David Serquera:
Hello,
You can see my gallery for galaxy season with ONTC 10" F4 and 10 microns. It is a good combination. However, I am not entirely satisfied with ONTC mechanics. You will need to be sure to adapt your essato with a threaded solution for the coma corrector. On the other hand you might have problems with the clips adjusting the primary mirror. I noticed that temperatures range can loose the screws and collimation will suffer. If you are in remote be sure the technical staff can help and understand Cats eye collimation or similar autocollimation methods. On the other hand, if you can overcome these issues, I think this is the best value combination.
Best
Thank you for your answer. I spent a lot of time studying your shoots and finally decided to call TS to have a chat about these scopes. They says that the use of the Esatto 2 is possible, and proposed to install the adapter plate for me. On the other end, all the coma correctors they offered are 2" barreled without threads. So I'd like to ask you which Coma corrector do you actually use. And about the collimation...actually I'm considering the 10" f 4.8 that "sholud" be less demanding than a F4 in terms of collimation. Anyway, the remote site is 3 h by car from my home, in a farmhouse, and I plan to go there periodically for setup maintenance and to spend good times with my family. And in this regard, I would like to ask you what tools do you use for collimation. I actually own an OCAL and I found it very reliable for secondary alignment, but not so intuitive for collimation. In my opinion it's a good (but expensive) substitute for collimation caps because with astrophotography rigs the focuser points toward the ground. So I'd like to know your method. Take in account that I came from a Quattro 8" and collimation with that cheap newt is a real nightmare. It's more a hit or miss.
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I use the TSGPU and it not being threaded has never been an issue. It was a minor concern of mine when I first got the Feather Touch focuser but the compression ring on it is quite solid.
Regarding collimation I use the OCAL v2 and I can't overstate how easy it makes accurate collimation. The scope has been remote for going on 8 months now and collimation hasn't moved one bit.
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Reg Pratt:
I use the TSGPU and it not being threaded has never been an issue. It was a minor concern of mine when I first got the Feather Touch focuser but the compression ring on it is quite solid.
Regarding collimation I use the OCAL v2 and I can't overstate how easy it makes accurate collimation. The scope has been remote for going on 8 months now and collimation hasn't moved one bit.
The compression ring on the Esatto 2" is really solid, the TS Coma corrector it barely goes in, with no mechanical play.
Maybe my bad experience with the OCAL is due to the poor mechanical quality of the SW Quattro. Primary center mark is not in the center, and I have read that some secondary ar glued a little bit offset so you cannot achieve perfect concentrical rounds.
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I talk a little bit about my OCAL experience in this post . My primary mark wasn't placed properly so I don't use it at all. I align the first circle with the edge of my drawtube. Then I align the outside edge of the primary reflection to the second circle using the secondary. Then using the primary I align the edge of the OCAL body with the third circle. Works every time.
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Autocollimators+Cheshire or Cheshire+tuBlug.
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Peter Goodhew:
Leonardo Landi:
Hi guys. I'm a proud owner of a GM1000 mount that I'll install in a bortle 2 remote site before summer. For nebulae season I'll put on an Askar FRA400 reduced for wide field imaging (I want to keep things simple in the first time) but for the next galaxy season I'm planning to add some more serious OTA around 1000-1500mm. Thing is... 10u mounts are pretty demanding for good unguided performance. My first choice was a 8"RC GSO but I read some nightmare reviews here on AB in terms of focuser flexure. The same guy says he had a really nice experience with an Edge 8 HD but I'm not sure it's a good choice for remote installation due to mirror shift (even if I actually have a 2"esatto focuser I could install).... so any suggestion?
I'm using a Celestron C14 EdgeHD remotely installed in Spain with no mirror shift problems and getting perfect 10 minutes unguided images.
Just want to confirm that you are using a C14 EdgeHD on a GM1000? I am surprised that the GM1000 can handle that much payload.
