Equipment and accessories

What Exacting Do I Need.....

AstronomyGuy — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 06:09:04 GMT

Hey everyone,

I would like to be able to take some awesome astro-pics. What equipment do I need to do so. I have a Meade DS-2114ATS, Meade DSI, and the software that came with the CCD camera. What else do I need, if anything. And how do I take some great pics with what I have. Thanks....

Looking for suggestions for a Digital SLR for Astrophotgraphy

coffeeaddict — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 14:36:46 GMT

I'd like to start looking for a digital SLR for some astrophotography, in May-June or whenever the cloud canopy lifts from the Seattle area. Can anyone make some suggestions for new or used cameras in the $400 to $900 range? Never yet hooked a camera to my first scope, a 20 yr old Meade SCT, so any "how-to" information, as well as "do's and don't's" would also be very much appreciated.

c6-rgt or c8-sgt?

Scrythe — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 22:28:54 GMT

Hi guys, Planning on getting my first telescope and I'm stuck between the celestron c6-rgt and c8-sgt. Which one is a better imaging scope? My goal is for prime focus deep-sky objects (galaxies and nebulas and so forth). I think i've read too many articles on this stuff and confusing myself more and more. Or if there are any other suggestions within that prince range ($1500 at most), i'd like to hear them. My camera is a Canon rebel Xsi if that means anything in picking one or the other. Thanks Scrythe

Starshoot Autoguider / PHD Guider / Celestron CG-5 Mount Problem

CarlightExpress — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 20:59:33 GMT

Hi All

I'm new on the forums so take it easy on me :)

I have a Celestron C80ED on a CG-5 mount with a Skywatcher 80 as a guide scope, I am using the Starshoot Autoguider connected to the Autoguide port of the mount and Cannot seem to get a good calibration.

During the calibration, the W Calibration goes successfully, the E Calibration however, for the first two steps the star remains in the square although the square moves, on the 3rd or 4th step the star moves far out of the box

I have also noticed, with the guide port disconnected and the camera still capturing, and the tracking on the mount set to North, the stars move down the picture on the screen, if I disable tracking on the mount the stars travel up the screen, and if I set the mount's tracking to South then the stars move faster up the screen. I don't get what's wrong here, surely the stars should not move down the screen when tracking north, they should be as close to remaining on the same place albeit travelling left or right if polar alignment isn't done right

Can anyone help?

Simon

Cleaning Primary Mirror

MaTth1as — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:35:56 GMT

Hey there

I bought my 6" Newtonian Reflector in June this year and after loads of use I have found that my primary mirror is becoming dusty. I live on a dirt road so dust is always going to be a problem. I have been told never to touch my primary mirror with fears of "poking" it and ruining the mirror. Thus i need some suggestions on how to clean it :p Any Idea's?

Matt

12v Deep Cycle Battery

SkyCruiser — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:53:42 GMT

I do deep space and planetary imaging from remote sites and I want to extend my options for powering my laptop, cameras, telescope and other electronic accessories. I have looked at the Optima D31T (75 Ah) but before I make a purchase I would appreciate others' comments about their battery experience and recommendations.

Skycruiser

Auto guider vs Auto guiding software

Marc1980 — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 23:47:04 GMT

Good Evening,

After reading Tim's astro photography post which was awesome, I am wondering what the preferences are between a stand alone auto guider to using your laptop with auto guiding software on it? Do they accomplish the same thing?

Thanks in advance

Marc

My first telescope.

Shady — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:33:42 GMT

Good afternoon everybody.

I retire soon & I am thinking of buying a telescope.Chip has kindly advised me to answer the following points which I hope will help you to advise me.I've pasted his guidance below:

I'd suggest under Equipment, in the Telescopes thread, which is here.

It would be helpful to include such things as:

Budget
What you like to observe
Whether it needs to be easy to transport
Whether you need to be able to use it for astrophotography at some point
Whether you are familiar with telescope equipment already
Any preference you have as to size or type

In addition, if you have no accessories already (eyepieces, charts, etc.) then note that, or which ones you already have.

The "best" telescope for you will be the one you can (therefore will) use most often, so give some thought to what a typical observing night for you will be like, then describe that.

**********************************

Budget.Up to about £500.........depending on how my missus reactes.

What you like to observe.....Anything & everything.

Easy to transport...Yes please,and I need it to be suitcase size to take with me from the UK to Cyprus & back.(Do you folks in America use the word suitcase or do you use another word?)

