Getting started

[AllanK]

I know I need to replace the mount and possibly the tripod I initially bought for my Celestron C5. But is there anything else I need to get?  Currently have:

45 diagonal shipped with scope

90 Star diagonal dielectric - SVBony

40mm GSO plossl (possibly should just have got 32mm)

Celestron Omni plossl - 15mm, 12mm and an optimistic 4mm (all fairly cheap via Amazon warehouse)

25mm eyepiece that shipped with OTA

365Astronnomy deluxe 2x Barlow 

2 filters both moon 1x Ostara and a Celestron which came with the 12mm eyepiece as a bonus.

This is for me to view pretty much anything - lunar, planetary and DSO.

[fozzybear]

what mount and tripod do you use currently for your C5?

[AllanK]

35 minutes ago, fozzybear said:

what mount and tripod do you use currently for your C5?

I have a Cullman Mundo 525 which came with a ball mount head which isn’t the easiest to get stable. Initially thought to replace the mount with an alt Az head.

[fozzybear]

The C5 weights in just under 3kg so you could keep the tripod for now and change the mount does your C5 have the dovetail bar from front to back or the short one about 5 inches 

Edited March 21, 2021 by fozzybear

[AllanK]

7 minutes ago, fozzybear said:

The C5 weights in just under 3kg so you could keep the tripod for now and change the mount does your C5 have the dovetail bar from front to back or the short one about 5 inches 

Front to back dovetail 

[fozzybear]

you should not have any probs as mine had the little dovetail as an old vintage white model and had to bolt a longer dovetail to it to balance. It's a great scope takes a while to cool down 

have a ganders at this to read http://scopeviews.co.uk/CelestronC5XLT.htm 

[fozzybear]

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/alt-azimuth-astronomy-mounts/sky-watcher-az5-deluxe-alt-azimuth-mount.html the head assy is 169 quid have a search on here in the classified section or post a wanted you never know... 

[AllanK]

3 hours ago, fozzybear said:

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/alt-azimuth-astronomy-mounts/sky-watcher-az5-deluxe-alt-azimuth-mount.html the head assy is 169 quid have a search on here in the classified section or post a wanted you never know... 

Thanks.

[Cosmic Geoff]

No mention of a dew shield? You need one.

[AllanK]

Thanks Geoff..that wasn’t even on my radar.

Edited March 22, 2021 by AllanK

[AllanK]

There is a real lack of available options;s for AZ mounts out there. Was recommended an SW AZ4 or 5...but good luck finding them lol.  Does anybody have thoughts on TS-Optics Tilting Head and Altazimuth Mount for photo tripods? It seems to get favourable reviews and is available now...or would I be better served waiting for AZ5 to come back into. Stock?

[Pixies]

Put a wanted ad up for an AZ5. I did and got one within a week!

[AllanK]

Any thoughts on iOptron CubePro mount with tripod? Found new for £255 from Astroshop.eu? Or should I focus on a decent manual AZ mount?

[Clarkey]

Don't forget anything imported is liable for 20 - 30% on top due to VAT and import duties.

[AllanK]

Finally went for this based on a combination of price, feedback and availability.

[Pixies]

2 hours ago, AllanK said:

Finally went for this based on a combination of price, feedback and availability.

Very smart. What size? Also - what mount is that?

[AllanK]

1 hour ago, Pixies said:

Very smart. What size? Also - what mount is that?

https://www.altairastro.com/starwave-mini-az-mount-409-p.asp with a Celestron C5.

[Stu1smartcookie]

Hi ... lovely mount ... looked at the blurb but it doesn't give the payload capacity ,unless i missed it .

[AllanK]

4 minutes ago, Stu1smartcookie said:

Hi ... lovely mount ... looked at the blurb but it doesn't give the payload capacity ,unless i missed it .

 

5 minutes ago, Stu1smartcookie said:

Hi ... lovely mount ... looked at the blurb but it doesn't give the payload capacity ,unless i missed it

Stellarvue M1V Alt-Azimuth Mount Head

“Weighing in at just 2.5 pounds, the Stellarvue M001V is a small alt-azimuth mount head that connects to any heavy-duty camera tripod column via a standard 3/8-16 thread. This smooth mount employs a 2" Teflon bearing and a stainless steel roller bearing on both axes. Comes with a small Vixen dovetail shoe compatible with all standard Vixen-style dovetail rails.

