Choosing an OTA & Mount for Electronically Assisted Astronomy - Part 1 of 6 Essential Tools for EAA
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- Опубліковано 17 бер 2023
- A tutorial on the key features to look for when choosing a telescope, OTA and mount) for electronically assisted astronomy or EAA. An in depth look at the key attributes of Newtonians, Schmidt Cassegrains (SCTs) and Refractors which are important for EAA. A detailed review of the important properties of mounts, both equatorial (EQ) and alt-azimuth (AZ) for electronically assisted astronomy.
You can also visit my web site for other equipment reviews and many other topics on astronomy www.californiaskys.com/
The following links to my favorite astronomy equipment suppliers are affiliate links which allow me to earn a commission on purchases with no cost to you. If you would like to support my channel and its content please consider using my links when ordering your astronomy equipment especially if you were inspired by my video.
High Point Scientific bit.ly/3YvqU4X
Agena Astro bit.ly/434LUSu
Below are some OTAs you might want to consider which are reasonably priced:
Celestron 8" SCT
High Point bit.ly/40ngrcf $1300
Agena Astro bit.ly/3MqQxiB $1350
Skywatcher Quatro 6" f/4 Imaging Newtonian $595
High Point bit.ly/3yY4r5r
Agena Astro bit.ly/3OIArTY
Sharpstar 61 f/5.5 EDPH II Triplet Astrograph with 8X focal reducer $499 + $199
High Point bit.ly/40pLKU0
Agena Astro bit.ly/3opJYEO
Here a some mounts you might also consider:
Evolution Alt-Az Mount with 8" SCT as a package $2200
High Point bit.ly/3dnsmnB
Agena Astro bit.ly/3ov6Cf5
Skywatcher AZ GTI Alt-Az Mount $475
High Point bit.ly/3Kaq75e
Agena Astro bit.ly/3MUql1m
Skywatcher Star Adventurer GTI Equatorial Mount $740
High Point bit.ly/3XxpS6Y
Agena Astro bit.ly/3IFwpbh
iOptron GEM 28 EQ Mount $1438
High Point bit.ly/3n0rOsa
Agena Astro bit.ly/3MPpWx4
ZWO AM5 Dual Alt-Az/ EQ Harmonic Drive Mount $2300
High Point bit.ly/3lnnkM4
Agena Astro bit.ly/424aGRp - Наука та технологія
Omg. An astrophotographer who actually explains EAA clearly and does not use excessive jargon. I also appreciate the practicality.
You are very kind.
As someone who is just getting into astronomy, I found this to be extremely helpful. I suspect that I saved hundreds of dollars by not purchasing the wrong equipment. Thank you!
Glad I was able to help. If you want to support my efforts you can use my Amazon, Agena Astro and/or HIgh Point Scientic affiliate links for your purchases. It won't cost you any more and I will get a small commission from your purchases, even non-astronomy ones.
I think with current content posters they try to keep it so short they miss important concepts - your thoroughness is much appreciated and I believe you missed nothing other than camara clearance with fork mounts. I will share this with others asking me about EAA! BTW you have an excellent video demeanor and voice - excellent work!!
You are too kind. Your comments are very helpful. I look at other videos and come away thinking that mine are not entertaining enough to appeal to a broad audience. But, I prefer the straightforward approach without feigning unfelt emotions. Also, I do these videos to help explain how to do things so I do feel I need to go into detail otherwise it is a waste of everyone's time. I don't intend to change and your input only confirms my choice.
Very nicely explained. Happy I bumped into this video.
Explained a lot for me, thankyou.
Glad I could help.
Thats really clear information and well explained. Thanks for sharing. As a beginner I really apppreciate it.
I appreciate your feedback and glad I was able to help.
Curtis, thanks so much. This episode provided me with a lot of the "Why" that I've been seeking. I look forward to the rest of this series. One clear night in a month gave me my first opportunity to do EAA last Thursday and it was GREAT FUN.
Thanks, that was very informative. You clarified several things I was a little confused about. I am slowly getting into EAA with a low cost setup. Look forward to more topics from you about EAA.
Glad it helped and don't forget to subscribe if you haven't already.
Very informative -- Just what I was looking for!
Many thanks Curtis - An excellent survey of EAA optics. I have been imaging for around 2 years using a 6 inch GoTo Newtonian and a small CMOS camera. I have been thinking about investing in a small refractor (60 or 80mm) to allow me a wider field of view. You insights have been incredibly helpful.
Glad I was able to provide helpful information. Please consider using my links when you make your purchase regardless of which refractor you select to help me make more videos like this.
Thanks Curtis, you have practically explained all relevant points to put a beginner on the right track from the start. Now I look forward to the next episodes. Don't worry I am already subscribed😊
I appreciate the positive feedback.
Excellent video and informative for all .
Thank you!
Wonderful Curtis! This is the current question I am faced with. Sincere thanks!
Thanks Curtis, I've just retired and been thinking about EAA and public outreach. You have given me snippets of information that are most valuable for this with the gear I have and what may be needed down the track in the future. Cheers.
Appreciate your comments.
