Celestron skyprodigy question

[Gunn1e]

Hi fello ststargazers I have a skywatcher 120 OTA scope & wondered if I could fit it to a skyprodigy mount, I have a synscan mount but its still a headache when it comes to alighnment, GOTO mounts are not as simple as people might think.

Thanks all ill be looking forward to some feedback as there seems to be so little on the web about the skyprodigy.

[rowan46]

I assume that's a refractor. I think you will struggle reaching zenith with that on. I also think its likely to be too heavy for that mount

[Rockrae78]

Hi fello ststargazers I have a skywatcher 120 OTA scope & wondered if I could fit it to a skyprodigy mount, I have a synscan mount but its still a headache when it comes to alighnment, GOTO mounts are not as simple as people might think.

Thanks all ill be looking forward to some feedback as there seems to be so little on the web about the skyprodigy.

I've been having a discussion on another thread re GoTo scopes, and after discussion with others, and reading the Synscan manual, I'm still utterly convinced that the Celestron GoTo systems are far easier to use, especially if you are a newbie.

Celestron, the clever bods that they are, have also come up with a cheaper alternative to the Skyprodigy system (which are mega expensive). Its called the StarSense auto align which, by the looks of things, mimics the Skyprodigy system. You just use the accessory to align a motorised scope - the user doesn't need to do anything. However, I think that it is only compatible for Celestron motorised mounts.

You haven't said how long you've been using the setup you have. Other Synscan users say that its a doddle once you get used to it, and if you have a basic knowledge of the sky (the brightest stars at least). It might be worth perservering.

If you have been using it a while, and you still aren't happy, then I would think about trading in, or upgrading to a Celestron GoTo system.

I'm not sure if you could get a Celestron motorised mount that is compatible with your OTA - you might want to contact the lovely people at First Light Optics to ask them if they know of a mount you could switch to. They are very helpful, and usually respond pretty quickly. I'm sure that they'll be able to give you some advice re mounts.

[Gunn1e]

Thank you rock for your kind reply, I think I do have to persevere with it I'm not so sure now if I was centering on the correct stars each time. I will have another crack at my GOTO system, I think previous attempts have been a bit rushed & in future I'm going to use Polaris as my first target star as its always due north in the northern hemisphere. The next clear night I will report back & tell you how it went.

[ronin]

Goto's are fine but the system is not the same as a PC, they do not have the power to be what is/was called Plug and Play.

Sometimes what is needed is a card with a list of everything you need to get in order to set up the goto in question.

Not sure what the Celestron mount requires in the form of data.

If the scope has a finder then align it to the main, if not or impossible then get the longest eyepiece you can, that gives you the widest view when looking through the scope.

For alignment stars - this sounds odd - search for the Meade list of alignment stars, they are picked to be a prominent star sat more or less alone. Arcturus and Aldebaren are 2 easy ones. Sit fairly alone and are red/orange. Will say most suggest not using Polaris, but this may depend on the software. Vega is another, Deneb sits in the Milky Way so may be a bit difficult, Altair another fairly good, Capella is bright but is I think too low.

If there are requirements like level the mount or scope then get a bubble level and do it as accurately as you can. Scopes have small fields of view and the closer you start to the optimum the better, and easier, everything will be.

How accurate is your Lat/Long, put your actual location in if possible not one from a pick list.