My current astrophotographic set-up:
Telescope and on-board accessories (16 kg): - Explore Scientific 127ED APO
- 3" 0.7 ES FF/FR (temporarily removed until I get the necessary Precise Parts adapter made)
- Starlight Instruments 3" Feathertouch focuser
- Precise Parts adapter rings
- ZWO EAF focus motor
- QHY 268M camera
- QHY CFW3M-US 7-position 36mm
- Antlia 36mm 3nm filters (LRGB+Ha, Sii, Oiii)
- Pegasus Falcon Rotator
- Orion 50mm Mini Guide Scope
- QHY 5Lii-M guide camera
- Deep Space Products mini-pc
- West Mountain 4008 RigRunner
- Kendrick 4-channel dew controller + 2 dew straps
- 12V USB hub
- USB-powered WiFi mini router
- USB GPS dongle
Equatorial Mount- Sky-Watcher AZEQ6 GT Pro
- 15kg of counterweights
- QHY Polemaster
- SW EQ8 pier tripod with custom adapter plate
Power Options- Renogy 100Ah LiFePO4 battery at remote locations
- Alinco DM-30T 12V 30A Power Supply at home
Comments on my selection of equipment and its evolutionThe Explore Scientific scope was acquired second-hand at a terrific price and was of adequate aperture and quality for the imaging I wanted to do as I was starting out in this hobby. The original focuser was a Crayford style, great for visual use but unusable for imaging, hence its replacement with the Starlight Instruments FT. This focal plane of this scope has significant curvature which can not be completely corrected by a field flattener. However with careful back focus measurement and adjustment (thanks NINA!) can yield reasonably good stars on an APS-C or smaller sensor. The QHY 268M with its Sony IMX571 sensor is thus a good fit.
I chose the AZEQ6 because of its reasonable price, load capacity, the ability to configure it in either equatorial or alt-az mode, and because of EQMOD, the highly reliable software platform that allows computers to control most Sky-Watcher mounts. I have found this mount easy to disassemble and work on for periodic servicing, and with careful balancing and backlash adjustment, delivers consistently good tracking with auto-guiding.
At around 18kg, the weight of my telescope and its accessories exceeds the recommended photographic load capacity of the AZEQ6, but this is mitigated somewhat by replacing the stock tripod with the massive pier tripod from the Sky-Watcher EQ8. Besides its superior rigidity, the EQ8 tripod has features that make it a good choice as an upgrade for the AZEQ6: a gear-operated centre-bolt of the same thread specification as the base of the AZEQ6; an extendable pier that gives clearance above the legs for the swing of a refractor; and large-diameter levelling feet that provide stability on soft or uneven ground. All that was required to mate the AZEQ6 to this pier was a simple aluminum plate with a recess to accept the protrusion on the bottom of the mount.
This collection of gear spends most of the year on our south-facing patio but packs up easily for transport to a dark site. An aluminum plate attaches with two screws to the tube rings and holds the guide scope, dew controller, mini-pc, RigRunner, and USB hub. It disconnects from the scope as a single assembly for transport in a toolbox. The power and data cables are bound together with Velcro cable ties and woven loom to form a compact harness that can be coiled up and stored with the accessories, making setup fast and generally foolproof. Everything is connected to the mini-PC via USB 2 which is slower than USB 3 but more immune to RF interference.
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