For someone owning a C11 and wanting to find out all the options that optical system brings, this is a truly excellent video. Very well done, clear, detailed and concise. Thanks for the time and effort. I do not own one, but still found it incredibly informative.
this has to be the most complete video about the c11 add-ons and options that i have ever saw. thank you for your time and effort. excelent informations. Subscribed!
Thank you so much for watching, for taking the time to comment, and for your subscription! I’m so pleased that you like it…it took a long time to make!!! Clear Skies.
@@martinsastrophotographyI could imagine that :) I’ve been looking into the hyperstar myself but been dreading removing the secondary mirror but you made it look nice and easy :)
Over the top!! I’m about to set up my C14 , I know they have the same back focus and stuff. Question , Is it easier to achieve focus on planetary than it is on Deep Space set up? I’m referring to the backfocus issue with the scope and precise you have to be ?
@@Rafastro Sorry…I am not sure what you mean by “over the top”? Focus is generally harder for planetary due to the seeing and the high focal length. I use a bright star and a Bahtinov mask for planetary. For Deep Sky the regular autofocus routine in NINA works very well.
Wonderful video for introducing SCT visual & imaging setup. I just bought a second hand C8HD and watched many videos on YT, this one by Martin is the best and most intuitive ever. Still have many gears to complete those setup, but I'm not confused anymore. Much appreciated Martin, thank you for your knowledge and sharing!
This was a great video, Martin! I’m considering an Edge 8 HD (if Santa pulls through! 😂) and your detailed info was really helpful! Thanks for sharing your experience and best wishes to you from the north lands…🔭📸
Excellent video covering every possible use-case scenario. I am planning to get an EdgeHD 9.25 for visual, planetary, and DSO photography and this provides lots of information on accessories that I need to get. Thanks a lot for making and sharing this wonderful video.
Thanks for that. I’m glad it was helpful. If you are happy to use the affiliate links in the description when you purchase accessories it helps the channel (and won’t cost you any extra). Clear skies!
Bravo, my smart fellow. You just save many hours of headaches for the edge hd users. Thanks Martin. Hoping for clear English nite skies is an act of great faith like waiting for the second coming….is it not. Nevertheless, you are prepared.
What a brilliant video, I have a C11 edge hd and the detail you have provided for every option of imaging using this versatile scope is exactly what I needed and I’m sure others need. Thank you so much!!! You just gained another subscriber.
Thanks for your comment on FB. I had no idea I was already watching your vids when you messaged. I totally bought the feathertouch because of you haha.
Brilliant video thanks for sharing all of this! Even though I don't have a C11 nor do I plan to get one but it's so cool to see your equipment! Hope you enjoy your astro journey with this amazing setup. Clear skies!
Celestron's Dew Heater band works fine. I use it on my Edge HD8 and RASA 8. Just don't run it (unnecessarily) at full power. I Use the Celestron Dew Heater Controller (unnecessarily expensive) but run the dew heater manually at ~15% with no issues and no dew.
Hi Martin, like a spunge I have absorbed all your Tutorial videos on the HEQ 5 PRO mount. Besides our name , this evening I will pick up another item we have in common. My "new" HEQ 5 PRO. I'm sure I will have to refer to you super clear video's. They will be of great help. So thank you for all your work and effort. The third thing I'd love to have in common is all the knowledge you posess.I might consult you when I get stuck. Cheers Martin Reij
thanks, very clear. I’m using slight variations of the setting (I use the celestron OAG with a Lodestar guiding camera) and for the planetary images I just use the telrad and lots of patience having a 4x Televue Powermate Barlow. I guess I will try your setting! As for the hyperstar, I have it on my first C8 SCT on smaller mount, so I can image two different objects at the same time when I have a good night, which has been terribly rare recently. As you do, I love the Hyperstar, but collimation can be a little tricky. clear skies and thanks again! tony
Thank Tony. I’m sure there are many variations out there. Interesting what you say about Hyperstar setup collimation. I have never had an issue with that. I guess I got lucky! Clear skies.
Thank you for the fantastic information. It is so helpful to see the actual setups. I am getting a 9.25, but I'm sure a lot of the information you have presented will translate over. Thanks again!
Hi Martin I have the Clestron Dew Heater Rings on three of my SCTS and I have never noticed an issue. I use my SCTS for both visual and imaging. I am anal about my set ups and I check the temps of the bands periodically and the heat is very even. They also work great with the Celestron Dew Controller. I suspect the reports online are more about either people having the rings set too hot, bad seeing, or warm air currents in the OTA. Clear skies!
