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Old 13-08-2015, 07:49 AM
Frostyricho (Stephen)
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Dobsonian with a EQ mount

Hi all,

a few months ago i posted a thread on doing astrophotography with a 8" dobsonian telescope. At the moment im looking for my first job (as i am 16) and wanting to earn some more money to invest in astrophotography equipment. Next year for year 11 im doing photography and so i am allowed to take some decent cameras home here and there and i thought i may use this opportunity to do some astrophotography. Im looking to buy a second hand or first hand EQ mount that is priced from around about $600-$800. Are there tripods that i can get for this money to suit the weight of my telescope. Also what are the best applications for astrophotography that are free.

Kind regards,
Frostyricho
'Clear Skies'
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Old 13-08-2015, 08:16 AM
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rustigsmed (Russell)
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g'day frostyricho,

you will want to get a second hand HEQ5 like http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/s...d.php?t=133489

with the dob by itself its possible to video the planets and hand guide the dob for tracking. most planetary photography is done via videoing. software is used to remove the blurry frames, centering the planet and then stacking the file to reduce noise. this is even possible by converting a cheap webcam (how to http://www.iceinspace.com.au/63-431-0-0-1-0.html ). here's an example from the forum - pretty impressive http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/s...d.php?t=137139

For planets try Registax 6. http://www.astronomie.be/registax/

For deep sky, its not video but longer exposures generally from 30 seconds upwards. the idea is to get good tracking and as much added time as possible. try deep sky stacker http://deepskystacker.free.fr/english/index.html

there are plenty of how to video's for using these programs on youtube.

these also allow some basic photo editing for more powerful photo editing you may want to try something that has a trial period.

do you know what type of cameras you will be using?

Russ

Last edited by rustigsmed; 13-08-2015 at 08:30 AM.
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Old 13-08-2015, 07:31 PM
Frostyricho (Stephen)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rustigsmed View Post
g'day frostyricho,

you will want to get a second hand HEQ5 like http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/s...d.php?t=133489

with the dob by itself its possible to video the planets and hand guide the dob for tracking. most planetary photography is done via videoing. software is used to remove the blurry frames, centering the planet and then stacking the file to reduce noise. this is even possible by converting a cheap webcam (how to http://www.iceinspace.com.au/63-431-0-0-1-0.html ). here's an example from the forum - pretty impressive http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/s...d.php?t=137139

For planets try Registax 6. http://www.astronomie.be/registax/

For deep sky, its not video but longer exposures generally from 30 seconds upwards. the idea is to get good tracking and as much added time as possible. try deep sky stacker http://deepskystacker.free.fr/english/index.html

there are plenty of how to video's for using these programs on youtube.

these also allow some basic photo editing for more powerful photo editing you may want to try something that has a trial period.

do you know what type of cameras you will be using?

Russ
we will be using dslr cameras and because its year 11 we get to use the more advanced ones, so yea thats a bonus. That link you game be for the HEQ5 looks pretty decent for the price. But if that isnt a option to get atm, would getting one from america be a better option cause when i went there a few months ago they were cheap compared to Australia (and this was with the conversion rates).
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Old 13-08-2015, 07:54 PM
raymo
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Not a good idea. The freight cost would be huge, [boxed, around 30kg].
A basic mount might have been o.k. but much more to go wrong with a
Go To mount like the HEQ5. Dealing with warranty problems would
likely be a pain. Being over A$1000, there would be tax to pay.
A better option [IMHO] would be a used one. They come up here in
the classifieds quite often.
raymo
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Old 13-08-2015, 08:12 PM
Frostyricho (Stephen)
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Originally Posted by raymo View Post
Not a good idea. The freight cost would be huge, [boxed, around 30kg].
A basic mount might have been o.k. but much more to go wrong with a
Go To mount like the HEQ5. Dealing with warranty problems would
likely be a pain. Being over A$1000, there would be tax to pay.
A better option [IMHO] would be a used one. They come up here in
the classifieds quite often.
raymo

Ahhhh yea forgot about that with the warranty and the taxes now on things from oversea's that are over $1000. Ill shop around and look for one. Are there any other mounts that i could look for within the price range or just over.
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Old 13-08-2015, 08:37 PM
Frostyricho (Stephen)
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Well i found this mount on Andrews communications, and it has a 12kg payload. I don't know if this is a good mount, can i fit a go-to onto it, can i get a go to for less than $400 at least brand new or second hand.???
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Old 14-08-2015, 08:10 AM
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rustigsmed (Russell)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Frostyricho View Post
Well i found this mount on Andrews communications, and it has a 12kg payload. I don't know if this is a good mount, can i fit a go-to onto it, can i get a go to for less than $400 at least brand new or second hand.???
not really, the HEQ5 is really the minimum people recommend especially for an 8" newt. keep an eye on the classifieds there a generally a few around.
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Old 14-08-2015, 01:06 PM
raymo
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You will probably find a used HEQ5 for around $700-800 mount only, and
$1000-1200 with a suitable scope such as an 8" Newt. You will need a
12v power source for it.
raymo
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Old 14-08-2015, 04:20 PM
Frostyricho (Stephen)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by raymo View Post
You will probably find a used HEQ5 for around $700-800 mount only, and
$1000-1200 with a suitable scope such as an 8" Newt. You will need a
12v power source for it.
raymo
Ive got a car battery charger is that good. But i want to maybe get one for astronomy purposes, what do you recommend to get as a battery at a good price.
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Old 14-08-2015, 06:31 PM
raymo
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Others will probably suggest all kinds of options, but I have been using my option for close to forty years without a hitch. I go to my local auto electrician's shop and get a car battery that is past it's best for around $10-15, which on average runs my mount and accessories for about 2 to 3 years, at which point I just repeat the process. Hard to get a cheaper power source than that.
A 4 amp charger can be used directly connected to the mount; I have done it myself once or twice, but make sure there is a fuse in the circuit.
raymo

Last edited by raymo; 14-08-2015 at 06:37 PM. Reason: more text
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Old 29-08-2015, 08:54 PM
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I have a Heq5 pro for sale at the moment for $800 and for a couple of hundred more I could add an 8" Newtonian. If you are interested.
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Old 30-08-2015, 04:53 PM
Frostyricho (Stephen)
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Quote:
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I have a Heq5 pro for sale at the moment for $800 and for a couple of hundred more I could add an 8" Newtonian. If you are interested.
Yea i would like to buy it but i dont have the money yet for it im still saving up for one. If it was for sale in the future i would buy it but for now my parents want me to save my money up. If it was going to be for sale around christmas i would buy it as my dad would also put some money in as well as me, as will be a present from him. But thanks for the notification.
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