Using a wedge for imaging

[Javert]

Hi everyone,

I wasn't sure where the best place was to post this….

I'm looking at doing a complete upgrade to my current setup and am looking a getting something along the lines of the following; an Evostar 80ED DS Pro, Lunt 60mm Solar telescope and either an 8", 9.25" or 11" SCT (probably Celestron).

What I wasn't too sure about is imaging. I do a bit of imaging with my EQ5 at present, but I usually spend more time hunting for objects than anything else! When I upgrade I definitely want some form of GOTO mount to make finding things easier, which I then hope would give me more time for imaging. I know an EQ mount is the way forward and I'm currently undecided between the Skywatcher NEQ6 Pro Synscan, Celestron CGEM or CGEM DX. I was also thinking about the Celestron GPS CPC series that come on a fork mount as I'd expect this to be easier to set up if I just wanted a quick visual session. If I went down this route, would the addition of a wedge adapter provide good imaging results like a proper EQ mount? I think price wise, the CPC plus wedge would work out around a similar price as buying an SCT and one of the EQ mounts I've mentioned.

Suppose the main issue I'd have is that I'd only be able to use the SCT with the fork mount it came with and that I'd still need another mount for the other OTA's.

Decisions, decisions…. 

[Davey-T]

Are you planning on using all this at home ? If so it would probably be best to start with spending some money on an obs'y especially if you plan on imaging as you can be up and running in minutes.

If travelling an 11" SCT is a bit of a lump and messing about setting it up on a wedge in the field would be nightmare.

Dave

[rowan46]

+1 on this.^^^^ I have seen images taken by ed80s mounted piggy backed on the cpc where they use the sct as the guide scope and then use the sct for planetary  but the consensus appears to be that if you are going to use a wedge its best on a pier or in an obsy as aligning the wedge each time for imaging is a pita. If you are going to have to break it down to move it in and out  you are probably better off with the eq6 or maybe the eq6 alt az may be an option

[nmoushon]

You can use a wedge to image with. Let me refraise: You have to use a wedges if you want to image with a fork mount. For us non professionals anyways.

You could attach the ED80 and lunt to the SCT and image with them. Not sure what their weight limits are but I'm pretty sure you could do it that way. Will solve the need for a second mount. Unless you want to to wide field imaging and DSO imaging at the same time. Gina going that route atm. Not sure if your budget allows for it but its an option.

Also for the SCT you should look into the EdgeHD series. They are more designed for imaging than the reguler series. I'm currently looking at getting into long FL imaging as well and this is whats been suggested to me. Even over similar sizes of RCs. And if you go for the 11" I'm not sure if the CGEM DX will handle it (when it comes to imaging that is). Not sure which is better wedge vs GEM and the pros/cons I was wondering this myself. So will be looking forward to the answers on that part. Only thing I can think of that a GEM has over a fork & wedge is that you can mount any type of scope on it where the wedge/fork only works with SCT type scopes.

[Javert]

This will be purely for use at home, although the Evostar and Lunt may be taken in the field or on holiday.

The wedge was really just a thought but I suppose an EQ mount would be more versatile.

What is the consensus on the various EQ mounts? I was interested in the Celestron GEM mounts but have read very little about them and from videos on YouTube there's always comments about them being louder than the Skywatcher mounts. I take that the NEQ6 Pro or NEQ6 Alt Az would be the ones most people would recommend?

I'm hoping my wife will allow me £4k-£5k to spend (from some inheritance) which should just about cover the stuff I've mentioned. Am I missing anything obvious? The OTA's I've got in mind all seem to be decent enough and should cover most, if not all, bases. The only thing I know I've not included here is a CCD camera as at present all my imaging is done with a Canon 550D DSLR. Plus, I don't have a Windows laptop to support a CCD camera at present, so that'd be something else I'd need to budget for (unless it'd work with my MacBook).

[ollypenrice]

Look at the imaging boards. Hardly anybody uses wedge and fork mounts. Why not? Because they are an absolute pain in the beam end. Don't go there. They are a pig to set up and very hard to tune into good behaviour. It can be done because I saw Annie Morris in action this year with her Celestron, but many people never get them to work. I never did and I have lots of guests and friends who never did either.

The GEM is popular for a reason!

Olly

[spacenut]

 Hi Javert,

Reading your post I realise we have a lot in common. At the moment I own a cpc 925 which I love, It gives a great view of everything. I have done a bit of imaging on it but they were all short exposures. I like to get into astrophotography and was looking at the skywatcher 80ed pro and the orion ed80tcf, I was also looking into the PST for solar viewing. Now here's the weird part I also

have an inheritance of 3-4000 euro. It's so hard to make your mind up, good luck.

Pauline

[AndrewG]

Look at the imaging boards. Hardly anybody uses wedge and fork mounts. Why not? Because they are an absolute pain in the beam end. Don't go there. They are a pig to set up and very hard to tune into good behaviour. It can be done because I saw Annie Morris in action this year with her Celestron, but many people never get them to work. I never did and I have lots of guests and friends who never did either.

The GEM is popular for a reason!

Olly

I agree with Olly's advice and given a blank canvas I would have a different set-up than the one I currently have I.e. not a fork mount; I went down the CPC route for visual and soon became interested in AP, so the wedge and then the obs followed  .

Eventually I would really like a 1000 micron mount, SBIG camera with NB filters & off axis guiding and a whole array of scopes but that will have to wait until I win the lottery  .

Notwithstanding the above I thought I was getting some ok images (for using a standard DSLR and limited frames given the weather "up north") for a relative newbie but maybe Olly disagrees  ?

[ollypenrice]

I agree with Olly's advice and given a blank canvas I would have a different set-up than the one I currently have I.e. not a fork mount; I went down the CPC route for visual and soon became interested in AP, so the wedge and then the obs followed  .

Eventually I would really like a 1000 micron mount, SBIG camera with NB filters & off axis guiding and a whole array of scopes but that will have to wait until I win the lottery  .

Notwithstanding the above I thought I was getting some ok images (for using a standard DSLR and limited frames given the weather "up north") for a relative newbie but maybe Olly disagrees  ?

No, I don't disagree that it can be done because a few people do, indeed, do it. But what a pain I found it, and I never got any decent results. It was initially Ian King who warned me not to struggle on with the LX200. I wish I'd listened sooner rather than later (and lighter!)

Olly

[AndrewG]

No, I don't disagree that it can be done because a few people do, indeed, do it. But what a pain I found it, and I never got any decent results. It was initially Ian King who warned me not to struggle on with the LX200. I wish I'd listened sooner rather than later (and lighter!)

Olly

As you mention it is a pain and sometimes frustrating.... therefore it is worth noting in this thread that to get my set-up (CPC fork mounted) to work half decent I needed a heavy duty wedge (Orbit - £1000 ish ahh), a bearing upgrade and still have to loose some frames due to tracking errors.

Maybe there should be a dedicated members gallery for people using far from ideal setups....... maybe best photo with shortest exposures? 

[ollypenrice]

Wedges are just too expensive. The Meade offering (I can't remember its name but it might have been 'Mega Wedge' or something equally fatuous) was a few bits of rough cast aluminium tat with no machined surfaces plus some lengths of threaded bar poked through large and wiggley holes to tack it all together. The engineering equivalent of a plastic submarine free with Corn Flakes.

Olly