What do i need if i get a heq5 pro syntrek?

[Gino Arcari]

Hi all, im upgrading to a heq5 pro syntrek from a Cg-4 soon and would like to attach a guide scope to my 150pds. I know ill need to get a coma corrector, guide scope (ST80) and guidescope mount but what else will i need to track? what type of camera will i need and are there any other accessories that will help with astrophotography, Thanks a lot. 

[jambouk]

I'd check the weight limit of the mount for imaging, as the 150 + st80 and various cameras sounds like a reasonable amount of weight and potentially flexure.

Is it a synscan handset rather than syntrek?

[Gino Arcari]

Thanks for your reply. I've added all the equipment up and it comes to about 8kg, Max for imaging on a heq5 pro is 11kg. No I'm gonna get the syntrek one.

[jambouk]

Does 8kg include comma corrector, imaging camera and batteries, guide scope rings, guide camera, dew bands, dew shield, leads for dew bands?

Are you going to be running the mount from a laptop if not using a synscan handset?

Have you considered swapping the 150pds for a short focal length refractor and guiding with a finder guider?

Many people use a QHY5ii as a guide camera, or the ZWO ASI mono cameras. Do you own any webcam at the moment? My mate has a QHY5ii he might be selling, if you are after one let me know and I'll speak to him. What finder scope do you have on your newtonian at present? If it is a 9x50 why not use that as the guide scope; you'd need an adapter to fit a guide camera into the finder scope though, but Bernard at Modern Astronomy sells these.

Exciting

What is you imaging camera?

James

[Gino Arcari]

I included everything except coma corrector and dew equipment. Im not going to get guidescope rings but instead on of those skywatcher guidescope mounts. 

Yes i will be using my laptop. Do you think it would be easier though to spend the extra £130 and get the synscan? 

I also have a Sigma 150-500mm Zoom lens which could be used too?

I don't own any webcam no, yeah please i would be interested in buying one of those.

I have the 6x30 right angled finderscope at the moment.

yes! I'm very excited

My imaging camera is a Nikon d5200 (not the best) 

Thanks again

[jambouk]

Gino,

I don't know enough about running mounts from laptops to be able to advise, I'm heavily biased towards SynScan Handsets as I find mine dead easy to use and can't personally [yet] see the benefit of trying to learn how to use Eqmod on top of everything else. But I see others using it and loving it, so please don't rely on me for that.

I'll see if he wants to sell his QHY5ii.

Hopefully other clever people will contribute to the thread.

James

[Gino Arcari]

I just rung FLO and the syntrek is discontinued so i have to get the synscan anyway,

Yeah that'd be great, thanks, Cheers James

[Carina Lass]

I was a bit worried about using the eqmod, but in the end it wasn't hard - just finicky... like all PC stuff the input has to be correct or it doesn't do what you want.

[Thalestris24]

I just rung FLO and the syntrek is discontinued so i have to get the synscan anyway,

Yeah that'd be great, thanks, Cheers James

Syntrek discontinued? That's very unfortunate and a bit sad.

Louise

[Gino Arcari]

Yeah but they said they still have synscans

[Tinker1947]

QM a imager on here used a HEQ5, 200PDS, Guide Scope, DSLR and i never see any bad images from his setup, there were all top class....

[Gino Arcari]

Great to hear that tinke, thanks very much