That would great to add that detail in the description. I’m exploring purchasing the c11 EHD for my AM5 mount- using 4.5kg/10lb counterweight of course.
Unbelievably excellent video. I own a RASA 8, C8 edge and a C9.25. I have Hyperstar for the edge and 9.25 along with similar accessories like you. I’ve had trouble getting my cables nice and tidy but working on that. I use an eagle 4 as well as an ASIAIR. Your video was direct and to the point and the amount of care with which you present the topics was extremely interesting, well thought out and informative even for someone who has been doing this a while. Great Job!!! Regards Luis from NY
Really valuable Martin. Thanks. I have the older non HD version of the C11 SCT. I'll check out your modifications. I'm assuming that many of your modifications for the HD version are applicable to mine. Any comments in that regard from you or your audience would be welcome. You might have seen James Lamb's extensive review of the celestron dew heater band.
Great video. FWIW, I have the Celestron Dew Heater Ring on both a C8 and on an EdgeHD 9.25 run via the Dew Heater port of a Pegasus Astro Powerbox. In both I get distortion of stars and have learned to keep power output below 10%. There is probably not much point in having the dew heater ring as in the end (like you) I ended up adding an AstroZap band to help keep the dew away.
Thank you Bruce, and thanks for the details of your dew heater ring experiences. It’s interesting that some have said it works great and others have had a bad experience. I’m not sure what to conclude other than “it’s a risk”!
Nicely done. Very informative. I basically have the same setup except I replaced the guide scope with the Celestron Starsense Autoguider. The SSAG works extremely well with all configurations but particularly well with the HpyerStar. I don't have the microfocuser. It was interesting information about the mirror flop. I am going to check that out with my system
Excellent video, Martin - once more you have been key for my progress into astrophotography! 2 questions: a. what mount are you working on in the video? Is it an iOptron70 and how satisfied are you with it for the EdgeHD11? b. I am struggling to get focus (=I cannot get into focus as I hit the short end limit of the Edhe) using my Hyperstar at the official backfocus of 59,7mm (=ASI2600 + 42,2mm) , but rather need to work at 70mm (=Asi2600+53,2mm). Did you have any issues with that?
Thank you. I use the Sky-Watcher EQ8-R Pro mount which I am very happy with. I have not encountered Backfocus trouble with the EdgeHD 11 and Hyperstar….I turn the focus knob fully anti-clockwise until I reach the end stop, and then turn it clockwise 27.5 turns. This achieves focus with the Hyperstar v4 (with ZWO filter drawer option)
Excellent presentation, thankyou! Although I’m OK with deep sky on my C9.25, I’ve been struggling with attempts at planetary and been disappointed with my results. The optical train for planetary imaging was particularly useful, there’s so much to learn. You’ve managed to put more useful information in one video than I’ve ever seen before. Just for info, I can’t get the link for the imaging flip mirror to work so you may be losing out on potential income!
It looks like the flip mirror has disappeared from the 365astronomy website. I have messaged them to ask why. In the meantime I have changed to link to an alternative from Amazon, but it comes with a 1.25” nosepiece.
Thanks for helping with that. Can I ask your view on the vent fans? I’ve had nights where I simply can’t focus using longer focal lengths. All the stars are dull and just too big. I’ve looked for dew and other potential obstructions but failed to find anything. Could the problem be the air currents do you think? My guess is not as I’ve worked to equalise temperatures so I’m tending to put it down to simply poor seeing. I’d be interested in your views and any hints how you to distinguish between the possible problems.@@martinsastrophotography
What an excellent video - very informative for someone new to the field. I'm not sure if you mentioned it, but what is the mount that you use for the Celestron? One other point. As a photographer, I often make compromises when I'm out in the field, particularly when I'm travelling light. Typically I'll take two zooms with me, a wide angle and a mild tele, together with a fast prime like a 50mm f1.2 for low light conditions. If I think there'll be wildlife involved I'll also take a decent long focal length zoom. As with all zooms though, however well made, they're always a compromise in terms of image quality, usually at one end of the focal length or the other - you can't get something for nothing. Primes are the ideal, but generally only when mobility or logistics aren't an issue. Why am I mentioning all this? I've perused a lot of astronomy forums over the last year or so, and one thing I've noticed is that, with such a variance in the night sky between superwide objects such as the Milky Way and very distant targets that require high magnification, it doesn't seem that the majority of enthusiasts keep a slew of different focal length telescopes on hand to suit the given target - hardly surprising given the costs. Short of using Barlows and/or delving into either cropping images or creating mosaics, I've often wondered how anyone can determine which telescope is ideal for them when there's such a dramatic variance in what can be photographed. That's where I thought Celestron's Schmidt-Cassegrains came into their own as astrophotography's version of a zoom via the reducer and the Hyperstar, giving a one-size-fits-all unit that covers all the bases - am I right? The only mild concern I've read is that, as with zoom lenses in photography, getting away from the telescope's natural focal length via the reducer or Hyperstar sacrifices a little in the way of image quality - is that something you've found yourself?
