Into the deep end with the Celestron Edge Hd 800 and an Off Axis Guider
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ส.ค. 2024
- With galaxy season coming up, I decided to purchase a Celestron EdgeHD 800 SCT and an off axis guider. I'll walk through what all that looks like, how I set it up, and my first night images.
The equipment I discussed:
Celestron EdgeHd 800 - optcorp.com/pr...
Celestron Off Axis Guider - optcorp.com/pr...
Follow me on Instagram - / lazy_astronomy
And on Astrobin - www.astrobin.c...
Only 1/3 in and this is one of the best explanations I have seen. Excellent
This is the scope I’m considering.
I started with a 10” dobsonian and now want a go to mount and still keep the focal length.
I’m still just a visual astronomer but maybe in another year get into astrophotography.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge and helping me make my decision
Dreamscope!... one day😅 ... Thanks for sharing and clear skies from Germany:)
Excellent video! Thank you for taking the time to do this.
Really, really useful stuff, well explained. Thanks so much for this.
By far the best technical explanation
Amazing pictures, Congratulations ! It seems there is a lot of potential with this new configuration.
Excellent technical video! I've been guiding with a finderscope on my EDGE HD8 and 0.7x reducer for 4 years and have finally purchased a Celestron OAG. Your video will assist in the finer details of the setup - Thanks! If you are thinking of getting a motorized focuser, I can recommend the Celestron focuser too, which has really helped my imaging sequence. Looking foward to seeing your next video.
I look forward to you using the excellent EdgeHD 800 with your Reducer and also the COAG. Getting this working will be really useful as you will have an F/7 and 1490mm scope for a wider FOV. You cannot be called "Lazy Astronomer" if you use PixInsight - it's very complex and not for the "lazy". But, your results are really good. Will you have a "lazy" guide to PixInsight e.g. a simplified routine that does most of what is required - sort of 80:20 rule for the rest of us? Keep up the videos, Simon
Thanks for sharing! It was very interesting and useful; I am thinking about bying the 8" edge hd or just the 8" and it is the first time I heard some one clarifying the difference in practise. Nice work :)
Excellent review with practical info on how to set up, adjust and focus. Many thanks.
Thanks for that information
Outstanding video! Very helpful. Thank you.
I just got my 8" Edge setup last night for first light. Achieving focus for the main camera wasn't difficult, but I could not get anything from the guide cam (174-mini) no matter how far away or close the sensor was to the OAG prism. I'm going to try during daylight. I did notice some prism obstruction from the T-adapter when visually looking through guide. I swapped out the T-adapter for the OAG SCT adapter, which doesn't show any obstruction. I'm hoping that was the primary issue. As a bonus, the SCT adapter got me to the correct back-focus.
Great explanation of off axis focus acquisition
I just bought myself an entire galaxy rig. 8” Edge HD, Celestron OAG, iOptron CEM70 on tri pier, even a new image acquisition laptop. My favorite targets are galaxies and other smaller celestial objects. I figure down the road I’ll get an 8” RASA for my wide field rig. I’m hoping this will be a good combo and seeing this video definitely gives me hope especially seeing you’re using the CEM60. Unfortunately I have every piece of my new rig except the edge itself. I ordered it two months ago and was told 2 to 3 weeks for delivery and for the past few weeks I’ve been trying to get a hold of Celestron but to no avail :/ So I’m at their mercy. I just hope it gets here before the really cold weather sets in!
Andrew Lindenfeld congrats, that sounds like a good setup. For my mount, I use the CEM60, and I really like it, so I’m sure you’ll enjoy the 70.
Excellent video, thank you!
Really helpful video. many thanks
Very good explanation, thanks!
Really well explained thank you :) I have about the same set up but with the ASI183mm camera. Curious what is you total back focus distance and is that with a reducer? One more, what is the distance from your (camera facing) OAG camera adapte to the back of the 1600 camera? Struggling a little to get the right spacing on mine :)
U could still try and capture if or bigger galaxies like the pinwheel
Great video and clear explanation! I have a small refractor and a C8 Edge HD. I want to use the Edge for DSO, and got an OAG. My first try was a disaster. Couldn't get PHD to track. I think my polar alignment was off, and I should try once more. But here's the question - am I killing myself using an AVX? It will be running at maybe more than half capacity, but it's what I have right now. The other question I have is which guide camera are you using? I understand that makes a big difference as well. Thank you for sharing!
