Nojy's Web Log: Astrophotography: Melbourne, Australia, My Back Yard. Meade ETX125 Skywatcher EQ5 Mount

Having "BlownUp" my ETX125's fork mount meant that it has sat in the corner for far too long. It's a nice scope and deserves to be used, time to buy an Equatorial mount and start doing just that.
After much deliberation I decide on an EQ5 with single axis (RA) motor drive on a steel tripod.

I had already "De-Forked" my little ETX, so it was now ready for some "Scope Rings"
I ended using a generic dovetail as the main mounting, this needed some new holes to be drilled and the holes countersunk.
You can also see in this picture that I've mounted an "Arca Swiss" type camera mount to the top dovetail, this will facilitate some wide field photography.

The scope with the mounting hardware weighs in at 4.7Kg, well below the mounts max load rating of 9Kg.

Here is what it looks like.

I've added an extra accessory tray.

These are the closest fitting "Tube Rings" I could get, you can see the packing required to clamp the tube.
I've made a little laser pointer holder from some PVC pipe, I've also modded this to run from my regulated supply. It gets connected only when needed so the cable is out of the way. It "draws" 330 milliamp, so batteries wouldn't last long.

Using a cut down generic dovetail allows me to balance the scope. This can't be done with the supplied mounting dovetail, as the position is fixed, and I can't slide the tube forward any more than it is.

This picture shows the re-positioned finder dovetail.
I machined some brass and aluminium to make a double holder. The laser and Red Dot make a great combo.
Currently I have to remove the finders to do any wide field work, like most things I do, this may change...... and already has.

You can see the latest camera adapter here. It's made from a Meade Diagonal some PVC
pipe and an "M42 to Fuji X" adapter.

If you look closely at the focus knob you will notice a simple improvement, a couple of
"o-rings" wrapped around it makes it much easier to adjust.

The first picture here was taken the night I put it together.

Not bad and quite inspiring.
The first three images have been cropped
slightly to remove some "vignetting" in each corner caused by the 1.25" tube on the original camera adapter.

ETA Carina and Nebular.

15sec. 25600asa. f15. Stack of 11 jpg images.

Scope: Meade ETX 125
Imager: Fuji XT1 at Prime Focus

Mount: SkyWatcher EQ5 RA motor Drive

Melbourne Australia 2-7-2017
Close Polar Alignment.(not close enough)

"The Jewel Box" "Kappa Crucis Cluster" or NGC 4755

Scope: Meade ETX125.

Imager: Fuji XT1 at Prime Focus

Mount: SkyWatcher EQ5 RA motor Drive

1900mm. 10 sec. 6400asa Stack of 5 "'sooc" jpegs

Rough Polar Alignment

Omega Centauri. NGC 5139
15800 Light Years from Earth.
Diameter approx 150 Light years
12-7-2017
Scope: Meade ETX 125
Imager: Fuji XT1 at Prime Focus
Mount: SkyWatcher EQ5 RA motor Drive
6.5sec, 12800asa, stack of 7 pics

Moon
ETX125 Fuji XT1 At Prime Focus.
Camera now mounted on rear photo port
using a home made adapter.

Omega Centauri is a "Globular Cluster"

approx 150 light years away

14-8-2017

Scope: Meade ETX 125

Imager: Fuji XT1 at Prime Focus

Mount: SkyWatcher EQ5 RA motor Drive

6.5sec, 25600asa, stack of 18 pics

Un-cropped

Same details as the next image, but on the 27th

Eta Carina and Nebulae.

No cropping needed as there is no vignetting through the rear port

with my new adapter.
26-2-2018

Scope: Meade ETX 125

Imager: Fuji XT1 at Prime Focus

Mount: SkyWatcher EQ5 RA motor Drive

Stack of 23 x 30 sec asa 25000 "subs"

Orion Nebular

4th Jan 2018

Scope: Meade ETX 125

Imager: Fuji XT1 at Prime Focus

Mount: SkyWatcher EQ5 RA motor Drive
Stack of Twenty 13sec asa 25600 exposures
Stacked on Mac using "Hugin" tools
Processed in "GIMP"

M42 and "Running Man Nebula" 4th & 9th Jan 2018

Scope: Meade ETX 125

Imager: Fuji XT1 at Prime Focus

Mount: SkyWatcher EQ5 RA motor Drive
Stack of Twenty 13sec asa 25600 exposures
Stacked on Mac using "Hugin" tools
Processed in "GIMP"
Composite of two Pictures.