Rigging a WO Redcat 51 Telescope

[@ntt2k]

Bortle 9?? No way! This gives me so much hope in attempting this hobby again from the heart of a big city

[@andrechartier4002]

What an outstandingly good tutorial video. You are both an inspiration to those of us who are just embarking on this hobby, but you are also extremely generous to share the skills and experience you have gained. A very rare breed today. We are in your debt.

[@vaguelysober]

This, this I’ve been looking forward to.

[@User1dentification]

so do I....

[@lukomatico]

Brilliant video Nico! - Very thorough and paced really well, making it easy to follow along 🙂 Good luck with this rig man, I'm sure you're going to take some stunning shots with it! Clear skies!

[@NebulaPhotos]

Thanks Luke! I appreciate the kind words, and thanks for attending the premiere!

[@matthewriecken]

Thanks for this video, Nico! I just received my Redcat 51 and you gave me some great ideas for my setup.

[@davidaylsworth8964]

All that time with a Mechano set finally pays off. I enjoyed watching this video. Some interesting new info here.

[@Messi_2.0]

Now this is gonna be a banger!!!!!

[@sanderreizevoort4143]

Great video Nico! I just purchased the RedCat51 and this gave me some good inspiration on what else to include in the kit.

[@avt_astro206]

Great Review of The Scope Nico!! Enjoyed Watching!!

[@naveenmalik8531]

Nice video, thank you. Tip on finding center of balance, you can flip the scope over and hold the dovetail and find the point where it's balanced without the risk of it falling off a finger. Works for larger scopes which would be hard to balance right side up. Well, limited by weight of course.

[@NebulaPhotos]

Great tip!

[@DaveDurant]

Nice - I have one on backorder and am looking forward to this!

[@douweodh4146]

Such a cool video Nico, thanks very much!

[@User1dentification]

As for german Users the product Permatex Anti-Seize lubricant is not available you can use this as an substitude: WEICON Anti-Seize Montagepaste 120 g hitzebeständiger Schutz gegen Korrosion, Festfressen und Verschleiß

[@daft4682]

Proof you can learn anything on ytube. Thank you for the excellent video.

[@RadgeCanary]

Great vid Nico!. To be pedantic - those are machine screws, not bolts. A machine screw is usually a smaller finer type bolt that is driven from the head end into a threaded hole(as you did). A bolt is usually larger, courser and fastened by the nut.

[@starwatcher]

Thank you. Helps a lot.

[@briankotak403]

Great video Nico. Love your cable management! Trying to keep those USB cables as short as possible certainly minimizes headaches! Dr B from Manitoba, Canada 🇨🇦

[@Pheenix9900]

The only thing keeping me from moving beyond smart telescopes (other than budget) was the overwhelming complexity of these custom built setups. Looking at them made me feel like I needed a PhD to understand. This definitely helps me understand it a lot better.

[@krug123]

You've got your filter wheel mounted backwards. Not such a big deal with unmounted filters, but some screw-in filters have a "direction" to them due to their AR coatings. Also, having the bulge facing backwards means you have more clearance for an off-axis guider in front of the filter wheel.

[@NebulaPhotos]

Yes. I had an issue with the thickness of astrodon filters and found a sort of hacky solution that worked and never changed it

[@TheTriformationT]

Iam new to astrophotography and your video are really amazing and detailed 👌 thank you so much nico 👌👌👌

[@robb7342]

Stellar presentation as usual Nico. The portion on balancing made me revisit my cable routing. I have the ASIAir Pro mounted on the front of the plate and given the number of cables its possible that the suttle difference in weight to one side could be causing some imbalance. Minor for sure, but maybe enough to impact the RA in a small amount.

[@AnalogMonoxide]

Great watch while waiting for the cat to get here! Thanks.

[@stuparker776]

Hi Nico-Great Vid many thanks.I have the same setup and have done fo a few years.I have added a focuser from AstroDad and use a ZWO EAF focuser it is really great for focus for plan mode and gives repeatable focus.I also add the ASIAIR which takes care of the USB needs and 12 dew heaters etc.Such a simple rig to use. Cheers Stu

[@leemus1966]

I’ve been thinking about adding that autofocus, you’re happy with it?