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Bob Masters:
Peter Goodhew:
Leonardo Landi:
Hi guys. I'm a proud owner of a GM1000 mount that I'll install in a bortle 2 remote site before summer. For nebulae season I'll put on an Askar FRA400 reduced for wide field imaging (I want to keep things simple in the first time) but for the next galaxy season I'm planning to add some more serious OTA around 1000-1500mm. Thing is... 10u mounts are pretty demanding for good unguided performance. My first choice was a 8"RC GSO but I read some nightmare reviews here on AB in terms of focuser flexure. The same guy says he had a really nice experience with an Edge 8 HD but I'm not sure it's a good choice for remote installation due to mirror shift (even if I actually have a 2"esatto focuser I could install).... so any suggestion?
I'm using a Celestron C14 EdgeHD remotely installed in Spain with no mirror shift problems and getting perfect 10 minutes unguided images.
Just want to confirm that you are using a C14 EdgeHD on a GM1000? I am surprised that the GM1000 can handle that much payload.
Why wouldn't it? 46lb + a few lbs give or take for accessories. Mount photographic capacity is rated at 55lb. I've pushed mounts well above their "capacity" with sub .5" guiding. Test things and find out man. That's all I have been doing for years. Screw anyone elses word for it.
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Bob Masters:
Peter Goodhew:
Leonardo Landi:
Hi guys. I'm a proud owner of a GM1000 mount that I'll install in a bortle 2 remote site before summer. For nebulae season I'll put on an Askar FRA400 reduced for wide field imaging (I want to keep things simple in the first time) but for the next galaxy season I'm planning to add some more serious OTA around 1000-1500mm. Thing is... 10u mounts are pretty demanding for good unguided performance. My first choice was a 8"RC GSO but I read some nightmare reviews here on AB in terms of focuser flexure. The same guy says he had a really nice experience with an Edge 8 HD but I'm not sure it's a good choice for remote installation due to mirror shift (even if I actually have a 2"esatto focuser I could install).... so any suggestion?
I'm using a Celestron C14 EdgeHD remotely installed in Spain with no mirror shift problems and getting perfect 10 minutes unguided images.
Just want to confirm that you are using a C14 EdgeHD on a GM1000? I am surprised that the GM1000 can handle that much payload.
I was simply pointing out that I had never experienced mirror shift problems with Celestron SCTs. My C14EdgeHD is on an ASA DDM 85 mount. I have also had a C11 on an GM1000 with no mirror shift issues.
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Leonardo Landi:
David Serquera:
Hello,
You can see my gallery for galaxy season with ONTC 10" F4 and 10 microns. It is a good combination. However, I am not entirely satisfied with ONTC mechanics. You will need to be sure to adapt your essato with a threaded solution for the coma corrector. On the other hand you might have problems with the clips adjusting the primary mirror. I noticed that temperatures range can loose the screws and collimation will suffer. If you are in remote be sure the technical staff can help and understand Cats eye collimation or similar autocollimation methods. On the other hand, if you can overcome these issues, I think this is the best value combination.
Best
Thank you for your answer. I spent a lot of time studying your shoots and finally decided to call TS to have a chat about these scopes. They says that the use of the Esatto 2 is possible, and proposed to install the adapter plate for me. On the other end, all the coma correctors they offered are 2" barreled without threads. So I'd like to ask you which Coma corrector do you actually use. And about the collimation...actually I'm considering the 10" f 4.8 that "sholud" be less demanding than a F4 in terms of collimation. Anyway, the remote site is 3 h by car from my home, in a farmhouse, and I plan to go there periodically for setup maintenance and to spend good times with my family. And in this regard, I would like to ask you what tools do you use for collimation. I actually own an OCAL and I found it very reliable for secondary alignment, but not so intuitive for collimation. In my opinion it's a good (but expensive) substitute for collimation caps because with astrophotography rigs the focuser points toward the ground. So I'd like to know your method. Take in account that I came from a Quattro 8" and collimation with that cheap newt is a real nightmare. It's more a hit or miss.
Hello. I use the TS GPU threaded to the stock focuser. For that I purchased an adaptor they sell but unfortunately the dia
meter is not good and my team had to drill it to fit the coma corrector.
The best collimation method I found is the cat’s eye. You should follow Nawratils collimation guide https://drive.google.com/file/d/12sjAsObZUOu1_qi2SS_hSZXawTFgAm3f/view?usp=drivesdk
I follow this guide with some variations for the final secondary mirror adjustment. An F 4.8 will be less demanding.
Best.
