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Yep! Hobbies I guess. It's a C8 EdgeHD, with the secondary replaced by the Hyperstar [1] which transforms the Schmidt-Cassegrain into a Schmidt camera like syst

Yep! Hobbies I guess. It's a C8 EdgeHD, with the secondary replaced by the Hyperstar [1] which transforms the Schmidt-Cassegrain into a Schmidt camera like system (in my case 425mm f/2.1), in that configuration it's easier to trade sky noise for read noise since the sub exposures can be very short. I might one day trade it for the RASA (Rowe-Ackermann Schmidt Astrograph), but I already have a 12" Newton to maintain in Nerpio! [1]: https://starizona.com/acb/hyperstar/whatis.aspx https://starizona.com/acb/hyperstar/whatis.aspx

js2 9y ago
Thanks, I had just found the description of your setup. In case others are curious: - Imaging telescopes or lenses: Celestron C8 EdgeHD, Starizona Hyperstar 3 - Imaging camera: ZWO ASI 1600MM-Cool - Mount: Orion Sirius EQ-G (HEQ5) - Guiding telescope or lens: Orion Mini Guide Scope 50 mm - Guiding camera: Orion Starshoot AutoGuider - Software: Adobe Lightroom , Pixinsight PixInsinght 1.8 - Filter: Baader Planetarium H-Alpha 2" Highspeed - Accessory: Starizona Microtouch Autofocuser If I can get your opinion on something. I have a C8 on a wedge mount with early 1990's era electronics. Do you think it's worth re-mounting that tube to upgrade to modern guiding electronics, or would you just sell the whole thing and start over? Assuming I wanted to capture deep sky objects and moderate light polution.
- anon1253 9y ago
  I'd probably swap the mount for an equatorial mount (Sky-Watcher EQ6 or similar), and use an off-axis guider, with a modern CMOS like the ZWO-ASI or one of the QHYs as imaging camera (much cheaper than the CCDs, and just as good if not better). At prime focus (i.e. without a focal reducer or Hyperstar-like system) getting pinpoint guiding with a secondary guidescope is tricky, but an OAG does wonders...starlight express makes the best in my opinion. Optically the C8 is still fine, you might want to re-collimate it, but that's a bit of an after thought. Calculating the backfocus for your optical train might be tricky. But once you have it set-up on a computerized mount (getting plate solving to work would probably also help, I can recommend Sequence Generator Pro) then you're good to go!
  - js2 9y ago
    Thanks for the advice!

js2 9y ago

Thanks, I had just found the description of your setup. In case others are curious: - Imaging telescopes or lenses: Celestron C8 EdgeHD, Starizona Hyperstar 3 - Imaging camera: ZWO ASI 1600MM-Cool - Mount: Orion Sirius EQ-G (HEQ5) - Guiding telescope or lens: Orion Mini Guide Scope 50 mm - Guiding camera: Orion Starshoot AutoGuider - Software: Adobe Lightroom , Pixinsight PixInsinght 1.8 - Filter: Baader Planetarium H-Alpha 2" Highspeed - Accessory: Starizona Microtouch Autofocuser If I can get your opinion on something. I have a C8 on a wedge mount with early 1990's era electronics. Do you think it's worth re-mounting that tube to upgrade to modern guiding electronics, or would you just sell the whole thing and start over? Assuming I wanted to capture deep sky objects and moderate light polution.

anon1253 9y ago
I'd probably swap the mount for an equatorial mount (Sky-Watcher EQ6 or similar), and use an off-axis guider, with a modern CMOS like the ZWO-ASI or one of the QHYs as imaging camera (much cheaper than the CCDs, and just as good if not better). At prime focus (i.e. without a focal reducer or Hyperstar-like system) getting pinpoint guiding with a secondary guidescope is tricky, but an OAG does wonders...starlight express makes the best in my opinion. Optically the C8 is still fine, you might want to re-collimate it, but that's a bit of an after thought. Calculating the backfocus for your optical train might be tricky. But once you have it set-up on a computerized mount (getting plate solving to work would probably also help, I can recommend Sequence Generator Pro) then you're good to go!
- js2 9y ago
  Thanks for the advice!