First light with NEQ6 and 200p - a mixed bag

[Steve 1962]

Well, I finally got out with my new kit on Wednesday night.

First impressions of the NEQ6 is that it's a LOT bigger and heavier than my old HEQ5 (and also a lot noisier (have to look into that)), but it seems to carry my (new to me) 200p and ZS70 guide scope pretty well. It needed an extra weight (15kg in total) to balance the scopes fitted with QHY5V and 1000d DSLR camera.

The Polar Scope was bang on alignment straight out of the box, but I came straight up against a problem that I'd never had with my refractors - for the eyepiece of the 200p to be at a comfortable level, the polar scope is too low to see through. Never mind - a few minutes of wet and cold knees and we were polar aligned.

The mount connected to EQMOD using the same driver as the HEQ5 and after a three star alignment, the scope was pretty good at slewing to and centreing on targets - Jupiter, M31, M42.....overall I have the impression that it's a very nice, solid mount and the 200p gives stunning views even with cheapy SW EPs.

Then I had a go to see what we could do imaging wise, so I plugged in the DSLR and guide camera, off we went to M42...and my problems started.

My first problem occurred when EQMOD started throwing up Comms Errors so I had to redo the alignment a couple of times. I gave this up after a while and manually slewed back to M42. The mount then tracked OK at sidereal rate just fine but then when I came to guide, the DEC just would not play ball, it kept drifting northwards. Anyway, after 5x5mins @ ISO 1600 with the 1000d, each exposure showed oval stars and I got very cold about 2 o'clock, so I gave up and went to bed in a bit of a strop.

On closer examination yesterday, I found that the EQMOD Comms error seems to have been the result of the D plug screws on my EQDIR lead being a couple of mm too long to pull the D plug in tightly against the mount's socket, and I think the guiding may be a combination of poor polar alignment, poor balance and a slightly loose Dec clutch.

Overall, at least I've proved the mount works, that the 200p can be focussed with an MPCC and a DSLR, that the MPCC seems to do a good job of controlling coma, I've realised that I probably need to drift align as well as use the polar scope, I need to rebalance after adding a camera (doh!) and I've laser collimated a reflector for the first time in anger.

So not wasted time at all.

Steve

PS - here's an uncropped stack of the five 5 min shots of M42 - not sure about the blue gradient on the left - any ideas please??

[davy999]

Fantastic Start, great looking image there Steve

I recently had bought an EQ6 and so far I am impressed.

I do not use the eqmod, I just plug straight into the handset and use ASCOM drivers, works a treat with Starry Night etc.

Look forward to further images when you get to grips with your new equipment.

Dave

[chrisshillito]

Slip a star diagonal over the polar scope - you will probably need to remove the barrel from the diagonal but you'll be able to see enough to align in comfort!

Chris.

[Steve 1962]

Thanks for your kind comments Dave;- I use EQMOD because I'm a skinflint and bought a Syntrek EQ6 rather than the Skyscan to save myself over £100 which I can now spend on other goodies. (I was using EQMOD on my HEQ5 and loved it - meaning that the handset lived in the box - so I thought "what's the point of buying another one?")

Chris - thanks - that's a great idea - I'll have a "play" with a diagonal now to see if I can get one to fit

Steve