EQ-1 & RA Motor Drive kit for wide field AP.

[udaiveer]

I am from India and the EQ-1(& RA motor) costs upwards of $220.

Will this be "OK" for wield field (say max 200mm) AP?

Maximum of 3-5 minutes Subs.

I have only heard No No from all the blogs I read.

I will be OK with only 4 good out of 10 Subs i take. I know at this price I cant get a very exacting instrument.

This is the cheapest option for me to start more than 4seconds Subs.

Please, if you have used this kit, advice me.

I am emboldened by my tests with a DIY Barn Door Mount and got 30secs Subs with a 90mm (x1.6)

Any advice welcome

[rowan46]

I have tried this and i am not saying its a definite no as the eq1 seems pretty variable in quality. But  the best I have been able to get  is about 45 secs with a 50mm lens and that is with a fairly good  polar alignment. There is a thread in the diy section on guiding an eq1 but again that is with a much shorter focal length but I believe they were getting 5 min subs out of a 50mm lens.In short I am not saying definitely no with a 200mm because of the mounts variability but I believe it to be unlikely.

[completenovice]

Like many, I started with the EQ1 mount as it came with the 'scope.

Even in my inexperienced hands I was disappointed with it's performance and quality. It really did begin to spoil my enjoyment of observing and had I not upgraded I may have given up altogether. Yes, mine was really that bad. I thought about selling/giving it away when my new mount arrived but the thought of inflicting some poor soul with it soon relegated it to rot in my garage.

Appreciate that budget may be an issue but think carefully before clicking that 'buy it now' button.

[udaiveer]

Thanks. @completenovice.

I think I llok for other options.

Any suggestions?

[rowan46]

maybe  an eq3 and single axis motor would get you started as a better option for a camera and lens? the eq1 can work on shorter focal lengths but the eq3 is much better built handles a better load and can be upgraded incrementally if funds are short or if portability is a requirement maybe the skywatcher star adventurer although a little more expensive

[skfboiler]

There is no way you are going to get 3-5 minutes with a EQ-1 mount with RA motor drive.  I have a RA motor drive on my EQ3 Orion Astroview mount and  after a good polar alignment, I barely get 45 to 60 seconds subs which still gives me decent exposures.  I just need to get better with stacking software I'm using, Deep Sky Stacker.  You are going to need a GoTo scope to come close to 3-5 minute subs.

[RichM63]

You obviously have access to a computer. For wide field AP on a very tight budget I would not spend money on a motor for my EQ1 (I do have one) but would look to invest in a 50mm or wider lens for my camera.

Then I would try to learn as much as possible about the techniques of taking and proccessing short 20 - 30 second exposures on my 'static' mount.

I would also look at trying different composition techniques to maybe include a terrestrial aspect to my images.

A member recently posted an absolutely stunning wide field image including a Geminid streak, the Orion constellation and a frosty view over a lake. He used a 30s exposure with a 10-20mm lens.

here is dtokez's image to give an example. (hopefully he won't mind the example being used).

[udaiveer]

I have been doing no-tracker AP for over a year now.

I did a lot of Star Trails.

I have been using DSS using 1s to15sec. Exposure. 10-24mm 18-55mm 90-300mm. All these Focal Lengths!!!

I can get much in 2-4sec exposures. Though I use 6400ISO as DSS takes care of the grains!

I have a 360x180 panorama of the Constellations. Using Images I made. (Well I shot about 60% of the Sky!

[rowan46]

Would love to see some images. However with good polar alignment I can get a regular 45 sec  out of a 50mm on an 1100d after that it becomes undependable and the subs start dropping like flies.

[udaiveer]

[qoute name="rowan46" post="2505287" timestamp...

the skywatcher star adventurer although a little more expensive

I was checking out the Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer Motorized Mount Astro Package

. it is good for me as i have to heavy MANFROTTO tripods.

It has an ST4 AAutoguide in as well.

I need it for wide field (maximum two hundred mm

Anyone used this

[udaiveer]

Stars over Charan Mandir. Jaipur Northern Polar Region

http://staringjaring.blogspot.com/2014/07/stars-over-charan-mandir-jaipur.html

[udaiveer]

http://staringjaring.blogspot.in/2014/07/neon-skies_11.html?m=1

[udaiveer]

See some of my Static tripod stuff

http://staringjaring.blogspot.in/2014/07/neon-skies_11.html?m=1

http://staringjaring.blogspot.in/2014/07/northern-sky-constellations-nahargarh.html?m=1

[RichM63]

Nice work, some great images. Well done.