By the way ask them to fit a mask for the primary mirror otherwise the diffracted stars are too hard showing th clips diffracted.
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David Serquera:
Leonardo Landi:
David Serquera:
Hello,
You can see my gallery for galaxy season with ONTC 10" F4 and 10 microns. It is a good combination. However, I am not entirely satisfied with ONTC mechanics. You will need to be sure to adapt your essato with a threaded solution for the coma corrector. On the other hand you might have problems with the clips adjusting the primary mirror. I noticed that temperatures range can loose the screws and collimation will suffer. If you are in remote be sure the technical staff can help and understand Cats eye collimation or similar autocollimation methods. On the other hand, if you can overcome these issues, I think this is the best value combination.
Best
Thank you for your answer. I spent a lot of time studying your shoots and finally decided to call TS to have a chat about these scopes. They says that the use of the Esatto 2 is possible, and proposed to install the adapter plate for me. On the other end, all the coma correctors they offered are 2" barreled without threads. So I'd like to ask you which Coma corrector do you actually use. And about the collimation...actually I'm considering the 10" f 4.8 that "sholud" be less demanding than a F4 in terms of collimation. Anyway, the remote site is 3 h by car from my home, in a farmhouse, and I plan to go there periodically for setup maintenance and to spend good times with my family. And in this regard, I would like to ask you what tools do you use for collimation. I actually own an OCAL and I found it very reliable for secondary alignment, but not so intuitive for collimation. In my opinion it's a good (but expensive) substitute for collimation caps because with astrophotography rigs the focuser points toward the ground. So I'd like to know your method. Take in account that I came from a Quattro 8" and collimation with that cheap newt is a real nightmare. It's more a hit or miss.
Hello. I use the TS GPU threaded to the stock focuser. For that I purchased an adaptor they sell but unfortunately the dia
meter is not good and my team had to drill it to fit the coma corrector.
The best collimation method I found is the cat’s eye. You should follow Nawratils collimation guide https://drive.google.com/file/d/12sjAsObZUOu1_qi2SS_hSZXawTFgAm3f/view?usp=drivesdk
I follow this guide with some variations for the final secondary mirror adjustment. An F 4.8 will be less demanding.
Best.
By the way ask them to fit a mask for the primary mirror otherwise the diffracted stars are too hard showing th clips diffracted.
Another issue you might have is the detaching of the flocking. It happened twice to me. Once at -10 and the other during spring. You will think that a mirror offset has occurred making a shadow. But actually is the flocking detached and hanging in the middle of the tube.
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I don't know what you ended up with, but i really wish to have 10Micron mount or any equivalent for my TS Optics RC10 Truss model, it is 2000mm focal length, and with 0.67x and a camera like 294 mono [or even a color] i can have a lot, 1340mm at ~f/5.4 is good enough for 294m sampling, i do have 8" F/5 for 1000mm FL which is not bad, i just wanted a bit longer FL for smaller and more distant targets over my 8" Newt, i still can use my RC10 at native or maybe use 0.8x reducer for 1600mm, i got my RC10 with an offer which is gone from TS Optics, so i never hesitate, and collimation with truss design is easier or less complicated.
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Tareq Abdulla:
I don't know what you ended up with, but i really wish to have 10Micron mount or any equivalent for my TS Optics RC10 Truss model, it is 2000mm focal length, and with 0.67x and a camera like 294 mono [or even a color] i can have a lot, 1340mm at ~f/5.4 is good enough for 294m sampling, i do have 8" F/5 for 1000mm FL which is not bad, i just wanted a bit longer FL for smaller and more distant targets over my 8" Newt, i still can use my RC10 at native or maybe use 0.8x reducer for 1600mm, i got my RC10 with an offer which is gone from TS Optics, so i never hesitate, and collimation with truss design is easier or less complicated.
Thank you Tareq. Actually I'm still looking around, I'll buy that scope for the next galaxy season so I'm not in hurry. In this days I found an offer for a 10 carbon fiber TS RC10 and I'm seriously considering it. However I'm a little scared about collimation. RC is completely a new world for me. What do you think about it?
