Which set up would you choose?

[Doc]

I've heard in work there's 3 months of overtime coming up. Now I HATE work but when needs must I'll do it . I've told the missus it wi'l be for ME :hello1: . As some of you know I would llove to get in to this imaging lark so my question is.........

Bearing in mind I have pretty bad llight pollution. Also all good intentions to travel to a dark site has never materialised I need advice.

Would you take the following routes.....

A. Astrotrac with tripod and gearheads and maybe a good lens for my 1000d = £1100.

B. Eq6 + ZS66 or ED80 are similar to join to my 1000d = £1200

If I do decide on this overtime what would you buy?

Now personally I like both but considering my requirements what would you do.

[Whippy]

I'm not sure if the 66 would give you a decent field with your 1000D even with the 0.8x flattener but I'd go with the EQ6/scope combo because with just a couple more bits and bobs, you could autoguide with the TAL (buy a cheap 0.5x reducer) and you can chop and change your kit almost to your hearts content and the EQ6 would take it.

Tony..

[Doc]

Cheers Tony.

I agree about the chop and change scenarios. Thats what makes this set up great.

So in your honest opinion what scope would you consider over the Zs66. I always thought the ZS66 as a great widefield scope.

[RobH]

The EQ6 for sure. Much more flexible and easy to piggyback a camera to for the wide shots.

A nice WO 72 or 80 would be the scope I'd go for.

Cheers

Rob

[Doc]

Yeah but knowing our notorious bad skies and my reluctance to seek out dark skies isn't rhe difference in set up times a major factor.

Or is this off set by the ability to use your scopr for in depth photography.

[GazOC]

How about saving a few quid and getting a HEQ5? Those scopes would be fine on the smaller mount.

[Whippy]

I've got a 66 and whilst it's fine for cameras like mine with small sensors, I'm not so sure it'd be good for DSLR's but don't quote me on that. I'd go with Rob's suggestion of a M72 or ZS80 as I think may be better suited for your particular needs.

Yeah but knowing our notorious bad skies and my reluctance to seek out dark skies isn't rhe difference in set up times a major factor.

Or is this off set by the ability to use your scopr for in depth photography.

From what I've seen of the Astrotrac (not a lot admittedly), don't you have to polar align that too? From my own experience if you're imaging at short focal lengths and not going for longer exposure times (7 mins and up) you can get away with not spending all night getting your polar alignment dead accurate if you're autoguiding. I normally manage with a visual alignment when I'm imaging with my ZS66 and doing 5-6 min exposures.

Tony..

[Doc]

Wow you guys make some good points.

Gaz a HEQ5 no probs if it works just as well.

My ideal set up mainly for cost and expandability is a Eq6 and a ED80. I've seen so many good shots with this combination.

Would the 1000d be ideally suited to this combo?

I gather it would need a reducer?

[adamsp123]

HEQ5 or EQ6 with a Celestron C80ED which are still on offer at £214 a cracking scope at a daft price

pete

[jgs001]

Mick, the C80ED on the HEQ5 is a very capable combination. I was getting 3 minutes easily unguided last night, and as Pete says the price is really good too.

[Merlin66]

The EQ6 would be nice to have.... but, it weighs a LOT more than the HEQ5pro!!!!!

If you're really looking for a portable set-up you won't get much better than a ED80 ( with reducer if you like) on an HEQ5pro. To me it's the best of two worlds.

[Psychobilly]

I traded up from an Equinoxe-66 to a Megrez72 and given the choice would definitely go for the Megrez77 over the 66... used witht he FF III it give an useful FOV 176.1 x 117.4 arc mins at f4.8 fits those lovely big nebs in nicely ....

Billy...

[Doc]

So what are the negatives between a EQ6 and the HEQ5Pro.

I know that HEQ5 is cheaper and more portable but what can the EQ6 do that the HEQ5Pro cannot apart from payload.

[Merlin66]

Just the weight of the mounting and the maximum payload.....

Similar GOTO, controls etc etc, as far as I can tell.

I can easily mount my 6" Cometseeker and the Genesis side by side on the HEQ5pro; no problems.

[George]

I'd definitely go for EQ6... bit overkill for an ED80..... BUT think expandability, EQ6 will take just about any thing you could throw at it.

What are you going to use as a guidscope? or did I miss that in the original thread?

[Doc]

Not even considered a guidescope George.

Any suggestions?

[George]

Not even considered a guidescope George.

Any suggestions?

Just about anything will do as a guide scope, depends on your budget too, plus how you going to mount it?

There's 2 ways, piggyback or on a side by side bar.

Then we need a guidecam ....the list is growing, you sure 3 months overtime will pay for all this

[Doc]

I don't think it will now.

[Doc]

Am I right in thinking.....

Unguided means that the EQ mount is polar aligned and the mount software is used to track the object being photographed. The better your polar alignment the longer the exposures.

Guided means that there is a camera connected to your guidescope. One lead connects to your mount and one lead connects to your laptop. The software on your laptop then takes over the tracking and guiding of the scope. This is more accurate as computers are guiding not just the mount software.

[Merlin66]

You are basically correct.

The guide camera and associated software provide the ongoing "corrections" to the std siderial drive of the mount to maintain a "lock-on" to the object.

[SteveP]

Doc

If I could just emphasis what Merlin has said. The mount will continue merrily with its own unguided tracking. The role of the guidescope with its separate camera is to periodically correct the mount through the laptop to reflect the movement of the guidestar, ie to sort of nudge the mount's motors to get the mount back into the ideal position

[Doc]

Thanks Merlin & Steve.

So with good polar alignment unguided should be about 5 minutes until drift kicks in?

[Coco]

Ive was mulling the same idea. I went for an Astrotrac as I already have a CPC 800 but like the idea of light weight 'quick' easy setup.

All too many nights I’ve been out looked up and by the time I got my gear out and acclimatized it all to see it cloud over.

The Astrotrac should also fit into my Lowepro camera bag making it a neat portable imaging system for on the fly.

Imagine keeping it in the car boot and having it ready to go anytime??

[jgs001]

Mick, I don't know if I had good polar alignment or not, as we discussed earlier, it seems pretty easy with the HEQ5 (again that will probably bite me soon) but I was able to get 4 minutes with the C80ED before trailing started becoming evident. Even then, it was only when I zoomed in all the way on the camera screen could I actually see it. I can post up the single 4 minute sub if you'd like.

[Doc]

Mick, I don't know if I had good polar alignment or not, as we discussed earlier, it seems pretty easy with the HEQ5 (again that will probably bite me soon) but I was able to get 4 minutes with the C80ED before trailing started becoming evident. Even then, it was only when I zoomed in all the way on the camera screen could I actually see it. I can post up the single 4 minute sub if you'd like.

If you wouldn't mind John.

Coco I've also considered the astrotrac for all the reasons you mentioned and buy the time I've bought some lenses I bet the cost would be similar.

If I was just interested in widefield then the astrotrac would win, but a ed80 and Eq mount should enable much more close up photo's.