An issue taking photos on the Astrotrac

[garethmob]

Hello guys

iv got an issue taking photos,    the AT works perfectly and the polar scope seems a little roapy (hopefully just a lose battery connection)  but my biggest issue iv noticed and expessially tonight as shes outside snapping away, is i cant put the camera in all angles.

now iv got an unusual set up, iv basacally made an EQ mount and iv prob spent more than a HEQ5 but its not the end of the world.

i use the KSON mount which is pretty sturdy and well built.  i then have the astrotrac attached to a dovetail and placed in the vixen style dovetail clamp on the kson.  so im using the ksons wedge for the PA.

next iv got the juniour manfrotto head on the AT with the camera (or scope) on top.    now i dont know if its cos i have the jounier for the camera (as usually thats used for the AT on normal photo mounts)  but i find i cant move the camera or scope with camera in all angles. even if i move everything around eventually i end up hitting the AT . 

any suggestions to help, i really wanted to take photos of a dense patch of stars but i cant cos i cant move the camera to that position

[rowan46]

don't most people use a ball head on the astrotrack for the camera and use the geared head to attach to the tripod?

[garethmob]

Hello Rowan

well usually they do it this way  (ground to scope)

Photo tripod.

jounier manfrotto head

astrotrac

ball head

camera (or scope with camera)

for me its

kson heavy duty mount with wedge.

dovetail bar

astrotrac

jounier manfrotto head

camera (and this one works great with a telescope due to weight issue)

i origionally had it as i wanted to use my megrez 72, field flattner and camera and the ball heads struggled with the weight, they would creap messing the photos.   the worst thing i think iv got is im now able with this set up to take perfect photos haha i just cant get the camera or scope to where i want it :'(      

i think i need a raiser to lift the head away from the astrotrac a few inches, but how much would that effect the balance, as iv already noticed i cant really use the megrez at any high elavation as its a real pain to get it focused.

[StuartJPP]

I used to use a gimbal head on the AstroTrac and it was great except for trying to image at zenith or objects close to the NCP. Objects in these positions caused the head to foul against the gimbal head itself (or the AstroTrac) because of the fact that the gimbal isn't level and is offset by your latitude (in my case 53 degrees).

Subsequently I have purchased (2nd hand) an AstroTrac head, it allows full freedom and I can now easily image at zenith and around NCP, additionally it also allows balancing. The gimbal head hasn't been used since.

The only thing I can suggest, which you already mention, is to make a bracket or riser for the junior head that removes the latitude offset so that it doesn't foul with itself or the AstroTrac.

[andrewluck]

I'll add my vote for the Astrotrac head and add the wedge as well. Much easier to polar align and it'll take the weight of a small telescope. Being able to balance the combination improves results no end.

Andrew