[@stuparker776]

@@leemus1966 Yes works well.I thought It would be a pain but really easy and makes setting up plan mode easy.As long as the plate solve works

[@-di-8498]

This is awesome!!!!

[@ragir]

I gotta say, the color matching (pink velcro ftw!) was very satisfying. I don't know much about astro, will try to get some shots once the weather permits, so here's my comment about stuff I know at least a bit about :P

[@ElemeStudios]

When I have enough width on my spacers, I tighten them loosely, and I use black electrical tape around the outside to keep them from moving. That makes it easy to take them off, simply remove the black electrical tape, and un-thread them.

[@Chryoss]

Hello ! In fact, if you want to have more clearance at the front of the telescope, you'll need to remove spacers (not add spacers), because you'll need to bring the camera closer to the telescope to be able to push forward the front end of the telescope

[@AstroCloudGenerator]

Great video Nico. My kids reckon I get more enjoyment out of rigging my gear than using it 😆

[@NebulaPhotos]

Ha, thank Richard! I clearly enjoy that aspect too. Now I just need a workshop or garage for a place to work. I made this video on the living room floor.

[@stevenickolls8016]

Ouch I felt that crack of anodised aluminium and flinched. Enjoyed your video.

[@AKohler_Photo]

Great video, thanks a lot! Also loved your video on the Askar Acl200. I want to get started with astrophotography and want to but my AZ GTI into EQ Mode to use either the Red Cat or the Askar with a ZWO cooled color camera. I’m looking forward to further videos about your experience with the Red Cat. Hope you have a great time using it! 😃

[@dn5101]

Thanks Nico, I'm ready to start this journey. Have no idea what I'm doing, but between you and Astrobackyard I'm truly inspired to try. Wish me luck. Looking to pick up the Redcat 71 gen 2. Any tips or recommendations?

[@tompage8674]

Would love to see an update pic of your redcat rig, a walkthrough of you shooting with it and some pics you took!

[@davidperry7128]

Rather than use a liquid to prevent cold welding I use a cloth 'scotch' tape around my spacers. If one sticks it is easy to grip the spacer and remove. No risk to getting an oily substance on your lens.

[@remilasvenes2221]

Hi, I've discovered your channel recently and its incredible ! I want to get started in astrophotography, more precisely, deep sky objects, and I want to know if a GoTo mount is enought to shoot deep sky object or if I need whats called a "tracker" (not sure to understand the difference thought) ?

[@Naztronomy]

I almost got myself the RedCat 51 but to save some money, I went with the Astro Tech AT60ED instead. Waiting for the 0.8x reducer/field flattener to be back in stock and once I have it, it should be around 260mm focal length at f/4.9. Still no where close the quality of the RedCat but it'll do. I got myself that WO dovetail plate! The arca swiss/vixen.

[@NebulaPhotos]

I have that one with the 0.8x reducer. Hope to compare!

[@Naztronomy]

@@NebulaPhotos Awesome! Hope you post a comparison at some point. I'm looking forward to testing my AT60ED at the ATMoB field (with and without the reducer/ff) with my DSLR.

[@ianmercer1291]

I have the astro-tech AT60ED and really love it, it's a great widefield refractor that holds its own to much more expensive refractors for the price!

[@Naztronomy]

@@ianmercer1291 Awesome! That's really good to hear. I'm hoping I can test it out tomorrow since it's supposed to be clear. It's a full moon so I might just do visual and/or do lunar astrophotography only since I usually do just DSLR without filters. Do you have a reducer/field flattener for yours? I'm still waiting for it to come back into stock.

[@ianmercer1291]

@@Naztronomy I also do DSLR astrophotography! I recently did a full spectrum mod myself and it was very worth it. And yes I do have a flattener. I was lucky enough to find a kit of the astro-tech refractor, flattener, and other goodies on cloudy nights. I would highly recommend looking on classifieds (especially cloudy nights since it's free) for a field flattener. My first image with the astro-tech was of the horsehead and flame bc it's so easy to find.

