robin woolsey said:Hello! I recently purchase a Classic C8 8" with the original wedge and tripod. I have become frustrated with the inability to get it polar aligned and the stability of images, due to the rigidity of the mount and tripod. I am considering the purchase of a CG-5 Advanced Go To mount and was wondering if anyone had experience in this area. Is the CG-5 hoss enough to support my C8, how hard are they to get polar aligned, image stabiltiy and can one take photos on this mount?
Hi Robin:
The short story is that the CG-5 ASGT will be a big improvement over a wedge mounted C8. The tripod is sturdier and the scope is not cantilvered out in mid air.
To address your points:
- Yes the CG-5 ASGT is plenty hoss enough to support your C-8. I used a Meade 8 inch SCT on ASGT and it was plenty sturdy, a noticeable improvement, much less vibration. I also found the viewing position more comfortable. There are parts of the sky (northern) that can be quite awkward with a wedge.
- Polar alignment: For visual observation, I have never had much trouble getting a reasonable polar alignment, just get it close... I use an alignment scope. For astrophotography, I can't say.
- Taking photos using the CG-5: At that price point, it's about the best out there. As far as taking photos with a C-8, the focal length is pretty long and the focal ratio slow, that means long exposures with a long optical lever to magnify tracking errors. It's probably best to begin with a small APO refractor and go from there.
- As far as mounting the C-8, there are a few options... I kinda of like rings because on can rotate tube to make the finder more accessible.
- And then there is Grampa Jon's number one rule about SCT's:
Always ask Uncle Rod... He's the man, he wrote the book on SCTs (actually the books, definitely worth buying), he has a great website and he has a Yahoo group of SCT Crazies.
http://skywatch.brainiac.com/astroland/
Check out his pages on used SCTs.
Best to all
Jon
