Mount and scope advice for AP

[Ness]

Hi, I’m hoping some of you can help point me in the right direction. For a little while now I’ve been taking pictures of the moon with my 450d and tripod with good results. We have a couple of el cheapo refractors that are definitely not APO and suffer from a lot of CA. That said, I still recall the first time we were able to observe Saturn and it was amazing!

I have now developed the bug and would like to get into astrophotography, as well as improved observation than is possible with our current set up. I’m half way through Steve’s book “Make Every Photon Count”. What a help that has been, even if it has resulted in brain overload on several occasions!

I know that AP is about the mount, the mount, and the mount before even thinking about anything else. So, I’m looking at the NEQ6 Pro or possibly the HEQ5 Pro, if the 6 is overkill for our needs. In the first instance, I will probably just use my dslr on the mount until I get the hang of guiding and tracking. I will then probably invest in an 80mm ED Refractor. However we have an interest in planet AP and observation as well as DSO. Within reason I would rather "buy nice than buy twice" and accept that I will most likely need two different scopes.

So here are my questions:

What telescope would you recommend for planetary AP/ Observation? (The weight of that may influence mount choice)

Would you choose the NEQ6 Pro over the HEQ5 regardless?

I’ve heard there is a bolt problem with the NEQ6 Pro. I’ve not researched it yet, but is this a deal breaker?

Finally, it seems to be the general consensus to start with an ED 80. I can see a trend towards the SW Evostar ED 80 DS, but see they also have the Equinox 80 ED. Is there any advantage of one over the other for AP? I’ve also heard good things about Atik and Orien. Any recommendations?

Sorry this has been such a long post! Many thanks for your help in pointing me in the right direction!

[Ness]

Sorry, Altair, not Atik! Too many brands to keep track of!

[swag72]

The HEQ5 is a good mount. I used one for a couple of years and it definitely punched above it's weight. Your idea of an ED80 is a good one and coupled with the HEQ5 this will work a treat. Minimum stress on the mount due to it's relatively short focal length.

When you say that you want to look at planets and for that you will need a different scope altogether - a long focal length and much slower.

[Scott]

the bolt issue isn't really a problem. there's two ways around it.

1. be sensible when adjusting them. (ie, take the load off them while adjusting)

2. buy upgrade bolts (under £50). and remove the fear completely

It certainly wouldn't stop me from buying one...oh wait it didn't .

I'm also not sure it's only the neq6 or the entire sw eq range.

[emadmoussa]

My Kit is - or partly was: NEQ6 + 80ED + Canon EOS 110D + T-ring + AP software + Photoshop

I'd like to support Aupsom's point regarding the upgrade bolts. They're not absolutely necessary, unless you're very very careful while adjusting your mount - which nobody is - you can stick with the stock bolts. I used the stock bolts for about six month without a problem, but when I upgraded to the new bolts I started to realize I was on a hazard run. I wouldn't go back to the original ones.

[Clockwork_Orange]

Hi Ness

Have you considered the Celestron VX mount? I'm pretty sure FLO are still selling this with a Celestron C6 Newtonian for around the same price as a Skywatcher HEQ5 Pro on its own.

If you didnt want to buy new you could keep an eye on Astro Buy and Sell. Plenty of used mounts and scopes come up on there.

Regards

John

[Ness]

Thanks to everyone that has replied. Your help is certainly appreciated! Thanks for the info on the bolts. I didn't realise an upgrade pack was available. It seems like a good solution :-)

I have a couple of further quesitons prompted by peoples answers. Please jump in people!

Sara - I agree that a completely different scope is required for planets, but I dont know if a reflector or shmidt-cassegrain (or other type is best). I know refractors are out due to a cost/ size balance. When you say I need a long focal length, would 250mm be the minimum? And speed wise f10 or slower?

I'm happy to wait for a second scope so that I can save for the right one, but I'm still a bit clueless as to what the right one is!

John - I had looked at a lot of mounts, but not the one you suggest! As a newbie I started with the ones most commonly mentioned and went from there :-) The package price of the Celstron is definitely appealing, but does it give technical advantages for AP or observing? I see that the latitude range is given 7-77deg. I couldn't find a comparable figure for the SW mounts. Do you know if this Is good, or restricted by comparison? I was also struggling to find a load limit for the mount. As I suspect I will need a larger scope down the line for planet work, I don't want to underestimate the load limit I will need in the future.

Any further comments and suggestions are welcome! Many thanks :-)