Where do i start!

[RichardHurst]

Hi everyone!

Been a Landscape photographer for many years and recently got hooked on wide angle milky way photography. I purchased a Skyguider Pro, with the electronic  iPolar scope fitted and been using that for tracking the milky way. I now want to progress and look at capturing more deep space objects such as Nebula's. I have added a Redcat refractor to my kit. The issue I have found using the Skyguider Pro is actually pointing the camera (Nikon D810A) and Redcat in the right direction. I tried last night without a lot of success at trying the Heart Nebula.

So I'm looking at buying a GoTo mount, Have been looking at the HEQ5 Pro, but not sure if this is overkill for my current set up or I should go with that and then as I add maybe a guide scope/camera i have the ability to do so. So my questions are and I apologise if there are a few

1. I can see that the Polar alignment is manual, is that correct and straight forward, seen videos mentioning about the dials and that just confused me

2. Whats the difference between doing a polar alignment and doing a 1-3 star alignment with the handset

3. comes with a 12V cigar type power lead, what do guys use to plug that into if your in your back garden

4. using this is it necessary to then have to buy a guide camera and scope as well, Can't it track properly without these

5. Do you need to use these other programs on a laptop to help get you in the right position, what do they do, do they connect to my DSLR and tell it how many shots to take at what exposure time, ISO etc 

Ideally I'd just like something that at a push of a button or two puts me facing where I want it to be so I can then start capturing what I need. Sorry if that all seems too much!

 

[Tomatobro]

best investment you can make is to get hold of a book called "make every photon count". Read it from cover to cover.

The mount is everything. A poor scope on a good mount is usable but a good scope on a poor mount is unusable. As time goes by you will add to your kit so try to future proof your mount purchase

 

 

[RichardHurst]

2 minutes ago, Tomatobro said:

best investment you can make is to get hold of a book called "make every photon count". Read it from cover to cover.

The mount is everything. A poor scope on a good mount is usable but a good scope on a poor mount is unusable. As time goes by you will add to your kit so try to future proof your mount purchase

 

 

Thank you, yes that's why I was thing of the HEQ5 Pro, rather than something i'd spend a couple of hundred quid on then replace it a few months later 

[Swoop1]

I have the HEQ 5 PRO myself. I will try to answer you questions based on my limited experience and knowledge-

1. I can see that the Polar alignment is manual, is that correct and straight forward, seen videos mentioning about the dials and that just confused me

Yes Polar Alignment (PA) is manual. It isn't very difficult once you get the hang of it. The important thing is to make sure yourn Polar Scope is aligned to the axis of the mount. Mine was spot on out of the box but, on a previous mount, I struggled and swore a lot.

2. Whats the difference between doing a polar alignment and doing a 1-3 star alignment with the handset

PA is the act of aligning the Right Ascenscion (RA) axis of the mount with the Astronomical North Pole (the axis of rotation of the earth). The RA axis is the plane around which your mount rotates to keep your target in the same place in your viewfinder/ eyepiece. 2-3 star alignment is the act of allowing the mount to find out where it is and what it is looking at- a bit like triangulation but to the sky.

3. comes with a 12V cigar type power lead, what do guys use to plug that into if your in your back garden

I also got one of these with my mount and run off and extension lead

4. using this is it necessary to then have to buy a guide camera and scope as well, Can't it track properly without these

I don't use a guidscope yet as I am imaging with a Sony a6300 on my scope with max exposures of 30 seconds. I will need a guidescope/ camera set up when I obtain a dedicate astrophotography camera and am able to do multiple minute exposures. The guid scope and software allows for tighter tracking that long exposures may require. With a DSLR you should be good for up to about 60 seconds on the unguided capabilities of the mount.

5. Do you need to use these other programs on a laptop to help get you in the right position, what do they do, do they connect to my DSLR and tell it how many shots to take at what exposure time, ISO etc 

I just use the SYSCAN handset that came with the mount to get to my targets. Other software gets used for things like data copying as astrophotography cameras tend not to have inbuilt memory/ cards like a DSLR/ Compact/ Point and shoot.

