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Post by boomboom on May 20, 2013 16:36:14 GMT -6
Nice Skywatcher story there Stephen, 55lbs is an impressively large amount of weight for an EQ6. I take it you are going to put an 8" f8.8 on the same mount? When it comes down to it I have three choices of scope that I just can't decide on 6" f12 of the shelf' 8" f8.8 of the shelf or a 7" r35 ATM. I can get a 203mm Aluminium tube here and put a 7" objective in it and put that on the EQ6 if it will hold it, which by the sounds of it is a definite maybe. I'll post a pic of what I have at the moment when I can get to the home computer. It's an HEQ5 (14kg rated) with 12.5kg's of 6" f8 6CR plus a 70mm f7 'finder scope' This performs really well too, I'm always very careful with balancing. Got me thinking on an 8" now....oh dear how am I going to break this to my wife!
Thanks Brian, height is what every refractor needs, mine is now 5' in the air. Getting a scope set up that far off the ground is a bit scary, thinking out loud 18 -20+ kg's is even more so...
Matt
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Post by boomboom on May 20, 2013 4:23:43 GMT -6
Thank you so much for the compliments. The forecast looks good for this weekend. Keeping my fingers crossed. A young man down the road keeps asking my wife when I will be set up again. I wonder how it would have affected me at 13 years old to have seen through something like this. All I had was a 50mm f 10. It is so rewarding when a youngsters curiosity for astronomy is aroused. I think I can answer what happens to a young bloke with a big frac around. As a 16 year old I got to use the 9" f15 'Oddie' refractor on Mt Stromlo in Australia for one night a year for a year. Canberra is 2,000' up and has lots of crystal clear nights. Ever since I have always wanted a long FL frac...very affected to say the least. There is nothing like the view through a large frac in my opinion. In Australia using a refractor as a visual instrument is rare, an achro is even more so. For the last 30 years the Oddie has been one of my favourite memories from school days. Hope this happens to the kid down the road! Unbelievable good scope too by the way...speechless really. Matt |
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Post by bn1777 on May 20, 2013 1:58:14 GMT -6
Hi Matt , as you know my Istar 127mm f8 is an easy load on my HEQ5 , I have the same mount in NZ that holds my 150mm f8 easily now that its on a solid HW tripod like yours .I gave the stainlees steel tripod to a fellow member to get his EQ5 with alloy tripod and 4 inch OTA in a better position and the set up is a good one now .
A fellow club member in NZ has an EQ6 and for a lark we put my 150mm f8 OTA onto it and it held it easily , but the standard tripod was to light weight and short , as you already know .
I knocked up an adaptor to use Allen's EQ6 in our out side observing pier ( super sturdy 150mm x 150mm RHS concrete filled , I made it STRONG ! )to hold my 150mm and putting the OTA up to about 6 feet was a match made in heaven , super sturdy and enough hight to view the zenith easily .
The EQ6 took the 150mm with ease so I recon an Istar 150 f10 on your ash tripod would be a great match , even the f12 ? given enough hight of the tripod .
Good luck mate and please keep us informed as to your progress ,,, mmmm 6 inch f12 ,, nice !
Brian.
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Post by bn1777 on May 20, 2013 1:33:14 GMT -6
Ha ha , it worked , Matt as to your question , I dont need to use a barlow with my scope , it comes to focus using the supplied WO's 20mm and el/cheepo Bintel 40mm plossls's I like the 40mm the best , a nice low powered view with a little vignetting if I look for it .
The 20mm WO's are good but the plossles when barlowed give the view of the moon a real 3D look to it , my favorite .
If the clouds clear tonight that is what I will be doing , Istar/Saxon , HEQ5 , bino viewers and barlowd 40mm plossl's ,, nice .
Brian.
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Post by bn1777 on May 20, 2013 1:29:24 GMT -6
Here is the binovierer set up , I wont type much incase the dialog dissapares again , I will explain in a quick reply  |
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Post by bn1777 on May 20, 2013 1:26:10 GMT -6
Well I just spent 10 miniuts typing a detailed reply to all , but it seens to have dissapared  Photos arrived tho ?? Here is my new HEQ5 (non-goto) and the c/weight leg clash at 18 degrees south , i live at 12 degrees so this tripod is no good here , no worries , I just machined up a stainless steel adaptor to fit the HEQ5 Istar onto my TelVue Gibralter , a 2-3 second dampening time compared to 3-4 with the SW tripod , it is also able to be used up yo 1600mm tripod hight , not the 1200mm of the SW'r so its a lot more comfortable at the zenith . Matt I will reply on the binoviewers next , it all dissapared Brian. |
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Post by bn1777 on May 20, 2013 1:20:29 GMT -6
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Post by StephenEveleigh on May 19, 2013 23:53:45 GMT -6
Matt,
You will surprised at what that EQ6 can really handle.
