SW Evostar 80ED with SW Adventurer on Manfrotto Tripod

[DonLumioni74]

Hi all

Does anyone have any previous experience of using an 80ed (or similar) with a SW Adventurer on a standard Manfrotto tripod?

I'm using the Manfrotto and SW Adventurer together with Nikon DSLR and getting some increasingly better astro images. Just wondered if I could use the setup to host an 80ED for either Visual or Imaging, not expecting amazing results but thought might be a good stop gap before I invested in EQ-6R Pro (when SWMBO signs off the PO)

 

Cheers

Neil

[Grierson]

Others may differ but I would respectfully suggest that you need to be as nice as possible to SWMBO. I wouldn’t want to put my 80ED and mount (camera and other bits and pieces) on my Manfrotto tripod. BTW are you sold on the EQ6? I would guess an HEQ5 is more cost effective. John

[JonC]

What model tripod? Many manfrottos have 9Kg capacity.

[johninderby]

My Manfrotto 475 tripod takes 12kg.

[DonLumioni74]

The SWMBO hasn't signed off on the 80ED yet so think I'm pushing my luck with EQ6 (or HEQ-5)

I was originally thinking of getting the HEQ-5 with the modded belt or EQ-6 but just watched a review this morning on AstroBackyard's Youtube channel and was impressed with the EQ6, it's a bit more money but does future proof my needs better (I think).

My Tripod take 9kg so think I can get away with using it for visual, the Star Adventurer weighs 1kg so again should be within the limits.

 

Or is there another reasonably cheap tripod I can get to fill the gap? If I can show SWMBO the amazing views in the night sky with the 80ED it should be easier to get the PO signed off for the EQ-6 (or 5). I have to do a phased approach to Project "Buy Neil Astro Kit" or BNAK for short.......

[happy-kat]

I may have miss read your post but I think the 80ED is too big for the star adventurer.

[DonLumioni74]

Just been looking - I could probably stretch to the EQ-3 Pro as a stop gap solution. Looks a decent mount with go-to capability and decent payloads.

@happy-kat the 80ED weighs in around 2.5kg so should be within payload limits, or do you mean the brackets to mount scope?? 

[michaelmorris]

7 minutes ago, happy-kat said:

I may have miss read your post but I think the 80ED is too big for the star adventurer.

That's my feeling too.  My guess is that an 80ED would be significantly overload a Star Adventurer.

[happy-kat]

I have not noticed anyone using an ED80 on the star adventurer, might be worth you searching to see if anyone had used that scope on that mount. The ED80 is not particularly compact I didn't think.

[DonLumioni74]

2 minutes ago, happy-kat said:

I have not noticed anyone using an ED80 on the star adventurer, might be worth you searching to see if anyone had used that scope on that mount. The ED80 is not particularly compact I didn't think.

Thanks all - the payload of SA is 5kg so think it's possible but certainly not ideal. 

 

Will see if I can get Santa to sneak a EQ-3 into my stocking at Xmas!!

[tooth_dr]

I have a Manfrotto tripod and a SA and an ED80. I’ve never tried it as it looks too large to be stable.

[kirkster501]

On 15/10/2018 at 15:58, DonLumioni74 said:

Thanks all - the payload of SA is 5kg so think it's possible but certainly not ideal. 

 

Will see if I can get Santa to sneak a EQ-3 into my stocking at Xmas!!

If you're just starting out I will tell you right off the bat that the ED80 snd camera is way too big for the SA and that tripod. Been there, done that.  It'll be as wobbly as you would be trying to hold up a 20st man above your head.  You will get wobbling and shaking at the slightest puff of wind or footsteps near and it will put you off of AP before you even get started.

As others have said, HEQ5 is the way to go, keep an eye on ABS, they come up on there regularly and it is a great mount.

[DonLumioni74]

3 hours ago, kirkster501 said:

If you're just starting out I will tell you right off the bat that the ED80 snd camera is way too big for the SA and that tripod. Been there, done that.  It'll be as wobbly as you would be trying to hold up a 20st man above your head.  You will get wobbling and shaking at the slightest puff of wind or footsteps near and it will put you off of AP before you even get started.

As others have said, HEQ5 is the way to go, keep an eye on ABS, they come up on there regularly and it is a great mount.

Thanks for the feedback Kirk

 

Think I'll go EQ3 then EQ5/6 later on down the line

 

Cheer

[kirkster501]

I urge you to consider the HEQ5.....

[JamesF]

I'd agree regarding the ED80 on the Star Adventurer.  I'd suggest that it's not the overall weight that is so important in this case, but where that weight is.  It's a (relatively) long tube and the weight is concentrated at the ends with the glass/dew shield at one and the focuser (and potentially a camera) at the other.  I use a TS Photoline 72 on my SA and I think that's probably as big as I'd personally want to go for imaging, though I might be tempted to try an ST80 or maybe even an ST102 for visual.

James

[jimmyjamjoejoe]

Are you absolutely sold on that scope?

