Following
this forum discussion I decided to upload what equipment pics I have in the hope that they might some day spare another aspiring photographer a little pain.
This is my latest wide field configuration and it is serving exceptionally well so far.
Non-optical HardwareMount: Sky Watcher EQ6r-pro
Control Unit: ZWO ASIAir-Pro
Dovetail: William Optics Vixen-style dovetail bar (the irony here is palpable)
Optics TrainOTA: Vixen ED80SF
Focuser: Aftermarket - GSO96 Linear bearing Crayford (ZWO EAF compatible)
Auto-focuser: ZWO EAF (using included mount bracket)
Field flattener: Hotech 2" SCA
Guider: ZWO OAG (original flavor, not the large one) + ZWO 1.25" helical focuser + ZWO ASI290MM Mini
Filter wheel: ZWO 7x36mm
Main camera: ZWO ASI2600MM-Pro
Pros- Exceptional glass. Very sharp, flat, and crisp.
- Lightweight and portable setup
- Easy to setup and automate acquisition sessions
- Aftermarket GSO focuser is exceptionally good for the price point. I mean, it's no feathertouch, but is a massive improvement over the stock focuser and is compatible with the EAF bracket included with ZWO's EAF out of the box.
Cons- Very back-heavy on the dec axis. Get a longer dovetail bar than I have pictured here.
- GSO96 draw tube is significantly shorter than the stock Vixen focuser. Extension tubes are required on the nose of the Hotech flattener, which entirely defeats the purpose of the self-centering feature. It's still the best field flattener I have, but the self-centering is really helpful with a camera/filter wheel combo that's on the heavier side.
- Eyepiece holder/compression ring of the GSO focuser is a machined part of the draw tube, not threaded - it does not screw off. It would be nice to have the option of using threaded extension tubes for additional rigidity in the back end.
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