Synscan for EQ5

[steviemac500]

HI guys, after some advice please. I'm really getting into my photography now so I'm giving serious consideration into buying a Syncscan so I can spend less time hunting at night. I have a Skywatcher 200P on the EQ5 mount at the moment. Would this be a good move? Any advice appreciated.

Steve

[Altais]

Hi Steve.

I decided not to buy synscan and just cope with the hand controller (the one that has an ST4-port) when I bought my EQ5. I don't regret it, as the money saved could be used on equipment that yields much more benefit to my imaging than GOTO would have done.

The time I spend finding and framing my target is usually negligible compared to the time it takes to set up the equipment. But for very faint targets I guess GOTO would make life easier. It also has the advantage of functions like pulse guiding and PEC, but I find that guiding through the ST4 port works perfectly well.

[jambouk]

The handsets are £70 from AstroBoot new.

Once you've got your head around the handset, it takes about 2 minutes to do a three star alignment. The handset also allows you to do a polar alignment more accurately, so you've be able to push your unguided exposures a bit longer.

James

[steviemac500]

Thanks guys, I see the handsets on Astroboot. If I bought that, I assume id need motors and the cables? Would it be compatible with the RA and DEC motors that I already have?

[JonC]

I think you need the full synscan upgrade kit, costs about £300. Even if you have dual motors they do not work with the syscan controller. 

[jambouk]

Ah, sorry, thought you'd got motors already.

I'd be tempted to just upgrade to a mount which had all the gubbins pre-fitted inside; a second hand HEQ5 say. Look on astro buy sell for past sales of these and see what the going rate has been. Then put a wanted add on there and see what responses you get.

James

[jambouk]

There's at least one HEQ5 which appears to be active still on ABS:

http://www.astrobuysell.com/uk/propview.php?view=98015

[steviemac500]

Thanks again. Don't think I can justify the extra outlay for the HEQ5 mount. Being in Cyprus too it's not as easy to get things shipped from the UK as I'd like. I think ill have a few nights just hunting to see how long I'm spending and then decide from there. 

[Marky1973]

It is hard to save and wait if you are impatient like me   but it will be worth it - the Synscan handset is saving me about 45 minutes to an hour each session as I don't have to hunt around the sky getting frustrated - I've only used it a few times, but I think it will make a massive difference to my photo sessions.

You might be at the limits of the EQ5 already with the 200p, so it might be sensible to think about the mount and upgrading that. I appreciate the issues of cost and postage, but it will be an investment. I upgraded an EQ3-2 with a motor as an interim solution but ended up wishing I had just gone with a better mount from the start. Good chance to save with the lighter summer nights, so might be a good plan to save up and get a new mount for the darker winter nights?

Good luck!