Jump to content

Banner.jpg.b83b14cd4142fe10848741bb2a14c66b.jpg

Heq5+heavy scope.

eddie3000

Recommended Posts

eddie3000

eddie3000

Posted
Posted

Hi everybody! I just ordered my new SW MN190 scope, that weighs just over 10Kg, and I have a Heq5 mount. I have read many people recommending an eq6. The manual for the heq5 says it can handle scopes up to 13Kg.

I presume that an eq6 would dampen vibrations faster than a heq5, but after reading quite a few posts I am starting to wonder if I will be able to take nice photos with my mount.

If my mount is a bit tatty, I will have to be careful with things like wind. I honestly don't know whether the heq5 will be up to the job as I haven't received my scope yet. But I can't avoid feeling a bit worried.

In the mean time, I cannot stop thinking in how to solve the potential problems I can get from the wind shaking the scope and making astrophotography really difficult. I had an idea, and you guys may think I'm a bit mad:o, but I like camping and I go camping every year at least once. The same way an observatory dome can shield the scope from the wind, how would a large tent with a hole on the top work? I have a few tents, and could modify one of the old ones. Setting up a tent only takes about 10-15 minutes. Does anybody think it will work? Is it a good idea? Any other ideas? Is this the right forum for this heq5 related issue?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
eddie3000

eddie3000

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Really? Well that's a relief. Thanks Zhgutas. :)

Well I guess I should get started in adapting one of my old tents for the job, before the scope arrives. I just hope I don't completely mess up the tent, because it's probably easier said than done. I'm going to have to get the sewing machine ready.

Cheers!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Ant

Ant

Posted
Posted

Are you sure that the MN190 is only 10kg?

I read another thread a few days ago that said that according to the SW website it's 16kg?

The SW site could, of course, be wrong!

Ant

Link to comment
Share on other sites
eddie3000

eddie3000

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Well that DOES worry me. Before purchasing the scope I looked around and found unreliable info. Skywatcher's web doesn't mention it's weight.

TELESCOPE SUPPLIERS - SKY-WATCHER TELESCOPE

I asked for prices and the tube's weight in a few stores, and two stores told me it weighed about 10Kg. I finally got the scope on ebay precisely because the seller said it weighs 10Kg:

Skywatcher 190 / 1000mm Maksutov Newton en venta en eBay.es (finaliza el 11-jul-10 14:35:04 H.Esp)

Anyway, if it does weigh 16Kg, too bad. I'll have to figure out how to solve the problem somehow. It'll keep me busy thinking...:)....better than doing nothing! I guess I'll eventually have to upgrade my mount.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
brianb

brianb

Posted
Posted
Are you sure that the MN190 is only 10kg?

I read another thread a few days ago that said that according to the SW website it's 16kg?

I don't think this is particularly relevant - the issue is that the MN190 is a long tube with the weight concentrated at the ends i.e. it has a large moment of inertia, bigger than e.g. a C14 tube which is shorter but not much different in weight. It's the moment of inertia which determines how well vibrations damp out.

In my experience, much of the load carrying limitation of the HEQ5 is down to the tripod. I replaced the tripod of mine with a Berlebach Planet & it's much better. OK, it would have been cheaper to buy an EQ6 in the first place, but...

Personally I wouldn't bother with chopping up a tent - even an old one. A beach type windbreak (four vertical poles with a canvas strip stretched round them) will be just as effective & at least as easy to set up.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Ford Prefect

Ford Prefect

Posted
Posted

Hi

I have a SW MN190 and use mine with a EQ6. I did try it on my HEQ5 but with the addition of a guide scope it really wasn’t stable enough for astro photography IMHO.

The SW MN190 is a big beast and moves around a hell of a lot in the wind, saying that the only way to be sure is give it a go :)

cheers Jon

Link to comment
Share on other sites
barkis

barkis

Posted
Posted

I just retrieved my OTA from the Obs and weighed it.

Just the tube with no rings, no finder, and the weight was slightly under 10Kg. Add all the gubbins required for imaging, and then decide.

Ron.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
eddie3000

eddie3000

Posted
  • Author
Posted

If the weak spot is the tripod, I could try using sand bags or weights to hold it down somehow.

And, yes, I agree it might have been cheaper to get an eq6 from a start. I got my heq5 for about 750 euro (a bargain I think, it usually is more expensive), and the eq6 costs about 1150euro. And to be honest, I didn't think I'd end up getting a MN190 over a year later.

I'll take a look at the beach wind break things, they might be worth a look. But I do have a couple of old tents I doubt I am ever going to use again, and it's also a fun thing, you know, redesigning and recycling old things. My friends will be able to quickly identify where I am, especially if I end up with a unique and unmissable old tent with a hole on top that stands out!:)

WHAT THE H*LL IS THAT??!! Oh, is just my observatory:D

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Beyond_Vision

Beyond_Vision

Posted
Posted

I have been using a 8" newt which is only 0.5kg less than the MN190 on my HEQ5 mount which is on a pier. I use a side by side plate and WO66SD for a quide scope and it is ok. It probably wont be viable when it's windy.

I figure the MN190 will be pushing it on a HEQ5 with a standard tripod but should be ok as Brian says on a sturdier tripod or pier with some shielding from the wind.

Here's a picture of my set up with a wind shield made out of a lattice framework from an Arch kit and a few tarpulins.

beyondvision-albums-my-gear-picture4222-8-astrograph-newtonian-wo66sd.jpg

Sorry I havent got a wider view of the set up but it is a pier in the middle of stone circle with four lattice frames around the edge of the circle which I wrap the tarpulins around to give me a light and wind shield.

Also just incase you haven't thought about it you will need more counter weights and possibly a longer counter weight bar to balance the system.

Regards

Kevin

Link to comment
Share on other sites
eddie3000

eddie3000

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Peter, at the moment I have a Nikon d80. To be honest, it isn't the best dslr for this job. It has too much "amp glow". I assume newer models haven't got that problem. I will some day remove the ir filter, probably when it's time to get another dslr.

Kevin, it's a good idea to have a fixed pier. Your photo makes me feel a lot better. Quite a nice setup too. Where I live there is a lot of light pollution. Each time I do some photos I take a drive to the middle of nowhere. Fortunately, Zaragoza (where I live) is a small city, and a 30 minute drive is enough to get decent skies. I have to go through the polar alignment ritual each time though, eventually I'll be capable of doing it with my eyes closed.:)

The only problem in Zaragoza and the valley of the river Ebro is that it is windy quite often. The wind is so normal here that it has been given a name, CIERZO. It normally blows from the NW.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
brianb

brianb

Posted
Posted
(OAG) Just less weight and "windage" on the scope... as you dont need a seperate guidescope...

Yes but autoguiders can't cope with wind vibration, they aren't fast enough. The adaptive optics modules are (up to 40 pixels correction at time scales as short as a millisecond) but they add so much extra cost that it would definitely be a better solution to trade up the mount.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue. By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.