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Old 22-06-2017, 03:00 PM
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Brian W (Brian)
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Looking for a good telescope qnd mount to do lunar and planetary photography

Hi, I used to be an active member but dropped out for about 5 years. I'm now able to start looking for a telescope and mount for lunar and planetary photography.

I have M.S. which means that I need a light setup because strength is not my strong point. I have the use of an 8" SC but it is simply too heavy for me to use. I can handle up to 20 pounds without too much trouble.

I also need a type of scope that doesn't need collimation as my fine motor skills are pretty much shot.

My camera is a Sony Alpha a58.

I am hoping in the future to be able to put up a small observatory. Small as in one person in a wheel chair is all it will hold.

Brian
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Old 22-06-2017, 05:26 PM
casstony
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Would a Celestron Evolution mount be portable enough for you Brian?
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Old 22-06-2017, 06:12 PM
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Brian W (Brian)
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I can't see any weight specs but it looks like overkill for a 80 to 114mm refractor?
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Old 22-06-2017, 06:48 PM
casstony
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The Evolution mount is 16 pounds and its tripod is 13 pounds, but the mount has an internal battery so you don't have to cart a power source. You could use it with your existing 8" SCT optical tube.

The Ioptron Minitower is a bit lighter and would have more clearance for a refractor.

You probably need to figure out which mount suits you before deciding on a scope since portability is so important.
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Old 22-06-2017, 07:01 PM
Wavytone
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Brian W View Post
I'm now able to start looking for a telescope and mount for lunar and planetary photography.
This is about as good as it gets:
http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/s...d.php?t=156749

Quote:
I need a light setup because strength is not my strong point.
OK... If its an SCT with the standard fork mount then yes its a heavy lift. That means split it into smaller pieces, and a smaller scope:

1. Something like a Skywatcher 150mm Mak, or maybe a C5 on top would be a lot lighter than what you have.
2. For visual lunar & planetary, an iOpteon MiniTower or SkyWatcher All-View mount will handle the very nicely. Both are GOTO, alt-az, dead easy to set up and tracks nicely - I had my 180mmm Mak on one though that was too big for this mount.
3. Tripod - the one that comes with smaller mounts is usually crap. Get a surveyors tripod from Bunnings, these are far superior.
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Old 23-06-2017, 09:27 AM
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Brian, deeply sorry about the MS, from the MS sufferers I've met it seems like what I went through with my stroke only in reverse I had my stroke 3yrs ago and had to adapt my astronomy/photography to suit my current reduced condition. Where I've settled is I have my nikon with 70-200mm lens permanently focused for astro and mounted on a camera tripod with a ball head and trigger grip. As I only have one hand to use this gives me enough control to point where I need and I found a red dot finder with hot shoe mount to put on top to help me aim easily from a seated position ( i was lucky and beat the wheelchair). So i got help adjusting the height of the tripod and cant use the eye viewer anyway, so its red dot and live view to help align. it's a light enough setup to move around. I also have a pana fz1000 on a vixen polarie on another tripod for longer tracking (my nikon is too heavy for the polarie so gave up on a tracking solution with that for now).

Telescopewise I downsized to the celestron skyprodigy 6 . Even in suburbia this does a reasonable job of auto aligning and tracking for me to use my zwo imager. I found on ebay a tripod dolly which I have the skyprodigy on, basically just gives it wheels so I can have it set up in the garage and wheel it outside, no heavy lifting issues but the foot brakes can be tricky for me and the slope out front too. The accessory tray on the tripod I got help to glue/tie a board onto this and the legs firmly so it came out one side to form a ledge I could sit my laptop on to capture. The tripod dolly also forms three radiating beams out to the base of each tripod leg where they are affixed above the wheels. This gave me a flat frame a few inches above the ground for me to put my battery pack for the scope , So the whole thing I have permanently ready to go, just need to wheel it outside. I can do what I need indoors to charge battery and fiddle with laptop data to an portable drive to take to my pc and get someone to help me if any part of it feels lose to help with cable ties etc. The 6in SCT isnt mind blowing but its a very usable setup for someone living alone with a disabillity to manage safely on my own. Happy to send you some pics over the weekend if you like, send me a private message with email.

It's a setup that would be adaptable to most telescope on tripod mount setups. Its stable and above all as portable in one trip to be up and running. Not transportable though, not as impressive as many setups here but its allowed me to continue enjoying astronomy when I thouhgt it was beyond me. My only thoughts on change are either modding a lid to make a wider focuser wheel to help focusing better or try to find a dual speed focuser that will work in this OTA (not something i can currently afford to try anytime soon though). You're not alone in your struggles mate, you may not get back to where you were but you don't have to quit entirely either, it was hard for me to compromise and i still have my scopeasaurus 11" SCT and still dream of getting a motorised wheeled method I can put it on to be able to use it again, observatory not an option for my place sadly.


additional

I found it best to use a telrad circle finder on my scope, not just because they are awesome but because they are ugly and stand up high. I have balance problems and motor control problems just bending so using eyepiece and red dot finders i find difficult. a 45deg diagonal might help.

Last edited by sil; 23-06-2017 at 09:53 AM.
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Old 23-06-2017, 09:53 AM
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Brian W (Brian)
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It's been a good life. At least once I started concentrating on what I could do instead of what I couldn't. Seems to me you have found the same secret. I will take up your offer and send you a private message.

And thanks for the other replies.
Brian
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Old 23-06-2017, 01:35 PM
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sil (Steve)
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yep got message and will send pics over weekend, if i forget give me a nudge on monday. gaining a disability is always unique to everyone, ever though there are similarities. not giving up itself is difficult and while i'm not happy for your situation you are looking for practical solutions which is great. I hope some of what I can advise can be of use to you. You can ignore it all and thats fine by me but if you can put some of it to use that'll be awesome. Either way I wish you well! Sorry I can help with rain in the Phillippines though
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