Hi Tim. First, thanks for your kind words about my video. Much appreciated. Ok…on to your questions. First, the mount is the Sky-Watcher EQ8-R Pro. It’s one of a few hefty mounts up to the task of carrying this scope with all the other accessories I use. Ok…so you are a photographer…well we have that in common, at least I was an amateur photographer for about 40 years before I ever tried Astrophotography. I have a similar set of lenses to you, covering a wide range of focal lengths, and as you rightly say the range of target sizes in Astrophotography is simply huge…from the whole sky Milky Way to the tiniest planet many millions of light years from Earth. You say that “it doesn’t seem that the majority of Astrophotography enthusiasts keeps a slew of different focal length telescopes”. Well I think this could be an incorrect perception. I, for example, have the EdgeHD 11 giving me 540mm, 1960mm and 2800mm, then I have an 8” Newtonian at 800mm, and a Redcat 51 at 250mm. I have accumulated these over 8 years, and spent a crazy amount of money on them and everything that goes with them. I think many if not all experienced astrophotographers will have multiple telescopes.. but perhaps they are a bit reluctant to blatantly reveal this as they don’t want to be seen to be bragging about all the kit they have. But I am quite certain that there are a lot of angry partners and spouses out there who resent the house full of Astro gear and the amount of money that has been spent on it!!! During spring (Galaxy season) I use the long focal lengths to photograph galaxies, and during autumn and winter I generally use the Hyperstar on the EdgeHD 11 for nebula work. In the summer I take a break while I wait for proper darkness to return at my 51° latitude. So..on to your question about compromise with the Hyperstar. Well, yes in principle adding more glass to the imaging train degrades the quality, but two other factors make it the right choice I believe. 1. A wider field of view means the atmospheric distortion is smaller compared with your field of view, so the details of a nebula are plenty good enough with the Hyperstar setup at 540mm. 2. With so few clear nights per year I need to make the very best of every clear night, and the photon gobbling f/1.8 setup of the EdgeHD 11 with Hyperstar is perfect for doing that. Finally, if it’s any measure at all…I have only had one award for an Astrophotography photo, and it was taken on the EdgeHD 11 with Hyperstar. I hope I have addressed all your excellent questions.
@@martinsastrophotography Hi Martin. Thanks so much for your prompt reply. All those answers help with regard to my own plans. I'm 65, living in the USA, and am about to retire back to my Australian homeland, specifically an area of rural Australia where the Bortle conditions are near perfect. It seems as good a time as any to finally indulge a long held interest in astronomy and astrophotography. I've read all the excellent reasons for starting small and building up with experience, but at my age I don't have that luxury and have decided to jump in at the deepest of deep ends. Initially I was going to purchase an Edge 9.25 coupled to an EQ6-R Pro, but decided I might as well leap right in and get the Edge 14" with a suitable mount, and toss in a Redcat 51 or 71 to compliment it. It's going to be a huge and hair-pulling learning curve, but as time isn't on my side I figured it was worth it, plus I'm very adept with software, have built a number of PCs and am reasonably comfortable with electronics, and am obsessive enough with details to pick things up fairly quickly. Toss in my years of experience with photography, and I think I'll get there, accepting the fact that there'll be a degree of frustration along the way. Channels such as yours certainly help!
I watched most of your videos, and I appreciate your clear coverage of a topic. I bought a Celestron CGX mount on sale and am now saving up for a 9.25 SCT for visual use. The Celestron Dew Heater bands interested me, but this is the second time someone has commented on the distortion. Do you prefer the Astrozap heating straps because of that?
Thank you Gene. I have not yet tried the Celestron Dew Heater Band because I am concerned by the reports. The Astrozap solution works just fine…and they do say “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”!!!
