I need sum Help my Bois.

[Long Boi]

I've been wanting to get into astronomy for quite some time now, and I'm really considering doing astrophotography in the future (once I learn my way around a telescope normally).

SoI found this ad on gumtree about a Sky watcher 200P & EQ-5 for like 300 pounds (my original budget was like 200). That'll work fine for visual astronomy (I think) but when I want to start working my way into AP I've heard I might run into some problems with the mount. 

Should I get an OTA and buy a higher quality mount or upgrade to a better mount later on?

What do you guys think?

[Long Boi]

Also thx to all ahead of time for helpin.

[RolandKol]

Hi hi,

The mount has to be GOTO for AP, minimum HEQ5 GOTO (not EQ) and you most likely will not fit into the £300 budget... unfortunately....

Start checking posts from here http://tinyurl.com/y9a9nef3

Check youtube vids by AstroBiscuit  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxXlxVmarXu3n340ah5xwqA - he managed to make quite a nice Orion pic for around £150  

Check http://astrobuysell.com regularly, you may find a second-hand HEQ5 mount for around £350.

For an almost Ideal cheap start (Word "cheap" should be in the commas probably...), you will need:

HEQ5 GOTO, the cheapest scope for AP - Skywatcher 130PDS around £170 (new), which will need a Coma Corrector (correct the trailing stars at the corners of the image) + around £120 new (you can skip it at the start, but you will get annoyed with egg-shaped stars at the corners quite quickly).

Also the camera... If you have DSLR already (Canon or similar), you can use it, but you will need a camera adaptor, which will connect the camera to the scope (something around £15).

350+170+120+15+camera+USB cables

Later +bahtinov mask+guiding cam+ and + and + and

[Long Boi]

first off, thx my boi. second, do you think it could be a good idea for me to get this mount in the future, it will take quite some time for me to learn how to use a telescope normally.

[Stu]

The mount doesn’t have to be goto for AP. It makes life a lot easier, but technically it only needs dual axis drives and, if autoguiding, a handset with a guideport. HEQ5 certainly seems to be a standard recommended minimum although there are people out there doing amazing stuff with less.

Just remember that a good visual setup does not necessarily make a good AP setup. A 200P would not normally be recommended as a starter AP scope, it will be harder to guide and keep stable than a small refractor.

Have a look at ‘Making Every Photon Count’ by Steve Richards, plenty good reading in there which can help you choose kit. Your budget is very low so you may need to be creative in your approach. There are some good threads on the forum about imaging with EQ3 mounts, and also the 130P scope, they might be useful to you.

[Long Boi]

Ill check that out, thanks!

[adyj1]

I would  highly recommend the following thread; 

 

I don't believe there is only one thing called AP because it is so dependent on budget. At your budget you should set your expectations at just getting some sort of deep sky photos. 

I started doing 'AP'  because I wanted to be able to photograph deep sky objects - and accepted that I would never have the budget to join the ranks of the serious astrophotographers. (Even though I've spent far more than I ever expected!) 

To take deep sky 'astrophotos', I think you need a tracking mount, a telescope, and a camera as your minimum. At your budget you aren't going to get much choice, so can't afford to be picky. The EQ5 is a decent mount, but the 200p is maybe a bit big to be kept stable on it for long exposures - and you will need it to be motorised. 

Do you already have a camera (maybe a dslr) you are going to use? 

Ady

[MarsG76]

WARNING WARNING!!!! Once you set yourself a realistic budget you will spend 20X that amount on accessories before you know it and before your happy with your results... Serious Astrophotography can send you bankrupt.

[Demonperformer]

If you want to start off doing manual and then move onto AP at some later date and you do not have a fortune to spend now, I would be inclined to spend the cash now on say an 8" dob now and not worry about an EQ mount at all. This type of scope will give you the maximum 'bang for your buck'. If you get a 'solid tube' one (rather than a flexi/collapsible tube) all you would need would be a couple of tube rings + dovetail bar to be able to fit it to an EQ mount at some point in the future when you are ready to move into AP. A dob is a brilliant way of "learning the sky", as it does not have a GOTO facility and so you have to learn where everything is in order to find it. Hard at first? You bet. But it will pay dividends in the long run.

+1 (can I make that +10?) for Making Every Photon Count.

[happy-kat]

You do not need a telescope to do AP the are plenty stunning images out there taken with camera and lens not all deep space objects are small. Do you already own a suitable camera?

[Long Boi]

2 hours ago, happy-kat said:

You do not need a telescope to do AP the are plenty stunning images out there taken with camera and lens not all deep space objects are small. Do you already own a suitable camera?

no, i dont

 

[Long Boi]

do you bois think that a Sky-Watcher Explorer 150p would work better on a motorised EQ5 mount?

 

[Long Boi]

I'm sorry if it looks like I'm ignoring anyone, I'm reading and re-reading everyone's posts to make sure that I'm making the right choice.

thanks to everyone who's helpin.

right now my game plan is to buy a Skywatch EXPLORER 150P EQ 3-2 from gumtree to learn how to use a telescope on this type of mount, for visual astronomy, to learn the night sky, and etc. Then, in the future once I want to start making the leap to astrophotography I'm going to buy an EQ5 pro goto mount and from there build my arsenal of AP equipment, going bit by bit. 

What do you guys think?

