HEQ5 Pro+Newt, Nexstar 8 or dob+ArgoNavis?

[bindibadgi]

I hope to be getting a new scope soon, but I still don't know what the budget will be (It's all tied up with selling my car - anyone interested in a 2005 Honda Civic? :) ). If all goes according to plan, I'm going to shoot for a used Nexstar 11 GPS. I'm in the queue of people interested in the used C11 SGT at Andrews Communications but I suspect I'll miss that one since I'm not first in line.

Well, if the budget doesn't work out, I'll probably still be able to wangle about $1,500 for a scope. Here's what I'm thinking:

Option 1 - hunt for a used Nexstar 8 of some kind. This would provide me with great portability, tracking (I'm sick of pushing my dob around all the time just to keep something in view) and goto. The only problem is the aperture fever!!

Option 2 - get an HEQ-5 Pro from Andrews for a grand and then a 10" or 12" f/5 dob, some rings and mount it on the EQ. If the budget is really tight I could mount my existing 8" f/6 on there. I'd still get tracking and goto with this, but the portability really suffers (as does the observing comfort - say hello to the step ladder!). BTW would this even work, or is this mount really no good for these scopes?

So how do I decide? Flip a coin? It worked for getting a girlfriend in high school, and now 14 years later we've been happily married for over six years!

Or should I scrap these and look at another option?

P.S. The letter aitch has stopped working on my keyboard. This post took a long time with cut and paste! Don’t try this at home kids.

[prova]

Hi

I have a HEQ5-Pro and I think it's great, my only comment is that I really think that an 8" is about as big as you can go on one.

If your seriously looking at using a 10-12" Newt then you would really need to upgrade an go to a EQ6-Pro but there's a big difference in price from buying a HEQ5-Pro on special and using your 8" to buying a 10-12" AND a EQ6-Pro (or better eg. Losmandy)

Something to think about ..


ps. Astroboy ftw

:thumbsup:

[bindibadgi]

Haha thanks (oh and I pinched someone else's keyboard so I can type again).

Why would you say that the 8" is the max for the HEQ-5? Is that for imaging, or is it too wobbly for visual too? If that's the case, I really should stick with my current 8". BTW the specs I found say the 10" OTA is 12.5kg and the 12" OTA is 25kg. Does that sound correct? I think my 8" OTA is about 8kg from memory.

[prova]

I believe 8" is the max on the HEQ5Pro for imaging, on average an 8" OTA weighs just under 10kg

I think sticking with your 8" and getting a HEQ5Pro on special is the way to go.

[White Rabbit]

I'm thinking the same as you. I have the HEQ5pro and I'm gonna stick a 10" LX200 on it. I'm only doing visual at the moment but when the urge to start taking photos takes hold I'll upgrade the mount then. I'd rather have something I can grow into that something I will grow out of. The 10" falls within the limits of the carrying capacity of the mount and I've heard of people with EQ6's that are exceeding there weight capacity and still doing photography with it so.... Fortune favors the brave or is it Fools die young? lol

Sandy

[bindibadgi]

Spanner has hit the works!

Now I'm thinking that for my budget I can get a brand new 12" dob and Argo Navis for push-to. If things go well I can add a ServoCAT drive system to make it goto and tracking. If things don't go so well I can still save up for that, so it's a system that can grow.

What say you good people?

[programmer]

Can't go too wrong with 12" + Argo, with room to improve later on :) Should just squeak into budget.

[bindibadgi]

Thanks programmer. So in your experience, does the lack of tracking bother you much with your setup?

Wisdom would probably dictate push-to is fine with the possibility of adding the servoCAT later, but for you, would you trade down a bit in aperture to get the benifit of tracking?

[programmer]

I've never had tracking, but I'm purely visual for the foreseeable future. I can imagine it would be great to have even for visual, but my next purchase is more likely going to be bigger aperture rather than a motor drive system. So for ME, it's aperture all the way. I'm already thinking > 12"... :whistle:

[bindibadgi]

Excellent. I may have made my decision.

Of course, if I can get that used C11 SGT from Andrews, then that's going to make the decision hard!

[iceman]

12" dob + Argo is an awesome combination!

You don't need servocat for a scope that small, but if you want it later on, there's nothing stopping it of course!

You can also get an EQ platform if you want tracking for visual observing.

[dugnsuz]

Pushing a Dob around to chase highly magnified planets is a pain though!
For Deep Sky it's a dream.
Imaging has limited possibilities without purchasing expensive, larger mounts or eq tracking platforms.
All the best with your choice.
Doug

ps...my choice would be Prova's setup! But that's probably out of the budget by $1k or so...shame!

[bindibadgi]

I'm still undecided on this.

I'm currently leaning towards stretching the budget a bit and going for an EQ6 Pro and an ED80. Then I can piggyback the ED80 on my 8" Newt and have a nice observing/imaging all-rounder setup. Then I have lots of room for upgrading the OTAs later as the budget, and the wife, allows.

