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Post by Deleted on Dec 9, 2017 13:37:15 GMT
First time I have used a camera on my sw 12" f5 dob. ZWO294 Tarantula 11 x 15 stack. Altair .6 FR Paul
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Post by Dragon Man on Dec 9, 2017 13:48:04 GMT
That is beautiful Paul! Good to see you getting out there. Still cloudy here
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Post by Deleted on Dec 9, 2017 14:09:09 GMT
Thanks Ken I was surprised how well the dob tracked. Though over 30 sec exposures I was starting to get cigars .I am happy with the Altair 2" .6 FR as well
Very clear skies tonight but its bedtime for me. Paul
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Post by davy on Dec 9, 2017 16:51:00 GMT
Very nice 😀
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Post by Deleted on Dec 9, 2017 22:12:31 GMT
A couple more pics of tarantula with different exposures on the dob. Only had time for tarantula as I had the lx90 and celestron 6 going at the same time and spent my time tip toeing over cables 30 sec capture 12 x 5 sec stack
paul
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Post by Dragon Man on Dec 10, 2017 10:52:40 GMT
Nice Paul. The single 30 second frame looks far better than the stacked images.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 11, 2017 6:27:18 GMT
I apologise for doing the poor old tarantula to death but what I have been trying to do is get a decent 5sec stack with the zwo294 on an alt/az machine.This image was on my 10" LX90 with 2 celestron 6.3 FR's together .The coma is very severe but as long as the DSO is central,this is the best I could do with 5 sec stacks. The Altair .6 and a single celestron.63 FR work fine but need 15 sec stacks which the lx90 handles ok. I have a GSO 2" .5 FR but havent tried that yet. I guess the double 6.3 gets the LX90 to around F4. 10 x 5.5 stack Paul
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robrj
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home town/country: Escondido, CA
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Post by robrj on Dec 11, 2017 18:24:19 GMT
Thanks for posting these Jaybee. I have a Skywatcher 12" dob (manual) and I was considering buying the goto upgrade kit for it, but I never really found many images with it so I wasn't sure if it's worth it or if the tracking was up to snuff. It's currently sitting in my Astronomy Shed but I haven't used it much since going to video astronomy. I tried it with an equatorial platform but wasn't really enthralled with all the manipulation I had to do to get something in the field of view, set the tracking rate and then manipulate the computer. I currently use an Orion ED80T-CF/AVX and also have a 8" Orion Skyview Pro which I use on the AVX. I thought it would be nice to be able to use the Dob as it's already outside so I would just need to bring out the computer and cameras. Here's the current dob resting place: astrovideoforum.proboards.com/thread/1581/observatory-deck-roll-off
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Post by howie1 on Dec 11, 2017 22:59:03 GMT
AltAz 10" GoTo Dob ... Mark George broadcasts from New Zealand on NSN whenever he can. You'll find his images on the NSN facebook page too. He has solar scope, an ED80, a finder scope with camera inserted, and a bunch of widefield photographic lens all piggybacked on his Dob ..... all at the same time! He can swap on-the-fly between different ZWO's and two Cannons to broadcast widefield as well narrowfield depending on what objects or wide/narrow views he wants. Just remember the timezone differences ... work out what 9pm thru 1am is in NZ in your local time, then check NSN live broadcasts at those local times to try to catch him. Very interesting broadcasts and proves how alt az goto dob is perfectly fine for EAA. In case you're wondering, he uses counterweight on an adjustable rack running the length of the OTA to on-the-fly balance so the ALT motors don't stall/slip when he moves the cameras between scopes mounted on the rig. He always has his second DSLR mounted with 50mm or other Canon lens and does Milky Way widefield. Lastly, at 30 sec the oval stars Jaybee, are probably not tracking errors but field rotation. Find the relevant spreadsheet to tell you for your location what the max exp times you can get before rotation effects happen here .... link below .... Cheers flic.kr/s/aHskL4YGR5
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Post by howie1 on Dec 11, 2017 23:22:39 GMT
Nice Paul. The single 30 second frame looks far better than the stacked images. Agree And that's why I love single 30 sec frames for my EAA ... !!! As well as sharper, the time to shoot plus time for transfer of images plus software to register and stack N shorter frames is usually well longer than a single 30 second shot takes. Plus, as there's more data in the 30 sec frame compared to the shorter frames, it always seems easier to tweak out the detail, and also gets more details. Unfortunately, stacked or single .... I simply havent been able to get out to do anything for 6 months as either the weather is crap or on the odd good night I have other commitments! Doh! You guys posting these images are driving me crazy!