[Dr_Ju_ju]

I have a 150p and an EQ3 goto, while it is a usable combination (first sight of Saturn through it was spell binding) but is only good for visual and\or very short subs astrophotography.

Its what got me deeper into the money pit of Astrophotography, so go for it, and look into the precipice....

[happy-kat]

This thread may well interest you then.

link here

[Long Boi]

7 minutes ago, happy-kat said:

This thread may well interest you then.

link here

thanks, thats really interesting, i'll be checking that out

 

[adyj1]

I think you've made a good choice for your budget. There's a lot to learn. 

[Demonperformer]

9 hours ago, Long Boi said:

right now my game plan is to buy a Skywatch EXPLORER 150P EQ 3-2 from gumtree to learn how to use a telescope on this type of mount, for visual astronomy, to learn the night sky, and etc. Then, in the future once I want to start making the leap to astrophotography I'm going to buy an EQ5 pro goto mount and from there build my arsenal of AP equipment, going bit by bit. 

What do you guys think?

Very  sensible approach.

[david_taurus83]

Hi. If you go down the route as above you will spend more in the long run. I know, cause I have! If you really are keen to get into deep sky AP then you really need a substantial mount, a minimum of a HEQ6 for a large Newtonian like the 150p. If you do go for the EQ5 Pro then I think the Skywatcher 130PDS might be a better match. That scope is made specifically for AP and there is a thread dedicated to the subject! I'd also consider a second hand HEQ5 as these come up for sale cheaper than a new EQ5 Pro. The theme I'm trying to portray here is the better the mount, the more options it gives you when choosing a scope. It really is all about the mount!

 

 

[Long Boi]

23 minutes ago, david_taurus83 said:

Hi. If you go down the route as above you will spend more in the long run. I know, cause I have! If you really are keen to get into deep sky AP then you really need a substantial mount, a minimum of a HEQ6 for a large Newtonian like the 150p. If you do go for the EQ5 Pro then I think the Skywatcher 130PDS might be a better match. That scope is made specifically for AP and there is a thread dedicated to the subject! I'd also consider a second hand HEQ5 as these come up for sale cheaper than a new EQ5 Pro. The theme I'm trying to portray here is the better the mount, the more options it gives you when choosing a scope. It really is all about the mount!

 

i could actually wait a bit longer to get a better mount, thx for the tip might just do that.

[david_taurus83]

3 hours ago, Long Boi said:

i could actually wait a bit longer to get a better mount, thx for the tip might just do that.

By all means, if you find a bargain scope and mount, it will probably be great for visual use. I started off with exactly the same mindset. "Stick to observing first and learn the ropes", I said to myself. Well, when the bug bites though! Less than a year and a few grand later...

 

In terms of cost, I liken astrophotography to something like buying a nice little car for the weekends. It can obviously be done for less cost. There are those who are more experienced than me and know how to make the best out of what theyve got. But i have a busy lifestyle with a young family so time for AP is precious. I've had to pay to make it work first time, every time. I started with an EQ5 Pro and 'made it work' but upgrading to a bigger mount has been a game changer. Hence my original post, the mount is the most important piece of kit you can invest in.

[adyj1]

David,

I understand your advice, but I can't see how picking up a cheaper second-hand EQ mount now and selling it on later will result in spending that much more... As in your case, you can almost guarantee that if you are buying on a budget and want to do AP you will end up having to upgrade. I suggest getting on with learning the ropes... 

My advice is based on the £200-£300 budget guidelines we've been given.

My advice is also based on finances being the prime restriction, not time - oh that I could pay to make it work right, first time! I'm still building a DIY goto version of a non-goto mount because of budget! ? 

Ady

PS - impressive setup, by the way

[happy-kat]

Respecting your budget I think I'd see if I could find/wait for one that had motors as the motor gets you into AP and can be expensive to add after. Just don't look lower than an eq 3-2. There will always be better out there but right now you have no idea on whether you have the patience, access our home life to support the hobby. So spending wisely on your first purchase let's you learn a lot with a considered budget and you'll see from that thread there's stuff possible and lots to learn. You still need budget for that camera element and possibly processing software though you can start with all free software.

[david_taurus83]

47 minutes ago, adyj1 said:

David,

I understand your advice, but I can't see how picking up a cheaper second-hand EQ mount now and selling it on later will result in spending that much more... As in your case, you can almost guarantee that if you are buying on a budget and want to do AP you will end up having to upgrade. I suggest getting on with learning the ropes... 

My advice is based on the £200-£300 budget guidelines we've been given.

My advice is also based on finances being the prime restriction, not time - oh that I could pay to make it work right, first time! I'm still building a DIY goto version of a non-goto mount because of budget! ? 

Ady

PS - impressive setup, by the way

Thanks. I was I no way implying that my advice is the way to go. I started off with a manual mount, added Goto and I got some decent results. But for every result there were many frustrating nights! It's difficult to get it right and I am only speaking from my own personal experience. I am also giving an example of how deep the rabbit hole can actually go!

[adyj1]

David,

I know exactly where you are coming from - I'm on the same road too! I just think that sometimes the 'buy the right stuff for future AP' advice needs to be tempered when extremely low (for AP) budgets are available. If someone was about to shell out £1,000 on a scope/OTA that wasn't going to be any good for AP, then that's a different story...

Ady