Redcat 51 + ZWO ASI294MC PRO

[medicineman4040]

How many have signed up to get help with connections
I'm sure all might agree here the parts/pieces of astro can be the hard part in getting up and running.

A WO Redcat 51 will arrive this week, the 48mm T-mount for my a9/a7riii arrived today, but lately I've thought of trying the ZWO ASI294MC Pro.

The ZWO would be my first time dabbling in CMOS but having not received the Redcat yet I wonder if any here might point me to the necessary

parts/pieces to put them together. Perhaps all that is needed is included with the ZWO 294?

Surely someone has tried this combination? Gone are the days of carrying my AVX up the backyard hill and this combo looks really nice for an

aging wannabe dark sky shooter.

Thanks for any clues.

 

[Davey-T]

I've got a Redcat and a ZWO ASI178 not tried to connect them will investigate tomorrow, seems a bit of a waste of Redcats claimed full frame FOV been using a DSLR on mine.

Dave

[medicineman4040]

Dave thanks for responding.

My first try will be with a FF Sony, but I can't see the harm in trying with the 4/3 sensor ZWO.

Looking forward to your connection attempt.

[Buzzard75]

See my M16 in the Imaging - Deep Sky board. I used a RedCat and the ASI178MC uncooled the other night with pretty good results. You'll need some spacers to get focus with a CMOS camera, 20-25mm will put you at about the middle of the focuser travel. I needed at least 8mm just to get it to focus at all and then 40mm was about the limit before I wasn't able to focus again. The only other thing you'll need is an M48 to T2 adapter ring.

[cletrac1922]

Redcat51 seems interesting piece of kit

Use on its own, or attached ZWO ASI290

John

 

[medicineman4040]

Buzzard thank you!
I'm hoping those spacers you mentioned and the M48 T2 might be included with the ZWO ASI294MC Pro when it arrives.

In the meantime I can play with either Sony a9 or A7Riii on the Redcat---that adapter already arrived.

Cletrac, the better-half and I know little of astrophotography, but we are 'old', and chose the Redcat 51 (even after reading many negative forum posts)

solely  because of size and weight.

We're just now realizing that to focus one of these CMOS cameras app-tablet or computer is required! That's how 'new' we are in this.

Now off to find Buzzard's images.

Thanks again.

[Stu1smartcookie]

Had the option of getting a Redcat 51 or a Z61 … I chose the 61 only because I intend to do some visual with it and I thought the extra aperture would come in handy .. but , coupling the price of the dedicated Flattener for the z61 , which I had to buy lol , I'm in two minds whether I did the right thing . I love the Redcat because of its size . I cant wait to see some images. I am just getting into(astro) photography  and know nothing about it , other than what I have read on this site and seen on you tube, but that's half the fun , learning and making mistakes, as well as the pure joy of producing your own work .

[Buzzard75]

I will say the RedCat is actually quite good for visual, daytime or otherwise, but you have to buy the dedicated erecting prism for it, so that's an added expense and not something you can use with any other scope. Any 1.25" eyepiece should work. It's so small though, you're not going to be picking up much detail on fainter or smaller DSO's.

[Davey-T]

On ‎01‎/‎07‎/‎2019 at 22:48, medicineman4040 said:

Dave thanks for responding.

My first try will be with a FF Sony, but I can't see the harm in trying with the 4/3 sensor ZWO.

Looking forward to your connection attempt.

Hi sorry for the late reply, forgot all about this, the Redcat has a male 48mm thread and the ZWOASI178 has a standard T thread female so you need and adapter and possibly some sort of T thread extension, can't try it as I don't have the necessary adapter.

Dave

[medicineman4040]

Coming back to thank all for the thoughts and replies.

Stu1 I've got all the parts and pieces now to give it a go when the clouds go away and agreed

this is a learning process! First step for me will be to use the iPolar in the SkyGuider Pro to get a polar

alignment....baby steps