Got into this hobby in August 2023. Eight thousand dollars later, I have settled on a 6" Schmidt Cassegrain optical tube, a HyperStar 6 v4, a SvBony 405mc pro (asi294) and a CG-4 Mount with a Astro-Gadget motorized go to conversion kit for my EAA. Just subscribed.
Have been using an Orion Space Probe 130mm f/5 (can reach focus and haven't seen any coma), a Bresser 102/450 ED refractor with a x.08 generic reducer/flattener f/3.6 and a SkyOpticst 90/500 refractor with a x.08 generic reducer/flattener f/4.6 (oddly takes the best pictures) with a Sky-Watcher AZ-GTi mount as I learn EAA on Sharp Cap pro.
That's a lot of equipment to gather in a few months. You must be having fun.
Very well done!
Nice job! You do a great job of explaining the pros and cons of each type of telescope. Looking forward to the next videos in the series on astro cameras and software. Will also check out your website.
Thank you for the positive feedback.
Thanks for the video ❤.
You are welcome.
Curtis,
Great information. I love your videos. You provide more useful information on EAA than anyone I have seen. I do have a question. For DSO large objects, had you rather use a small refractor or Hyperstar on an SCT? I have an 8" SCT on Evolution mount and considering adding one of these to my collection to capture complete FOV of objects such as Andromeda Galaxy or large Nebula.
Thanks for all the work you do and putting this information out there.
Thank you for the helpful video. You mentioned that we don't need to have too large of an aperture since the camera is doing the job of gathering the light and providing the image. I agree. However, a larger aperture can obviously be beneficial as well. I would really like to hear your thoughts comparing your 8" SCT to your 11" SCT for EAA (and for visual too). How much better does the 11" perform when viewing the same object? Thank you for your time.
Also may I ask you to throw the 9.25" into the comparison? I'm really having a hard time deciding between the three sizes for my next telescope. Thank you.
Good stuff.For me at least, the mount is nummero uno.
I appreciated the positive feedback.
Celestron c8, AVX, asi533mc, any computer and Sharpcap
A good set of choices
Which mount would you prefer for a C9.25in -- a CGX , EQ6 or AM5? As a beginner, should I get an Evolution to begin with or should I go for an equatorial, if I decide to do astrophotography later, to avoid the expense of two mounts?
If you are serious about moving on to astrophotography you should be an EQ mount unless money is not a constraint. An 8" SCT on an Evolution mount is an easy setup to work with. I hear that the 9.25" is too big for the Evo mount, though. I have not used the CGX, EQ6 or AM5. My friend had the CGX and did not like its overall tracking performance for astrophotography. I have seen many posts with the same complaint. The AM5 is only slightly more expensive than the EQ6 and it can be operated in both Alt-Az and EQ configurations. And it seems to be all the rage right now so it may give you the best of both worlds. Both the EQ6 and AM5 should be able to handle a 9.25" SCT
Would an 8" SCT work in humid Florida for EAA? We like our 8"dob for Oct-Apr. However, we don't like being out during summer because of mosquitoes and the heat.
An 8" SCT is a great choice for EAA and will work in any kind of clear skies. You may need a dew strap if you have a lot of dew forming at night because of the humidity but that is not a big deal. Also, a lot of folks doing EAA like the Celestron 8" Nexstar Evolution which is much simpler to set up since it is an Alt-Az mount. If you find my video helpful I ask that you support my channel by using the links below the video to make your astronomy purchases which will not cost you anything extra.
Curtis - with your SCT units for EAA - which size SCT do you find yourself using the most? Thanks!
I started with a 9.25" SCT but soon wanted more aperture so I bought a 14". It didn't take long to find that for travel to dark sites the 14" was just to big and heavy so I sold that and bought an 11" which is what I use most of the time. It comes down to your budget and physical capability. I think many people feel that an 8" is the perfect combination of cost, weight and aperture.
@@astronomytipsreviewswithcu740 Wonderful! Thank you Curtis!!
I had not considered EAA until I came across your video. I have on order a Stellarvue 152mm f8 scope. Will this be a good choice for EAA? Do you see any drawbacks? Thanks.
That certainly is an excellent refractor with a nice size aperture. You certainly can do EAA with it. Eventually you may choose to get their 0.75 reducer/field flattener to get down to f/6 so that you can collect light faster and fit more of the larger deep sky objects in your FOV. I don't really see any drawbacks with that scope. If you don't already have a camera you might want to consider the ZWO ASI2600MC Pro color cooled camera. I don't usually recommend this camera for EAA as most people are on a tight budget, but given the scope you are buying I think this would be a good combination giving a wide field of view. If you are able to use the links in my video for your other astro purchases it would be much appreciated as it helps me to do more of these. Good luck with you new scope!
Thank you for the fast reply. I will use your links when I buy gear. I'll be watching your other videos.@@astronomytipsreviewswithcu740
@@kenfrank2730 Appreciate the support. And don't hesitate if you have more questions.
Does a wedge turn alt/az into an eq mount?
Yes. You have to set the angle of the wedge to the correct latitude.