HEQ5 Cheapest price?

[twelly27]

I Would like to know If anyone can suggest a place to find the cheapest HEQ5 mount, I’m looking into one for when I upgrade to a 200p I’m not sure what the difference between a normal HEQ5 and HEQ5 pro is and which is best for astrophotography can somebody please help clear this up for me? And hopefully suggest a good website to find the cheapest its so expensive

Thanks

Chris

[JamesF]

My understanding is that the HEQ5 is just like a heavier duty version of the EQ5 with alt and az motors fitted. It isn't guidable and doesn't do GOTO. The HEQ5 Pro synscan and syntrek can be guided and the former has the full-on handset with all the GOTO bits.

James

[Naemeth]

You can get a HEQ-5 Syntrek 2nd hand for about £450 when someone is selling. (http://www.astrobuysell.com/uk/propview.php)

[cotterless45]

One year's warranty and good service,

http://telescopeoutlet.co.uk/?gclid=CKORysjUurcCFWLHtAod61YAlQ

Nick.

[starbright]

I've recently disposed of an HEQ5 Pro due to financial problems and now regret it. I've got my eye on an HEQ5 but am concerned with what JamesF says about it not being guidable. Does this mean that having found an object using the motors, that the scope then remains locked on that position?

[JamesF]

I've recently disposed of an HEQ5 Pro due to financial problems and now regret it. I've got my eye on an HEQ5 but am concerned with what JamesF says about it not being guidable. Does this mean that having found an object using the motors, that the scope then remains locked on that position?

It will track in RA which is probably fine for visual. It's only really an issue if you're imaging and want to be able to guide the mount to keep the image in the same location on the sensor.

James

[Andy_E]

You can get a HEQ-5 Syntrek 2nd hand for about £450 when someone is selling. (http://www.astrobuys...uk/propview.php)

Agree, there's a good chance you can pick up a 2nd hand HEQ5 from somewhere like astro buy and sell.

[starbright]

Thanks for that James. Imaging is important to me so it looks like the Syntrack as a minimum.

[starbright]

Should have put Syntrek!!

[twelly27]

So how long can I expect an HEQ5 to track for? That's what I'm really looking into one for, for when I start jawing my DSLR again when Orions Nebula comes back around etc I can get about 10 seconds pictures with the mount I have now

[NGEddie]

Below is an image I took on heq5 unguided with an unmodded dslr towards the end of last year. Excuse the processing it was my first ever dso, but it gives you an idea of of tracking, this was 2 mins, I can get it towards 3 mins with good alignment, ESP near zenith

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[twelly27]

Below is an image I took on heq5 unguided with an unmodded dslr towards the end of last year. Excuse the processing it was my first ever dso, but it gives you an idea of of tracking, this was 2 mins, I can get it towards 3 mins with good alignment, ESP near zenith

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

Thats brilliant! thats the kind of stuff id like to try and get, and the reason i want to upgrade, the best ive got after stacking is this i think it was about 5 mins of pictures stacked

03-13-2013 final.TIF

[ollypenrice]

Be aware that M42 is about the brightest DSO out there, especially around the Trapezium. Don't imagine that short exposures will cut it on the majority of targets. They won't. The mount is the heart of your system and given that there are people on here with £13,000 mounts (seriously!) the HEQ5 Pro is not, in the scheme of things, expensive. Buyng once is a good idea.

Olly

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

[Bizibilder]

I regularly take 5-minute exposures with my HEQ5 syntrek. For these i guide with EQMOD which is freeware but needs a laptop and adapter to connect to the mount (http://www.firstlightoptics.com/astronomy-cables-leads-accessories/hitecastro-eqdir-adapter.html). It is fine with my 120mm APO on it as well as an 80mm guidescope and associated cameras etc.

The 200P is a big beastie and will be at the upper weight limit of an HEQ5 for imaging. You may be better off in the long run using a smaller refractor for imaging - something like an ED80?

[NGEddie]

Just to add that the above picture was taken with the 200p (ds version). I haven't had much issues with the heq5 handling the weight, however any sort if moderate breeze can cause problems.

[NGEddie]

Just to add again, each sub was 2 mins, there was around 12 subs stacked in total to give the main image

[starbright]

Please forgive my ignorance but what is the 200p?

[twelly27]

Right then, seeing these comment has made me really think I'm going to need a mount and a scope that will be good for DSO, I can stuck with my skymax 127 for planets for most of the time, regarding the scope I'm also after something that I can galaxies with, I know it comes down to how dark the skies are and where I am it's pretty decent if needs must I'm not far from really good dark skies living in yorkshire I can pop to Lake District and other places, so if people could suggest scopes for me to achieve this it would be helpful like some has said I can only buy once I can't afford to pay hundreds of pounds then six months later need to spend more i need stuff to last a few years

Thanks

Chris

[JamesF]

The usual recommendation for a good scope to start imaging with is the ED80. You can add bits to it such as focal reducers, new focusers, upgrade to a dedicated camera from DSLR, even go to mono plus filters and so on, but the scope itself ought to last you a good while.

Could well be worth seeing if you can pick one up second-hand. They don't come up every week, but they're not exactly uncommon either.

James

[DrRobin]

I have an EQ-3 with dual axis motors that has been modified with an ST-4 guide port. If you don't mind aligning the scope by hand then with a guide camera, guide interface and PHD it works as well as anything. I am sure the same type of mod id available for an EQ5, HEQ5 with motor drives?

Robin

[JamesF]

I have an EQ-3 with dual axis motors that has been modified with an ST-4 guide port. If you don't mind aligning the scope by hand then with a guide camera, guide interface and PHD it works as well as anything. I am sure the same type of mod id available for an EQ5, HEQ5 with motor drives?

I think Quatermass did exactly that mod on the EQ5. It does require that you be confident enough to pull the handset apart and solder wires in though.

James

[Oily]

I think Quatermass did exactly that mod on the EQ5. It does require that you be confident enough to pull the handset apart and solder wires in though.

James

It's pretty easy if you have basic soldering skills,I did mine a while back following QM's guide on his blog

[twelly27]

Woah getting abit technical for me there haha only been doing this since Christmas as I said a scope that could get me to do imaging of new things like galaxies and nebulas etc would be brilliant so I've got a wide range of things to try my hand at

[JamesF]

I think if I didn't already have an EQ5 and the EQ5 modded for guiding would be sufficient for my requirements and I couldn't afford the HEQ5 Pro, I still wouldn't do the mod. An EQ5 + dual axis motors + polar scope is about £365. An EQ5 Pro Synscan GOTO is £515. Saving up the extra £150 seems like a worthwhile plan to me. Even better if you could pick one up second-hand or at a discount with a guarantee.

If I already had the EQ5 and wanted to get imaging as cheap as possible then I probably would do the mod. But given that the cost of a single handset failure is £100 for a replacement and that the guarantee is lost as soon as you open it up, I think if you're starting from scratch then the synscan EQ5 is a better bet if the HEQ5 is beyond one's reach.

James

[twelly27]

Tbh I don't think I'd want to go playing around with things that I don't really understand, it's the kind of thing you have to pay moment for if you want results can only do it cheap for a while