Thank you. Good question. That is one of the drawbacks of Hyperstar…the filter changing is awkward and FLATs are problematic. I do my FLATs at the start or end of the session with the telescope pointing straight up and tracking disabled so my FLATs panel can rest on the top of the dew shield. To change filter I remove the FLATs panel, remove the dew shield, change the filter, refit the dew shield then re-fit the FLATs panel. This is all rather laborious. One way to simplify it is to do one filter per night…get lots of data..and no filter changes at all during a session! Requires patience!!
@@user-wj2xx4qv9q Yes, lots. It is my favourite telescope setup. You can watch my video about the image I won a prize for… How I Created an Award Winning Astro Image ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-QV3FPxMa-Tk.html
Nice to meet you. I currently own a C11 and use the same ASI2600MM camera with a Starizona 0.7x reducer. The C11 with the 0.7x reducer requires a specific back focus distance of 146mm. Therefore, I need to adjust the native focus and mirror flop every hour. Then, I have a question regarding your setup: it appears that you have a microfocuser behind the reducer, which seems to eliminate mirror flop. However, is it okay to ignore the specified back focus distance for the EdgeHD 11 in this case? I would greatly appreciate it if you could provide me with some guidance. Thanks and best regards.
You are not the first to ask me this. It’s a fair question. What I do is get the backfocus distance close to optimum using the manual focus knob, then I lock the mirror, and then I use the microfocuser to perform autofocus. This produces excellent results, so for me it’s a great way to use the scope at 1960 or 2800mm focal length. I hope this helps.
Hi Martin, Thank you for an excellent video and your superb channel. If I may ask some questions ? Am I right in thinking that the Primaluce 2" Essatto is fine focusing even with the main mirror locked down by moving the camera (sensor) back and forward around the focus point ? And secondly, since I also use an EAF on my 9.25" Edge HD, could I rough focus with that ( rather than the manual knob) then fine focus with the Essatto ( or similar ). Lastly, I have been told that it it not necessary to lock the mirror if you are using an EAF as it effectively holds it in place ? I have thought this to be true otherwise if you have autofocus set up in a programme like NINA, you would have to unlock the mirror pre-emptively before a refocus routine ? I would be very interested in your comments.
Hi Nigel. Thank you for your kind comments. I’m glad you like my channel and I am more than happy to answer questions. The only logical way to use ESATTO microfocuser is to remove the EAF, position your ESATTO to get to required back focus (ensuring it has room to move either way), then turn the manual focus knob to achieve rough focus, and then lock the primary mirror and use the ESATTO for fine focus. The primary mirror MUST be UNLOCKED if you are focusing using an EAF, because the EAF moves the primary mirror, and the locking knobs stop the primary mirror from moving. The EAF does not hold the primary mirror at all. It simply pushes and pulls the mirror backwards and forwards via a screw thread inside the telescope.
How are you able to find exact focus and still have your backspace right? I've had an edge 11 and a 9.25 and the reducer is very finicky about backspace..
Hi Dennis. Yes the EdgeHD is indeed sensitive to deviation from the nominal Backfocus distance (NBF), which is specified as 146.05mm for the C9.25, C11 and C14 and 133.35mm for the C8. I should perhaps have mentioned this in my video, so thank you for raising it. Since you mention the reducer, I assume you are asking specifically about my 1960mm Deep Sky Setup. For this, take a look at the detailed diagram I show 43min 10 sec into the video. This shows how the required 146.05mm backfocus is achieved, but the exact contribution of the PL3600242 adapter and the ESATTO are of course variable, so here is what I recommend to get the best possible backfocus: 1. Measure the distance between the camera-side face of the filter wheel and the front face of the PL3600212 adapter which screws onto the reducer. 2. Add 17.5mm for the camera contribution, add another 2mm for the adapter between the camera and filter wheel, and subtract 8.5mm for the distance the reducer thread engages into the PL3600212. 3. Adjust the ESATTO position in or out to correct for your backfocus error. Re-measure and then adjust the ESATTO position until the result you get is as close as you can get it to 146.05mm. 4. With the ESATTO in this position, unlock the primary mirror and rotate the manual focus knob on the telescope until you achieve a good looking focus, then lock off the primary mirror (noting the required manual focus knob position relative to 'fully anti-clockwise' for future reference!). I hope this is helpful.