[@HiroakiMorikawa]

Great video and explanation to setting up the rig. Can you please tell me what's the brand of dew heater you used for the 120mm guide scope? I bought one but it's rather long and I need to wrap several times...

[@NebulaPhotos]

It's an Astrozap, probably one designed for an eyepiece. It's not the perfect size for the application, still a little loose, but it gets the job done

[@NielssBohr]

The best way to take m48 spacers apart is to use rubber handgloves u usually use in medical practice or in the kitchen. They have better gripping.

[@nikivan]

Maybe someone already mentioned it , but the EFW is installed backwards. The bulge with the motor should point to the camera. This way the filters are positioned closer to the camera sensor.

[@NebulaPhotos]

Yes, should have mentioned it. Several years ago with my particular astrodon mounted filters, I had problems with flats correction and getting what looked like subtle circular reflections mounting it the normal way. This weird trick of mounting the wheel backwards fixed it so I’ve been in the habit of doing it that way ever since.

[@jonathanbush1936]

I just subscribed after seeing a few of your videos Nico. You do a great job explaining aspects of astrophotography that are very helpful to someone like me who is considering jumping in. Maybe I missed it in your presentation here, but I’d be curious to know the total weight of your final configuration. It doesn’t look like much, maybe 6-7 lbs? Thanks.

[@NebulaPhotos]

It's about 9 pounds. The full filter wheel is over 2 pounds on its own, so if I were using a color camera it would be around 7 lbs. I imagine.

[@AnupumPant]

@@NebulaPhotos ooh! So I can still keep my star adventure and spend on this

[@jonathanbush1936]

@@NebulaPhotos Thank you Nico. So, as Anupum Pant mentions in his reply, this would work on a Star Adventurer or SkyGuider Pro type mount, which is probably the direction I'm heading where I'll use my camera first and then, if I'm hooked, I'll get a small RedCat type telescope if I want to step up. Although the EQM-35 and CEM26 and similar small mounts are also on my radar.

[@NebulaPhotos]

@@jonathanbush1936 Yes, it would work. Depending on the direction you feel you are are going with the hobby, you may want to spend a bit more on one of the entry-level GO TO mounts you mentioned as it can be a lot easier to find deep sky objects with computer control and platesolving (either with a connected laptop or a mini computer like the ASIAir)

[@ShakeelNaim]

Love the review 👍🏼 Is this type of setup light enough to use with a Star Advebturer GTi? I currently only have a 10” dob but would like to get into astrophotography so looking at a good quality beginner setup

[@NebulaPhotos]

Yes, the Redcat 51 would be the perfect choice on the GTi. I can definitely recommend that combo

[@ShakeelNaim]

@@NebulaPhotos perfect! Thank you! I’m actually right just now watching your review of the Askar FRA300 and getting tempted with too haha I’m at the part where you mention that the setup in your video puts you bang on the 5kg limit of the GTi. When I’m ready to purchase and know exactly which camera, guidescope(with guide cam) and filter wheel (+filters) I want, then I’ll know what weight it will be and if GTi will be suitable or not.

[@nutcolt8479]

Hey, what sort of spaces are you using to connect them to the RedCat telescope itself? Isn't it a 2" ring so you'll have to use a space that'll swap it to 1.25"? I'm not sure what I need to get if that's the case...

[@promod1179]

You were correct the first time. Technically it's a screw. The technical name for it is Socket Head Cap Screw.

[@williamcecil9945]

Nico, I believe you mounted the zwo filter wheel backwards. The motor should be facing the camera. I really enjoy your videos. Side note: My wife says your hair is amazing. What do you use on it? Personally, I preferred it when it was a bit shorter. Thanks for all your hard work. Bill

[@philbivins7133]

Wonderful rigging video, thank you. Also would you please link where you picked up those bolts? I lost the bolt that holds my zwo 30mm f4 mini guide scope to it's base. Hopefully where you got yours will have a bolt to fit my guide scope. Thank you

[@NebulaPhotos]

Hi Phil, You can get them at a hardware or home improvement store like Home Depot - it's a 1/4" 20 machine screw with a cap head (also called a 'hex' head). If you want to order online, here's a nice variety pack: www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1025090-REG/wooden_camera_wc_173800_assortment_of_1_4_20_screws.html or McMaster-Carr is another online shop with every imaginable screw

[@deancamp4914]

Enjoyed this - thanks. I imagine once you price all these "cheeseplates" and counterweights and extra long vixen dovetails... the price starts getting even higher?

