will this telescope work?

I have been watching this telescope on ebay http://www.ebay.com …%26prg%3D1004%2​6rk%3D2%26

and I figure somebody on here probably has experience with this model so I want to know if ...

A. Does it track constellations well enough to do a long exposure/exposures up to 5 minutes?

B. Would I be able to piggy back a telephoto lens on this like a sigma apo 70-300?

Thanks

calypsob wrote in post #14879797
I have been watching this telescope on ebay http://www.ebay.com …%26prg%3D1004%2​6rk%3D2%26

and I figure somebody on here probably has experience with this model so I want to know if ...

A. Does it track constellations well enough to do a long exposure/exposures up to 5 minutes?

B. Would I be able to piggy back a telephoto lens on this like a sigma apo 70-300?

Thanks

1. No mount can't track 5 minutes without assisting guiding.
2. It's an alt-az mount. You need an EQ mount

This scope/mount is good for observing and capturing bright object like the moon. I reai dislike discouraging people about astrophotography but its a money pit. You need to invest close to 3k to do any sort of long exposure. It also a very frustrating road ahead before you get any decent result.

fogboundturtle wrote in post #14880451
1. No mount can't track 5 minutes without assisting guiding.
2. It's an alt-az mount. You need an EQ mount

This scope/mount is good for observing and capturing bright object like the moon. I reai dislike discouraging people about astrophotography but its a money pit. You need to invest close to 3k to do any sort of long exposure. It also a very frustrating road ahead before you get any decent result.

Thats fine I kind of gathered that this was a little too cheap. Ok then I have another question. would the meade LX80 be able to do 5 minute exposures with this setup minus the scope? http://www.ebay.com …-/350587972106#vi-content

I think I could swing that or the astrotrac, but I really like how the meade offers the computer which finds constellations for you. I used to be huge into recording music so I understand money pits and the concept of endless gear and as always you just aquire one piece at a time.

my advice is stay away from meade, for a small scope and camera the CG5 GT is a nice mount, for larger scopes the CGEM and EQ6 are preferred

You need something like this : http://www.skywatcher.​com …id=76&class1=3&​class2=304

Even with that mount, you can't do 5 min exposure without a guide scope and a autoguider. The longer the focal length of the telescope is, the more precise you tracking needs to be.

thanks for the help guys. So do you all have any experience with the suggested mounts? Also I fI plan to just mount my camera to the CG-5GT is there a special mount that accepts my camera without a telescope tube?

Hi Wes,
The link thats been given for the skywatcher HEQ5 Pro is the mount
that I use, its a fine equatorial mount.

Alan.

A German equatorial mount is the way to go. Get the best you can afford and keep your telescope focal length between 400 and 500mm starting out. I can get 4-5 minute exposures unguided with my Losmandy G-11 after drift alignment. It's an expensive and complex mount for a beginner and I wasn't able to get exposures of that length out of the box, it took some effort, including learning to properly balance all gear on the mount and precisely align it. When you budget things out be sure to keep in mind accessories like a dew heater, power supply, camera to scope hardware, etc.

calypsob wrote in post #14882265
thanks for the help guys. So do you all have any experience with the suggested mounts? Also I fI plan to just mount my camera to the CG-5GT is there a special mount that accepts my camera without a telescope tube?

yes ADM accessories sells an DSLR Adapter that will work for this mount. Its also the mount I am using. I wish I bought the NEQ6 instead. You can never spend too much money on a mount.

Note : you will also need an Light pollution filter, an battery to power the mount, dew heater, an laptop or remote control to trigger the camera, a chair etc..

if you want just camera lens and nothing longer then say 400mm, this might work. If want to use a real telescope the ASGT5 is a great mount for the $$$

http://www.optcorp.com​/product.aspx?pid=278-17967

ThatsDoneit wrote in post #14882293
Hi Wes,
The link thats been given for the skywatcher HEQ5 Pro is the mount
that I use, its a fine equatorial mount.

Alan.

Thanks Alan that looks like a nice mount but I'm not sure if it is available in the us. Are you using it to piggy back a camera or do you just use your camera on it?

Nighthound wrote in post #14882354
A German equatorial mount is the way to go. Get the best you can afford and keep your telescope focal length between 400 and 500mm starting out. I can get 4-5 minute exposures unguided with my Losmandy G-11 after drift alignment. It's an expensive and complex mount for a beginner and I wasn't able to get exposures of that length out of the box, it took some effort, including learning to properly balance all gear on the mount and precisely align it. When you budget things out be sure to keep in mind accessories like a dew heater, power supply, camera to scope hardware, etc.

Thanks Steve, I actually have a really cheap zhummell with an eq mount now but it is a terrible telescope I mean absolutely embarrassing however I have learned to set it up and align everything but as you may know it really doesn't perform properly. I would love to swing a Losmandy mount but unfortunately I am limited to what I get from selling old music equipment at the moment as I am a jobless college student so I am thinking my budget hits a ceiling at about 1,200 bucks but I figure if I learn on a prosumer mount then I can sell and upgrade in the future when I hopefully have a job after college.

jsigone wrote in post #14882576
if you want just camera lens and nothing longer then say 400mm, this might work. If want to use a real telescope the ASGT5 is a great mount for the $$$

http://www.optcorp.com​/product.aspx?pid=278-17967

fogboundturtle wrote in post #14882381
yes ADM accessories sells an DSLR Adapter that will work for this mount. Its also the mount I am using. I wish I bought the NEQ6 instead. You can never spend too much money on a mount.

Note : you will also need an Light pollution filter, an battery to power the mount, dew heater, an laptop or remote control to trigger the camera, a chair etc..

HA! I finally figured out how to multi quote thanks jsigone and fogbound turtle I will look into the ioptron scope mount and the NEQ6 Im really glad to get so many suggestions.

Fogboundturtle, what do you like so much more about the NEQ6?

calypsob wrote in post #14884270
Thanks Steve, I actually have a really cheap zhummell with an eq mount now but it is a terrible telescope I mean absolutely embarrassing however I have learned to set it up and align everything but as you may know it really doesn't perform properly. I would love to swing a Losmandy mount but unfortunately I am limited to what I get from selling old music equipment at the moment as I am a jobless college student so I am thinking my budget hits a ceiling at about 1,200 bucks but I figure if I learn on a prosumer mount then I can sell and upgrade in the future when I hopefully have a job after college.

You're very welcome Wes. As I mentioned, get the best you can afford. Regardless of what you get now the time invested will be invaluable as you grow in the hobby. I didn't start out with the gear I have now, it's good to test the waters and learn what you need as you develop your skills. Astrophotography is challenging regardless of what price point you start at, just try to be patient and persistent and you'll see progress soon enough. If you can produce nice images with entry level gear and really push the limits then you're going to excel quickly. Don't forget to keep it fun, that's what it's all about.

calypsob wrote in post #14884423
Fogboundturtle, what do you like so much more about the NEQ6?

The step motor is much better and the mount can withstand a lot more weight which is what I need as I am already stretching the limit of my HEQ5 Pro. You always want your mount to be overkill. That way, when you get more expensive gear, you don't have to change your mount. If you are serious about long exposure, you get the best mount you can.