Heq5 pro replacement

[mikemabel]

Hello

I have a heq5 pro mount which i am finding increasingly hard to move and setup. i am in my sixties which i realise is not old

but i need something more easier ie lighter to get out of my garage and setup

i have a WO S73 refractor flattener and 485mc camera

Can anyone suggest an easier mount to set up with this telescope please

i have looked at the obvious skywatcher star adventure setups but my imaging train is 4.5 kg though removal of the flattener would 

reduce tis by 0.5kg im sure

 

any suggestions please

thanks

 

 

 

[Budgie1]

Have you looked at the EQ5 Pro, it's lighter than the HEQ5 and still has a 6.5kg payload for imaging.

Much easier to handle if you have to carry the mount outside to setup. It may not have the guiding accuracy of the HEQ5 but it's still very useful.

I started off with the EQ5 and then got the HEQ5 last year. I now use the EQ5 for my smaller setup with a DSLR and Samyang 135mm F2 but when it was my only mount I had my Evostar 100ED DS Pro on it with a DSLR and guide scope.  

[mikemabel]

Cheers Martin but i dont think it would help enough to be honest i think a Star Adventurer and possibly buying a 60mm scope 

for when i dont feel well enough to get the main scope out is my only option

Thanks

Mike

 

[JohnC]

Maybe AZGTI in EQ mode?

 

[Stefek]

Have a look to iOptron GEM28 . Reasonable payload and very light.

[nfotis]

May I suggest iOptron CEM26 or similar?

Quite light, from what I read, and with the same payload as the HEQ5 or so.

Another possibility would be a harmonic drive, like the incoming ZWO unit.

N.F.

[mikemabel]

Cheers for those suggestions.

The Zwo is interesting but far too expensive. The tripod is a contender though with a portable skywatcher adventurer head unit.

The ZWO harmonic mount needs testing first by more experienced SGL members than me.

 

 

 

[Sugandha]

On 18/01/2022 at 00:25, Budgie1 said:

Have you looked at the EQ5 Pro, it's lighter than the HEQ5 and still has a 6.5kg payload for imaging.

Much easier to handle if you have to carry the mount outside to setup. It may not have the guiding accuracy of the HEQ5 but it's still very useful.

I started off with the EQ5 and then got the HEQ5 last year. I now use the EQ5 for my smaller setup with a DSLR and Samyang 135mm F2 but when it was my only mount I had my Evostar 100ED DS Pro on it with a DSLR and guide scope.  

Hi, I am newbie and bought EQ5 Pro.. I have 6D Mark II and few lenses including 400mm.. Can you please guide me where I should look for how to use mount with DSLR.. Only if I am able to succeed then may think of investing in telescope etc. thank you

[Budgie1]

2 hours ago, Sugandha said:

Hi, I am newbie and bought EQ5 Pro.. I have 6D Mark II and few lenses including 400mm.. Can you please guide me where I should look for how to use mount with DSLR.. Only if I am able to succeed then may think of investing in telescope etc. thank you

Hi and welcome to SGL.

Firstly, if you're not familiar with the EQ5 setup, there's a good video HERE which runs through the setup, polar alignment and setting the Home Position.

The cheapest and easiest way to get started with astrophotography on your EQ5 mount is with a simple Vixen dovetail and bolt your camera to that. This will fit onto the mount and then you can do your, 1, 2 or 3 star alignment with the synscan handset. For this you'll need to use the screen on the camera in live view to locate the stars, so choose nice easy to spot stars. You can also use one of these bright stars to set the manual focus on the lens, again use live view and x10 zoom to get the focus as good as you can.

Now choose your target, to start with I suggest an nice bright object like M42 Orion Nebula or M31 Andromeda, ans slew the mount to that object and start the mount tracking.

It makes life easier if you have an intervalometer or remote shutter release so you're not touching the camera when you take an image.

Take a test exposure at something like ISO 3200 for 10 seconds to make sure you can see the target in the field of view. Then, when you're happy with the framing, start taking images. The ISO will depend on the light pollution where you live or the Moon phase, but look at somewhere around ISO 400 to 1600. The exposure setting depends on how well your mount is tracking. You can start off with 10 seconds and increase the exposure time until the stars start to trail, then reduce it again until the stars are pin-point again. The wider the lens, then less star trails you'll notice.

When you first start, you'll want to image several targets in one night (Target Hopping). Try to resist this urge and get as many exposures of one target as you can because it will give you a far better result in the end.

You will also find some good tutorials to get you started in THIS THREAD and if there's anything you're not sure about then feel free to ask or do a search of the forum.

Your next task will be stacking and processing your images and that's a whole subject on its own!

Good luck and have fun.

[Sugandha]

Thank you Martin for such a detailed explaination. I will give it a go with your recommendations.

[Dinglem]

The iOptron mounts are a lot lighter than the Skywatcher equivalent mounts, CEM26 or GEM28 would give you the payload you require.

[pete_l]

On 17/01/2022 at 18:02, mikemabel said:

I have a heq5 pro mount which i am finding increasingly hard to move and setup

Have you considered a dolly?

In case that is a term limited to British culture, I mean something like this:

[RoloFanatic]

I currently use an ioptron skyguider pro with a WO Z73 and find it works pretty well, i can easily get subs of 2 mins which is enough for my use but I did need to buy the extender bar for the weight in order to achieve balance.

My setup is just within the weight limit though so I think if you want to do autoguiding as well, then the skyguider pro may not be suitable.

 

[jambouk]

Can you put the mount on a trolley and just wheel it out? Or what about a pier and leave the mount permanently set up.

Edited January 30, 2022 by jambouk