Telescope options for HEQ5 Mount. Suggestions/Advice please!

William Optics Redcat 51 Equipment Refractors Buying Advice
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schmaks avatar
schmaks avatar
Hi,

My HEQ5 will be here next week. Now I need to decide what scope is best to start with.

I have been considering the following scopes. Can you let me know what you think may best best and why?

- William Optics ZenithStar 61 @ $500
- William Optics ZenithStar 73 @ $650
- William Optics RedCat 51 @ $750

I do like the mount for a guide scope on the WO 73, but that’s obviously not a deal breaker.

Thanks!
Engaging
schmaks avatar
schmaks avatar
I am leaning now toward the WO ZS 73. I think it'll be a good balance to get me photos I am seeking.
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Jesco avatar
Jesco avatar
They're all quality scopes. Did you check the field-of-view? I'd choose the one that gives you the nicest field of view for what you want to image.

The ZS61 and ZS73 will need a field flattener, btw. That's another 200$. The RedCat51 has it built-in.
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schmaks avatar
schmaks avatar
They're all quality scopes. Did you check the field-of-view? I'd choose the one that gives you the nicest field of view for what you want to image.The ZS61 and ZS73 will need a field flattener, btw. That's another 200$. The RedCat51 has it built-in.


Yes, I think the 73 is best for what I want to shoot—and I'm aware of the need for the field flattener.

The redcat is too wide for what I want.

Thanks!
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Emanuele La Barbera avatar
Emanuele La Barbera avatar
I think that zenithstar 73 could be the best options.
Compared to redcat  and zenithstar 61, zenithstar 73 have more angular resolution and maybe a better field of view.
Astrobackyard used ZR 73 with Heq-5… If you don't know him, you could google him. smile
Carastro avatar
Carastro avatar
I have a WO Zenithstar 71 and find it to be very good, nice fastish optics.

2 downsides to this scope (so check out the models you are looking at), the dew shield slips down taking the dew heater with it, no way of locking it.  (I have to find DIY ways of preventing this) I see some WO models have a locking screw.
No thread at the draw tube end so no way of fitting a click lock (which helps prevent tilt), again some models have a capacity to attach a click lock.

HTH

Carole
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schmaks avatar
schmaks avatar
Carastro:
I have a WO Zenithstar 71 and find it to be very good, nice fastish optics.2 downsides to this scope (so check out the models you are looking at), the dew shield slips down taking the dew heater with it, no way of locking it.  (I have to find DIY ways of preventing this) I see some WO models have a locking screw.
No thread at the draw tube end so no way of fitting a click lock (which helps prevent tilt), again some models have a capacity to attach a click lock.

HTH

Carole


Thanks, Carole! Good to know!
Rich Sky avatar
Rich Sky avatar
remember, your max payload is 30 lbs, really means 15- 20 lbs max.
schmaks avatar
schmaks avatar
Rich Sky:
remember, your max payload is 30 lbs, really means 15- 20 lbs max.

Got it. Thanks.
Benni12345 avatar
Benni12345 avatar
i once had a 200/1000 newton with guidescope on the mount… that was 15 kg or 32 lbs…  the mount can do that if you put 3 counterweights on it…

although the gears probably will age faster…

Nowadays i never would use a guidescope. to error prone with flexure and too heavy. And, most importantly, modern cmos guider cameras always find a guidestar with an off axis guider…

one can, without any problems, put an 11 kg scope on the h-eq5 photographically…

so do not hesitate to put a refractor with 4'' or 5'' on it…

it also can carry an edge hd or a richey chretien or a mak newton mn190…

with todays ultra hih resolving  cmos sensors, i always would want to use it with a telescope that has a corrected field. i had made the experience that most universal flateners for refractors  do not really give a good image quality… in rcs the correction is easier since there is no color error, so for them flateners seem to work better…

for refractors, one really needs a flatener that is designed for the specific model and one needs to look at the images produced by this combination before one buys this…

for edge hds, the reducer does not give a good image quality…
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