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200p + dslr too heavy for a eq5???

NIGHTBOY

By NIGHTBOY
in Getting Started With Imaging

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NIGHTBOY

NIGHTBOY

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Just keeping my eyes on that well known auction site for a tracking mount for my dob. I've read a couple of threads about weight issues. I'm not bothered about the goto part of the mount I just want it to track.

Cheers peeps.

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Steve 1962

Steve 1962

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I had a 200p and a DSLR on an HEQ5 and it was right on the limit for imaging / guiding. (I upgraded to an NEQ6 which handled it easily.)

The HEQ5 capacity is quoted by FLO  as 11kg and the EQ5 is 6.5kg for imaging. The tube / dovetail weight of a 200P is about 10kg, so I'd say you're pushing it with an EQ5.

It'd work for visual work though.

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/user/skywatcher-explorer-200p-eq5-review.pdf

HTH

Steve

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NIGHTBOY

NIGHTBOY

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Also, could someone please explain how they track? The North Star is in front of our house in the evenings and can't be seen as our back garden faces south. Would this be a problem? I've seen the heq5 mount for £270 which is just in my budget. I'd just like to be able to take some longer exposures than 1 second!

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ronin

ronin

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Catch is that the 200P and DSLR on an EQ5 will track, an 80mm apo on an EQ6 will track better.

So it is not too heavy as in the lot collapses in a mangled twisted heap, just you can have good luck and things are fine and bad luck and the results are unusable. The "luck" could be the odd breeze that you don't notice.

More obvious is that as the scope tracks the CoG alters and so the scope and mount moves a fraction but again the image could be lost.

If looking for unguided 30-60 second exposures then you should be reasonably safe, if looking for 3 hour narrow band exposures then no chance.

How good do you eant/expect the images to be, if they are to be used to show what you can look at and observe thats one thing, if you are thinking of professional AP that is another. Also if you are thinking of "just" matching what others post then others post the good ones. A good example of this was Nik Szymanek at a talk who for 5 minutes showed some of his that had not quite gone right. Most were not even recognisable as shots of the sky never mind a specific object in the sky.

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sidelight

sidelight

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I used to use a 200P on an EQ5, it'll work - just, you will get more bad shots, but as long as its calm it'll work.  I learned a lot which had I started with a beefier mount I would probably not have realised the importance of (like balancing the scope for imaging).  I since upgraded to an EQ6 (when budget allowed), but not until I knew this was a something I was hooked on. 

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JamesF

JamesF

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Yes I would be more that happy with those sort of pictures :laugh:

Does the north star always have to be In view to allow the scope to track??

No.  In fact you don't even need to be able to see it to get good alignment.  You just need some patience.

Have a good read through Quatermass's thread before committing yourself.  I think he had to do a fair bit of work to be able to get a reasonable imaging rig out of a 200P and EQ5 including hacking about with the innards of the motor controller handset.  There's no denying it's possible, but it's not for those who want an easy life.

James

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NIGHTBOY

NIGHTBOY

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No.  In fact you don't even need to be able to see it to get good alignment.  You just need some patience.

Have a good read through Quatermass's thread before committing yourself.  I think he had to do a fair bit of work to be able to get a reasonable imaging rig out of a 200P and EQ5 including hacking about with the innards of the motor controller handset.  There's no denying it's possible, but it's not for those who want an easy life.

James

Ok James thank you. Tbf I be more than happy with some single 30/60 sec exposures...

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JamesF

JamesF

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I'm struggling to believe that, given that they go for more than £500 over here.  I wonder how much delivery is from northern Italy?

James

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frugal

frugal

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Be warned. That does not look like a goto scope. It just looks like an EQ5 knock off with RA and Dec motors.FLO will sell you them both for £320.

If you import it from Italy, expect to get stung for VAT and import duty and a handling fee by the courier. I would expect to add and 30-35% on top of the cost of the mpunt and delivery. And then you will be left with something that may not work any where near as well as a kosher EQ5

Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk

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JamesF

JamesF

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Be warned. That does not look like a goto scope. It just looks like an EQ5 knock off with RA and Dec motors.FLO will sell you them both for £320.

If you import it from Italy, expect to get stung for VAT and import duty and a handling fee by the courier. I would expect to add and 30-35% on top of the cost of the mpunt and delivery. And then you will be left with something that may not work any where near as well as a kosher EQ5

The base level Skywatcher HEQ5 isn't a GOTO.  It looks near identical.  So identical in fact that I wonder if it isn't just some kind of rebadge.  There's definitely something odd going on there.

Both Italy and the UK being in the EU however, there should presumably be no VAT or import duty chargeable at this end (assuming VAT was paid on the purchase initially)?

James

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Oily

Oily

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Have a good read through Quatermass's thread before committing yourself.  I think he had to do a fair bit of work to be able to get a reasonable imaging rig out of a 200P and EQ5 including hacking about with the innards of the motor controller handset.  There's no denying it's possible, but it's not for those who want an easy life.

James

No 'hacking' involved James,QM only added a ST4 port to the handset.

Be warned. That does not look like a goto scope. It just looks like an EQ5 knock off with RA and Dec motors.FLO will sell you them both for £320.

If you import it from Italy, expect to get stung for VAT and import duty and a handling fee by the courier. I would expect to add and 30-35% on top of the cost of the mpunt and delivery. And then you will be left with something that may not work any where near as well as a kosher EQ5

Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk

No import duty from within the EU ;)

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