[@schwerdtr]

Building up the equipment is the first step of enjoying photography ;-) I have the same rermark as brutushusse: the rotary moment of the cheese plate - due to unsymmetric setup the weight of the counterweight has to be much higher due to the lever arm of the force. The cheese plate itself is not in balance - but that may be a small issue (to use any kind of counter weight may halp to stay in balance). I understand from your video that is is good to keep everything as simple, lightweight, well balanced and take care for short cables and think about what you are doing while setting up the system ... that is what I have learned - many thanks for that - with greetings from Germany - Ralph

[@peterdirisu5848]

w vid broski

[@TANTALUM55]

If you need shorter USB cables and can solder, try searching Amazon for ' DIY USB CONNECTOR ' . There are many variations of usb connectors that can be used to shorten a usb cable. There are also some connectors that only require cutting and stripping the cable and attaching the wires via a screw terminal connector. USB A and B 2.0 wire color coding is generally universal, red = positive, black= negative and two data lines. USB 3.0 (blue) diy connectors are available but will require more wire connections.

[@hael8680]

Great video. Thank you. How well does the telescope hold its focus though the night as you didn't install an autofocus?

[@NebulaPhotos]

Pretty well. The faster the telescope, the faster it will creep out of the critical focus zone with changes in temperature. F/4.9 isn’t so fast that it’s a big issue, but can still happen of course. I’d suggest checking focus about once an hour if you don’t have an auto focuser.

[@timwilde4200]

Seeing this and the example you showed of the nebula made me wonder - is there some kind of guide or reference material that tells the budding astrophotographer what focal length is best or needed for particular nebula? As an example, I've seen some images of the Horsehead nebula that were tight and really captured the detail, while others leave it looking so distant that you can barely see the 'head'. Other images of nebula are so tight that a full image can only be rendered by creating a mosaic. It's one of the reasons I'm leaning towards buying something like the Celestron Edge because the ability to switch from its native focal length to those rendered by either the reducer or the HyperStar give it a multipurpose aspect. I was also pondering acquiring the RC51 to broaden the perspective a little further, given the gap from the 470mm of the HypeStarred Edge 9.25" down to the 250mm of the Redcat.

[@NebulaPhotos]

Hi Tim, Yes, there are a number of good 'Field of View Calculators' that allow one to visualize how a particular telescope and camera combination will frame up a particular deep sky object. I find this one very easy to use: www.blackwaterskies.co.uk/imaging-toolbox/ Just pick the camera and telescope with the top button on the left and then search for a particular object (by coincidence the default is the horsehead nebula!) There are others, for instance telescopius.com allows you to make a free account and save your equipment for use in their FOV calculator. I also have a short 5 minute video that introduces the concept of size vs. apparent size and FOV here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nYPHZJKoqN-jgas Cheers, Nico

[@timwilde4200]

@@NebulaPhotos Thank you so much for that, Nico. I will certainly follow up to study the links. Cheers.

[@timwilde4200]

Hi again, Nico. That first one you sent is brilliant - just what I was interested in. Once I finish playing around with it (which may be a while!) I'll take a look at the others. Thanks again.

[@moshesalama]

Very good and informative video: 2 questions: do you assemble it from beginning to end each time out in the field or is it fully or partially assembled when stored Also, what is the total retail cost of the full rig? I assume, we have to add the cost of tripod, wedge and tracker?