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Leonardo Landi:
Tareq Abdulla:
I don't know what you ended up with, but i really wish to have 10Micron mount or any equivalent for my TS Optics RC10 Truss model, it is 2000mm focal length, and with 0.67x and a camera like 294 mono [or even a color] i can have a lot, 1340mm at ~f/5.4 is good enough for 294m sampling, i do have 8" F/5 for 1000mm FL which is not bad, i just wanted a bit longer FL for smaller and more distant targets over my 8" Newt, i still can use my RC10 at native or maybe use 0.8x reducer for 1600mm, i got my RC10 with an offer which is gone from TS Optics, so i never hesitate, and collimation with truss design is easier or less complicated.
Thank you Tareq. Actually I'm still looking around, I'll buy that scope for the next galaxy season so I'm not in hurry. In this days I found an offer for a 10 carbon fiber TS RC10 and I'm seriously considering it. However I'm a little scared about collimation. RC is completely a new world for me. What do you think about it?
I never used RC before as well, and collimating Newt isn't easy anyway, i was lucky that my 8" F/5 is so easy for collimation, while my GSO 6" F/4 was bad in collimation, but i will modify it then that might fix the collimation part, while for RC, all said that collimating RC isn't difficult, but the non truss design having the focuser coupled with primary mirror so that will make like extra efforts and steps, i don't know that, but all said that with truss where the focuser is de-coupled with mirror then collimation is easier or straight forward, i still didn't use my RC10 at all because i am waiting to buy a better mount, but i never worry about collimation of RC, sooner or later i have to learn it so i can make the scope perfect ready, i don't think i will collimate it out of box, but i have to be ready to do when necessary without any fear or sacring.
The quality images from RC is almost like unmatched really, once you make the scope ready then there is no going back, if you will make a permanent pier or observatory for your 10Micron then i can't see any problem having RC, you won't collimate it a lot then, only people collimating when they keep moving the scope all around with much of impacts and wind and such maybe, but once you collimate and lock it and don't move it it will be like lifetime collimated, if you have some people in your area keen for astrophotography and collimation they can do it for you once then forget about it.
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Thank you. I'm worried about collimation mainly because I'll install the setup in a remote observatory. In summertime and fall I'll install a FRA 400, and the longer FL for galaxy season. So I'll have little time to learn collimation at home, and only on the kitchen table with artificial star. Unfortunately I do not have a second mount at home. It's a like a hit or miss, with a completely new OTA.
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Leonardo Landi:
Thank you. I'm worried about collimation mainly because I'll install the setup in a remote observatory. In summertime and fall I'll install a FRA 400, and the longer FL for galaxy season. So I'll have little time to learn collimation at home, and only on the kitchen table with artificial star. Unfortunately I do not have a second mount at home. It's a like a hit or miss, with a completely new OTA.
Buying 10Micron mount means you have enough budget, many are dreaming to have those high end brands mounts and still can't afford it, for home why don't you buy small mount then, i bought two Skywatcher AZ-GTi, this mount can handle small setup and it is so lightweight that i can carry whole setup with one hand, so this you can spend time at home leaving the other big setup in remote observatory, and this year i am thinking about buying an affordable harmonic mount that can handle my RC10 so then i have full time joy, my scope with two mounts and even if i buy a harmonic mount will not at same price of one least 10Micron mount, to give you the idea.
If you collimate the scope once and leave it on permanent observatory then i doubt you will need to re-collimate it all the time, as i said, ask someone expertise about it to do for you and then leave it there, if you get a truss design and it is collimated then it will hold that for really long long time, the design is that much good so the collimation isn't lost in long time, then time to time you can drive to remote obsy for checking out only, you should not have lots of worry about it, if you love it and serious about it you will find a way, i bought my RC10 in 2022 and i didn't give it a try even once until now, see how long patience i have, i even didn't use most of my equipment since 2021-2022, once i am ready i will put everything at best.
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By the way, i also have Askar FRA400, sooner or later i will test this scope on my new mount AZ-GTi, you do it as well and get this mount or similar, the scope isn't heavy and the mount can handle up to 5KG, if you go unguided then mostly 1-2 min exposure is maximum you get, if you add guiding i saw people even go for 5 minutes exposure for NB, while for LRGB short exposure is completely fine with this mount, i bought the mount one unit for about $280 free shipping from AE, and it was a lot of offers and discounts that time so i bought the second for less than $280 and i couldn't be happier, i won my first solar image using this mount last year with my new solar filter.
