As others have mentioned, the best way to improve the balance is to move the guide scope to the front of the dovetail where the balance weight is now. As a rule of thumb, the guide scope focal length only needs to be 1/10 of the focal length of the main telescope, assuming the same pixel size for the guide cam and the imaging camera. Even with your current ZWO 120MM, the ZWO mini guide scope should work. If you upgraded to the ASI 290MM, which has smaller pixels, the situation would be even better. I can highly recommend the Baader Stronghold Tangent Assembly, which will attach directly to the telescope dovetail. Then you can eliminate the tube rings. A perfect guide scope to use with this is the William Optics Slide-base Uniguide Scope, which has a better dovetail than the ZWO mini.
Hi Tim, Wicked sense of humor! Great video as always. One thing I regularly see is that people are overly critical of their own work - believe people when they say you are better than you give yourself credit for.
Tim - great work. All very well done. I know an RC scope can be a nightmare to deal with. I look forward to what you are doing in 10 years. You do an excellent job with your productions. Joe
Hi! Great videos. I've been learning a lot from your videos. If you use a tri-bahtinov mask you will be able to detect and pinpoint astigmatism, because of the different point of focus of tangential light. I also have an RC6 from TS, and it was a PIA when I messed up the collimation, but after some struggles it's now better than when I received it and now I know how to get it right :) :)
Get rid of the dovetail weight and get and mount another dovetail on another side of the scope. Then spread rings of the guidescope further apart and move it to the position where the system will be balanced. Much more stable and more flex proof. Also the cable on the autoguider hanging like that can also have effect on autoguiding. Anyways, great video and great photograph.
Tim so glad you could get in this spectacular target. its a fun one. If only it was closer (larger) and did not need such a long FL. By way of feedback, I think your audio for the voice over needs to come up a little more and the music dialed back. I know I make this mistake too often as well. By the way how serious are you about fixing your balance issue? Ever consider a side by side rail? I could make you one if you are willing to wait a few months as I have to machine it yet.
Hi Tim. Thanks for tour great video! Just noted you are not happy with the guide scope installation on the side of the RC. I had that problem too and solved it by installing the guide scope on a second dovetail bar that I bought from TS. I can show you a photo if you want! Keep up the good work and clear skies
You can put you Guidescope on the position of your additional counterweight under your scope. I did it this way and then i switched to Off axis guiding with my RC6. Regards Andreas
Hi Tim, nice video! M51 looked amazing! I have a solution for your secondary scope counter weight problem. I applied this solution to my system, which is very similar to yours, and it works great (it's cheap too!). You need to make your own counter weights for the left side. I did mine with door hinges, a strong tape to stick several of them (depending on the weight you need), , and velcro to attach them to the scope, wherever you wanna put them. I first calculated the secondary scope + camera total weight with a simple balance, the rest was easy! I think I did made 2, 250gr, and 2, 500 gr weights. I swap them whenever I need to change the focal length (I use OAG, or hyperstar systems with my Celestron Edge 8 HD). I have a set of pics from both system configurations in my cellphone, just to remember where to put the weights, cable management, etc. Both systems are perfectly balanced this way! 😁 Hope it helps!
Thanks Tim! I'd sure love a video of the adjustment of the tilt adapter! Boring but I can't find any decent vids on it. Great image by the way!!!! Happy for you!
@@AstroAddict Hey I'm counting on you pal!!! Seriously, I wonder if that is why there aren't many videos on it. I really struggled with it. Never got it corrected and ended up just cropping. LOL
You managed to get a great image in the end Tim. I might look at a similar size scope which my HEq5 can handle this looks like a sweet spot for weight. Nice video.👍
Great video Tim. Interesting idea with L-Pro and L-extreme filters for RGB and Ha. Thanks for the tip ;-) I would fix the guide scope on the Vixen rail under the Main Scope.... probably the additional counter weight would not be needed anymore (replaced by the guide scope and guide camera ). Also another benefit would be that giude scope is closer to RA axis, so maybe less counterweight will be needed .
Could you not fit an extra dovetail across the top of the main scope to mount your guiding setup on? Also, one of my scopes is a Vixen VC200L astrograph. I used to focus with a bahtinov mask, but I was told by another owner to forget the mask and focus using the spider vanes of the secondary mirror holder. Due to the way the secondary is mounted in these types of astrograph, it gives it a slightly different focal point to where you place the bahtinov mask. The mask is quite a bit in front of the secondary mirror. I didn't believe it at first, but pixel-peeping revealed it to be true. Clear skies.
Very well done. I'm using ASIair pro but having a tough time. Stacking and processing my fits data. Like the ease of ASIair. But programs like Sharp Cap. Have it all right there. What was your workflow on the Whirlpool Galaxy?
Do you have much trouble guiding with the rc6 on the HEQ5? I usually get around 0.8 arc/s RMS on an average night here with a small 4kg payload. I've been looking at the rc6/rc8 for a while with the same mount you have, but have been holding off because of the increased weight.
The guiding was good enough. But I had to sacrifice some time in dithering, so I guess that the mount was at it's limit. Not a single trailed exposure tho!
Hi Tim, May i please know what Camera did you use to shoot the video? This is like one of your best video i could say its ultra crisp!!!! Well done and keep It up, I would love to do a colab with you & Dylan if possible i also have an astro channel. Let me know where i can DM yourself..... :)
great image well done. I have been thinking of getting an RC for a while. Would you talk me out of it? Currently have a 714mm refractor that I can reduce to around 570. The low speed of the RC puts me off a bit but keen on a longer focal length for smaller DSO. It's a choice between and RC and something like a SW Quattro.
Very cool! I just got an Orion 130mm reflector and I've been wanting to see this for myself but haven't even been able to find it in the sky (Idk if I can even see it with my scope or not) but I'm still trying! ^^
Hey, what mount are you using? An eq mount with goto or an alt-z mount? Also is the place you're looking from light polluted? Galaxies are very hard to see since they are very dim. I have a 254mm telescope and still can't see it from the city so idk if you will be able to see it but definitely worth trying it!
Hi there, have you concidered putting the guide scope in place of the dovtail counter weight. This will distribute the weight evenly from left to right...
Fantastic picture! Regarding the guidescope: I assume, your telescope doesn't have extra holes on the top? How about some double-sided heavy duty acrylic foam tape (and maybe some duct tape)? I use it for basically everything in my household. It doesn't always look pretty, but it works a charm. Haven't tried on my telescopes yet though.
Amazing, good thing you do this, because with my Skyguider pro and 600mm... Thanks for sharing. Btw, 4 nights of imaging, and how many nights for video editing? :D Clear Skies, Cheers
Great work and beautiful image, Tim! You inspired me to get into this never ending journey! I have the same setup (except for scope) as yours, struggling at the weight and balancing. One question: how do you fix your ASIAIR at the side of mount? Screws?
