HEQ5 SynScan Pro Tracking

[bendiddley]

Hi all. Going to be making the step up from my EQ3-2 to an HEQ5 SynScan Pro soon and I want to know if I have to do a star alignment routine before tracking or if it will still do it without, I am going to be using it for astrophotography. With my EQ3-2 once polar aligned I just turn on the motors and hey presto its tracking, can it be this way with the HEQ5 so once polar aligned tell the handset to track and it will, or do you have to do a star alignment set-up first, can someone explain how it works? Also my views are a bit restricted, how much sky is needed to do a star alignment if that is what is required? Hope someone can tell me or point me in the right direction.

[Starlight 1]

Once PA if you going to astro in the same side of sky you get away with one Star alignment on that side.

[Steve Ward]

As soon as you turn it on it will start running at Sidereal rate , you do not need to do a 1 , 2 or 3 star alignment if you will be imaging just one object per session ( provided it's an easy to find target ...  )

Just run through the start up routine in the handset by pressing 'Enter' to every question asked without inputting date , time etc , you will eventually be asked if you want to go for Alignment.

Just press 'No' to this question and off you go , just loosen clutches and swing to your target , fine tuning with the N , S , E , W buttons to centre.

Provided you are very accurately Polar-aligned (after a good drift-alignment ideally ) the HEQ5Pro is good for 4-5 minute unguided exposures with a 'scope such as an ED80 , and 1-1/2 to 2 minutes at 2700mm unguided with something like a Mak180Pro are possible. 

[bendiddley]

Thanks guys

[dph1nm]

1-1/2 to 2 minutes at 2700mm unguided with something like a Mak180Pro are possible.

Hmm - I reckon that's 3K+ mount territory unless you are very lucky (or using a camera with huge pixels)!  You would probably need around 2" peak-to-peak periodic error to achieve that, which is not really HEQ5 spec.

NIgelM

[Steve Ward]

Got 90 seconds before things started getting slightly ' eggy' , was after a painstaking DARV session to see how far it could be pushed ... needs a bit of effort ...