Celestron NexStar 8 GPS on a Celestron HD Wedge (plus upgrade kit), ADM MDS Top rail and 125mm rings, ADM MDS Ball head camera mount (Manfrotto head), Hyperstar C8 v3, Kendrick Dew strip
Handset version information
ADM MDS Lower Rail
and 2 x counterweights
Starizona Microtouch
focuser, attached to a Feathertouch focuser.
Hyperstar C8 v3 and counterweight (pelicase included). The counterweight is placed into the back of the OTA (in the visual back) to help balance the fork mounted scope against the weight of the Hyperstar connected to the front.
Fitting the Hyperstar (its nowhere near as scary as it looks, honestly!)
Remove the secondary
holder ring
Remove the Secondary
mirror (note the postion of the notch on the secondary holder, and the grub
screw on the secondary plate)
Place secondary
mirror in "pot" supplied
Screw down with
ring
Screw Hyperstar
into secondary holder until snug. The unit has a 2" filter section (just
behind the red cap in the following image), you just unscrew the top of that
section, insert the filter, screw the top back on, then attach the camera to
the "front" via the T-Threads.
The adapter on
the image above is for the QHY8 camera. I also have an 2" filter adapter
for Starlight Express cameras (to give the correct back focus distance).
Removal is just the reverse of the fitting process. The first time you do this, it takes ages because you get worried, but after the 3rd or 4th time, its a 60-90 second job. Nothing to it, honestly!
ADM MDS Ball head
camera mount (Mafrotto head)
Astrozap hard dew
shield (note the notch in the shield to allow the camera cables to exit)
Misc Bits
Serial Mount control cable, Original screws before ADM rails were fitted, 1.25"
visual back, feathertouch parts (removed to fit microtouch), original focuser
parts (removed to fit feathertouch)
AltAz bolts (for
mounting the NS8GPS on the tripod in Alt/Az mode, rather than on the wedge)
Original shipping
boxes for NS8 GPS and Tripod (The Tripod fits in the box on the left, but with
the extra ADM rails and Featherouch/Microtouch focuser, the NS8GPS doesnt fit
in the box on the right)
Some images of
this system in use
And now some images taken with this system (all images taken with QHY8)
