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Post by galileo on May 15, 2015 14:00:13 GMT -5
Got an extension tube for the HEQ5 which brings the eyepiece into a more forgiving position but now hard to reach to put the Bahtinov mask on , reluctant to go climbing steps in the dark so some kind of pick up stick may be required.
Anyhow, this is the 'Chorlton Refractor' pretty much in it's final guise, well it impressed the neighbours anyway!
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akhael
Junior Member
Posts: 18
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Post by akhael on May 16, 2015 1:23:52 GMT -5
Hi Galileo, congratulations on this nice scope you built. I was wondering how is the HEQ5 doing with such a long tube on the back ? Is it shaky ?
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Post by galileo on May 16, 2015 8:55:01 GMT -5
Hi Galileo, congratulations on this nice scope you built. I was wondering how is the HEQ5 doing with such a long tube on the back ? Is it shaky ? Thank you very much....
First of all I was quite amazed that the setup balanced out (just) with the 2 original counterweights. I was never the expecting the HEQ5 to be as solid as one would like but I thought I'd give it a go, nothing ventured as the saying goes.
So it's not the weight causing the problem but the length of the tube as you correctly point out, after touching it to focus it does take several seconds to damp down but then is perfectly acceptable. I plan to add a motor focuser so no contact with the scope is necessary.
I suppose in an ideal world I'd upgrade to an EQ6 with maybe a Losmandy plate, but my original plan was to so it as cheaply as possible.
I want to try to prove people wrong by imaging some DSO's , M13 is my first intended target with maybe some 60 sec unguided subs, for sure I can't add any guiding equipment to this setup.
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Post by Ales - iStar Optical on May 16, 2015 12:20:15 GMT -5
Very nice scope indeed, your ATM project really makes me proud! Regarding guiding, we offer very inexpensive, high quality 50mm 180mmFL guide scopes, this does not add much weight to the scope. Plus inexpensive, very lightweight auto-guider from Orion and you are good to go. I do think that if your mount is able to handle this scope now, it will be able to handle it with 50mm guide-scope and auto-guider. I don't think that you can make 60sec unguided images at 1800mm focal length. Also, make sure to get decent minus violet filter or any other filter which will eliminate some of the CA (if you are going to shoot in color). Ideal would be to do imaging with RGB color wheel or better yet with narrowband filters. Ive seen images made with 150mm F10 achromat using narrowband filters from one Italian imager and those looked like if they were done thru top-end 150mm APO. Don't get discouraged if your first few imaging sessions don't produce any good images. Get a decent book about imaging and do some on-line research. Get in touch with others who do imaging with achromats. You will be surprised about how much you can do with such inexpensive setup. Good luck and stay in touch!! regards,
Ales
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Post by galileo on May 18, 2015 7:32:16 GMT -5
Very nice scope indeed, your ATM project really makes me proud! Regarding guiding, we offer very inexpensive, high quality 50mm 180mmFL guide scopes, this does not add much weight to the scope. Plus inexpensive, very lightweight auto-guider from Orion and you are good to go. I do think that if your mount is able to handle this scope now, it will be able to handle it with 50mm guide-scope and auto-guider. I don't think that you can make 60sec unguided images at 1800mm focal length. Also, make sure to get decent minus violet filter or any other filter which will eliminate some of the CA (if you are going to shoot in color). Ideal would be to do imaging with RGB color wheel or better yet with narrowband filters. Ive seen images made with 150mm F10 achromat using narrowband filters from one Italian imager and those looked like if they were done thru top-end 150mm APO. Don't get discouraged if your first few imaging sessions don't produce any good images. Get a decent book about imaging and do some on-line research. Get in touch with others who do imaging with achromats. You will be surprised about how much you can do with such inexpensive setup. Good luck and stay in touch!! regards, Ales Hi Ales, thanks for your response and thoughts on imaging.
I am already a relatively experienced astro imager having used small apo's and Canon lenses with some success, guided with a 90mm refractor and synguider as seen below. This build was never meant to have a camera on it, it was just going to be a visual instrument but I just can't resist seeing what it can do as I've been told it's not fast enough...... it's only an achromat.......it's too heavy etc etc etc.
I like to prove people wrong
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