I second the recommendation to get Making Every Photon Count. It answers a lot of the complex questions in an understandable way.

Good luck!

[RichardHurst]

4 minutes ago, Swoop1 said:

I have the HEQ 5 PRO myself. I will try to answer you questions based on my limited experience and knowledge-

1. I can see that the Polar alignment is manual, is that correct and straight forward, seen videos mentioning about the dials and that just confused me

Yes Polar Alignment (PA) is manual. It isn't very difficult once you get the hang of it. The important thing is to make sure yourn Polar Scope is aligned to the axis of the mount. Mine was spot on out of the box but, on a previous mount, I struggled and swore a lot.

2. Whats the difference between doing a polar alignment and doing a 1-3 star alignment with the handset

PA is the act of aligning the Right Ascenscion (RA) axis of the mount with the Astronomical North Pole (the axis of rotation of the earth). The RA axis is the plane around which your mount rotates to keep your target in the same place in your viewfinder/ eyepiece. 2-3 star alignment is the act of allowing the mount to find out where it is and what it is looking at- a bit like triangulation but to the sky.

3. comes with a 12V cigar type power lead, what do guys use to plug that into if your in your back garden

I also got one of these with my mount and run off and extension lead

4. using this is it necessary to then have to buy a guide camera and scope as well, Can't it track properly without these

I don't use a guidscope yet as I am imaging with a Sony a6300 on my scope with max exposures of 30 seconds. I will need a guidescope/ camera set up when I obtain a dedicate astrophotography camera and am able to do multiple minute exposures. The guid scope and software allows for tighter tracking that long exposures may require. With a DSLR you should be good for up to about 60 seconds on the unguided capabilities of the mount.

5. Do you need to use these other programs on a laptop to help get you in the right position, what do they do, do they connect to my DSLR and tell it how many shots to take at what exposure time, ISO etc 

I just use the SYSCAN handset that came with the mount to get to my targets. Other software gets used for things like data copying as astrophotography cameras tend not to have inbuilt memory/ cards like a DSLR/ Compact/ Point and shoot.

I second the recommendation to get Making Every Photon Count. It answers a lot of the complex questions in an understandable way.

Good luck!

Thank you so much for your help and advice, as you know its all a bit of a head scrambler. I want to start off like you just using my Nikon D810A DSLR and the Redcat which has a 250mm focal length. With your Sony and 30 second exposures is that long enough to capture a nebula image?

[miguel87]

1 hour ago, RichardHurst said:

Thank you so much for your help and advice, as you know its all a bit of a head scrambler. I want to start off like you just using my Nikon D810A DSLR and the Redcat which has a 250mm focal length. With your Sony and 30 second exposures is that long enough to capture a nebula image?

Capture many 30 second images (maybe an hour exposure in total I.e. 120 exposures) then stack them together with free software.

Stacking is how most of the images you see have been achieved.

✌

[Swoop1]

10 hours ago, RichardHurst said:

Thank you so much for your help and advice, as you know its all a bit of a head scrambler. I want to start off like you just using my Nikon D810A DSLR and the Redcat which has a 250mm focal length. With your Sony and 30 second exposures is that long enough to capture a nebula image?

30 sec exposures start to capture stuff and I have had nice results on some targets with just a sing frame but, the more exposures captured and then stacked, the more data is there to be teased out in post processing. This is the side of things I am trying to learn now.

[bruno]

Have a look at Trevor Jones's Astrobackyard videos, there's one about basic set-up which uses sky guider pro- camera- and a redcat 60, i'm sure you can get longer than 30 seconds with a sky guider.

Other items would BYEnikon (i don't know if Apt do anything similar), also A free program called deep sky stacker and after that you will require a imaging program to process your images (p/shop, pixinsite,) all costly there are some free ones (gimp, IRIS)

By then you should have the bug .

I should mention that all these fantastic images you see are the product of collecting A few hrs of data along with darks bais & flats and very good processing, also ihave the book every proton counts with you can have  if you PM me