Astrophotography? At this stage probably not,as I'd like to see how involved in Astronomy I get before spending too much.

No,I'm not familiar with telescope equipment.

The size depends on ease of traveling abroard as mentioned above.

I have no accessories.

Chip mentions a typical observing night above.Well I don't really know what a typical observing night is.

To assist you further,I don't think that I'll be spending thousands of pounds on my new hobby.Having said that,I might change my mind & fall in love with astronomy & spend shed loads.

I'd really like to see planets like Jupiter as more than just another 'star'.Clear visibility of the rings of Saturn would be nice as well.

And if I really like how things go with a portable telescope then I would consider buying larger models for both the UK & Cyprus.

In recent years,I discussed this issue with a chap in a shop in Truro who suggested that equipment valued at about £250 would satisfy my requirements.

What do you think?

Guidescope question.....

tbone0168 — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 19:22:34 GMT

Would an 80mm f/8.8 refractor with a focal length of 700mm serve a good guidescope?

Webcam Imaging

NutoAP — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 22:42:16 GMT

Just a couple quick questions:

1) In webcam imaging I hear the term Integration. Does this refer to shutter speed?

2) Has anyone had experiences using notebooks to capture images?

Thanks for everyone's help!

Filter switch for mono DMK camera used on an 11-inch Celestron

SkyCruiser — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 18:02:48 GMT

I am having difficulty locating a source for a filter switch to use when using my mono DMK camera for doing planetary imaging. Can someone point me in the right direction?

SkyCruiser

Best scope for the money?

Spracks1 — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 00:11:52 GMT

As I described in a recent post, I am planning on getting into astrophotography in around a year or so, and am currently in the planning stage. As of now I am planning on having a budget of around $1000 for the scope portion of the setup (not including mount, camera, software, etc....). I know this may be a bit of a loaded question, but what would be the best scope in that price range? I realize there are many factors that contribute to this decision, but for simplicity just pretend that none of those factors matter. Essentially, if you were going to build your whole astrophotgraphy setup around a scope of around $1000, what scope would you choose?

CGEM-1100 computerized telescope Newbe

twilight99 — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 06:23:17 GMT

I am completely new to Astronomy and have just purchased the new Celestron CGEM 11" Scope with the German Equatorial mount, Skymaster 15x70 binoculars, AC adapter, Zhumell T-Ring - Nikon, and Celestron T Adapter Universal 1 1/4 Inch for my Nikon DSLR Digital Camera. I curently have the Nikon DSLR D-200 Camera with several lenses and also a very seldom used Nikon SLR camera. My intrest is of course to learn to use the scope and then learn astrophotography. I have no idea what to purchase along with what I already have and would love a recomended list of filters, lenses, GPS or no GPS, polar scope or no polar scope, autofinder or what ever they are called or not.

Can anyone here help me to know what to buy to go with this system and wat namebrand items are best. I don't want to have to make a lot of purchases in the future because I made the wrong choices early.

Below is the system I purchased. I hope this is a good choice even though it is a fairly new system with out a lot of reviews.

I am 55 years old and going to have to depend on a lot of you good folks to help me through some of the learning curves. I have had an intrest in photography and celestial viewing since I was a child and just now where I can make these purchases. Hope the retirment year are fun. LOL My main intrest in the photography is the planets, moon and deep sky photography.

Any help will be greatly apriciated. I am already enjoying a lot of the post on here and awaiting for my system to arrive.

thanks in advance for all your help.

Overview

CGEM - 1100 - General Features

11" Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope
CGEM Computerized Equatorial Mount
Schmidt-Cassegrain mechanism that moves the primary mirror to adjust focus is supported by two pre-loaded ball bearings, minimizing the "mirror flop" typical of bushing focus mechanisms
Celestron's premium StarBright XLT coatings
9x50 finderscope to help accurately find objects
Ultra sturdy 2" steel tripod with Accessory Tray
Star diagonal provides more comfortable viewing position when observing objects that are high in the sky

