EQ6 Mount Portable System

A portable unit that has gradually developed to use for outreach, public open nights and at various science displays.

It includes a  varied range of viewing & photographic scopes & cameras. The scopes can be used with or without still & video cameras, easy viewing with both eyes and very easy to set up, The complete scope assembly can be removed as one unit from the EQ6 head, allowing other larger single scopes to be attached.

The basic mount is a  EQ6 SynScan unit which can be used with the version 3 hand controller or via laptop control using EDMOD and a planetarium program. 

The main scope is a William Optics Megrez 90 APO, with a WO Zenith Star 66 Petzval above. Sis by side a Sky Watcher 102 (4") that I have shortened the tube to accommodate a wide field binoviewer. With an aluminised solar filter this is suitable for solar viewing. A Coronado PST is used to view the sun in Hydrogen-alpha wavelengths, and can be double stacked with another 40mm H-alpha unit. A Philips ToUcam 840K can be used as a guide camera or imaging.

The Nikon D300 has its own Nikon brand 10-pin remote shutter unit.

The timer remote (Phottix brand-HK) comes fitted with a 3.5mm plug to suit the 350D which operates the shutter. 

Shown here with a modified (Cooled & Enhanced Filter) Canon 350D with an old Nikkor 135 f/2.8 lens from my film days.

Camera fitted with twin battery pack  base for extended use

 (Phottix brand-Hong Kong)

The upper platform can take any type of still or video camera e.g. a Mallincam Hyper Plus for visual deep sky or solar system use.