My Gear

 Location: Dayton, OH, USA

Date last updated: 14 May 2022


Current Rigs

My Backyard Menagerie



I run the three rigs with two computers: the Primary and Secondary rigs are controlled by an Intel NUC 7i3BNK, and the Science rig is controlled by a 2012 Lenovo laptop (revived with a solid state hard drive!)
Also pictured is a home-built all-sky camera (hidden behind my Paramount in this image), which uses a ZWO ASI120MC for the camera, and a Sky Quality Meter run by ethernet inside the white tube.





Primary Rig



This is my main imaging rig, and the one I pay the most attention to (because it works the best :D)

Telescope: Celestron 9.25 Edge HD
Mount: Paramount MyT
Camera: ZWO ASI1600MM Pro
Guide scope: Orion Thin Off-Axis Guider
Guide camera: Lodestar (original)
Filter wheel: ZWO 7-position 2-inch electronic filter wheel
Filters: Astronomik RGB 2-inch Type 2c, Astronomik CLS-CCD 2-inch, Chroma 3nm H-alpha & OIII 2-inch
Focuser: PrimaLuce Lab Esatto 2" focuser
Focal reducer: Celestron 0.7x
Dew heater: Celestron 9.25 Ring Dew Heater with Celestron Smart Dew Heater Controller 2x
Power hub: Pegasus Powerbox Advance



Secondary Rig



Telescope: Takahashi FSQ-106N
Mount: iOptron CEM40
Camera: ZWO ASI2600MC Pro
Guide scope: Orion 50mm mini-guidescope
Guide camera: QHY5
Filter wheel: Starlight Xpress electronic filter wheel
Filters: Astronomik Luminance Type 2c 2-inch, Optolong L-Pro 2-inch, Optolong L-eXtreme 2-inch
Focuser: ZWO Electronic Automatic Focuser






Science Rig 2.0




I use this rig for scientific observations, primarily variable star observing for the American Association of Variable Star Observers and NASA JPL's Exoplanet Watch program.


Telescope: Vixen MyStar G-R200SS 8-inch f/4 Newtonian
Mount: Celestron Advanced VX
Camera: QSI 583ws
Guide scope: Orion 50mm mini-guidescope
Guide camera: QHY5L-II
Filter wheel: QSI internal 5-position, 1.25-inch
Filters: Schuler Johnson-Cousins BVRI 1.25-inch photometric filters
Focuser: Robofocus 3.1








Temporary Rigs

"The Traveler"



Compact, airline-portable rig



Telescope: Nikon Nikkor 55-200mm f/4.5-5.6 lens
Mount: Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer
Camera: ZWO ASI294MC Pro / Nikon D5300
Guide scope: Orion 50mm mini-guidescope
Guide camera: QHY5











Outreach Rig





My easy-to-setup and easy-to-use rig for doing outreach. I also now use this in my backyard as a moveable solar system imager, paired with my ZWO ASI120MM or my ZWO ASI294MC Pro.




Telescope: Celestron 8-inch Scmidt-Cassegrain
Mount: Celestron NexStar SE












Decommissioned Rigs

Science Rig 1.0


My Celestron CGE Pro RA motor is pretty much nonfunctional.


Telescope: Vixen MyStar G-R200SS 8-inch f/4 Newtonian
Mount: Celestron CGE Pro
Camera: Orion Starshoot Deep Space Monochrome Imager II
Filter wheel: Starlight Xpress 5-position 2-inch
Filters: Schuler Johnson-Cousins BVRI 1.25-inch, Astronomik RGB Type 2c 1.25-inch
Focuser: Robofocus 3.1











"The Beast"







Besides the CGE Pro not really working anymore, the C11's mirror is very floppy, which made getting a good pointing model and autoguide calibration impossible.

Telescope: Celestron 11-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain
Mount: Celestron CGE Pro
Camera: ZWO ASI1600MM Pro
Guide scope: Celestron 80mm f/7.5 guide scope
Guide camera: QHY5
Filter wheel: Gosky 5-position 1.25" manual
Filters: Astronomik LRGB Type 2c 1.25" 
Focuser: JMI EV Horizon





Solar Eclipse 2017



Used to image the 2017 solar eclipse from Casper, WY.

Telescope: Borg 76ED
Mount: Celestron NexStar SE
Camera: Nikon D5300







"The Mini"






I have passed on the Borg scope to my minion Miqaela, a budding astrophotographer and astrophysicist.


Telescope: Borg 76ED
Mount: Celestron Advanced VX
Camera: Nikon D5300
Guide scope: Orion 50mm mini-guidescope
Guide camera: QHY5L-II
Accessories: Hotech self-centering field flattener


6 comments:

  1. You have a lot of nice gear. To bad your c11 had a floppy mirror. Did you try to have mirror locks installed? Then you could use a 2 speed Crayford focused. The. CGE mount electronics would fail sometimes but Celestron would repair/replace the mounts main board.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mirror locks would help, and I've kicked around the idea, but I haven't pursued it.
      Unfortunately, Celestron won't service their discontinued mounts, so no luck for me.

      Delete
    2. To bad about that.I saw on Facebook the other day that you posted that you just received a Celestron 9.25 Edge HD OTA. Good luck with it.

      Delete
    3. Thanks! I need to get this gear list updated.

      Delete
  2. Several CGEs have been revived with the DIY OnStep system to the point they're in demand dead or alive. https://onstep.groups.io/g/main

    ReplyDelete