CGEM - 1100 - Computerized Mount Features

40,000 object database with over 100 user-definable objects and expanded information on over 200 objects
Proven NexStar computer control technology
New "All-star" Polar alignment uses any bright star for a quick and accurate Polar alignment
Software Features include: Mount Calibration, Database Filter Limits, Hibernate, five Alignment Procedures
Flash upgradeable hand control software and motor control units for downloading product updates over the Internet
Custom database lists of all the most famous deep-sky objects by name and catalog number: the most beautiful double, triple and quadruple stars; variable star; solar systems; objects and asterisms
Permanent programmable periodic error correction (PEC) - corrects for periodic tracking errors inherent to all worm drives
Drive Motors - Low Cog DC Servo motor with integrated optical encoders offer smooth, quiet operation and long life. The motor armatures are skewed to minimize cogging which is required for low speed tracking.
Internal Cable wiring for trouble-free setup and transportation
Designated six-pin RJ-12 modular jack, ST-4 compatible guide port
Autoguide port and auxiliary ports located on the electronic plate for long exposure astrophotography
Double-line, 16-character Liquid Crystal Display Hand Control with backlit LED buttons for easy operation of goto features
RS-232 communication port on hand to control the telescope via a personal computer
Includes NexRemote telescope control software, for advanced control of your telescope via computer
Secure power plug ensures that the Mount's power source is not accidentally disconnected
GPS compatible with optional CN16 GPS Accessory
Precision machined 40mm diameter steel Polar shafts supported by multiple tapered roller bearings and ball bearings.

orion starshoot solar system color imager iii and my Zhumell 8in Dob

Mamakin34 — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 01:08:11 GMT

Hello all,

I am new to astrophtography. I have an 8in Zhumell dob. Now, I am well aware that a dob is no good for astrophtography, since it can't track. However my question is if it's possible to use this scope with the orion starshoot solar system color imager iii if all I want to do is take pictures of the moon. Would this be possible and how would my pics come out? Thanks for all the help.

Joshua

Remote viewing setup help

Drumbum — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:46:24 GMT

I am setting up an observatory in Goldendale WA (I live in Tricities WA) and am wanting to set it up so I can access the Ob remotly. I have plans and parts lists for the building (dome structure with robo setup to operate from far away) but need some help on the scope side. Here are the scopes ill be using....

Obsession 18" Dob (Servo cat and digital circles installed)

Celestron EdgeHD 11" on a Celsetron CGEM mount

Will build a peir mount and probable use a CE pro mount due to price of others (let me know if im overlooking something i shouldnt be)

I know ill need an autoguider setup but have no idea what else ill need in the way of hardware and software.

The issues I have that made me decide to build an observatory was that my family owns property there and the skies are always very dark. Locally the pollution is quite bad. So I decided that I needed a remote access observatory. HELP!!!!

New Celestron Telescope For AP

tkerr — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 02:31:26 GMT

Has anyone heard about this one yet? Interesting! any opinions?

http://www.celestron.com/c3/category.php?CatID=94

celestron 130slt

wozza80 — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 19:15:35 GMT

hey people!

iv got a 130slt celestron and a nikon d5000 and when i use both together im getting back focus,i read one of the cures for this is to move the mirror up in the tube,can anyone give advise on this ie distance and keeping the mirror centered!! new to this so not really sure how it will pan out but you gotta try these things!!

cheers my friends

wozza

ps. the focuser needs to move in closer to the telescope not further away

Philips SPC1290NC Webcam

Spartan2579 — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 22:34:49 GMT

Hello,

I've been trying to get some images of Jupiter using a Philips SPC1290NC Webcam. While preveiwing and adjusting the settings I get Jupiter looking good. But when I start capturing, all of the settings change and the planet is way overexposed. I have been able to get some decent shots before...i just dont know why its doing it...can anyone help?

Equipment for ploting light curve

Ming — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 15:57:03 GMT

When I read Astonomy magazine, sometime there is a light curve.
I also know there are many methods to "guess" a star magnitude, but they seem that does not work for me.
Does anyone know what equipment (amateur level) should I have to mersure magnitude changes and can plot a light curve ?

Best mount for the money?

Spracks1 — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 01:57:18 GMT

Hello all. In about a year or so I will be taking the plunge into astrophotography. I have been an avid observer for 2 years now, but astrophotography has always been my goal. I don't have enough time to devote to this new hobby right now, so I am in the planning stage trying to figure out what my budget will be and the equipment I want to buy. My current estimate is that I will want to spend around 2000 on the mount. My research thus far has indicated that the Losmandy G8 model would be the highest quality mount in this price range. I am curious if I have overlooked anything, or if anyone would have a recommendation for a better quality mount in this price range. Thanks for in advance for any help.

