Can I borrow your HEQ5 please ?

[Mike]

To any of the HEQ5 owners (with GoTo) - Is it possible I could borrow your mount at some time in the future please to test it out with my kit ?

I was wondering how they would cope with my small refractor set-up (ED80, ZS66 and ST80) and if it is a viable option as a second mount (to use that or the EQ6 for nova hunting or second imaging kit, etc.).

If any of you are going to DSC then maybe I could have a play? If your NOT going to DSC and WONT be using your HEQ5 that weekend could I borrow it to take to DSC please?

Otherwise could I borrow it sometime in Sept. to test it out please?

Cheers,

Mike

[Mike]

Thanks Tony for lending me your HEQ5. I went out last night to test it out and was very pleased. Here is the result :-



M27 - RGB (4x5 mins per channel)

I found the mount was no different than the EQ6 to use. The GoTo was spot on and after a 2 star alignment put M27 smack bang in the middle of the CCD which was impressive. I didn't have to adjust any of my settings in MaximDL at all to get it to work and all in all I found it to be an excellent little mount. As you can see from the above it tracked very nicely and the stars are nice and round. I found that the guide software had to make a lot more corrections to keep the guide star central but it was still no more than 0.5 pixels of error for a 1 second guide pulse.

[Tony G]

Mike,
glad you got on OK with the mount and an impressive image as well,
so there isn't anything wrong with the equipment it just me then.
Need to take my time in the inital setting up stage.

Tony G

[JohnP]

Mike - A very nice image for such a relatively short exposure... Did you take this last night - I was in Oxfordshre last night & it was as cloudy as hell... Also, was this imaged through ED80 or ZS66...? & which were you guiding through.

Thks,  John

[Mike]

John it was taken through the ED80 and guided through the ST80. It was taken Tuesday night,  last night was cloudy here too.

[Fay]

Mike,

that is a beautiful image. Tony & I will have to get our fingers out!!!!
(if that's the right expression?)


Fay

[Rocket Pooch]

Well done Mike, that looks ok, could do with a little more integration time, but considering how many minutes it is its ok.

I did get the hour of O3 I needed last night for my M27 finished article, so when I get an evening to process it I'll then be onto another object.

I had a quick go at Stephan's Quintet last night just to see if I could get it and its small and very very dim, quite a challenge for the EQ6, but I'll give this a go as soon as I can, but not before I re-do the Bubble and Pelican etc I'll get these hopefully before Cygnus sods off for the winter.

So back to wide field for me for the next month an non-arc second tracking requirements phew!

Chris