Thanks a lot 🙏
sorry i got a question here , the c8hd and edge 8hd and this 800 , are they the same or different ? and which kind of mount are recommended for them ? thank's
I had the same questions, after pouring through everything, when you see the Celston 8 or 800 with Edge in the name, that is the best scope, there is a big difference in the 8 Edge/800 Edge & just the Celstron 8, basically as long is Edge is in the name, that's the best scope
Going to go to this exact setup with my CEM40 mount for galaxies and planetary that currently uses an ED80 scope for widefield. Currently I guide with a guidescope and a 290MM Mini but I'll get a 174MM Mini guide cam ideal for maximizing stars available in an OAG and use the Celestron OAG like you did. Maybe I missed it but I assume you are using the 0.7 focal reducer correct? Beautiful job.
Thanks for posting, I am thinking this scope for small DSOs or going in the other direction with a RASA. Somebody on FB recommended not get getting an Edge because the focal length is too large.
Its not to large (there is no such thing) Long focal lenghts are just harder to manage (guiding etc.) But if you are into AP already the edgehd is a fine scope to up your level.
@@realmcerono Thanks. I am finally an EdgeHD800 owner. Cheers
Very nice ! About the guide camera: what would you recommend in terms of sensor size / pixel size, to achieve good guiding, with such a scope (long focal / no reducer). What guide camera is the one you are using ? Thank you !
Nice work and great info. I'm just about to buy the 8" Edge HD and CGEM II mount. I want to be able to do visual observation and try my hand at astrophotography as well. For the astrophotography I'm looking at the Orion Starshoot G3 Mono. Mainly because of the price, which is low enough for my budget and won't hurt me too bad if I decide this isn't for me. My question is about backfocus. This camera says 19mm and the ZWO filter wheel is 20mm thick. I have no idea how to determine if that will work with the 8" Edge HD as is or if I will need additional spacers or adapters. Finding this kind of information has been very difficult and somewhat confusing when I can find anything at all. Any help figuring it out would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for the great video too. I'm really much more confident in my choice of the 8" instead of the 9.25" after having watched it.
Do a google search for the manual on the 8inch edgehd. There’s a section the talks about backspacing. It’s somewhere around 135mm I think. Then start doing the math subtracting from that. You’ll hopefully end up with some space left over, and that will be the spacer you’ll need to use to get everything just right. I keep a little spreadsheet that has the distance for each of my main pieces, so I can see if I need to grab a 10mm or 16mm spacer for a particular setup. It’s very handy.
Hi, I use the exact same system, im pretty sure the 8HDs T-Adapters screw in part can be replaced with a filterwheel, and a OAG, or whatever mods you may have, as long as you have proper adapters to the T-Ring or the CCD/CMOS DSC you are using.
20:00 no réductor ?
You still using the 8” Edge? I’ve only used the ASI2600MC and .7x reducer with it. I’m thinking about using my ASI294MM bin 2 and no reducer. Will F10 be okay to image with?
If your EdgeHD requires 136mm back focus, did you add spacers to get exactly to 136mm or just close to it? If just close to it, how close?
I am trying a very similar setup. All my stars in the guidescope look like crescents. Do you think that is because the prism is not extended far enough in?
Most likely it’s just the edge of the image plane not being as flat. Shouldn’t hurt guiding though.
So, I have a CGEM II 800HD, and I can not get very good images yet, im experiencing vignette, because My 8HD T-Adapter is backordered. Im looking into imaging NGC 660, I got 1HR 35M on it in RGB with my DSLR, and so far it hasnt been very good. ive been getting Gradient in my images that makes processing impossible, and I have yet to use my LPR filter on it. Any suggestions, im guiding with a QHY 5L-IIM and a O-50G.
