Setting-up a new C11 EDGE HD on CGX-L and connecting to ZWO-ASIAIR ecosystem

[aeneas]

Hi all,

Christmas came early; my new C11 scope with CGX-L mount has arrived; so have many accessories including the entire ZWO ecosystem (2600MC camera, 174MM mini guide camera, ASIAIR Pro controller, ZWO electronic focuser, small guide scope). Unfortunately ZWO does not provide much documentation / set-up guides...

I need some help setting this up and to make sure that I don't screw up something during my first attempts before I learn more about how to use this well... Particularly I am considering whether best to learn step-by-step or should I try to automate and connect as much as possible so that I start learning immediately via the ultimate set-up I intend to have (i.e. via ASIAR app)?

 

1) Setting up for visual:

• A) Can the CGX-L GoTo mount guide decently enough itself to follow equatorial movement once a visual target is identified and in focus or should I immediately set-up the ZWO 174MM guide camera and do auto-guiding through ASIAIR pro even for visual?
• When attaching accessories to the rear end of the scope, I saw there are 6 screws in the back row - are these all safe to use for mounting guide scopes etc.? (see #1 comment in the attached image)
• C) For visual - should I set-up the ZWO 174MM guide camera through the ZWO mini guidescope or should I set-up the Celestron Off-Axis-Guider even for visual?
• D) Should I learn to focus first using the manual focuser of the Celestron, or should I install the ZWO electronic focuser asap to connect with the rest of the system; will the electronic focuser help me at all if I don't use an OAG to provide focus feedback back to the ASIAIR pro? I'm a bit lost on this one here...
• E) What is the best way to mount the ZWO ASIAIR Pro to C11? I was thinking to attach it to the underside of the dovetail of the OTA (see #3 comment in the attached image). Does this make sense? What mounting adapter should I buy to make this work? is there any other even better way of attaching the ASIAIR controller?
• F) In the original package there were two screws attached to the underside of the dovetail on the OTA - see #2 comment in the attached image.
• G) eyepiece comment: don't worry about the eyepiece - I have the celestron one mounted while I play with the set-up; I have a Nikon 17-14 NAV HW and TeleVue Ethos 8mm and Panoptic 41mm for actual viewing. 

 

2) Setting up for photography

A) I saw a lot of C11 EDGE HD image trains with a similar camera set-up so I will do my best to make this work... will come back if more questions; however I have one particular question here: once the scope is set-up for astrophotography with the entire image train well adjusted... but then you quickly want to switch to visual (e.g. kids come up and you want to spend 30min visual observing the target before going back to imaging)... what is the best way to switch between one an another? At what point to you "break" the image train and insert the 2" diagonal?

[Louis D]

I think the #2 screw is a safety screw to keep the dovetail from sliding all the way out of the clamp should it loosen.

[cfpendock]

Well, I see no one else has answered your questions, so I will suggest one or two things based on my experience.

1. A. - You certainly won't need a guide camera for visual.  Provided that the mount is reasonably polar aligned, then it should have absolutely no problem in following any target.

B. - From memory, these screws are different lengths.  Be very careful to use screws that will not interfere with the mirror mounting, but yes, you can use the screws to mount accessories.  Normally, if the accessories have been purchased specifically for this model of scope, then appropriate screws and instructions should be provided.

C.  - See A above.

D. -  I would certainly use the manual focuser for visual - at least until you are very familiar with how the focuser works.  Visual and photographic use of this scope are very different.  For example, you will almost certainly want to use a "visual back" attachment for photography.

E. No idea.

F. No idea

2.  -  The setup for visual and photography are so different, that personally I would not even consider a quick change-over.  For me, it would be reasonably quick to revert to visual, but then to reset everything for photography would take me several hours - recalibrating focuser, re-aligning target etc etc etc..

Doesn't mean it can't be done....... 

Chris

[Cosmic Geoff]

The dome head screws at the rear (and front) of the scope are for attaching accessories. If the holes are not blind, and you need longer screws, take care that the screws do not project inside, in case they snag something.  

On the subject of attaching things, ADM astro accessories make a series of neat looking bars, guide scope rings and suchlike for attaching things to SCTs.  IIRC there are 'mini dovetails' you can bolt to the OTA via radius blocks and which accept various attaching devices.

You should not need much instruction for setting up your scope for visual use. Just read the manuals.🙂

[aeneas]

Thanks for the tips! 

Will go step-by-step and will certainly look into ADM accessories for mounting stuff... someone also suggested Losmandy has some good solutions so will look into that as well.

I think it does make sense to learn everything first doing well with a minimal setup and visual only and then adding one item at a time. The only item I am tempted to start with asap is the ASIAIR - not for AP, but even just using a guidescope with the ZWO174MM mini camera for the system to give me a more precise polar alignment and control of the mount for browsing the skies via the ASI iPad app... I guess I'll need to figure it out. 

For now, still waiting for clear skies... and desperately realising the jupiter-saturn conjunction will pass without being able to use the scope at all... due to Corona restrictions I cannot even drive 2h away to get to an area with at least patchy clouds... here it is as thick as it gets.

[Cosmic Geoff]

13 hours ago, aeneas said:

I think it does make sense to learn everything first doing well with a minimal setup and visual only and then adding one item at a time. The only item I am tempted to start with asap is the ASIAIR - not for AP, but even just using a guidescope with the ZWO174MM mini camera for the system to give me a more precise polar alignment and control of the mount for browsing the skies via the ASI iPad app... I guess I'll need to figure it out. 

I assume this is a GoTo mount... You do not need to do any of that for visual observing. Just get the mount polar aligned as best you can (mechanically) and then do a star align (electronic) and you should find that you can GoTo objects and track them just fine.  You don't need any apps either - just use the mount's handset.  Even the alt-azimuth Celestron GoTo mounts find and track just fine and they are not polar aligned at all...

A closer polar align may be needed for astrophotography, but you can worry about that later.

As for the Grand Conjunction, it looked good on the 19th and 20th, so don't despair of seeing something...

[RT65CB-SWL]

On 19/12/2020 at 18:05, Louis D said:

I think the #2 screw is a safety screw to keep the dovetail from sliding all the way out of the clamp should it loosen.

As per what @Louis D said. 

[ngwillym]

And to answer F - that screw is to stop the scope/dovetail slipping all the way out of the saddle and ending up on the floor