Jump to content

Banner.jpg.b89429c566825f6ab32bcafbada449c9.jpg

All Activity

This stream auto-updates

  1. Past hour
  2. Another thing to consider is that this comet is now getting close to the setting Sun. The comet will be close to the horizon when the Sun has set and it is starting to get dark-enough to see the comet. The Stellarium view, above, neatly illustrates the problem with houses/fences/trees etc. blocking the view. I have found that I need to mount my telescopes as high as possible to see over my garage and/or adjacent fences. The Heritage 130P's Dobsonian base needs to be on as high a stand as possible to get a clear view towards the horizon. A couple of nights ago, to get a clear view of the comet, I had to resort to extreme measures to clear an adjacent fence, this time with a different telescope, but using a stepladder with a painting platform. With a suitable clamp the Heritage's base could work on something like this. But it was worth the effort to get this view Geoff
  3. I had this exact same issue, and contacted Terry at SX, who said it was in need of a firmware and software update in the camera, so it went back to him to be done, and when it came back all was good, I think he can send you the files needed and you can do it yourself if you wish too, but I just sent it to him as I did not want to take the risk…but it is normal if the camera had old firmware in it…👍🏻
  4. Nice to see you here again, Louise. After reading your op and some of the response, I'm still somewhat confused. You write that you're interested in the synscan wifi module to control your mount. With that a standalone autoguider. What will you use for camera control? As an alternative to the Staraid, there are the Lacerta Mgen autoguider, the Skywatcher Synguider, and the Celestron Nexguide. (I have no personal experience with any of these, although I did look into the Lacerta many years ago.) The Lacerta is the more expensive option. Otoh it seems to have a better track record. It deserves to mention that it was the first autoguider to incorporate multi star guiding, even before PHD and Ekos. There are other options for you. The easiest is the ASIAIR, but that is limited to certain equipment. Next are Stellarmate OS, and Astroberry. Both run off a Raspberry pi, and require a minimum of set up/tinkering.Any Raspberry Pi solution will require a 5V power source. StellarMate OS, including the app, costs about 50 $, while Astroberry is free, but lags in development. The StellarMate comes with an app that installs on an iPad or similar android device. Both can be used with a webreader such as chrome. There is also the StellarMate X, pre-installed on a fanless computer. This comes with internal power ports and dew heater outlets. Finally, you can have a small fanless pc, such as the Mele Quieter, with your setup, and run ASCOM on a windows machine. The downside with all these solutions is that they require a stable wifi connection. Although, once you have set up your imaging sequence, they all run stand alone, if you want to. Of all the options mentioned, I only have experience with the StellarMate and Astroberry. Once set up, these systems just work, and keep on working, even if you lose the wifi connection. Hope this helps.
  5. Decathlon do rubber coated weights. Make "cotton reel" adapters from wood dowel. Michael
  6. High Skip I have a LodeStar X2 and have never seen the interlace problem associated with this camera's sensor. I use the "Starlight Xpress SXV" driver, not the "Starlight Xpress LodeStar (ASCOM), with an OAG, and no Binning. Michael
  7. icpn