[@NebulaPhotos]

Fully assembled is always my favorite option - I have a different video on making a custom padded case for fully assembled imaging rigs like this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/b2GpkJZ4nr-jfpo Around $5000-7000 depending on filters, which mount, etc. More on costs involved in putting together an astro rig here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jpSUp2l4n62gbrc

[@greenmjg7]

great set up, it's a shame that can't get a camera fitting that allows the filter wheel to stay upright, but rotate camera to angle you want but still keep it very close to filters !! :/

[@dylanjohnson7091]

the cheese plate seems handy however the balance isnt right, yes the weight is similar enough to the power box, but the system is a lever, where the fulcrum is the point attached to the dovetail and the lever arms are either side of that,, the power box arm is significantly longer then the counter weight arm and so the counter weight has a minimal effect. the force exerted on the lever system is known as the moment, and you want the moment of the power box to be equal to the moment of the counter weight for it to be balanced. so not knowing the lengths of the arms here's a simple example: power box weight: 230 grams. power box arm, 3 inches, we will multiply this and call it inch-grams, so the moment of the power box is 690 inch-grams. the counter weight is 200 grams with an arm of say .5 inches, therfore its moment is 300 inch-grams. the power box exerts 390 inch-grams more on the lever than the counter weight, which would be equal to more than twice as much force on the side of the power box. this is probably in consequential to the accuracy of the the mount, but if you are seeking balance, leverage is the name of the game

[@foxglovemead]

Great video Nico. Did you reverse the ZWO EFW for a reason? I have the MINI version but I looked at the instructions for the bigger ones, too. Normally, the motor housing would be behind on the camera side. When you screw in filters the filter thread would have attached to the camera and filter manufacturers put AR coatings knowing that the filter screws towards the camera. If you reverse the housing direction, you also change this? I’m thinking about your earlier reviews of L’Pro and L’eNhance. They have different coatings on each side. Simon

[@NebulaPhotos]

Yes, I did. Unfortunately, I can't remember exactly what I did at this point (I haven't taken the camera and filter wheel apart since 2017), but I modded and reversed it due to some issues with the thickness of mounted Astrodon filters.

[@foxglovemead]

@@NebulaPhotos I assume the Astrodon filters are not within ZWO's specs: filters require threads shorter than 3mm and the height without threads must be less than 7mm. So, with your "modded" setup, you do have the 3mm filter thread facing the camera e.g. before you mount the filter wheel to the Redcat, you will see the "frontside" of the filter. When you test filters the direction is important, or completely irrelevant, to the performance for everyday (overnight) use?

[@tempusfugit6820]

Thank you for the video. How much space is there at the end between the scope and camera sensor?

[@NebulaPhotos]

The Redcat 51 a 4-element astrograph (already well-corrected without additional field flattener) so there isn't a precise backfocus requirement. As long as you reach focus, you are good to go. That said, you will need some spacers if you use an astronomy camera, because it's designed to accommodate a DSLR which means 55mm backfocus (44mm + 11mm for t-adapter). So I'd suggest somewhere around 50-60mm space between the end of telescope and camera sensor. Plenty of room for accessories (filter drawer or wheel, OAG, etc.) if desired.

[@DavesAstrophotography]

Hi Nico, great little compact setup! Just one observation though..... I always thought the filter wheel should be on the other way round, with the motor section overhang over the camera? (I don't own one, but seen it mentioned many times, and my understanding is 1) it shortens the distance of the filter from the camera slightly and b) some filters do have a front and back.) I might wrong in my understanding though......!

[@NebulaPhotos]

Hi Dave, Yes, you are correct that the way you describe is the standard way. I am blanking on some the details, but when I set up that filter wheel several years ago, I found the thickness of the mounted Astrodon filters I was using was an issue unless I configured the wheel in a non-standard way. I wasn't taking good notes at the time, so I would need to see if I can figure out what I did. I am happy with the data, so generally with this hobby I follow a "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" mentality.

[@DavesAstrophotography]

@@NebulaPhotos If it ain't broke don't fix it is a great mentality to have! Cheers, take care.........

[@davidletz9123]

Hi Nico, i just got the "51" today. I intend to use it on my Star Adventurer, and so far I have been using my Nikon Z and lenses. So, all I have right now is an arca-swiss plate to use on the declination bracket. Is the vixen dovetail plate/clamp a more secure fit than the arca-swiss? Thanks for the vid and your reply!