When Skywatcher brought their 305/1500mm Newtonian to Canada, it was spec'd on an EQ6. I wrote and said "really?" and their response was that it would make a "smooth combination" (still have the email). Someone at SW had erranously copied the specs for the 10 inch to create the specs for the 12 inch, and I had purchased the tube thinking it was going to weigh only about 28 pounds. The associate at Efston Science (Toronto) scratched his head when we placed the order, saying "I don't know where they could have possibly taken the weight from to make it this light. "
The tube arrived and it was huge. Once assembled it weighed about 57 pounds without eyepiece or finder scope. This tube was marketed as an Astrograph. Can you imagine adding camera equipment? When I let them know, they quietly changed the spec on their web page and offered no "thanks for that" or offer to take back the tube if it was not going to perform satisfactorily. I did not press them on it. They gave the classic "silence" ; just in case I started talking legal stuff.(issues of misrepresentation?, warranty?, who is that guy?)
I would happily tell Skywatcher that their tube is impressive; its sharp and has minimal coma. Its light grasp is awesome. Its just too big and as a result see's little action. Realistically it needs a CGEM pro, or a Losmandy Titan, etc, (and the $3-5K plus).
I load up about 55 lbs of counter weight and let the thing "humm" away. It climbs no problem. I am fully confident that it is not going to break. (maybe foolishly confident) Funny to say - it is smooth enough for visual.
I think matching an EQ6 with a 150mm F12 should be fine. It is near the limit. Take care to properly balance the tube. Consider remounting the tube with a longer losmandy dovetail and using all 4 bolts. Get the pier extension. There is some shake created from touching the focuser. It dampens out quickly enough. Maybe even get a motorized focuser if your a bit finnacky about it.
Like you, I am planning a bigger Frac like a 204/f8/R35, and it should perform equally silly on this mount. That tube should be several pounds lighter than the F8.8. (like James Lings) It should dress out at 45- 50 lbs. It really comes down to one's willingness to push their equipment. While I fester over my scopes, I don't with my mounts.
Presently I have an Asteria (127mm/F12/R30) and use an manual EQ5 to do most of my viewing. Never felt the need to go bigger.
Stephen
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Post by boomboom on May 19, 2013 17:41:01 GMT -6
Thanks Kevin,
Torque was the word I was looking for! Been thinking on this one for a while now and guess I'll have to go on thinking for a bit longer....
At least the NEQ6 second hand was half price of new, so I have not lost there, maybe a bit of ATMing on a mount coming up.
Matt
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Post by kevinbarker on May 18, 2013 23:06:59 GMT -6
Hi Matt
My brother has a verson of that mount. It handles a 6 kg 5 inch f 9.4 effortlessly and a beefy C-11.
I do however think a 6 inch f-12 might just have put too much Torque on the mounts Dec and Ra axes.
I once had a 6 inch f-12 D&G with a 14-15 kg homemade ota, it was too much for a Zeiss 1b mount. I have seen 16kg mak 180/1800 on that mount with no problems.
Kevin
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Post by boomboom on May 18, 2013 17:29:29 GMT -6
Recently just bought the Sky Watcher NEQ6 EQ mount. It's rated to 20kg's.
Will this be capable of holding a 6" f12. Any other sizes ie180mm R35???
Wanting to use it for visual only, set up in an Obs eventually but until then on my home made solid ash (and I mean solid) tripod.
Matt
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Post by boomboom on May 18, 2013 17:07:30 GMT -6
Hey there Brian,
Long time since posting here for me....the scope looks great and what a nice set of wooden legs you have!
How is the Istar with the Bino's, and can you reach focus without the OCS? If you can is the view as good or is the OCS a designed part of the system.
Dry season, you lucky man.
Cheers mate
Matt
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Post by Mike - Istar Optical on May 16, 2013 10:18:56 GMT -6
Hello Leslie, I've taken hundreds and seen thousands of moon images. This is very impressive. It's more than just a good clear image. It's the way the image conveys the incredible impact of whatever struck the moon to create that giant crater. When I look at the image all I can think of is what a catastrophic event that must have been. Thanks for sharing a most impressive image with us. PS. I printed it out and hung it on the information board at the office. I've noticed people staring at it  |
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Post by kevinbarker on May 15, 2013 18:33:54 GMT -6
Paul
I have asked for and received similar correspondence acknowledgement as to a few R lenses being assembled and shipped out soon.
Kevin
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Post by kevinbarker on May 15, 2013 18:32:11 GMT -6
Ok folks, I've had the heads up from Ales that I could be receiving the glass by the end of the month. I've a temporary crude beam ready to star test and take focal length measurements before deciding on type of build. May even go down the TCR route! (easy way out I guess and light structure to push!!) Will keep you posted An excited Paul! |
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