Michael Legary if you’re having heavy vignetting, it might be difficult to get good stars in an off axis guider to guide with. The spacing using that t adapter or other spacers is pretty important. In the meantime, you may want to do some planetary or lunar imaging as that doesn’t require guiding. Once the adapter comes in, try to hit that distance sweet spot for the camera, get the guide camera to focus and you should be ready to go.
Gradients really just require processing tools to help remove. There are lots of videos out there to help with gradient removal for your processing program of choice.
Thanks for the video. Do you have any experience with starizona reducers (other than hyperstar) ? How they compared to celestron 0.7 reducer?
Thank you
Im waiting on the Night Owl F/4 reducer for Edge HDs to release, the sensor area for it is tiny, but its an 8"+ scope at F/4, and the fun part is no risk of breaking a 500$ secondary mirror.
@@Hot_Sky_Astronomydid you get it?
What lum filter did u use? The standard one from a LRGB set? Or did u use like an L Pro
BarkingBeagle Observatory it’s a standard luminance filter, so just cutting out UV and IR
Did you try your 9.25 on the CEM60? I have one that I want to try on my CEM40 but if I do any deep sky, I'll put the focal reducer on it at shoot at f6.3. Were you using a FR on yours?
CMAS - Astronomy I did try the 9.25 on the CEM60, and for me, I was just having a little too much trouble getting round stars while guiding. I think I could have gotten it working with some dedication, but with $1000 price difference, I thought the 8 inch was a better fit for what I have without as much effort. I did not use the FR for these shots. I’ve got that and some other gear like the focus motor on order for next week as I traded in a lot of my old visual gear. The reducer should be great, but I wanted to be able to do the full 2032mm focal length as well. Those reducers are heavy too, so trouble at F10 may not get that better at F6 if you add extra weight.
@@lazyastronomy3348 Wow that's interesting, I would have thought a mount like that would work very will with the 9.25. Maybe I'l think twice about trying to get my little CEM40 to work with it. Great shot of the Horsehead with the 8" Edge though. That's really somthing to be proud of.
@@cmas-astronomy4715 There are other folks in my local astro club who are getting great results with a 9.25 on an older CGEM mount from Celestron, which has a lower weight capacity than mine. It may have really come down to the wind and a guiding setup that wasn't tweaked yet. I was on the fence due to the cost already, and having some trouble right off the bat for 2 straight nights made me go for the cheaper and little bit easier to manage option for me.
I really do think the CEM60 could handle the 9.25 with some patience. The CEM40 may start pushing it more, but honestly, why not give it a try? As long as you keep all the boxes and don't drop the scope, you can return it within 30 days for just the cost of shipping. Who knows, it may work better for you since the 40 is a couple years newer than my refurbed 60.
@@lazyastronomy3348 Oh I already have an Evo that I got two years ago. My 80mm refractor is riding on the CEM 40 now. It's just the thought of trying to move it over that's daunting. I have a lot of wind here where I live. Supposed to have an ISS transit tomorrow morning at 5:20am, and it's going to go right over the zenith. Gonna use my 8" dob. :-)
Do you need the .7x flattener with this? I hadn’t thought about the OAG until seeing this video. Thanks for the info! I’m hoping to pair this with an ASI071MC Pro.
Thanks Michael! “Need” is always going to be based on what you want to accomplish when it comes to gear. The Edge HD scopes provide great images without any reducers added, but you’re imaging at F10. Adding the .7x reducer does 2 things. First, it changes the ratio to F7, which will let it gather light faster, resulting in shorter exposures needed. That can be good for a bunch of reasons. It also gives a 25% wider field of view, which might be important depending on your targets, especially full moon shots, which just barely fit my sensor with the reducer. But, if your guiding is solid and you are ok with spending some additional exposure time on your targets, it will work great as is.
Lazy Astronomy thanks for the info. The reason I was asking was more of a concern for a flat field, but it sounds like that isn’t a concern with this scope. My scope should be here on Thursday. Next I’ll have to work out the back focus distance. I hope I’ll have enough spacers.