Budget / lazy camera setup advice

[Jeff-Colorado]

I have an 8 SE, 0.63 focal reducer, with stock AltAz mount and I'm lazy so I have StarSense AutoAlign and a Wi-Fi module. I usually observe in Bortle 3/4 skies at 10,000 feet.

I'm thinking of upgrading my old Zwo 224MC (which was hard to find planets with) camera to a bigger 585MC. I'm also contemplating running a 35 foot active repeater USB 3 cable from the camera to my laptop inside my warm house this winter.

Is this a reasonable setup for moderate quality imaging of both DSOs and planets? I'd like to capture and post process the occasional decent image and also do some live EAA. Any advice is welcome.

 

[Elp]

The 585 is fine for both planetary and long exposure DSO (maybe up to 60s) though you'd benefit from equatorial rather than alt az, but instead you'd take a lot more short exposures on your current mount for EAA.

I still use my 224 mainly for planets. The issue is your scope provides a narrow FOV, what I usually do with the 224 is find the planet via an eyepiece first (using my C6 at native 1500mm), slowly going up powers and recentering. Then put in the camera and if needed a Barlow then recentre. The small sensor doesn't help but this process works, it's easier if your mounts tracking capable, far more difficult if not especially at such a focal length.

[bosun21]

Yes it will work fine. @PeterC65 uses a 585MC and a 10m active USB3 cable to allow him to remain indoors while doing EAA. I am in the process of doing this myself to change from WiFi to wired connection for my EAA rigs.

[Jeff-Colorado]

Many thanks for the insights, Elp and bosun21.

Yes, my SE mount precludes high end imaging but I compensate for that with low expectations. I've gotten some surprisingly good images of Jupiter with the 224 but it was tedious because of the tiny sensor. I followed, more or less, the process you described.

Glad to hear that someone else had success with a 10m active USB 3 cable. I am going to give that a try!

[Bivanus]

585MC happy user here, and also fellow lazy person that chose to do EAA rather than AP 😂 I am fortunate that a 3m normal USB cable suffice in my case. Also, I tend to do drifting lucky imaging for planets with Alt AZ mount with...various result... Let's put it like this, I don't yet have an image worthy to post (there are already plenty of fuzzy Saturn pics out there) Then again , it's fun for me and NASA would probably not be interested anyways 😁

[PeterC65]

I have the Player One Uranus-C which is their version of the ASI585MC. It's a great camera by the way. I keep looking at other cameras and always decided that they would gain me nothing (or very little).

I have a 10-port locally powered USB 3.0 hub on the mount (powered from the mounts 12V supply) and connect that to a laptop inside via a 10m active USB 3.0 cable (it has two repeaters). This setup works reliably. I usually have two Uranus-C cameras plus the mount and an electronic filter wheel connected. Using two cameras at the same time does impact the frame rate though, so when I'm observing the Planets or the Moon I only enable one.

 

[Jeff-Colorado]

Thanks for the insights, Bivanus and Peter. Lazy people of the world unite!

Glad to know the 585MC works well.

I just ordered one and a 50 foot active extension USB 3 cable. I'm looking forward to some EAA from the warmth of our mountain cottage.

Edited September 28 by Jeff-Colorado