[monoxide]

that would be the way to go although you would image through the 8" so you wouldn't need the ED80 if its only for guiding, an ST80 would save a few $ and if you are really keen you could get a guide cam aswell as the achro for about the same price as the ED80.

if you were going to image/observe through the ED80 then ignore what i said about the achro/guider.

[westsiderailway]

And ships called ENTERPRISE.


Now who said that.;)

[Starkler]

It doesnt have to be....
link (http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=13760)

[astrojase]

you'd be amazed just how much the HEQ5 can handle. Ive got a 10" newt and a 120mm refractor on mine and take ok guided shots. I got a local engineering company to make an extension for the counter weight shaft to i can slide the 3 x 5kg weights right out / balance the extra weight.

i am sure i have seen someone on this forum with a 16" truss-tube dob on an EQ6 !!!! take it to the limit baby!!

[bindibadgi]

Wow! That HEQ5 with the 10" newt and 120mm refractor doesn't get wobbly in the breeze? How much does that payload weigh?

15kg of counterweight hanging down on a lengthened shaft really does sound like you've taken it to the limit!

[astrojase]

I try not to breathe on the setup when imaging - lol

Although i dont know for sure, i'd say around 30kgs. I wouldnt say it was rock solid either, but does the job under ideal conditions (ie: NO wind, breeze, slight seismic events or astro-flatulence). I have taken images up to 5 minutes long with no problems through the main scope - longer with wide field lenses.

The mount does suffer from periodic error (as do they all) but if your just doing visual work then it is more than adequate.

Ya gotta push ya gear :-) !!!

PS. I am nearly up to 50 posts - go me !!!!!!!

[Maverick]

42877

42878

42879

Hi there!
Hope this few reviews will help you:)

[bindibadgi]

Thanks Maverick! I will have a read of those; they look quite helpful.

[madtuna]

I sort of feel guity as I bought it...but then I don't cause I made your decision easier :D

[bindibadgi]

It was you huh? :evil:


lol. Congratulations.

I'm still thinking about the EQ6 Pro and ED80 combo. I hope I sell my car soon so I can go shopping!

[bindibadgi]

All this time without the cash is making me change my mind too often. And I'm slowly stretching the budget, even before the money rolls in. I'm now figuring on about $2,500.

What do you guys reckon about this? I've already got an 8" f/6 dob. For this new budget I can get either:

1. EQ6 Pro + rings (to mount my 8" Newt) + 10:1 Crayford + Baader MPCC + T-ring + Skywatcher ED80 + hardware for piggybacking onto 8"

Or

2. EQ6 Pro + 10" f/5 Dob + Bob's knobs + rings (a set for each Newt) + Baader MPCC + T-ring.

What do you say? Would you rather have an 8" Newt and an ED80 all on the same tracking mount, or an 8" Newt and a 10" Newt, one on the tracking mount and one on a dob mount?

I know I can later use the ED80 for guiding, but can't affor that now, so I'm beginning to think that it would be nice to have a separate scope (albeit a non-tracking dob) for visual while the camera is imaging away on the mount.

There are a few ways to play around with this, such as getting the ED80 and mounting that, but leaving the 8" on the dob mount for visual, but I think I'd rather have the bigger scope doing the imaging, and I've no way of mounting the ED80 separately, so imaging and viewing are pretty much mutually exclusive with the ED80 option. They go quite well together with the 10" option.

Why can't I decide? Either way I'd probably like to one day (far distant future) upgrade to a C11 with Hyperstar and ED80 as guide scope on the EQ6, plus a separate scope for visual (a dob or maybe a CPC/LX200 SCT).

[davewaldo]

Well... Just to help you along...

I think if you got a 10" scope, you probably wouldn't use your 8" much. The 10" is just as easy to move around (I think) but wil show you a lot more visually.

So you could always sell your 8" to fund the ED80.

With the 10" on the EQ6 you will still need a guide scope either way.

I envy your position, I'd be happy with either setup :)

Good Luck!

[bindibadgi]

I still don't have the cash remember. Don't envy my position until I'm in it! :)

[AlexN]

im in similar shoes to you at the moment... im leaning towards an eq6 and an orion ST80 guidescope for my 8" dob..

Got room to go to a 10" in the future, a 12" with a guidescope, dslr and all the rest, you'll be pushing it i think.. but people have done it. and done it well

[White Rabbit]

Funny, I've just changed my mind from getting the 10" LX200 to getting a 12"LB with argo navis. I seem to be a step behind you in thinking.

As far a pushing your gear, I dare say I wont have the 12" for long before I strap it onto the EQ5, just to see what happens ha ha.

[bindibadgi]

The 12" on the EQ5 is living on the edge!

[White Rabbit]

lol, yeah that just the kinda guy I am ;) . Actually I going to get an 8" for the eq.