[@NebulaPhotos]

They are just different standards for dovetails. I believe on the 51, the plate is reversible with one side being Vixen and the other side arca-swiss.

[@ricklaird2218]

A great video. Did you have trouble with the thread difference of most of the other Astro gear screws? I ordered the Cheese Plate and a couple of counterweights, but when I tried to screw the cheese plate into the dovetail plate I found the screws provided are a different thread. I tried a few different screws from other parts of my telescope. None of them matched up. Did you have this issue? Thanks

[@NebulaPhotos]

The tapped holes on the cheese plate should be the photographic standard 1/4" 20. A lot of times the screws that come with astro gear are metric sizes, but I use the cheeseplates mostly as connector plates using channel on the dovetail so it works out. But yes, I suggest getting lots of 1/4" 20 cap head machine screws in various lengths for this kind of rigging.

[@ricklaird2218]

@@NebulaPhotos Thanks so much. I guess that is the issue. I bought a box of metric screws of different sizes, and also have a William Optics GT 71 which might also be using metric screws. I will have another attempt at adding the counterweight. I am so grateful for this idea. I have a Primaluce Sesto Senso2 focuser which attaches to the fine focuser on one side of the telescope. This makes DEC balance not as easy. I can balance while horizontal but it is not great while at an angle. If you have any other ideas on how to solve this issue I would appreciate your help. Thanks so much.

[@michelleronald1794]

is the red theme for valentines day?

[@NebulaPhotos]

Correct, and the choice of target ❤️

[@kevingumfory]

Man ! Nico ! I wish I had one of these ! I could sale it and almost buy a brand new drysuit for coldwater scuba ! Sometimes I wish I'd taken up astrophotography instead of scuba. :(

[@rajeshacharya727]

Nico - thanks, can you please put the list of materials in the link somewhere? That will help us!

[@NebulaPhotos]

Yes, all the links are in the video description.

[@DeepSkyDad]

Neat setup! If you need an autofocusing kit let me know :)

[@KingLoopie1]

Omg, what have I gotten myself into? Gonna have to sell off some of my other hobbies...

[@danielduesentriebjunior]

Do you think an automatic autofocus would be a substantial advantage for this small scope (a kit for the Zwo EAF has become available)? Or is it just a marginal benefit?

[@jeanclementstgelais3226]

Bien le Bonjour à tous du Québec

[@alexandrarosa264]

Just got my Red Cat so this is so helpful. Can you put a link for your dew heaters? I also just got the ASIAIR plus. Would love a how to hook up the red cat to that as well. Joining you Patreon to show gratitude and support your wonderful work.

[@NebulaPhotos]

Thanks Alexandra! I was using Astrozap dew heaters in the video: www.highpointscientific.com/brands/astrozap I've also used the Dew-Not brand. Either seem to work well and have a large variety of sizes. They use a plug-style that will necessitate a dew heater controller. I use the Pegasus Pocket Power-box for that, but if you don't need the other features there are cheaper options like the 'Pegasus Dew Zap'

[@angelaillneverseeanowlschm9128]

Great video! How is this telescope for using it for just viewing? No photography. Thanks!

[@NebulaPhotos]

Bad choice just for viewing. Very small aperture, and out of the box, it doesn't even come with the parts you'd need to attach an eyepiece.

[@williamgorham7339]

I have the same guide camera. I found a used one from my local telescope 🔭 shop for $75.00 and got a guide-scope for ~$100.00. I have not had any issues with it either.

[@AstroBoater]

Hi Nico, just watched this video again and something stood out to me! Is the EFW back to front? Every other setup I’ve seen has the lump (of the filter wheel) pointing towards the camera. Or doesn’t it matter?

[@NebulaPhotos]

Yes, mine is the wrong way around because I modified mine a bit due to thick filters. Shouldn't matter as it's 42mm female threads on both sides.

[@AstroBoater]

@@NebulaPhotos ah, ok, as long as it works 🤗

[@fabioanselmi8440]

Great video Nico! How much is the whole gear?

[@NebulaPhotos]

The redcat is currently $823. I don't have current prices on everything as I bought most of it years ago now, but I'd guess a rough estimate of $6000 total. You could bring that down with a cheaper mount and cheaper narrowband filters.

