Starting AP equipment

[Krackedace]

Hi guys I'm getting into astrophotography soon.

 

I'm looking at getting a telescope and mount. I'm interestred in the Skywatcher explorer 150 PDS and eqm35 mounts. Are those good choices? and will the mount be sufficient for that telescope and a dslr+tracking cam or should I go with a much  smaller ED APO 80-100mm?

All opinions welcome and appreciated.

Krackedace 

[Pankaj]

The mount is the most important part of an AP set up. I would suggest to invest some more amount and start with Neq6 Pro or a Neq6 R (belt driven). Please understand that there are 2 points that you need to ponder over before buying the mount.

1. Payload capacity - for AP your mount should not be stressed at all. Specs of Eqm35 on SW site suggests payload of about 9kgs. But remember, that is for viewing and not AP. For AP reduce this by at least 40%, for any mount. Even an 80mm frac would be approx 4kg. Add camera, viewfinder, guidescope, cam etc....SO PLEASE invest more so that you dont have to worry in future.

 

2. Mounts Capacity for track - I have used NEQ6 PRO and I can vouch for it. Even an Heq5 does well. Many people on this forum have produced great results with these two mounts.

[jambouk]

I don't know that mount, but it looks like an EQ5. I think the 150 PDS will be too "big" for the mount. If that is the mount you want, I would go for an 80mm refractor personally. To be honest, I would definately start with a refractor, just so much more compact and easier to look after, at the cost of cost and reduced light capture. Over the course of time, if you stick to astrophotography you will upgrade things, yet a good quality entry level "semi-apo" will be something you'll keep hold of for some time. Good luck with it all, and remember there is no right answer, you just have to ask for advice and pick the bits you like the sound of from all the range of opinions.

James

 

[Adreneline]

Hi. I started nearly four years ago with an ED80DS + NEQ6 + guidescope/camera and loads of cables and had a lot of fun - I also learnt a lot - and spent quite a bit!  

I've kept the ED80 (although it is rarely used) and now use a camera lens (Samyang 135mm or Canon 200mm) with a cooled camera (ZWO ASI1600MM-Pro Cooled) and an iOptron CEM25-EC.

If I had appreciated then what I know now I would have started with the setup I have now. It is light weight, less demanding on tracking (180s exposures with no guiding) and at f2 hoovers up photons like there is no tomorrow! With an ASIair it suits me down to the ground. Distant galaxies are out of my reach (but they were with the ED80 as well) but beautiful nebula targets are a perfect match.

And don't let anyone tell you narrowband is more difficult than broadband - Ha is just so satisfying to image, essentially immune to light pollution and you can image with a moon in the sky.

Keep it simple is definitely the way to start as you will have far more successes and it will be far more rewarding.

Adrian

Edited April 1, 2020 by Adreneline

[Krackedace]

Thanks for the answers guys. how about the Meade LX85 would that be better suited to a scope of that size? and is it any good I cant find much about it.

[Dr Strange]

AP is different than visual. For visual aperture is king. For AP it is the mount. AP is a very complex part of the hobby and can be very expensive. There are also a lot of moving parts that need to be accounted for so simple is better. Thus in general for someone starting out a short focal length good quality refractor is the best option. A 80mm refractor like the William Optics Zenithstar 81 APO on a Celestron Advanced VX mount is a good place to start. I used an Advanced VX to start with. With a 80-102mm refractor is worked well for its price point. You can expect up to 90 seconds unguided with the mount. Realistically 30-60 seconds. I would wait to guide until after mastering the basics. Trying to do too much too fast is a recipe for disaster. 

As a counter point I also used it with a 127mm carbon fiber Explore Scientific FCD1 APO refractor on the AVX. This combination was fantastic for visual and I used this setup a lot. I also got a lot of firsts with it. However for AP it wasn't as fantastic. It was possible but very much not recommended. Any little bit of wind was a problem. Any vibrations were a problem. Guiding was a problem. And so on.