    Star names

    of course all these names are utterly meangless and are just run by charlatans to get money from gullible people.
  8. I’m like a child in a sweet shop at the moment with three scopes under a year old. I have a 12” Explore Scientific dob that has been out approximately five times, a Tak FC100DZ and a Mewlon 180C that’s been out for two non sessions so far (clouds rolled in) so it hasn’t even had a proper first light. I’m mega excited about all three of them and just waiting for more clear skies when I’m not wrecked from work. However, the forecast for tonight looks excellent…. If I were to add to these, I’d love a larger refractor and an observatory to put it in. I’d also love a bigger dob. I can’t get enough of photos and videos of big dobs. The 20” Obsession would be a dream scope.
  9. I gave in and bought a Seestar S50. Now I can see spiral structure easily! The attached image is 7 minutes stacked in camera but spiral arms are visible even on one 10 second exposure.
  10. Hi Bruce I hope you get some answers here, but the Meade section of the US "Cloudy Nights" forum has Meade experts lurking. To control the LX90 remotely you don't need a camera, just the right cables and software. Michael
  11. I've got the previous model to your Lodestar Pro, only bought it in December. I'm using it unbinned with no issues. I think I'm using the Ascom driver in Phd2. Can't check as I've had to reinstall everything on the mini pc concerned! Have you installed all the latest drivers? Years ago I used a MX716 which uses the same ccd, no issues with that either. I was using Maxim dl5 at the time and I don't recall changing anything in the driver. Have you asked Terry Platt at SX?
  12. Nice setup! That's what I had in mind. What kind of back pack are you using? I was thinking about this one, I've had a few backpacks from Lowepro and they're great: Flipside Backpack 300 AW III, Black - LP37350-PWW | Lowepro Global
  13. Today
  14. On the contrary, I'm delighted to see an observing report on this forum. Lately it's been hijacked by a few people (mostly traditional imagers with extensive kit) telling folks who are using and enjoying the S50 that we don't know what we are doing and wasting our money. It's the best waste of money Ive ever spent 😊. Anyway thanks for your post, it shows what can be done in difficult and trying conditions.
  15. I have both the Seestar and Dwarf II. The Seestar is (just) better for astro, but the Dwarf is a better all-rounder for astro and things like birdwatching, because of its dual wide-angle/telephoto setup - effectively a built-in, intelligent, finder. The Dwarf in its bag with accessories is about the same volume and weight as my 10x50 binoculars in their case. The cased Seestar is larger and heavier, but I have added external strapping and D-rings to the case so that I can cary it with the over-shoulder strap from the Dwarf. I find the Seestar's app more user-friendly - with the Dwarf, I have to reset the exposure time after each GoTo. The Seestar gathers 4-times the number of photons. With app/firmware updates for both being released at roughly monthly intervals, this is a race from which we can all benefit. Geoff
  16. Good to see you back at SGL. I hope to do some close up imaging soon.
  17. Hi, Has anyone had experience with the original vixen encoders for the GP. I am curious what count they are? Could they be interfaced to a Nexus DSC? "Push to" GPD project ...
  18. That looks like the “Venetian Blind” effect that is/was a feature of the sensor used in the Lodestar. The Lodestar uses (I think) an interlaced readout CCD, designed for video cameras, each image frame is read twice, the even numbered rows sequentially first and the odd numbered rows sequentially after. The acquisition software has to be able to reassemble the two frames in the right order otherwise it splits the frame vertically as though looking through a Venetian blind, one row has image data that captures a star but the next row down is blank and that makes it appear as though you have multiple stars closely split. I’m afraid I have no experience of using PHD for guiding with a Lodestar but when using MaxIm DL there was a bunch of configuration options in the camera setup amongst which were “Swap odd and even rows” and “Remove Venetian Blind effect”, which used together assembles the image odd/even rows in the correct order and corrects for any brightness variation between the two rows due to the timing difference when reading all the even rows first and then going back to read the odd rows in a camera that has no shutter and continues to collect photons in the odd rows even while the even rows are being read out. In PHD look for a camera configuration setting that might be called “de-interlace”, or “progressive readout” or similar, as that will be needed when reading out an interlaced CCD camera. You won’t find that in the ASCOM driver, and not in the hardware driver, it is something that the processing software needs to resolve and if it can’t then bin2 is the only option that will automatically remove the “Venetian Blind” effect and produce single stars and not what appear to be multiple adjacent stars. Sorry I couldn’t give you a PHD specific solution. William.
  19. The SkySafari integration works very well so you get the best of both worlds 👍
  20. Rosette Nebula imaged on the 26th March using a SW Esprit 100 and an ASI 294 MC PRO with an Optolong L’Enhance dual narrowband filter on an EQ6RPRO. 21 x 300 sec subs, All processed in Pixinsight
  21. Heya folks, it has been an interesting read catching up with this thread since ordering, receiving, and having had chance to spend about a month with the S50! I hope you don't mind me shifting direction of the thread with a brief observing report from tonight. Was thrilled to have some clear skies, and have chance to take some images to share with loved ones. So, I'll start with the best image of the evening! M51. I have a little postage stamp of a garden, that faces roughly NNE. Weather report seemed to show that trying to get out into the wild tonight would have been touch and go, so this and all the rest come from my Bortle 4 garden. M51 shows 53 minutes of data in the time stamp. This took about 2 hours to collect in reality, with some high level cloud and star trailing issues confounding the S50 stacking more. I have the raw frames for the whole evening though, and look forward to learning how to process them Next best image of the evening was M97. There are some star trailing artefacts on this image, but once again its just the live stack from the S50. Targets were few and far between in the garden tonight, and almost all of then at or close to zenith. Obviously a challenge for any device only moving in 2 axis in a fixed alt az set up. I already had 1 hour of data on M81, but some forum trawling showed me I had missed a trick, and could have got M82 into the frame as well. Well, I've had a week of rain to ruminate on my failing there! Alas, both objects soon eluded the gaze of the scope, flanked, as they are, by the neighbours houses! I have to say, as short on data as it is, and how bad the framing may be, I love the composition of this shot. And now, moving progressively from bad to awful, may I introduce you to my attempt at M108. I'd hoped to be able to get enough of this for a friend, who is a keen surfer, to make a birthday card. Even with cropping, I don't think I'll get something satisfactory! The field rotation is pretty impressive for how truncated the data collection was - but at least I caught some photons Finally, a very tiny set of 6 x 10 second subs on M94. This was enough to notice the streetlight next to it ruining the attempt! All told, 6 of the Messier objects on an evening where the forecast made me sure it wasn't worth going out. I completely understand that the S50 isn't a device that will please everyone (and indeed, does such a thing exist?). To offer an analogy, however: I enjoy balancing the carbs on my VFR400. And my enjoyment of doing so is in no way diminished by the fact that others enjoy riding fuel injected bikes. Clear skies all, Ryan
  22. Hello and welcome to SGL I am still a newbie here myself but there are a lot of friendly knowledgeable people on here and I am sure someone with more info than I can offer will be along soon. I would say though have you had a look on FLO's website for WI-FI capable kit so you don't need to run cables outside?
  23. Yeah can see the softness re seeing. But enjoyable images nonetheless, and enjoyable being out there no doubt. As you know. The practice never hurts. As I know what your capable of Good seeing all you guys still imaging. Inspiring me to also try again one day
  24. Hi Mandy. The amount of times I've had clear skies While cooling. As soon as I press record. Bang the image dims. I look up. You guessed it. Nice one for persevering and getting a image
  25. Love your processing on these Roy. Slightly understated. Very natural. with no bloating or artifacts.
  26. Good to see you doing some lunar imaging kostas. Some subtle mineral color coming through.
  27. Hi Mike good to see you posting. Some nice results there. First image to my old eyes is the one. I really must start imaging again. Perhaps this summer. Looking on here you guys inspiring me.
  1. Load more activity
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue. By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.