So i want you also to be like me and get that RC10 truss if you can or even the carbon fiber, i think the truss material is also carbon fiber too in beautiful shape design, it is all up to you, don't rush and think wise and twice, the mount you have can handle even larger, but i see that RC10-12 as the sweet spot as price and weight, performance are astonishing, i mean even i didn't use my RC i believe it is amazing wonderful scope before i use it, i even can trust it under my Bortle 8/9 skies, trust in yourself and your gear then it will give you a lot of what you look far.
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@Tareq Abdulla thank you for your advices on the 10" truss RC. I did some research online and I think it's the right scope for my needs. Maybe even more than the 10"ONTC f 4.8. I can use it with the reducer at 1360mm f 5.4 (almost fast as the ONTC) or at full fl at 2000mm for galaxies. I already have an Esatto 2" that can replace the stock focuser.
Last night I finally got to try out the FRA 400 at full f.l. with some shots at the witch's broom in Ha, 360s unguided subs. Pinpoint stars all over the frame, with an HFR around 1.8. Amazing "little" scope. Going back to using a refractor, after three years spent with a cheap Newton f4, is something extremely relaxing. You can start a session without keeping your fingers crossed for collimation. Next clear nights I'll try the f3.9 reducer.
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Leonardo Landi:
@Tareq Abdulla thank you for your advices on the 10" truss RC. I did some research online and I think it's the right scope for my needs. Maybe even more than the 10"ONTC f 4.8. I can use it with the reducer at 1360mm f 5.4 (almost fast as the ONTC) or at full fl at 2000mm for galaxies. I already have an Esatto 2" that can replace the stock focuser.
Last night I finally got to try out the FRA 400 at full f.l. with some shots at the witch's broom in Ha, 360s unguided subs. Pinpoint stars all over the frame, with an HFR around 1.8. Amazing "little" scope. Going back to using a refractor, after three years spent with a cheap Newton f4, is something extremely relaxing. You can start a session without keeping your fingers crossed for collimation. Next clear nights I'll try the f3.9 reducer.
Nice to hear that, in fact in the first years when i started i was just some tests without solving problems, then i spent next years like 3 years in buying and buying only, now i will spend few years only to fix things and make things right and proper, first i replaced my computer to another one, second modified my Newtonian and now i have the last 2 steps to finish it then i am ready, while for RC i have to get a better mount then i am all busy imaging.
My main refr i want to use will be my FRA400 and 90 triplets and 106, later i might add more, but i have to buy mounts more, i have 5 cooled cameras so i can be very flexible for imaging, once i sort out my setup flawlessly and perfectly as much i can.
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Matthew Proulx:
Bob Masters:
Peter Goodhew:
Leonardo Landi:
Hi guys. I'm a proud owner of a GM1000 mount that I'll install in a bortle 2 remote site before summer. For nebulae season I'll put on an Askar FRA400 reduced for wide field imaging (I want to keep things simple in the first time) but for the next galaxy season I'm planning to add some more serious OTA around 1000-1500mm. Thing is... 10u mounts are pretty demanding for good unguided performance. My first choice was a 8"RC GSO but I read some nightmare reviews here on AB in terms of focuser flexure. The same guy says he had a really nice experience with an Edge 8 HD but I'm not sure it's a good choice for remote installation due to mirror shift (even if I actually have a 2"esatto focuser I could install).... so any suggestion?
I'm using a Celestron C14 EdgeHD remotely installed in Spain with no mirror shift problems and getting perfect 10 minutes unguided images.
Just want to confirm that you are using a C14 EdgeHD on a GM1000? I am surprised that the GM1000 can handle that much payload.
Why wouldn't it? 46lb + a few lbs give or take for accessories. Mount photographic capacity is rated at 55lb. I've pushed mounts well above their "capacity" with sub .5" guiding. Test things and find out man. That's all I have been doing for years. Screw anyone elses word for it.
Very true. I used my C11 on an AM5 with a CF tripod. It worked fine, and I enjoyed that setup a lot.
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0.00
8.52
7.90
0.90
6.06
4.13
0.00
2.94
7.12
