sloz1664

Excellent image, but....... 82 hours, that's nearly a years worth 😉

Steve

Love to image this, but it's on the wrong side of the planet for me 🙄

Great images though David.

Steve

I still like the monochrome image Steve.  Like Scot's widefield shot, black & white looks so atmospheric.

All excellent images btw.

Steve

The forecast here was promising, but it's clouding over now 😭

Steve

Hi Adam, and a very warm welcome to the Lounge

Steve

2 hours ago, Ivan Hancock said:

Because it took that long to get the cash together 😂

Ivan, astronomy like all obsessions  hobby's are not cheap affairs. Astro Imaging even more so. Enjoy your new set-up

Steve

Glad you liked it. I must admit it went together better than I'd hoped and the Dome has run flawlessly ever since.  If you spring load the motor onto the drive belt/chain you do not need the idler wheel, just make sure you have ample adjustment to take out any movement. Once adjusted it runs without any further adjustment.

The shutter is certainly a PITA. I have purchased four roller blade wheels which I am going to affix on the shutter. These will run over the dome to make the action nice and smooth, I will also mount two 20mm square upvc rails at the rear of the dome to keep the shutter aligned and securing brackets to stop the shutter from lifting. The thin aluminium rods will be discarded. The drive train will be bicycle chain driven by a 12v Dewalt drill motor, the slack chain taken up by derailleur sprung loaded arm. Travel both ways dictated by lever switches and all driven by the Levesdome hard & software.

Steve

I have the same Pulsar Dome, which I collected, on a flat back lorry, from a fellow astronomer in Wales and can appreciate the physical effort moving & installing it. 

I have automated my dome and hopefully will attempt to automate the shutter this summer.

Pulsar Dome Automation

Steve

I'd just set and leave the binning to 2x2 for your auto focus routine. Start at 9 data points and adjust your step size until you get 4 data points on the r/h side of your curve leading to your auto focus sweet spot. I'd then set the auto focus setting to 7 data points for all  your future auto focus routines.

Steve

Any one using the Android app BlackSkyMeter with additional fob. I have been after an android app to rival the ios DarkSkyMeter app.

Steve

Hi Mark,

I use 2x2 binning for autofocus, it's a lot quicker and hopefully miss the clouds. Are you using a permanent set-up or having to set-up & strip down?

Steve

Fabulous image Alex. The Ha and exposure time has really brought out the extended halo.

Steve 

Hi and a very warm welcome to the Lounge

Steve

Hi and a very warm welcome to the Lounge

Steve

Seems to be a charging issue with the Pi 4.

https://liliputing.com/2019/07/lilbits-372-raspberry-pi-4-charging-issues-and-usb-c-confusion.html

Steve

Great shots, I must turn my attention to planetary in the near future.

Steve

47 minutes ago, wimvb said:

I found out the hard way that plastic lenscaps can be remarkably transparent. I never trust them. One way to avoid light getting in is to wrap the lens (with lenscap on) in two layers of aluminium foil.

I certainly do that with my bias & dark frames.

Nice image and well processed Wim. Just love the amount of blue in NGC 7023.

Steve

Hi Mario,

That is a fine image, love the fine filaments you have captured and well framed.

Steve

4 hours ago, souls33k3r said:

Day 2 of the pier concrete and it's looking solid already. 

I need to start preparing for the drilling and pier now so this is my task for the next couple of days.

Will be ordering and picking up the resin a day or so before i'm going to drill the holes in the concrete which brings me on to a few questions.

When do you reckon would the concrete be cured enough for me to start drilling in to? And then how long after the resin goes in and is set after say an hour or so can i put the pier on the top?

Also is it better to tighten the pier down with one hex nut or two? This will then determine how deep do i need to drill the holes for the studs.

Thanks in advance. 

Hi Ahmed,

I would think one week would suffice before you drill. Regards the resin, the instructions should point you to cure times. Also, I used a single chrome domed top nut and appropriate chrome washer on each thread. Sets it off quite nicely

Steve

Hi Carlos,

Have you added a home position to your system. This will sync your Dome every time it passes.

Steve

6 minutes ago, Gina said:

The problem with LED light sources is that the wavelengths produced do not match narrowband filters - ie. 3nm Ha, OIII and SII.  Hence my idea of using an incandescent lamp with a continuous spectrum.  I have tried LCD screens in the past.

Not had any issues with mine. I have had to put 6 layers of drafting film over the LED panel to cope with the range of exposures from Lum to 6nm Ha. Longer exposures certainly help.

Steve

1 hour ago, Gina said:

I've ordered this 5mm Perspex Opal for LED Light Box Gloss Acrylic Sheet with the idea of making a light box.  Due to arrive tomorrow.  Seems to me that it would be better than relying on the sky.

This is the Light Panel I have built and set-up in my Observatory. Brilliantly simple, and with auto dimmer control:-

https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/536533-diy-alnitak-flat-panel/

Steve

Nice done Ahmed. Btw love the toe protector sandals

Steve

14 minutes ago, Gina said:

I dunno - I just don't seem to be able to get to grips with this software!!  I know I'm not as young as I was but I can't really believe I'm going senile!  Should I drop all this technical stuff and go back to knitting?? 

I'd stay with the techie stuff Gina. I get confused at "knit one, pearl one" 

Steve