Returning to the hobby. HEQ5 alternatives for imaging?

[evil_yoda]

Hi all,

 

I've been away from the hobby for about 10 years, and I'm now trying to get back into it.

It was always the deep sky imaging that attracted me, and had some success with the HEQ5, 80ED and a Canon 20D at the time. All nicely set up in a diy roll off roof shed.

 

Unfortunately, most of my equipment got sold over the years, though I still have my 80ED at least.

Are there any good alternatives to the HEQ5, or is it still the best bang for the buck for imaging? They seems to have gone up in value a bit over the years, and second hand ones seem rare.

 

Also, my current location isn't too bad for light pollution (near the edge of a small town), though the small garden is north east facing and my house blocks the southern sky. Probably up to 25 degrees altitude ish.

I was considering building another shed-observatory. Does anyone else have any success with a mainly north facing observing site or will I be missing too many DSOs?

 

Cheers, Matt

[souls33k3r]

Welcome back to the beautiful world of astronomy Matt.

HEQ5 is still considered the best in it's weight class purely for the money and the weight it can carry. Celestron AVX is another contender but personally i don't like the plastic body that it's enclosed in. 

Just my two cents

[michaelmorris]

I agree with souls33k3r.  The HEQ5Pro is a cracking mount and hard to beat for the price.  It's a perfect match for an 80ED.  You can pick them up secondhand for around £450, although I saw one for sale here for just £300 this week (VERY low price).

If you're looking to be only using it in an observatory, then the weight of the mount shouldn't be a real issue.   Getting an EQ6 would give you a little bit more leeway to change to a larger scope/heavier set up at a later date.

[evil_yoda]

Thanks for the comments.

An EQ6 would be nice, but I have to get authorisation for the better half. An HEQ5 might be pushing the limits as it is.  Maybe I could sell it to her as 'future proofing' 

My original HEQ5 was the black version without the 'goto' functionality.  Are the new ones any better than the old ones in terms of tracking for long exposures, once properly polar aligned etc.

[Stub Mandrel]

7 hours ago, michaelmorris said:

although I saw one for sale here for just £300 this week (VERY low price).

Very happy purchaser ?

[evil_yoda]

3 hours ago, Stub Mandrel said:

Very happy purchaser ?

Looked like a bargain there! 

I've not seen many for sale recently. I'll have to keep my eyes peeled.

[carastro]

Quote

My original HEQ5 was the black version without the 'goto' functionality.  

If you are starting again get the HEQ5 Pro synscan (or the Syntrek version if you are planning to use a computer to control the mount as this will save you £100 on the synscan version.  These will have a guide port, and tracking, and GOTO if used with the synscan/computer control.

Depending on which version of the ED80 you have, you might be able to convert the finderscope into a finderguider.

As regards the OBs, I would try to position it as far from the house as you can, most of us have some sort of limitation.    I have a bank of trees which block the south, and a house that blocks the NE, but I can catch many targets as they pass over, I just can't get the low ones in the South, and for those I have to go to Astro camps in order to get them.

Carole 

[evil_yoda]

1 hour ago, carastro said:

If you are starting again get the HEQ5 Pro synscan (or the Syntrek version if you are planning to use a computer to control the mount as this will save you £100 on the synscan version.  These will have a guide port, and tracking, and GOTO if used with the synscan/computer control.

Depending on which version of the ED80 you have, you might be able to convert the finderscope into a finderguider.

As regards the OBs, I would try to position it as far from the house as you can, most of us have some sort of limitation.    I have a bank of trees which block the south, and a house that blocks the NE, but I can catch many targets as they pass over, I just can't get the low ones in the South, and for those I have to go to Astro camps in order to get them.

Carole 

Thanks for that. I hadn't realised that there were 2 versions of the HEQ5 about.
Is the Syntrek version discontinued? All the new ones I've seen looked to be the Synscan version. 

I've lost the ED80 finderscope over the years, though I still have the old cheap VIxen 50mm that I originally intended to use for guiding but never got round to it.

Matt

[carastro]

I am not sure about the Syntrek version, they did stop it for a while, and then when I bought my HEQ5 I asked a retailer if the syntrek was still around as I already had a handset from my NEQ6, ( was then using the HEQ5 for camps and the NEQ6 in the obsy) and it turned out it was, but it could be discontinued again, I must admit I have not seen it advertised, but like me it could be worth asking.

Carole  

 

[evil_yoda]

Thanks everyone for the advice.
After much gentle persuasion, the better half has suggested that I 'just buy one'. So I did.
Ordered from FLO and arriving tomorrow

Not wanting to wish away the summer, but roll on the dark nights.

Matt

[tooth_dr]

2 minutes ago, evil_yoda said:

Thanks everyone for the advice.
After much gentle persuasion, the better half has suggested that I 'just buy one'. So I did.
Ordered from FLO and arriving tomorrow

Not wanting to wish away the summer, but roll on the dark nights.

Matt

Very nice Matt. Good choice.