Some advice on my imaging set up please.

[Mikyg]

Hi guys, i'm just after some advice on equipment to add to this set up.

I have a NEQ6 Pro and have a 250pds OTA and a carbon fibre skywatcher st80 coming on wednesday.

My plan is to use the st80 as a guider scope but i dont know which guide cams are any good.

I've seen a lot using a smallish round one about the size of a hockey puck but don't know the name of it.

Could any of u help in any way? I'm also looking for a different cam for imaging through the eye piece.

Lastly could any of u give any advice on the 250pds and if its any good in a town? I live in stockport if that helps. Thanks guys

[TrickySpot]

Where did you get a carbon fibre st80 from?

[red dwalf]

Where did you get a carbon fibre st80 from?

never seen one of these either,

as for guide cameras you can use a good old philips webcam, not the easiest to set up in my view but if i can do it anyone can, 

i use PHD  as guiding software 1.4 version, great bit of free software, next good guide camera but a step up in price is something like a qhy5, bigger chip than the webcam so eaiser to get a star to guide with, the easiest guide camera to set up and that i have used is my Atik Titan, makes an excellent guide camera although a little pricey, as always with this hoibby it comes down to how much or how little you want to spend, but all 3 of the mentioned cameras above work very well with a st80, there are of course ohter cameras but i haven`t tried any of them yet.

[red dwalf]

as for imaging camera i`d stick with your Canon 650d for now, proper ccd cameras with a good size chip start from the £700 upwards price bracket, but a good one is the Atik 314L+

[Mikyg]

I don't know if it's carbon fibre but it looks it, probably vinyl sticker or something lol.

Here's the eBay item number 121294124320.

Thanks for your help guys

[Mikyg]

Here's a pic

[MikeMc]

Hello,

Have you done any imaging before, you don't say?

The set up you have looks amazing.

[Mikyg]

Only with my canon 650d and celestron 5se, picked the ota up this morning and it looks awesome, can't wait for clear sky's now lol

[Daniel-K]

Miky i saw that on ENS the other day, the focuser looks different to a st80 i suspect its a cheap konus or something like like that, that has been vynal wrapped. you can get a QHY5 second hand for about £115-£130 or the new QHY5II from Bern @ MA for £200 i would get either of these i have used the QHY5 doing 600 sec subs and it never failed me. i hear the QHY5II IS also good for starting out imaging as entry level. the 250pds will be a fine scope on the NEQ6 you will need a coma corrector though

[Mikyg]

Miky i saw that on ENS the other day, the focuser looks different to a st80 i suspect its a cheap konus or something like like that, that has been vynal wrapped. you can get a QHY5 second hand for about £115-£130 or the new QHY5II from Bern @ MA for £200 i would get either of these i have used the QHY5 doing 600 sec subs and it never failed me. i hear the QHY5II IS also good for starting out imaging as entry level. the 250pds will be a fine scope on the NEQ6 you will need a coma corrector though

Just received it today. The vinyl wrap was quite poorly put on so took it off and I'm glad to say it's the blue st80 you've put on there. I was starting to worry but glad it's here now.