-
How about joining us and play a game or enter a competition? The Weekly WET Challenge // The A-Z Alphabet Game // The Photo Chain Game
Astrophotography equipment and techniques and questions
- Thread starter Jeff WX1USN
- Start date
- Replies 43
- Views 1K
OP
OP
Jeff WX1USN
Gold member
- Joined
- 11 January 2025
- Posts
- 1,374
- Likes
- 4,361
VERY NICE SETUP! Alot of work!
By-tor
Member
- Joined
- 21 April 2025
- Posts
- 124
- Likes
- 566
- Name
- Bytor
It's not the latest or greatest, but once I tuned the mount it worked so much better than stock. With the wifi extender mounted on the tripod leg It's connected to my home network and control everything from inside the house on a small tablet.
- Joined
- 24 December 2024
- Posts
- 9,014
- Likes
- 16,521
- Name
- Levina
- Image Editing
- No
Looks impressive.
Pretty cool you can remote control it from inside your house, where it's nice and warm! And the resulting images are really excellent.
By-tor
Member
- Joined
- 21 April 2025
- Posts
- 124
- Likes
- 566
- Name
- Bytor
This is the Sky Watcher EvoGuide 50ED with a field flattener I use for wider shots as needed, and still not wide enough at 240mm for some targets.. I couldn't get that mount in the images to work so I use it on my main mount. All the main electronics from my main scope fit on this without issue, but a wee bit tight fit..
OP
OP
Jeff WX1USN
Gold member
- Joined
- 11 January 2025
- Posts
- 1,374
- Likes
- 4,361
I am mainly a Solar Imager. Bortle 8 skies don't affect solar that much LOL
I have to say I went the opposite way with my imaging lately. I sold my Celestron Edge HD8 to a friend, but still have my Skywatcher EQ6-R Pro, an Orion EQ mount and 2 Orion Alt Az mounts, my Skywatcher ED120, Stellarvue 90 APO, Lunt ED102 and a 127 Mak.
But my main thing is SOLAR and for that I use all the refractors with a Quark Chromosphere and Daystar Gemini and a Lunt LS80 and LS50.
But as I said for deep sky I have gone small light and simple with the Seestar S50 and S30. Love those scopes, I can take either one outside and be imaging in 3 minutes. I have been using the "Plan" feature, setting up objects to image all night long. Also if there was a sudden unexpected shower and everything got rained on, no big deal as they cost less than many eyepieces!
Do they give the same quality images that you get with your great setup, NO, you get much better results but I do it from home for the fun of it and for the challenge of trying to mimic what I can get with my better gear. Also the time it takes to set up my better gear is a turn off at night especially as I am in my 70's and like it easier.
For better imaging than my Bortle 8 skies I belong to SLOOH an Educational Observatory used by many colleges and schools for imaging. Slooh is different from all other amateur hosting observatories, in the others you tell them what you would like files/images of and they do all the work and send you the files already without planes wind satellites etc. With Slooh you schedule a time from what is available, 5 minute blocks, you decided on the target from 20 catalogs or coordinates RA/DEC, you then can watch the live feed from the telescope as it captures your data. You then have to down load the data and check it for any satellites planes also wind shaking especially with the 20" in the Canary Islands. Slooh owns and maintains the scopes and observatories but I decide what and when and how to image. I am able to use 2 20" 2 17" 1 14" 1 8" Astrograph and a 90mm Telervue in Chile Australia and the Canary Islands bascially 24 hours a day. I enjoy it and enjoy watching the live feeds from the scopes when other are using them.
BUT back to my simple setup! I have the S50 and S30 and a Skywatcher Alt/Az mount, a Celestron mount I took the head off and put a Skywatcher "wedge" and 3 other tripods. The images are great for social media but not for pixel peepers LOL.
I have to say I went the opposite way with my imaging lately. I sold my Celestron Edge HD8 to a friend, but still have my Skywatcher EQ6-R Pro, an Orion EQ mount and 2 Orion Alt Az mounts, my Skywatcher ED120, Stellarvue 90 APO, Lunt ED102 and a 127 Mak.
But my main thing is SOLAR and for that I use all the refractors with a Quark Chromosphere and Daystar Gemini and a Lunt LS80 and LS50.
But as I said for deep sky I have gone small light and simple with the Seestar S50 and S30. Love those scopes, I can take either one outside and be imaging in 3 minutes. I have been using the "Plan" feature, setting up objects to image all night long. Also if there was a sudden unexpected shower and everything got rained on, no big deal as they cost less than many eyepieces!
Do they give the same quality images that you get with your great setup, NO, you get much better results but I do it from home for the fun of it and for the challenge of trying to mimic what I can get with my better gear. Also the time it takes to set up my better gear is a turn off at night especially as I am in my 70's and like it easier.