[@fabioanselmi8440]

@@NebulaPhotos Hi Nico, thank you for the reply! I am very new of this great hobby and so far I took photos with a solomark 130/650 newtonian with no tracking and cell phone adapter. Actually following your tutorials (thanks a lot!!!) I had some exciting photos (at least for me!) of M42. I take many many photos (2000 @ 1sec exposure) and manually track the target; finally I use dss and photoshop for processing. I really want to change my setup and invest some money into it (3-4k ) but I do not want to jump too quick and not be able to manage the gear, getting frustrated. Was thinking to first buy a good mount (HEQ5 or EQ6), a good apo and ZWO camera and see what I can do from there. Do you think is too complicated as a starting gear? I am currently located in Houston but moving soon to Europe. I noticed that some apo cost approx 1/3 more in europe then usa!!! Do you have other suggestions besides the redcat (may be some european brand)? Thank you so much for your tutorials, soooo useful, and sorry for too many questions!!!!

[@NebulaPhotos]

@@fabioanselmi8440 The HEQ5 or EQ6R are definitely solid mount choices. With 3-4k total budget, you probably want to go for a color camera, and also not spend too much on the refractor either as you need to budget for accessories like a dual narrowband filter (if imaging with light pollution), guiding setup, etc. In the USA, astronomics.com with their astro-tech line of refractors is very good for saving money, but still getting a nice refractor. In Europe, Ts-Express with their TS-Optics line is equivalent (probably the same scopes, just different branding).

[@fabioanselmi8440]

@@NebulaPhotos Thank you! looking forward your next videos!

[@vampolascott36]

The RedCat 51 really blurs the line between telephoto lenses and telescopes. I think this is great for AP and RedCats deserve their popularity. Coming from decades of visual astronomy, I view these small aperture 'scopes as unexciting compared to what I've always wanted out of a telescope, but even an old visual dog can learn new AP tricks, right?

[@satyajitbhadraroy7723]

Nice video.. ❤️ I am new to this astrophotography hobby and have an 8inch f6 newt. And recently came to know about an accessory called focal reducer. If I add a 0.5x focal reducer to my scope it will become an 8in f3. Now my doubt is that will it introduce more comatic aberration to the system if I am not using any extra coma corrector? Thank you in advance.

[@NebulaPhotos]

I think a better investment for a Newt would be a coma corrector. An f/3 newt would be a beast to keep collimated and focused.

[@satyajitbhadraroy7723]

I appreciate for taking out your time and solve the doubt. 🙏👍

[@rickmoore4776]

how do we get free astro stuff also ?

[@ExoPhotography1]

Great video - Just make sure the anti sieze lubricant is Lithium-soap based - those types won't "bleed" like oil-based lubricants, you DO NOT wan't to use oil based ;) (I am using LM 47 grease)

[@George-mn4wd]

Anyone knows what bolt size is used to mount the dovetail?

[@rickcudmore8156]

Does this model include a Bahtinov focuser in the dew shield cap end?

[@NebulaPhotos]

Yes, but a rather course one. I prefer a much finer grid at this focal length to get a better diffraction pattern. I found an ebay seller in the UK that sells a replacement 3d-printed mask that fits into the cap. I ordered one to check it out.

[@davidbeecher9143]

Nico, let us know how it goes and if it’s a quality piece, a link would be great too.

[@davidbeecher9143]

So this is a fixed 250mm telescope. D you have any images to show what this rig is capable of?

[@NebulaPhotos]

Correct and yes, check out 31:39. It's also up on my Instagram: instagram.com/nebulaphotosdotcom

[@alanjs1]

A bolt is made to be fitted with a nut. A screw is a threaded fitting that goes into material. So it's a screw, not a bolt.

[@kevinashley478]

How do you figure out the power requirements?

[@NebulaPhotos]

Most accurate way would be to get a power meter (called an 'ammeter') that can actually measure the draw in amps. But a good enough way is just google it, lots of discussions on Cloudy Nights about how much each piece of equipment draws on average, and then you just add all of your equipment requirements together. For example: Camera cooler 2A + Dew Heaters 4A + Mount 2A = 8 amps per hour. So a battery rated at 40ah would give you 5 hours in that scenario.