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Post by Deleted on Dec 12, 2017 4:23:22 GMT
Nice Paul. The single 30 second frame looks far better than the stacked images. Agree And that's why I love single 30 sec frames for my EAA ... !!! As well as sharper, the time to shoot plus time for transfer of images plus software to register and stack N shorter frames is usually well longer than a single 30 second shot takes. Plus, as there's more data in the 30 sec frame compared to the shorter frames, it always seems easier to tweak out the detail, and also gets more details. Unfortunately, stacked or single .... I simply havent been able to get out to do anything for 6 months as either the weather is crap or on the odd good night I have other commitments! Doh! You guys posting these images are driving me crazy! Howie Dont worry,I have been in the same boat as you. However,I have been a bit luckier in the last couple of weeks. Even missed the flooding rains of 2 weeks ago. I have always been jealous of how many clear nights Elpajare gets. Thanks for the link. I have had a bit of a look at that previously.Those times seem very generous to me. I seem to strike trouble at 30 secs at best I was pleasantly surprised with the tracking of the dob but wouldnt push my luck with anything more than the red dot and 8 x 50 finder. It is doing a better job than my Lx90. I had a ST80 piggybacked to the lx90 with a counterweight but wasnt happy with the tracking so took it off and tracking seems to be a bit better. I have had an RT1600 for a year now and havent done anything with it because it seems to need exposures over 30 secs unlike the 294.It has taken me a long time to get used to polar alignment with the HEQ5 but am more confident now with the help of sharpcap. I will start doing some 60 sec exposures with both and see how they compare. Promise to find something else other than the tarantula. Paul
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Post by Deleted on Dec 12, 2017 8:57:08 GMT
First time I have used a camera on my sw 12" f5 dob. ZWO294 Tarantula 11 x 15 stack. Altair .6 FR Paul That is nice. So you used a (native) f5 with a 0.6x focal reducer?
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Post by Deleted on Dec 12, 2017 9:42:26 GMT
Yes Robert The dob is a skywatcher 300 1500 FL F5 collapsable goto alt/az and I put a 2" Altair .6 FR on the 294. I suppose that takes it to somewhere around F3. There was plenty of infocus left. It has been my visual scope for the last few years. I did not even consider putting a camera on it until last week. It was a pleasant surprise. I was just trying to take the exposures to 5 secs on an alt /az. I dont think our cameras are up to that yet. Paul
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Post by Deleted on Dec 13, 2017 8:13:37 GMT
Thanks Paul
Good to know.
I used an alt/az for a while with my ED80. Astrotoaster (it's really Deep Sky Stscker that does the work) does a great job of aligning images if your mount is a bit wayward. I couldn't break it even with a really bad alignment.
Cheers Robert
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Post by ChrisV on Dec 13, 2017 22:36:24 GMT
That's really nice Paul. Great captures on your dob
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Post by Deleted on Dec 14, 2017 0:43:13 GMT
Thanks Chris I have had all this equipment for quite a while now with nothing to show. So it is about time. I can now even polar align my HEQ5 which I have had for more than 3 yrs. Paul
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Post by davy on Dec 14, 2017 7:32:42 GMT
Know the feeling,, stock piling equipment till the weather is friendly,, we must be mad lol
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Post by Deleted on Dec 14, 2017 11:39:28 GMT
Not sure I can use weather as an excuse as much as you can davy. Although,our lowest temp this year in Bendigo was -5.5C one Saturday morning at 8am and I was on a push bike. Yeah, we must be mad. I have a GSO 200 f4 and a 150 f4 newt. Both are cheapo but I am keen to see what they can do with the bigger sensors now that I have learned to polar align and collimate properly. I got the 150 f4 because the 200 seemed too heavy for the HEQ5 but I dont think that is the case. So far Heather hasnt noticed. With a name like Heather Jean McPherson you have to be wary of these Scots when they get angry. "Why do you need 8 telescopes ?!!" She doesnt need to know about the cameras Paul
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Post by howie1 on Dec 14, 2017 22:27:22 GMT
My fav rig is a 200mm Newt on HEQ5 PRO. Just balance it nicely and prey for no wind.
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Post by ChrisV on Dec 15, 2017 0:41:14 GMT
So Paul (and anyone else using newts)
What do you think of the f4 newts ? I've been thing about getting one - 150mm or 200mm (not sure yet). Would be faster than my 200mm F5. Also smaller - so less wobbling in the wind and a bit easier to manage.
I'm just worried about collimation. I find the F5 fine - usually only requires a minor tweak when setting up. But the F4 might be much more difficult. Also coma correction - does the Baader MPCC handle F4 as well as F5. I'd hopefully be using it for both astrovideo and astrophotography (with a dslr sized sensor).
Cheers Chris
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