For better imaging than my Bortle 8 skies I belong to SLOOH an Educational Observatory used by many colleges and schools for imaging. Slooh is different from all other amateur hosting observatories, in the others you tell them what you would like files/images of and they do all the work and send you the files already without planes wind satellites etc. With Slooh you schedule a time from what is available, 5 minute blocks, you decided on the target from 20 catalogs or coordinates RA/DEC, you then can watch the live feed from the telescope as it captures your data. You then have to down load the data and check it for any satellites planes also wind shaking especially with the 20" in the Canary Islands. Slooh owns and maintains the scopes and observatories but I decide what and when and how to image. I am able to use 2 20" 2 17" 1 14" 1 8" Astrograph and a 90mm Telervue in Chile Australia and the Canary Islands bascially 24 hours a day. I enjoy it and enjoy watching the live feeds from the scopes when other are using them.
BUT back to my simple setup! I have the S50 and S30 and a Skywatcher Alt/Az mount, a Celestron mount I took the head off and put a Skywatcher "wedge" and 3 other tripods. The images are great for social media but not for pixel peepers LOL.
OP
OP
Jeff WX1USN
Gold member
- Joined
- 11 January 2025
- Posts
- 1,374
- Likes
- 4,361
Either the S50 or S30 would be good, but the S50 can do more of the smaller galaxies and clusters. Also the S30 Pro is supposedly coming out soon, but may cost more, a better sensor. also a S50 pro is in the works.
But either are cheap enough to just toss in the car!
By-tor
Member
- Joined
- 21 April 2025
- Posts
- 124
- Likes
- 566
- Name
- Bytor
Thanks for the info...
- Joined
- 24 December 2024
- Posts
- 9,014
- Likes
- 16,521
- Name
- Levina
- Image Editing
- No
@Jeff WX1USN
Jeff, I have decided to go ahead and buy the S50.
Looking at prices I see there are options.
Do I need that little tripod (or is it included)?
Do I need a leveler? Seems handy.
Do I need a Bahtinov mask?
Do I need a Spike mask?
Do I need caps against dust and dew?
Jeff, I have decided to go ahead and buy the S50.
Looking at prices I see there are options.
Do I need that little tripod (or is it included)?
Do I need a leveler? Seems handy.
Do I need a Bahtinov mask?
Do I need a Spike mask?
Do I need caps against dust and dew?
OP
OP
Jeff WX1USN
Gold member
- Joined
- 11 January 2025
- Posts
- 1,374
- Likes
- 4,361
Tripod is included along with a case, I switched mine to a Tamrac camera bag.
a Bahtinov mask is recommeded although the auto focus works fairly well and you can manually focus.
a spike mask is nice but not needed
and a dust cap is good although I hardly use mine
also a dewshield the type that will come off when the scope closes
the cap and spike and bahtinov are easy to get and any will work
There are many of esty often a package deal also ebay
best to get a quick release dewshield
This is the dewshield I have and use, it comes off when the scope closes rather than hearing the gears grind. I also use a shoelace and a self stick velcro to hold it on the scope once it comes off so I don't lose it or when using it on my 2nd floor deck it stays where I want it.
https://www.amazon.com/Telescope-Pr...hield+for+seestar+s50,electronics,645&sr=1-14
a Bahtinov mask is recommeded although the auto focus works fairly well and you can manually focus.
a spike mask is nice but not needed
and a dust cap is good although I hardly use mine
also a dewshield the type that will come off when the scope closes
the cap and spike and bahtinov are easy to get and any will work
There are many of esty often a package deal also ebay
best to get a quick release dewshield
This is the dewshield I have and use, it comes off when the scope closes rather than hearing the gears grind. I also use a shoelace and a self stick velcro to hold it on the scope once it comes off so I don't lose it or when using it on my 2nd floor deck it stays where I want it.
https://www.amazon.com/Telescope-Pr...hield+for+seestar+s50,electronics,645&sr=1-14
- Joined
- 24 December 2024
- Posts
- 9,014
- Likes
- 16,521
- Name
- Levina
- Image Editing
- No
Okay. I ordered a bundle with leveler, Bahtinow mask, dust cap and dewshield (don't know if it's quick release).
Exciting!!
Exciting!!
OP
OP
Jeff WX1USN
Gold member
- Joined
- 11 January 2025
- Posts
- 1,374
- Likes
- 4,361
The only time a quick release is important is if you like I do set up a observing plan, start it running and go to bed as at the end of the session it closes the scope.
If you manually shut down you can remove the dewshield
If you manually shut down you can remove the dewshield
- Joined
- 24 December 2024
- Posts
- 9,014
- Likes
- 16,521
- Name
- Levina
- Image Editing
- No
Right. Thanks for the explanation!
Similar threads
