Project:
HEQ5 as portable mount

Contents:

1. Introduction
2. EQDIRECT from D-sub to RJ45
3. Power terminal of HEQ5 changed
4. Installing the 300 mm lens on HEQ5
5. Rewiring the electric cables
6. Connecting the Raspberry
7. Setup GPSD
8. Setup GPS NMEA
9. Power consumption
10. Battery power cables
11. Tweaking auto guiding parameters
12. Rowan Belt Modification Kit
13. Making the tripod to a low rider
14. Redesign of mount head details
15. Raspberry Pi4 bracket
16. Brackets: temperature sensor, spirit level and stepper motor
17. Transport box
18. EQDirect cable
19. Brackets reinforced and adapt it to EQ6
20. Cut the length of the GPS cable
21. HEQ5 and TS130 refractor ?
22. To be continued

Related projects:

1. HEQ5 as portable mount
2. Pentax 645 300 mm ED IF f/4 lens
3. KStars / EKOS and Raspberry Pi4

Note:
I take no responsibility or liability for what are written here, you use the information on your own risk!

21: HEQ5 and TS130 APO ?

When living in a high light polluted area, Bortle Class 9, it's always a strong drift to come to a dark place at night. But a lot of bulky and heavy equipment and a very small car it isn't so easy. With that in mind I bought a SkyWatcher HEQ5 mount a couple years ago. I can easy get it in my car wit it's special built short legs and a 300 mm f/4 lens on it. But I wonder, is it stable enough for my TS130 APO refractor ? I test it today.

TS130 attached on HEQ5 mount:

With a telescope weight of 12 kg and counter balance weights of 10 kg it set a big force on the mount. With my mount's short legs it will maybe tip over also. But when I tested it was nothing to worry over, it felt very stable.

Another aspect, I have built the telescope to come as close as possible to the telescope's RA axis. It make it more stable and reduce the need of extra kg on the balance weight. The problem can be that the telescope or camera hits the legs of the mount. But when I test it, I swing the telescope around and it didn't even come close to the legs of the mount.

Equipment:

• http://skywatcher.com/ product/ heq5-synscan/ (SkyWatcher HEQ5 mount)
• https://digitalstars. wordpress.com/ ... ts-optics-photoline-130-and-comparison-with-takahashi-toa-130/ (TS-Optics Photoline 130, Deep Sky Imaging)

To compare when the 300 mm f/4 is mounted on the HEQ5 mount.

For this small lens this mount is rock stable.