-Spracks

Guiding with a 9x50 finderscope

COSMICK — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 20:44:05 GMT

I am looking at a Stellarvue 9x50 finder scope with a 1.25 helical focuser as a possible guide scope option. My telescope is a 8" newtonian with a 800mm focal length, my mount is a Celeston CG-5. I plan on using the Orion Starshoot Autoguider for guiding. I thought by using my 2.5x barlow with the finder that I would have enough focal length to guide with. The 9x50 finder has a focal length of around 210mm. I thought this would make a nice light weight solution for guiding my rig. Has anyone ever heard of doing this type of guiding with any success? Your thoughts please!

DSLR at prime focus help requested

floyd_fan — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 03:01:19 GMT

Greetings - I have a problem -- I can't seem to make my camera focus on distant objects when connected to my newtonian scope with a T adapter. I thought maybe I would try a focal reducer, but that wasn't the right solution.

It looks like if my focuser was about an inch shorter, that would do the trick. Has anyone had to cut the focuser on their telescope to make prime focus photography work? Is there some kind of lens I can put on the telescope end of the T adapter to shorten the distance between my camera and the secondary mirror?

Trying to start with the photography part of all of this

Omar Oknod — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 21:05:36 GMT

I have acquired an old but still fairly decent scope in my opinion. What I have is an old Meade LX50 10" ( I believe its a schmidt cassegrain) system. it came with the Magellan II mount drive with an eq wedge already installed. It also came with an old ccd autoguider. I have tried it out for the past month or so and it seems to track the sky fairly well. I am not totally new to astronomy but i am new to the photography side of things. I know i need an off axis piece but besides that what should i look at just to start off with. I will be using a fairly old single reflex canon camera. If all goes well i will be looking to buy a new digital camera. Any advise or comments would be appreciated.

Web Cam Help Needed

darkmatter4brains — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 15:25:09 GMT

After waiting a month for my Mogg Adaptor to arrive, I finally got out and tried taking some Web Cam images for the first time - Jupiter was my target. But, it was a frustrating night to say the least, with many problems.

Actually getting the camera apart and "installing" the Mogg Adaptor was easy. The filter I'm using is an IR Filter Block, also from Mogg Adaptors.

My problems started when I got outside and started trying to take pictures. Here's what happened.

1) I could not get Jupiter in focus. I could focus it into a crisp image in the telescope itself, but after putting the webcam in the scope I could not get it into a good focus in wxAstroCapture on my laptop.

2) There was no color in my image. It looked like a white blurry blob. I thought the IR filter was supposed to help keep true color?

3) The image would freeze here and there in wxAstroCapture, making it difficult to sometimes even find the object.

4) With my 2x Barlow lens on, it was next to impossibel to get it in the frame and focus it in time. By the time I did, it already moved out of the frame. It seemed like the field of view on the laptop screen was more narrow then the FOV in the telescope itself.

Then I had more problems using Registax once I got back inside. This could be due to me not knowing what I'm doing yet.

4) Every optimized image it created looked as bad, if not worse, than the worst looking frame. I thought it was supposed to discard the worst looking images and make a composite from the rest, creating a more detailed picture than what you actually saw on the laptop screen.

5) The image it did create was only 256K. Blowing it up, or zooming in, even the slightest bit started to degrade the image. Once again it seemed like it was creating a real lousy image. Take the worst frame, blur it a bit, and that's the image I got in the end.

------

I guess I'm most concerned about #1 and #2. I probably don't have the ins and outs figured out yet with Registax. But, if a white blurry blob is the best I can expect of my images with this equipment, I think this will be a short lived hobby. I'm using a 4-inch Newtonian by Meade by the way.

Also, are wxAstroCapture and Registax the best programs to be using? Registax seemed about as user friendly as a car with no steering wheel.

Any advice on any of these issues would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

d4b

Getting into astrophotography

KingWookie — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 21:00:46 GMT

Hi guys I want to get into astrophotography, Im going to be ordering a telescope for my birthday soon and so far im considering the celestron Nexstar 130 SLT http://www.telescopes.com/telescopes/reflecting-telescopes/celestronnexstar130slttelescope.cfm#ReviewHeader. This scope looks to me that it should be good for viewing everything from planets to nebula and gallaxies, however i am a noob and would greatly appreciate expert opinions.

Also i want to get a camera for the astrophotography but this is puzzleing to me. Im currently looking at the Celestron NexImage http://www.telescopes.com/telescope-accessories/digital-imaging/celestronneximagesolarsystemimagerwsoftware.cfm but I want to know if it will be able to take nice pictures of nebulas and galaxies as well as planets with this camera. Again i am a complete noob at this and have no proior experiance. I dont want to spend a ton of money of this but i want something that will allow me to view galaxies and nebula and be able to take decent pictures.

Thanks