Setup questions

[SplintUK]

I'm trying to sort my imaging setup once and for all (ok not for all, but for a year at least) so I stop winding my wife up, so I was hoping for some good advice.

Here's the bits that I have are set in stone.

Mount:HEQ5 Pro

Imaging scope 1: equinox 80 pro +TRF-2008

Imaging scope 2: explorer 200 PDS + MPCC (flocked and with auto focuser)

Imaging camera: Eos 60Da (in the post)

Guide camera: Synguider.

My options are in terms of the mounting hardware.

I have a Celestron travelscope 70 (TS70) which I can use as a guidescope

But should I:

Mount the TS70 piggy back as guider

Mount the TS70 side by side as guider

Buy / make a finderguider

Buy an OAG

I know there are swings and roundabouts, but I'm hoping for advice from people who've tried a synguider with an OAG or finderguider and if it worked.

All advice greatly appreciated.

[cosmojaydee]

I would mount the equinox 80 pro +TRF-2008 and the TS 70 side by side, this will give better balance and weight distribution on the mount

[SplintUK]

I would mount the equinox 80 pro +TRF-2008 and the TS 70 side by side, this will give better balance and weight distribution on the mount

This reply reads as "I would mount the" on tapatalk - I only saw the rest when I quoted it. Bizarre.

[ollypenrice]

Well, I don't like side by side if I can avoid it. It introduces a considerable new moment working against Dec, which can be the harder of the two axes to beat into submission. SIde by side also collides with the mount much earlier and can force a meridian flip. This, for me, usually means I call it a night and go to bed! If you really do want to use the Newt (though to my mind it doesn't offer a very significant change in FL and will tax an HEQ5 to the limit) I'd go for an OAG. Mirrors can move and an OAG uses the imaging beam so corrects for that.

I'd go for a finder guider or piggyback the 70 on the imaging refractor.

Olly

http://ollypenrice.smugmug.com/Other/Best-of-Les-Granges/22435624_WLMPTM#!i=2277139556&k=FGgG233