Hello Martin... Thank you for such a well organized and helpful description of your configurations! I am getting set up in a very similar way with my Edge 11... Could you please tell me your number of focus turns (from your logbook) starting from full CCW to... a) normal F-10 with 146.5mm back focus b) F-7 with .7 with reducer and 146.5 back focus c) F1.9 Hyperstar... Thank you in advance... I need the Hyperstar the most of all ! Thank you!
Thanks Michael! a) 2800mm: Not a setup I use much, so nothing in the log book for this one b) 1960mm: 2 and 1/4 turns c) Hyperstar 550mm: 27 and 1/2 turns My Planetary setup: 8 and 1/4 turns
Thank you Martin! I'm with you on 2800 I use F7 with reducer all of the time... but it takes me about 10 turns of CW from stop... I also use the Esatto... and I am at exactly 146.5mm back focus to sensor. I have managed to set up my planetary with Powermates to be ParFocal... (really nice!) at the same spot... (10 turns). I have not used Hyperstar yet... but this helps a lot... I know I have to turn a good bit to get there. Thank you again, Martin... this is a wonderful video, and it is really nice of you to help us all with your experience!!! Clear Skies! Michael @@martinsastrophotography
Hi Martin - Sorry for any bother... I am quite surprised that you are only 2 1/4 turns for F7 1960 (from the front CCW stop)... I am at about 10 CW turns for the same spot... I am surprised that Celestron would design it to be that close to limit with one of their main setups/settings... but thank you again! Really helpful! Michael
Hi Martin. I'm using an edge hd and want to try some planetary photography with a Barlow. Does back focus and calculating 146.05mm matter when using a Barlow within the imaging train? I've read some mixed opinions online and noticed your technical drawing is absent on any calculations to the sensor. Cheers.
Hi Thomas. Good question. Having the right back focus certainly matters when you want to achieve a flat focal plane so that everything on your sensor is in focus at the same time…essential for Deep Sky imaging. For planetary imaging you are only interested in a tiny area at the centre of the imaging circle and so the flatness of the focal plane is not important. I have produced a nice looking image of Jupiter with the setup I presented in the video, which confirms the above. Clear skies.
Which mount would you recommend for taking deep sky pictures? Is the Skywatcher AZEQ6 Pro GoTo enough? (24 kg weight capacity, 15 kg recommendes for photography)
@@JoaquinHernandezMartinez-uc1sk It depends what telescope or camera you have. I think if I had my time again I would buy the ZWO AM5N. It is a great Goto mount with an excellent payload capacity and excellent performance. If you are not going to buy a larger telescope the AM3 is good enough.
I am considering buying a 11" or a 9.25" Edge. But I am afraid of "the" problem of "oversampling" by almost any CMOS or CCD camera according to "Astronomy Tools" calculator. Is this a problem ???
No. If you are I oversampled by more than 2x you can simply use binning. Also, this is one telescope with at least 3 focal lengths possible (native, reducer & Hyperstar) so I don’t think you will be oversampled at every one of these.
I am close to optimal Backfocus. As far as I understand the Backfocus is measured from the rear cell or the rear face of the reducer if used, which would mean it does not change when adjusting the primary mirror position. Ultimately this is a question for Celestron to confirm but my results seem good so I remain happy with these configurations.
Ah, ok. Thank you for clarifying. Well I get close to focus using the focus knob, so the microfocuser is typically moving less than +/- 1mm during autofocus. Therefore my backfocus remains close to ideal despite using the microfocuser. The results are very good, so I am happy with this approach. And it’s great getting rid of the image shift caused by the mirror flop!
@martinsastrophotography sorry when i plate slove it shows 1980mm i m jusy trying to asertain if i should be reducing or adding spacers? Also Martin, i am guessing you are using auto focus on the essatto when deep sky imaging. Does the draw tube need to be kept mid way in the back focus measurement? All all the way in?
@hakankaya-gj1su PHD2 will display values based on your inputs. The EdgeHD 11 native focal length is 2800mm and with a 0.7x reducer fitted this becomes 2800x0.7=1960mm. I use ASTAP for plate solving from NINA and have never had an issue provided I have the focal length set to 1960mm and the camera pixel size correct (which it picks up automatically when I connect my camera). Whether or not your Backfocus distance is correct can be determined by checking you have nice round stars across the whole image when focusing is complete. Yes, I use autofocus with whatever focuser I am using, including the ESATTO. I put the ESATTO at the mid way position then get rough focus using the manual focus knob. Then I lock the mirror and run autofocus.