Skywatcher 200p Eq5 advice needed!

[JamieCrisp]

Hello, 

I am pretty new to astronomy...

I have a skywatcher 200p on a eq5 mount and i am looking to upgrade the mount with the GoTo kit and a guide scope so i can do deep space astrophotography.

is this the right thing to do?

has anyone done this before?

any recommendations on the set up? ( what type of guide scope and guide camera and what type of software?) 

Apologies if this has been asked before.

Many Thanks

Jamie

[bobro]

Yes it has been asked before. Likely responses:

1> Go with it, but expect less than impressive results as the OTA is a bit of a challenge for an EQ5 - result could be disappointing images

2> Go for a lighter/ shorter FL scope with the EQ5 - makes imaging easier

3> Get a more substantial mount, e.g. EQ6, to go with the 200P - still not the easiest imaging with a scope of 1000mm FL, but the mount helps.

 

Personally I would go with a shorter focal length scope - makes life easier when starting out.

[Adam J]

If your starting out then go for a scope of around 400mm focal length. As an example the last two clear nights I got nothing with me Esprit 100 and AZEQ6 as the seeing was so bad that it bloated my stars. In the UK that's a common occurrence. That's at 550mm focal length. Imagine the effect at 1000mm.

[PEMS]

The standard 200P will not immediatly allow images, the mirror will have to be moved up the main OTA tube so that the prime image from the mirror can reach the camera sensor. So that would then mean a complete recolloimation of the scope.

Then you would need an extension tube to add to the focuser when you want to use an eyepiece.

The 200P is I expect at or even over the weight limit for an EQ5 and adding a guide camera and associated items would almost certainly be too much for obtaining a high percentage of good or usable images. You could find that 40% of the collected image are discarded by the stacking software.

The 200P and EQ5 package was for visual, not realistically for imaging. For a 200mm reflector you really need to be considering an EQ6 type or size mount.

[Jiggy 67]

I’m afraid I have to agree with the above. Your setup is a visual one, not an AP one. I am visual only and had an EQ5 which I upgraded to GoTo with the upgrade kit. It’s a bit of a nightmare to fit as the instructions are pitiful though if you search on here you will find assistance. 
The minimum for AP would be an HEQ5 or even NEQ6/EQ6-R-Pro

[rnobleeddy]

Depends what you want to achieve. Check out a recent post for an example.

Others will comment on the suitability of the 200P, but int terms of the mount - I have an EQ5 with a 130PDS and the mount is a sometimes a pain (DEC guiding is erratic) but it's usable. I intend to upgrade sooner rather than later, but with good PA and some PHD tweaking, I've had 5 minute subs with no star trails. I haven't tried longer because of clouds! 

The EQ5 is never going to amazing for AP but it's not a disaster if you're patient and would like to get started as cheaply as possible. As you've already got an EQ5, the question becomes whether it's worth spending £300 for a new GOTO kit? I was lucky and got a 2nd hand one for £150 but if I'd had to spend the £300 for a new one, I'd probably have put it towards a HEQ5 instead.

I agree with the comments about the lack of instructions with the GOTO kit - however, I found it surprisingly easy to fit, and a lot easier than the more basic motor drive kit. GOTO performance has been excellent.

Edited July 15, 2020 by rnobleeddy

[JamieCrisp]

Thanks for all the replies.

Lots to consider!

[Louis D]

4 hours ago, PEMS said:

The standard 200P will not immediatly allow images, the mirror will have to be moved up the main OTA tube so that the prime image from the mirror can reach the camera sensor. So that would then mean a complete recolloimation of the scope.

I'm able to reach focus with my Dob (low profile focuser) using the GSO/Revelation coma corrector.  It's how I was able to take this photo of a Mercury transit at prime focus with a DSLR:

[Realtimedoctor]

5 hours ago, PEMS said:

The standard 200P will not immediatly allow images, the mirror will have to be moved up the main OTA tube so that the prime image from the mirror can reach the camera sensor. So that would then mean a complete recolloimation of the scope.

Then you would need an extension tube to add to the focuser when you want to use an eyepiece.

The 200P is I expect at or even over the weight limit for an EQ5 and adding a guide camera and associated items would almost certainly be too much for obtaining a high percentage of good or usable images. You could find that 40% of the collected image are discarded by the stacking software.

The 200P and EQ5 package was for visual, not realistically for imaging. For a 200mm reflector you really need to be considering an EQ6 type or size mount.

With all due respect, but a lot of information in this is not correct. 

1. A Standard 200P will do just fine with prime focus imaging. You don't need to move the mirror up or down anywhere in the scope. (the 200P comes standard with a T2 thread for direct attachment to a T2 adaptor) 

2. You don't need to add any extensions tube for visual if switching between camera and eye pieces. 

3. I've DSLR, guidecam, auto focuser and a tec cooling device all attached to the 200P and mounted on a EQ5. Last session over 3 hours of 5 mins subs, I discarded 3 subs in total. Not sure where you are getting the 40% number from. 

4. I agree EQ5 and 200P are more suitable for visual astronomy, but payload of a mount isnt everything. You need to factor in your pixel scale of your setup, and if that is under your guided RMS there is no reason why you can't get the same image with this setup instead of a ££££ setup. 

 

[Louis D]

1 hour ago, Realtimedoctor said:

With all due respect, but a lot of information in this is not correct. 

1. A Standard 200P will do just fine with prime focus imaging. You don't need to move the mirror up or down anywhere in the scope. (the 200P comes standard with a T2 thread for direct attachment to a T2 adaptor) 

2. You don't need to add any extensions tube for visual if switching between camera and eye pieces. 

3. I've DSLR, guidecam, auto focuser and a tec cooling device all attached to the 200P and mounted on a EQ5. Last session over 3 hours of 5 mins subs, I discarded 3 subs in total. Not sure where you are getting the 40% number from. 

4. I agree EQ5 and 200P are more suitable for visual astronomy, but payload of a mount isnt everything. You need to factor in your pixel scale of your setup, and if that is under your guided RMS there is no reason why you can't get the same image with this setup instead of a ££££ setup. 

 

After a meridian flip, how big of a deal is it to get the spider vane spikes of stars realigned with images from before the flip when imaging with a Newtonian?