Time to start into dso imaging

[Nova2000]

Hi

I've been doing widefieldastroimaging with the swsa since last few weeks. I want to go deeper Into imaging. (proper stuff) can you'll recommend me a kit(heq5 can't be used at equator ie17degree latitude I think) 

I need a mount, ota, softwares and guiding kit. I had visited a observatory in my vacation so I learned a few things  

Please don't advice some very expensive and complicated equipment. Skywatcher will be preferred at my location. I use both a Windows and a os x(El captain) laptops. I'll be doing ap on my terrace and my grand parents house in the country side(only dark area in the Peninsula) 

Thankyou 

 

[ronin]

Your "requirements" are likely a bit of a problem.

If the HEQ5 cannot be used I doubt the EQ5 can and I doubt the EQ5 could handle all you want. So that means EQ6 or the newer AZ-EQ mounts, which still may not operate at your latitude - just don't know about this. However these are bigger and cost more which goes against the "not expensive+complicated" aspect.

Will say that the HEQ5 and the EQ6 are fairly big mounts.

Starting to get the idea therefore that Skywatcher may be out of the equation. The "other" being iOptron. An 80mm ED or APO on the CEM25 should be OK and allow addition later of a guide system, thinking OAG here for weight. If you went for an APO maybe the ES 80mm Essential or the newer FCD-100 model. Alternatively use a 150PDS or 130PDS reflector.

Still have the question of does an iOptron operate at you latitude.

Cost and availability in India unknown, but at a guess £2000 here in the UK possibly £2200-£2500. Mont = £850, Scope = £800, OAG = ???. Not sure of the total cost of the OAG side. Also allow say £200 for the assorted accessories like flatenners, correctors, t-rings, intervalometer, and whatever else. To put my DSLR on an 80mm meant flatenner, t-ring, connector/spacers. That was around £180.

I would suggest mount and scope and DSLR attachment items first, then go get exposures on just that and later add a guider. You should get 40 second exposures and likely 60 second ones. Just the way a DSLR operates that longer then that may not really be advantaguous - thinking here of the sensor getting hot and thermal noise becoming a problem. It is not as easy as it all sounds.

I see nothing wrong with sixty 60 second exposure rather then twenty 180 second ones. I would expect a 60 second exposureto take a minimum of 90 seconds = 60 for the exposure+ 30 for some cool down, then repeat. Remember that a DSLR can take astro images but it was not designed for astro imaging. One good imager I know said that a DSLR was for holiday snaps and that an astrophotography camera started at £2000 and was cooled. Might have been a somewhat blunt answer to a question but it is likley fairly accurate. Will say that his equipment is likely to have cost over £20,000 - even if he claims less, and he has 20+ years experience.

What PC have you ? Processing is the biggest part of astrophotography and the data is big, you will be processing in RAW files not JPEG.. One post in the Imaging section (I think) is talking about an i7 processor PC and 16Gb memory.

[Nova2000]

Any mount which has an option to to be placed in such a way that the counter weights move without hitting the tripod legs can be used at my latitude. Heq5 has a good range but it's tripod doesn't let in be placed between 2 legs. Ioptron is available in my country I don't have budget problem. I can stretch to maximum 3000$(saved). My pc is a bit old. 3gb ram i3 gen 5 processor win 10 and machine pro 16gb ram i5 processor. I'll be doing dslr photography. Neq6 and the AZ work at my latitude (have seen them) but I think they are too big to start out. I wouldn't mind if celestron items are recommended as ordering from relatives out of India will reduce cost for me. 

[rigradio]

Hi Nova2000...
I live in 8 degree latitude.
I usually use a small mic stand boom counter weight on my Celestron AVX when imaging with small refractor.
If this counter weight doesn't work on HEQ5 in your location, you can install an extension tube to resolve the problem.

Cheers,
Ketut - Bali

 

 

[ollypenrice]

It is important to understand that the mount needs to be polar aligned, but that it does NOT need to be polar aligned from a horizontal pier or tripod top. If a particular mount does not have enough adjustment in altitude to point at Polaris you simply mount it on a tilted pier or tripod top so that it can do so. Think about the wedges sold for the popular fork mounted SCTs. All they do is tip the base of the SCT to the local equatorial angle. You can do this with any mount and have perfect polar alignment. If you would like to use an HEQ5 then do so, but mount it on a tilted pier top so that it can polar aligned.

Olly

[Scott]

would something like this help at all ? https://www.firstlightoptics.com/skywatcher-mounts/skywatcher-pillar-mount-support-for-heq5-eq6-series-mounts.html

[Nova2000]

Thank you Scott and Ollypenrice. Ollypenrice, won't the mount tip over If I use the tripod to get it polar aligned? I think it may not as I'm using a low weight setup (evostar 80ed and 700d).i was thinking of the star shoot autoguider. Is this package good?