or batteries carried for personal use". See

https://www.caa.co.uk/passengers/before-you-fly/baggage/items-that-are-allowed-in-baggage/

 

This is interesting!  The Canadian regulations actually seem pretty consistent with the FAA regulations and even use similar language.   I am trying to understand why you follow the third section rather than this first one in the Canadian regulations that you linked.

”Spare batteries for portable electronic devices containing lithium ion batteries exceeding a Watt-hour rating of 100 Wh but not exceeding 160 Wh when carried for personal use.

No more than two individually protected spare batteries per person may be carried.”

This first section matches the FAA guidance that we follow in the USA.  
 

Here is Air Canada’s guidance on this topic.

”2 lithium ion batteries with a rating of 100 but not exceeding 160 Wh”

I seldom hear the term “Lithium Metal” batteries used in but I Googled up this explanation for the difference between lithium metal batteries and lithium ion batteries.

Don

On 20/02/2024 at 13:48, tico said:

My telescope is for visual and the model is one refractor 80ED F/7.5.

Thanks. 

An f7.5 80mm refractor is not a heavy load.  A small or medium EQ mount will do fine with that telescope.  I agree with rl.  A GoTo AltAz mount would also be okay, but I would probably choose an EQ mount.  I have two questions that might help us to be more specific with our advice. 

• What budget range are you interested in?
• What is the largest telescope that you might use with this mount.  (Is that 80ED your limit?)

It might also be helpful to know if you plan to travel with your equipment.  A pier mounted rig for your garden or observatory would be somewhat different than an airline or car portable setup.    

Don

51 minutes ago, Ags said:

Currently I only need to power two uncooled cameras, the HEM15, and the Air Mini, all that only seemed to draw 1A. But there's a cooled 8300 CCD coming to me on the next family visit. When I set up my C6, I guess I really will need to think about dew strips if I am imaging with it for a few hours. So power requirements will go up...

The mount will travel! I've flown a few times with the AZ-GTi and the HEM is only a little heavier. That does impose limits on the size of the battery. This one give 3A on the 12V output:

Celestron Lithium 7.2 Ah LiFePO4 Powertank | First Light Optics

 

That 7.2Ah Powertank is a nice battery with good features.  As you mentioned, it is also great for air travel.  FLO also sell its big brother.  The Celestron Lithium 13.2Ah Powertank Pro is the largest battery that meets the size limitations imposed by airline and government regulations. 

Don't do what I did during my power hunt.  I was about to press the "Purchase" button on a Powertank Pro but then I got distracted and bought something so large that it will never fly.  Now, if I need to fly my setup, I will have to use my 11Ah TalentCell or purchase another battery.    😉

Don

59 minutes ago, Ags said:

Next time I am out I will use the Air to make a graph of Volts and Amps over time. From what I have seen so far the measurements it gives seem quite close to the expected values.

The 24/12/5 battery looks like a good upgrade for me as the Air was measuring my current draw at 1.0 A, so well within the 2A envelope.

Right, that battery will power the mount and ASIAIR Mini just fine.  Neither device draws more than 1.0 amp while working. With a regulated output, your voltage should remain constant over time.  However, your equipment seems ideal for a portable astrophotography rig.  Begin adding features like cameras, dew heaters, and autofocus and you may soon be juggling multiple batteries to meet your system’s current demands. 

Don

Curtis provided some great information in the blog post that Ags linked.  My take on the power choices is that the 24/12/5V power supply that Ags likes will be acceptable because the 12V output is regulated.  It wouldn’t be my first choice though, for two reasons.

• Unless I needed 24V that capability would be superfluous.
• The 2A limit on the 12V port is barely acceptable for a minimum setup.

The 8.3Ah TalentCell that Elp linked is more attractive because of the robust 6A rating on the 12V port.  In fact, my first Li-on battery was a similar 11Ah TalentCell.  However, neither of these battery types is currently my favorite.  If you carefully review the information posted by Curtis, you may see why I prefer LiFePO4 battery packs for my astronomical equipment.  Our portable electrical power storage solutions are created by binding together a group or “battery” of cells to form a battery assembly.  Because of the intrinsic cell voltage values of different battery chemistries, some types can produce 12V when grouped in threes (3S) but others with slightly lower cell voltages do better when combined in groups of four (4S). 

LiFePO4 cell nominal voltage – 3.2V

LiFePO4 cell fully charged voltage – 3.65V

LiFePO4 4S nominal voltage – 12.8V

LiFePO4 4S fully charged voltage – 14.6V

What these numbers mean is that a fully charged 4S LiFePO4 battery will start out in the mid-14V range, quickly dip into the mid-13V to mid-12V range and stay above 12V until it is down to near 5% capacity.  The kicker is that a 4S LiFePO4 battery will do this while maintaining a flat voltage curve through about 80% of its rated capacity without requiring voltage regulation!    

So now, my TalentCell is a backup battery and a high capacity LiFePO4 battery is my main source.  Like Elp suggested, I verify the voltage readings reported by my equipment with an inline power meter. 

Don

Inline Power Meter

LiFePO4 - Flat Discharge Voltage Curve

DC5521 to Powerpole Adapter Cables

Did your mount work okay or do I need to plug my EQStarPro box into my computer to pull the numbers?   Oops!  I just noticed that I already have a data screen available.  Ignore the other numbers because I was tuning my GP at the time.  It is inadvisable to hot rod the mount before you get things working properly.

Don

If my memory is correct, 576 sounds about right.  I have an EQStarProEQ5 on a Vixen GP and that number seems familiar.  Perhaps someone else can confirm these numbers with more certainty.  Try it out.  If the numbers seem wrong, I can check my mount tomorrow.

Don

Yes, that longer DC5521 male/male cable will work.  Like David said, the numbers need to be right but you aren’t doing anything extraordinary.   That LiFePO4 battery pack will naturally produce voltage in the range that your mount requires with current to spare for other devices.   As long as your cable runs don’t exceed two meters you should be fine. 
 

Don