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Celestron EdgeHD 8” & HEQ5 Pro


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Does anyone use the above combination. I’ve got a HEQ5 Pro and really want a 8” EdgeHD. Just a bit concerned the weight is too much for it. But I’ve seen quite a few people using the combo so just wanted to get some advice from people who actually have this set up and not from people that just quote weight limits but have not actually used one. 

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1 hour ago, PhotoGav said:

Hi Richard, I used to use my EdgeHD 8” on an HEQ5 Pro Mount and I can confirm, with real world evidence, that it works. Are you going to use it for purely visual or do you intend to take photos with it too?

Hi. I want it for photography. I understand on a windy night it’s going to be a no no or difficult to get decent guiding but I’m keen to try it. 

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14 minutes ago, RichardHurst said:

Hi. I want it for photography. I understand on a windy night it’s going to be a no no or difficult to get decent guiding but I’m keen to try it. 

Yes,  photography at long focal lengths is "demanding"..... especially with environmental factors in the UK especially,  but I suspect PhotoGav  might be hinting at the fact you will need various accessories to add on to your rig for astrophotography  that might impinge on the 'useable'  load limit of the mount.  

eg.  camera, filterwheel, reducer(?), after market focuser,  guide scope, guide scope rings or attachment, guide cam, electronic focusing tool, dew heaters...... and there is probably more.... :) 

Saying that, I was surprised at how light the Edge 8HD was when I bought mine.... so you could be OK.

Rgds,

 

Sean

 

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Ok, astrophotography with the EdgeHD 8” on an HEQ5 is possible, but it is not the easiest of activities to pursue! I certainly wouldn’t recommend it as the way to start astrophotography. How experienced are you already?

If you do go down that route, you will definitely want to use an off-axis guider. I tried every method possible and the only viable option is off axis! Even that is ‘sub-optimal’ as my Edge 8” with a QSI-683 CCD requires a guiding error of around 0.2 to 0.3 “/pixel. That is partly why I changed to a Mesu 200 mount, which can give me about 0.25”/px error with that setup on a very clear, transparent and stable night... which happens very occasionally! Having said that, it is definitely possible to image with the EdgeHD 8” on a well tuned HEQ5 Pro. Good luck and I look forward to hearing how you progress.

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1 hour ago, PhotoGav said:

Ok, astrophotography with the EdgeHD 8” on an HEQ5 is possible, but it is not the easiest of activities to pursue! I certainly wouldn’t recommend it as the way to start astrophotography. How experienced are you already?

If you do go down that route, you will definitely want to use an off-axis guider. I tried every method possible and the only viable option is off axis! Even that is ‘sub-optimal’ as my Edge 8” with a QSI-683 CCD requires a guiding error of around 0.2 to 0.3 “/pixel. That is partly why I changed to a Mesu 200 mount, which can give me about 0.25”/px error with that setup on a very clear, transparent and stable night... which happens very occasionally! Having said that, it is definitely possible to image with the EdgeHD 8” on a well tuned HEQ5 Pro. Good luck and I look forward to hearing how you progress.

Hi. I’d say I’m reasonably experienced, currently have a 6” RC with guide camera on top and can guide at around 0.78 in PHD2 without too much hassle. Also have a 72EDF which is simple enough. Just want to get something with a longer reach 

Edited by RichardHurst
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7 hours ago, RichardHurst said:

Hi. I’d say I’m reasonably experienced, currently have a 6” RC with guide camera on top and can guide at around 0.78 in PHD2 without too much hassle. Also have a 72EDF which is simple enough. Just want to get something with a longer reach 

In that case, give it a go. The mount can cope with the mass, so long as you balance it well and don’t put too many peripherals on there. You can guide with a separate guide scope, but you’ll end up wanting to go down the OAG route. Good luck. 

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