[@igoreq4495]

Alternate title: 33 minute Smallrig commercial

[@NebulaPhotos]

Yes, I love their stuff. Their cages and L-brackets are also really well thought-out.

[@whatnomustard]

So, what size t ring are u using?

[@NebulaPhotos]

William Optics 48mm wide t-ring for Canon

[@peterberbee]

This is a nutty comment, but, I have to point out that bolt is fastened to a nut to hold parts together. A screw is attached to one of the parts to hold parts together. The difference between a screw and a bolt has to do how they are used rather than if the screw has a pointed end. All of your fasteners are screws in this video. Thanks for the video

[@NebulaPhotos]

Thank you Peter. I usually do research and script-writing on my videos, but this one was completely off-the-cuff, so I'm sure more full of errors like that the bolts comment.

[@EverettWilson]

@@NebulaPhotos I've read US customs documentations on how to recognize screws versus bolts, but I think the wisest opinion on the difference is that there isn't a universal definition, and good freaking luck expecting there to be one. ;D

[@MickR0sco]

Can you frankenstein a dslr on to this?

[@NebulaPhotos]

Yep, just need a 48mm wide T adapter for your DSLR mount (EF, F, E, etc.)

[@MickR0sco]

@@NebulaPhotos nice one thank you buddy

[@brutushusse]

Great video! Just a minor weight/balance concern: Balance weight and cheese plate seems to not put the center of gravity on the dowtail but rather in the mid of the cheese plate. Yes, closer to target cg but also adding weight. But keeping things low, as you do seems wise.

[@NebulaPhotos]

Yes, I see what you mean. If I was concerned about adding too much weight, I might choose a different strategy. I should have mentioned this was going on my EQ6R so way 'over-mounted' and weight not really a concern. Total weight with the kit as-is was: 4.2 Kg (9.25 lb)

[@geckoram6286]

Man, this rig looks like me buying groceries, half of the budget is just cheese(plates)

[@Sidecontrol1234]

we call the cotton buds over the other end of the pond.

[@rangermadeknives]

Technically, it's a "Socket Head Cap Screw".

[@NebulaPhotos]

Thanks. Some thing I still don't get: does a machine 'screw' become a bolt once you add a nut to it, or is there some better way to think about the difference?

[@rangermadeknives]

@@NebulaPhotos There really is no hard, fast rule. Machinery's Handbook says a bolt is used to fasten unthreaded objects, whereas a screw fastens into a threaded object. Obviously, you can fasten unthreaded objects with "Cap Screws" by adding a nut so, the definition is flexible. That said, the names of certain pieces of hardware are pretty much set and almost everything with a hex or Torx drive head is some sort of "cap screw"; be it socket head, button head, or flat head.

[@bigjimny]

United Kingdom : Screw - pointed end, Set Screw - parallel thread full length of body, Bolt - parallel thread part of body with plain body near head. (Parallel is approximate of course, there can be tapers to the thread depending on the standard.

[@urLauPo]

ouch that 1:09 bump on the cam :>

[@NebulaPhotos]

Ha, whoops! I think the mic made it seem worse than it was

[@GroveR6]

I saw you at a cafe today

[@NebulaPhotos]

Ha, not me! I didn't leave the house today.

[@GroveR6]

@@NebulaPhotos haha sorry😂

[@Robin-Visser]

I know a cheap workshop for repairing dents and repainting. For your camera. 01:09😬😉

[@NebulaPhotos]

Ha, it survived 😝

[@swagonman]

Didn’t your added spacer do the opposite of what you wanted? Assuming you were at infinity focus without it, of course, as you stated. Otherwise, if you were actually at the close end of focus without it, that’s when you’d need to add a spacer.

[@NebulaPhotos]

I misspoke, I meant the latter

[@chucknelson5445]

Got a crack in my phone. Hit like button and popped up dislike Sorry excellent video. Keep them coming!

[@nachocousin]

The first step when you get this telescope is... *fumble*