Newforestgimp

Does the AZ GTI retain Goto functionality when mounted on an EQ wedge or ball head ?

8 minutes ago, Tiny Clanger said:

That's a really helpful summary for someone like me, who is thinking about buying a portable mount at some point in the future. Thank you.

Agree, very very interesting, as it happens I have an EQ1 mount so could pinch the counterweight.

do you ever have any feelings that the Gti is struggling to cope with the weight ? As it must be getting close to its payload limit ?

Andy

Also just noticed seem to be using counter balance with the Gti ? Niw I’m even more intrigued 👍👍

Thanks guys.

Interesting, both pictures seem to be using the Gti with a wedge or ball head? Can you explain to a noob why ? Does it give best of both worlds AZ + EQ ?

with regards to “guiding” in very simple terms can you explain the kit required ? I get the principal but not sure on the why when the mounts profess to track the target object anyway ?

Hi All,

Is anybody using the skywatcher AZ GTI mount for wide field AP with DSLR and William optics zenith star 61 ?

I know it’s not ideal but wondered what  are the real world experiences with using this combo or similar.

I'm trying to keep as portable and mobile as possible, and by time I’ve priced up something like the ioptron skyguider pro I’m at the point of getting an EQ 5 & kind of defeating the objective.

any thoughts ?

Regards

Andy H

19 hours ago, MarsG76 said:

Like stated above, image with both and compare them... personally and in my experience, I wouldn't choose a higher res DSLR but the one with bigger pixels on the sensor... in this case would be the 30D... bigger surface area to capture more photons... stacking will negate noise...

I compared a 40D to a 7D, i.e. 10 mpix vs 18mp and the 40D out performed the 7D for sensitivity and noise was about the same...

Interesting, this was the question I’ve been asking myself, I will definitely have a play with the 30D and may then get it modified for Astro specific which should in theory boost results again ?

cheers

Andy H

Thanks chaps,

simple really if I’d thought about it, of course a side by side test DOH ! 🙈

Andy H

Hi All,

only my second post and thanks to the kind people here who advised on my first I’ve made my first proper step and pulled the trigger on a William Optics Zenith 60 as a starter for wide field AP.

my next conundrum is which DSLR to attach ? I have an older Canon 30D 8mp (I think) and a Canon 1300D (18.1mp) both APS-C I believe, I don’t want to assume that newer more pixels will work in my favour with AP so want to make sure I’m not missing a trick by not using the Older more solid 30D. Both are unmodified if I were to modify one for AP it would be the 30D.

Any Thoughts ?

regards

Andy H

Thanks to all !

I may not be 100% decided  but my understanding has increased again thanks to you all, and I think I’ll go small APO direct to DSLR and stick to wide field for now. I can use that for twitching too. At a point in future I’ll review again and maybe get a cheap Newtonian to go alongside..

Thanks again

Andy H

13 minutes ago, Nik271 said:

Dear Andy,

Just to put it again at the start: a decent mount is a must, at a minimum EQ5 with RA drive, but for long exposures (above 60s) you may decide later you need some guiding and HEQ5 at least.

I have a Canon 250D and have used it with a 200mm F2.8 prime lens, with Skymax 127 MakCas and with a 6inch F5 Newtonian, each time mounted on EQ5 just with RA drive.

Here is a quick summary of my experience:

Easiest for imaging is the camera+ fast lens combination. This is best suited for large objects: The Milky way, the Andromeda galaxy, Veil Nebula, the Orion Nebula complex. You can get very good results this way with minimal investment just with the lens and the motorised EQ5.

The 6 inch Newtonian is a cheap way to start looking at and imaging smaller objects. It's great visually for all DSO objects, and somewhat harder to do imaging than the telephoto lens, but its worth the extra work because it can frame the Eagle, Swan, Dumbbell  nebulae and similar size objects very well. As your experience grows you will probably find that Newtonians have drawbacks for imaging: lack of flat field, diffraction spikes, prone to wind, need regular collimation. I still like mine: it's a light bucket and visually beats all my other scopes at DSOs.  

The Skymax 127 is great for planets and the Moon. It is F12 so very slow for imaging. I managed to image the Ring nebula with it and the M13 cluster in Hercules but it needs super long exposures and I will not recommend it for imaging DSOs.  Visually it is a very capable scope even for DSOs but as you know aperture rules and the Skymax 127 is actually only 120mm, so my 6inch Newt is a better light bucket.

I don't have refractors to compare but I know they are also excellent starter scopes. The above is just my experience so far.

Cheers,

Nik 

 

 

Thanks Nik,

Useful advice regarding the 127skymax, i think the overall size was clouding my view of it and forgetting its effectively f12 which will put more strain on the mount/tracking accuracy from day one, So i will resign it to the purely visual shortlist.

Regards

Andy H

Thank you both for the advice, I should of added I am aware that i will need a substantial investment in the mount department but the choices are easier so i had already assumed equatorial of EQ5 type or better either motorized or full goto, the guiding i can live without for now i think.

If for example I went with something like one of the Williams/TS Optics 70mm APO refractors as a long term "keeper" how would it be for purely visual use ? I'm fortunate where i live i can escape to dark skies fairly quickly so the compactness of the small APO's is appealing to use and for daytime wildlife etc.
Likewise with the Cassegrain style, say 127 size, it looks a more natural position for the camera to hang from.

And yes Carole the 130/150pds has been in and out of the shopping basket more times than i care to mention 🙂  I can see a cheap Newtonian being used manually alongside while the camera merrily snaps away.

Any experience with TS Optics r the other "badged" refractors ?

Thanks again...

Andy H

Good Morning All,

New member here, although i have had a curiosity with astronomy all my life ive never got round to doing anything about it, but now finally at 48 ive decided to bite the bullet and have a go. I've watched countless youtubes and read many articles and now a bit more comfortable with the terminology and different types of kit out there BUT and its a big BUT, I cant work out where to spend my first money, I want to be able to view AND take astrophotography, I have 2 or 3 Canon DSLRs to use which i have made an initial attempt to use on its own and post process through DSS and GIMP purely to understand the process with pleasing result visually although technically shocking im sure 🙂 .
So to the point, I'm stuck between Newtonian, Astrograph or otherwise, Cassegrain style & APO refractor and have added each to my shopping cart on different days, I appreciate they all have their merits so is it wrong to be looking at one scope to do it all or should I from day one be thinking two set ups ? one for Photography and one for viewing ? Id like some idea of what to expect to see when looking through each style and what to expect with camera attached, and where to start.

Kit I Cuurently have at my disposal: -
Canon 30D 500D 1300D
50mm Prime Lens
18-55 Kit Lens
35-80 Kit Lens
100-300 Zoom
Decent Camera Tripod with Ball head.
Intervelometer (Spelling)
Donated EQ1 Mount with Tripod
Red Dot finder

Any Help appreciated

Andy H