Plenty of people use a Zenithstar 61 on the star adventurer, and I've even seen good results from ~70mm scopes like the Zenithstar 73 and Skywatcher ed72. I imagine the latter is pushing it, and using a guider too, probably on a darkframe tuned mount to boot.

The star adventurer is specced for 5KG, but that includes the counterweight, and the general rule of thumb is no more than 60% of the stated limit to be reliably good. The ZS61 is 1.5kg, camera around 0.5kg, counterweight is 1KG - pretty close.

Ultimately, the ED80 won't gain you much over the ZS61. In fact, the extra weight AND the increase in focal length will be a detrimental double whammy. 

I'm in the same boat as you. I'm still enjoying using my lenses, but do fancy a small scope too. I'm looking at either the ZS61 or the Altair astro 60edf. Aperture is important for resolution to an extent, but isn't as important as focal ratio when it comes to imaging.

 

 

[DonLumioni74]

Hi all

 

Thanks for the comments.

 

@kirkster501 Only reason I say eq3 is that I don't have the budget at the moment to get HEQ5 or EQ-6 R Pro alongside a ED80 (or similar)

 

@JamesF cheers for clarification, I think that confirms that I can't use SA for imaging at least.

 

@jimmyjamjoejoe I originally wanted to get a Celestron 8" Edge HD but was recommended the ED80 as a good starting point for astro imaging, the cost of the ED80 makes it very appealing. I'm open to suggestions though..... I've seen the ZS range being quoted quite a bit on these forums so will do some researching.

[jimmyjamjoejoe]

1 hour ago, DonLumioni74 said:

Hi all

 

Thanks for the comments.

 

@kirkster501 Only reason I say eq3 is that I don't have the budget at the moment to get HEQ5 or EQ-6 R Pro alongside a ED80 (or similar)

 

@JamesF cheers for clarification, I think that confirms that I can't use SA for imaging at least.

 

@jimmyjamjoejoe I originally wanted to get a Celestron 8" Edge HD but was recommended the ED80 as a good starting point for astro imaging, the cost of the ED80 makes it very appealing. I'm open to suggestions though..... I've seen the ZS range being quoted quite a bit on these forums so will do some researching.

 

I suppose the question is - what is your current kit not doing?

With that 150-500mm lens, you've covered any focal length of telescope that you could realistically stick on a star adventurer, and probably with a slightly faster focal ratio. Edge performance might not be quite so good, but honestly, if you're just starting out with imaging it's more than enough. There's no reason to rush, or find some botched halfway point between your current setup and the final setup.

I'd just get to grips with what you have, and milk it until you can afford the big bad setup that you want. Setting up and using the SA with a long lens and guiding the setup will give you plenty of practice so that when you get the bigger setup, you'l know how to get the most from it.

 

[Obi Wan Ken00bi]

3 hours ago, JamesF said:

I'd agree regarding the ED80 on the Star Adventurer.  I'd suggest that it's not the overall weight that is so important in this case, but where that weight is.  It's a (relatively) long tube and the weight is concentrated at the ends with the glass/dew shield at one and the focuser (and potentially a camera) at the other.  I use a TS Photoline 72 on my SA and I think that's probably as big as I'd personally want to go for imaging, though I might be tempted to try an ST80 or maybe even an ST102 for visual.

James

Just out of curiosity, do you guide with this setup? 

[JamesF]

Just now, Obi Wan Ken00bi said:

Just out of curiosity, do you guide with this setup? 

Haven't done thus far, but it is my intention to do so in the future.

James

[DonLumioni74]

17 hours ago, jimmyjamjoejoe said:

 

I suppose the question is - what is your current kit not doing?

With that 150-500mm lens, you've covered any focal length of telescope that you could realistically stick on a star adventurer, and probably with a slightly faster focal ratio. Edge performance might not be quite so good, but honestly, if you're just starting out with imaging it's more than enough. There's no reason to rush, or find some botched halfway point between your current setup and the final setup.

I'd just get to grips with what you have, and milk it until you can afford the big bad setup that you want. Setting up and using the SA with a long lens and guiding the setup will give you plenty of practice so that when you get the bigger setup, you'l know how to get the most from it.

 

@jimmyjamjoejoe Thanks JJJJ, I thought I was missing out not having a proper telescope with a decent mount. But as you've said I've already got the kit to hand just need to master it completely.

As much as I love astronomy, astrophysics, and general spacey type stuff it always feels like there is so much to learn (which is part of the fun of it) but can be daunting, these forums and help and advice from fellow astronomers (like yourself) is invaluable. Thanks ?

[AstroNowt]

+1 for using your existing setup until you find a used heq5/6. 

I find my Eos5d + f2.8 200 +extender gives me everything that I could get from pairing my ccd with an ed80 to the point where I cannot justify a wide field scope at this point. Sooooooo many other things to buy ? that add more value. And tbh I have so much to learn re processing that any small improvement over the eos kit will be lost. 

I bought a used neq6 and added my mak127 to it to give me a long focal length imaging option in addition to the eos wide capability rather than make a small improvement to what I already had. 

Since added ccd, filters and oag but my next move will be a faster <>1000mm fl scope. Still love the Eos for wide stuff.