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600gto for astrophotography
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Stephen E. Russell <sjruss55@...>
Hello fellow astrophotographers,
I've the 6oogto with 130f6 and use a 60mm guide scope combo. I'm new at this game and have only tried 15 min. shots so far. I'm using the wooden tripod for now. When I move up to the 155f7 EDFS I understand the 900 would be a much more stable platform. To get the most out of the 6oo mount I will get the pier. AP is sold out of 48in piers for a couple of months, so I was wondering if anybody is using the 54in pier with the 600gto/155f7 combo? I'm 6ft tall, but wonder if the 54in pier will be too tall? Assuming only 35mm format and lets say winds no more than 5mph, what is your definition of casual vs. serious astrophotgraphy limits? I'm sure I fall into the casual catagory since more than 75% of my time is visual. If I have the paitence I would like to work my way up to 60min. manually guided shots. Can I get by with the 60mm guide scope with the 155 for manual guiding? I would appreciate any comments on this setup. Stephen |
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Bob Luffel <bluffel@...>
A 60mm guidescope can certainly work for manual guiding, though my preference
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has been 80mm. I prefer to select a guidestar that is within the field of the image, to minimize the chances of field rotation (good polar alignment is important). An 80mm just gives you a brighter selection of stars, at a high enough magnification (200X or higher) to make guiding easier. In any case, a 60mm guidescope is pretty cheap and you can always upgrade later. Bob Luffel
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Bobby Middleton <bobm@...>
I'm speaking a bit out-of-turn here because I don't use guidescopes only
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off-axis guiders; but you should do just fine with the 60mm guidescope. The glory of the guidescope is its ability to be tweeked independently of the imaging scope. So the smaller apreture shouldn't ever be a problem since you will have so much flexability in finding guidestars. Bobby Middleton http://www.koyote.com/users/bobm/astro1.htm Assuming only 35mm format and lets say winds no more than 5mph, what is |
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Bob Luffel <bluffel@...>
Sounds like you have it well in hand already.
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I use a Celestron (vixen) 80mm f/11 and ST4 with my 155EDF. At f/11 I generally have had no problem finding suitable guidestars within the field. I like to have a bright enough star so I can keep the ST4 exposures at or below 1 second. Assuming that your 60mm guidescope is f/11 it should work just as well, just at a shorter focal length (but with the 130 f/6 you will have a similar guidescope/mainscope focal length relationship). Enjoy the manual guiding! I used to be more of a 'purist' and manually guided, but I got used to auto guiding surprisingly fast :-) (still, the set up time and hassles are the same for autoguiding and manual guiding). What the ST4 really bought me is the ability to do something (like observe) while taking an exposure. That is what my Traveler gets used a lot for (as a second scope to use while the 155 is humming away). Oh yeah, one more thing I learned. Stick with simple guidescope rings, they work well. I once tried a Tak TGM-2 guidescope stage (basically a teegul mount). It flexed like crazy and was actually a pain to use (lots of shift in the axis' when adjusting). Bob
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DPMESSIER@...
In a message dated 3/17/2000 2:38:25 PM Eastern Standard Time,
sjruss55@... writes: Timehorizon problem, except when they grab on the diagonal to get their balance. Idon't have any future plans for a shorter scope, if so then I will have to usethe tripod. Even if I buy the 54in pier, maybe you can just buy the centerStephen, Yes you can buy the pier post only. I have a 900GTO and a 54" pier and bought a 42" pier section with tension rods. You probably could get away with only one set of rods, depending on the heights. I plan on using the 54" pier with a refractor and the 42" pier with a SCT. Dave Messier David P. Messier http://members.aol.com/dpmessier/ |
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Paul Gustafson <drgus@...>
I've the 6oogto with 130f6 and use a 60mm guide scope combo. I'm new atI'm 6'2" tall and use the 155 EDFS/900GTO combo (a little taller than the 600, I believe) on the 54" pier. I can view to the horizon standing and can view at the zenith without crawling on my knees. It's quite doable, but if you have any observing friends any shorter, it will be too tall when viewing near the horizon. And you won't be doing much viewing seated. If you plan on using a shorter scope on the mount/pier combo, I'd go for the 48". Since I will be using a C-11 and a Mak-Cass on mine, I am going to sell the 54" and go to a 48". Gus |
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Stephen E. Russell <sjruss55@...>
Hi Gus,
Thanks for the input. I figured that most folks use the 48in pier. I set up my tripod at 54in with the 130f6 to get a feel for it. Crawling on my knees and trying to guide manually is uncomfortable. Maybe easier to stand, I guess you need to choose objects that allow you to sit is the key, easier said than done. Even though the 155f7 is longer, the guidescope still will remain at the same position, so I need to consider this some more. I can see where the 80mm GS would be easier to use just because it is longer. Time to bring out the stepstool for the shorter observers would solve the horizon problem, except when they grab on the diagonal to get their balance. I don't have any future plans for a shorter scope, if so then I will have to use the tripod. Even if I buy the 54in pier, maybe you can just buy the center section only. Stephen I'm 6'2" tall and use the 155 EDFS/900GTO combo (a little taller than theviewing near the horizon. And you won't be doing much viewing seated. If you planon using a shorter scope on the mount/pier combo, I'd go for the 48". Since I |
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Stephen E. Russell <sjruss55@...>
Hi Dave,
I'll give AP a call to get the details on the tension rods. Thanks, thought you interchange the piers since legs were the same. Stephen Stephen,54" pier with a refractor and the 42" pier with a SCT. |
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Paul Gustafson <drgus@...>
Even if I buy the 54in pier, maybe you can just buy the centerAP said I could buy the 48" pier only (the base, legs, and tension rods are the same), and a new set of turnbuckles to use with my current tension rods. Roland said with their 10" Mak-Cass on a 900, the 48" pier was just right. Gus |
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Stephen E. Russell <sjruss55@...>
Hi Bob,
I bought that 60mm GS from AP three years ago for the SDF and 130. With a Tak 5mm Guide eyepiece, I'm at 140x, which does begin to get dim for guiding. I'll try to keep within the FOV AMAP, good tip. The 140x works out to be about 5x the focal length in inches with the 130f6, so it looks like I should use 200+ with the 155f7. May have to upgrade as you say. For all you ST4 users, isn't the 60mm GS adequate for autoguiding for 155f7? Eventually I'll have to get one, but I want to experience the pain of manual guiding for now anyway. Thanks, Stephen A 60mm guidescope can certainly work for manual guiding, though mypreference has been 80mm. I prefer to select a guidestar that is within thestars, at a high enough magnification (200X or higher) to make guiding easier.later.
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Stephen E. Russell <sjruss55@...>
Hi Bobby,
Thats exactly why I bought the guidescope. Thanks for the response. Stephen I'm speaking a bit out-of-turn here because I don't use guidescopes onlyyou will have so much flexability in finding guidestars. |
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Stephen E. Russell <sjruss55@...>
Thanks for the info. Gus, looks like the best of both worlds.
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Stephen -----Original Message-----
From: Paul Gustafson <drgus@...> To: ap-gto@... <ap-gto@...> Date: Friday, March 17, 2000 2:08 PM Subject: [ap-gto] Re: 600gto for astrophotography rods.Even if I buy the 54in pier, maybe you can just buy the centerAP said I could buy the 48" pier only (the base, legs, and tension rods are Roland said with their 10" Mak-Cass on a 900, the 48" pier was just right. |
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