With this M1V alt-az head mounted to a camera tripod, you'll enjoy improved smoothness and stability while exploring the night skies or terrestrial landscapes. Accepts telescopes weighing up to 9 lbs., with the ability to hold slightly heavier loads when a heavy-duty wood or stainless steel tripod is used. This mount is ideal for holding smaller refractors in the 70-90 mm aperture range. Larger telescopes are more suited for Stellarvue's M002C mount. This mount head measures 3.8" in height, 4.8" in width, and is 2.4" deep. The Vixen-style spring-loaded dovetail shoe measures 3.15" in length.

The black knob and knurled bottom serve as tensioners. Turn these to adjust the tension in order to allow the smoothest movements in both axes. Slow motion controls are not necessary for this mount.”

Also known as. 

[Stu1smartcookie]

Obviously i was looking at the wrong blurb ... thanks for that . This looks like a lovely " clean " ie No Fuss mount . It's just what i am after . 

 

[AllanK]

2 hours ago, Stu1smartcookie said:

Obviously i was looking at the wrong blurb ... thanks for that . This looks like a lovely " clean " ie No Fuss mount . It's just what i am after . 

 

I haven’t had a chance to use yet, but it does feel substantial with a smooth, stable movement.

[AllanK]

Here’s my beginner lens case as well. Any thoughts on stuff I’m missing would be gratefully received by me and greatly despaired by my wife!

[Alan64]

My apologies for responding so late.  You have an assortment of Plossl eyepieces there.  Those are the minimum nowadays for good viewing.  However, you may wish to consider eyepieces with wider fields-of-view.  Plossls permit an AFOV of 50° to 52°.  Not bad, not at all, but with the f/10 focal-ratio of the telescope, you can get eyepieces from 60° to 70°, for not too much more expense compared to a Plossl, and still enjoy quality views.  Telescopes with longer and longer-still focal-lengths do not require corrective, more costly, eyepieces, and for satisfactory observations.

If you haven't gotten one already, you may also consider a dew-shield for the telescope, and to keep moisture(dew), bugs, dirt, dust, and pollen off of the corrector-plate at the front of the telescope, the "lens".

 

[AllanK]

1 hour ago, Alan64 said:

My apologies for responding so late.  You have an assortment of Plossl eyepieces there.  Those are the minimum nowadays for good viewing.  However, you may wish to consider eyepieces with wider fields-of-view.  Plossls permit an AFOV of 50° to 52°.  Not bad, not at all, but with the f/10 focal-ratio of the telescope, you can get eyepieces from 60° to 70°, for not too much more expense compared to a Plossl, and still enjoy quality views.  Telescopes with longer and longer-still focal-lengths do not require corrective, more costly, eyepieces, and for satisfactory observations.

If you haven't gotten one already, you may also consider a dew-shield for the telescope, and to keep moisture(dew), bugs, dirt, dust, and pollen off of the corrector-plate at the front of the telescope, the "lens".

 

Thanks for the advice. I did get a dew shield following previous advice, but will look at some of the wider FOV eyepieces. Most of those I’ve bought have been on a budget (most I’ve spent so far was £32 for the GSO), but I’m conscious of striking a balance between cost and enjoyment whilst starting out as I don’t want to put myself off.

I’ve been looking at filters - UHC or Oiii but perhaps better spending money on eyepieces?

[Alan64]

2 hours ago, AllanK said:

Thanks for the advice. I did get a dew shield following previous advice, but will look at some of the wider FOV eyepieces. Most of those I’ve bought have been on a budget (most I’ve spent so far was £32 for the GSO), but I’m conscious of striking a balance between cost and enjoyment whilst starting out as I don’t want to put myself off.

I’ve been looking at filters - UHC or Oiii but perhaps better spending money on eyepieces?

There are these, and with a modest increase, to 60°...

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/bst-starguider-eyepieces.html

There are many others, of different designs and marques, but not necessarily sold in the UK.  Some can even be found on eBay, but you have to know your stuff.  Teleskop Service in Germany sells some goodies as well.

Now, that's not to say "eyepieces over filters".  That all depends upon your needs, or desires, and for you only to decide.