Image Guiding with GOTO mount?

[Z3roCool]

Hi all - will soon be buying a mount to start my journey on Deep Space Photography. I am going to be buying the best mount I can start with and use my current camera and lens (Canon 7D and 400L) to begin with and then if happy will move forward with a scope (80mm APO Refractor most likely).

My question is, if I get a GOTO mount will this track a target on its own? Do I need a guide scope and camera separate? Do they both track but the separate scope option just more accurate (Rather than relay on Polar Alignment)?

Still very new to all this so sorry if a really obvious question. Still getting my head round all the options available and what does what!

Thanks

[PeterCPC]

Unless you get a really top of the range mount you will still need to guide for long exposures. You will need to Polar Align as well as using guiding.

Peter

[Z3roCool]

2 minutes ago, PeterCPC said:

Unless you get a really top of the range mount you will still need to guide for long exposures. You will need to Polar Align as well as using guiding.

Peter

Thanks Peter, this is what I thought but friend (who I did not realise has a scope and does some photography) advised not to bother with Guide Scope and just use the GOTO function on mount and this will track target also.

 

Thanks again for info

[tooth_dr]

Just to clarify, the goto function isn’t the same as tracking. You can buy an non-goto mount that also tracks!  Goto just gets you to the target, then the motors take over tracking. 

[Thalestris24]

5 minutes ago, Z3roCool said:

Thanks Peter, this is what I thought but friend (who I did not realise has a scope and does some photography) advised not to bother with Guide Scope and just use the GOTO function on mount and this will track target also.

 

Thanks again for info

Hi

Depending on the focal length of your scope/lens you can usually get 30-60s exposures unguided with very good Polar Alignment. The results you get will depend on your skies to some extent. Dark skies are your friend. Light pollution is a curse! However, sooner or later, you might get fed up with taking many short exposures and want to take longer ones - then you need guiding. 

Louise

[Z3roCool]

Just now, tooth_dr said:

Just to clarify, the goto function isn’t the same as tracking. You can buy an non-goto mount that also tracks!  Goto just gets you to the target, then the motors take over tracking. 

Thanks - when you say the motors take over tracking, I presume if you have a separate scope with camera setup to track within software? Presume the GOTO just uses pre-set coordinates to point you at the target.

[Z3roCool]

20 minutes ago, Thalestris24 said:

Dark skies are your friend. Light pollution is a curse!

Thanks Louise - in Morocco next month. About 200miles from anything with a street light or any kind of light. When the moon goes down it is literally pitch black with no glow

Also back at home, live a distance from any light pollution so hopefully will be okay!

[tooth_dr]

27 minutes ago, Z3roCool said:

Thanks - when you say the motors take over tracking, I presume if you have a separate scope with camera setup to track within software? Presume the GOTO just uses pre-set coordinates to point you at the target.

The motors in both a goto and non goto track at sidereal rate, same for both. But a goto mount  has an onboard computer that knows the sky layout, and it uses those same motors (at a faster rate) to move to the object, then those motors revert back to sidereal tracking once it’s centred on the chosen object. Hope that makes sense!

[Z3roCool]

5 minutes ago, tooth_dr said:

The motors in both a goto and non goto track at sidereal rate, same for both. But a goto mount  has an onboard computer that knows the sky layout, and it uses those same motors (at a faster rate) to move to the object, then those motors revert back to sidereal tracking once it’s centred on the chosen object. Hope that makes sense!

Got it  Many thanks again!

[RayD]

33 minutes ago, Thalestris24 said:

Dark skies are your friend

One we don't meet up with very often unfortunately 

[DaveS]

Unless you already have it, buy a copy of this book:

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/books/making-every-photon-count-steve-richards.html

This will tell you all you need to know to get started, and then this book:

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/books/dark-art-or-magic-bullet-steve-richards.html

Will get you processing your images.

Steve is a moderator on here, "Steppenwolf"

[spillage]

That is correct. Goto is an inbuilt map of the sky. You do your alignment and the software/handset can work out where your scope is pointing and then knows where the targets in it's list are in relation to your scope.

[Z3roCool]

8 minutes ago, DaveS said:

Unless you already have it, buy a copy of this book:

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/books/making-every-photon-count-steve-richards.html

This will tell you all you need to know to get started, and then this book:

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/books/dark-art-or-magic-bullet-steve-richards.html

Will get you processing your images.

Steve is a moderator on here, "Steppenwolf"

Cheers - have seen these mentioned, now on my list to order  Many thanks!

[Wirral man]

Hi I'm newish to this but one thing I can definitely say is spend more on the mount!! it's your foundation for success nothing worse than paying good money for something which will just end up causing you frustrations.

I am in a similar situation I have just bought a skywatcher star adventurer and use my camera and lenses to get me going without spending a fortune and I'm pleased with it.

the mount which I am saving for is a NEQ6 it has a good payload, pec control, goto and is future proof for either viewing and mostly imaging, 2nd choice would be a HEQ5 pro a bit lighter and a lower payload but either would serve you well.

like I said I use a skywatcher star adventurer it's a cheap way to start doing dso shots it doesn't have goto but I'm fine with that it's teaching me to learn the sky ( I recommend the book called Turn Left At Orion it's a great help) so this is my way into this great hobby also great for throwing in the car and go anywhere with it.

sorry if I'm rambling but I have spent a lot of time looking into what to buy and this hobby is very expensive so it's important to try and get things right 1st time around do your research and buy the best you can afford.

 

[Cornelius Varley]

On ‎04‎/‎01‎/‎2018 at 13:15, Z3roCool said:

Thanks Peter, this is what I thought but friend (who I did not realise has a scope and does some photography) advised not to bother with Guide Scope and just use the GOTO function on mount and this will track target also.

 

Thanks again for info

GOTO mounts are fairly dumb. Once the mount has been star aligned the mount will then point to where it believes the target object is in the sky. It will then start tracking at sidereal rate ( about 15 degrees / hour ) . If the target starts to drift the mount will not be able to correct its tracking to compensate for the drifting without external intervention ie a guide scope / guiding software monitoring a guide star.

[Z3roCool]

2 hours ago, Cornelius Varley said:

GOTO mounts are fairly dumb. Once the mount has been star aligned the mount will then point to where it believes the target object is in the sky. It will then start tracking at sidereal rate ( about 15 degrees / hour ) . If the target starts to drift the mount will not be able to correct its tracking to compensate for the drifting without external intervention ie a guide scope / guiding software monitoring a guide star.

Thanks ? Summed up well ?