Dark Raven

1 hour ago, StuartT said:

How come no other camera manufacturers thought if this? 

SBIG did and they held the patent for a decade. They must have asked for a fortune in royalty. Unfortunately sensor tech was not as sensitive or advanced as it is today and it did not work well if at all.

That's probably why you did not see it elsewhere.

It differs from OAG in a sense that the filters come after OAG in the imaging train. With duo filters are in front.

Clickbait title sure, but I came across an interesting article and wanted to share why the photos "caught my eye". 

The article is about using "quantum tech" to detect and potentially treat age-related macular degeneration.

The authors describe their quantum device as:

“So this device we call it structured light, but it is a polarized light with the quantum states. This is why we call it quantum technology in vision sciences. This is the first in the world of quantum physics in collaboration with vision sciences such as optometry and ophthalmology. We generate very specific fibers, which are called optic patterns, using this device and we direct them to the human eye where they can then pinpoint the disorder at its earliest phases,” explained the scientists.

On a closer look, it seemed a bit familiar. Interesting they used a dedicated cooled AP camera without a power cable... 

Details at:

https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/china-worlds-first-quantum-tech-for-vision-health-could-help-millions

I like any medical progress but slapping quantum on it somehow triggers my buls#%& detector...

10 hours ago, pipnina said:

How is this not simpler???

It can be...

ZWO SeeStar S50 All-in-One Smart APO Telescope & Tripod | First Light Optics

4 minutes ago, 900SL said:

I don't get this ZWO locking thing. They just can't be arsed trying to extend the ASI software and drivers to cover other cameras and EAFs, because that is a risk. It's bad enough trying to accommodate the gazillion mounts out there 

ZWO is far from perfect and I am not a fan of closed platforms. Not to repeat myself, I stated my experience here: 

It is great if you have time, fairly permanent setup and weather that permits tinkering often. But I have quite little time that I can devote to this hobby, I am mobile imager and need to drive to dark(er) location and although I work in Tech, out of principle, I draw a line at recompiling kernel to add camera driver. Used it with Pi4 8GB and Plenty of current, even build custom setup around INDI/EKOS/Stellarmate...

It has failed me so many times... I`m sure it works just fine for many. Perhaps in my case it was inpatient user. To be clear, when same hardware is loaded with different software (retro gaming emulators, SkyAware Anywhere or AllSky Camera) it runs smooth under load. Went all in on ZWO, never lost a single night or exposure, never looked back...

Nico Carver had a short review on it...
 

On 31/10/2023 at 14:01, Bigskyjim said:

1) I performed a semi-decent polar alignment down to less than 15 arc seconds, (which was a joy compared to my old SW). Then chose nice and easy Arcturus as my first ever 'go to' target. Arcturus appeared in the camera view finder, but was not centralized. What could be the reason for this?  Is there also a way to 'tweak' or refine  something in the app so that the mount then 'learns' where the target actually is and can make further go to tracking more accurate

Take a look at this:

On 31/10/2023 at 14:01, Bigskyjim said:

2) My power supply isn't the greatest., and I think i may have been undergunned. Towards the end of my (fairly short) session, the mount started beeping constantly. This was accompanied by a small 'voltage' warning at the top of the app. I assume this is because the power supply dropped below 12V in the cold. Can anyone give me some good suggestions as to the best way to power my mount more effectively? I'd much rather buy a complete unit than mess around with lithium ion batteries and crafting my own battery pack (I'm not very electronically minded, and live in a country where it can be difficult to source items required). Any and all suggestions to power the mount (with a battery, I have to drive to a dark site to see anything at all) would be appreciated.

Do a power audit first to understand how much power you actually need, then add some reserve due to future upgrades, sub zero temps and battery age degradation. Aim for LiFePoO4 battery chemistry. One of below should work for you depending on power consumption and budget.
Omegon Pro Powerbank 48k LiFePO4 154Wh 12V (astroshop.eu)
Omegon Pro Powerbank 96k LiFePO4 307Wh 12V (astroshop.eu)
ECOFLOW Portable Power Station RIVER 2 MAX, 512Wh LiFeP04 Battery/ 1 Hour Fast Charging, Up To 1000W Output, Solar Generator (Panel Not Inc.) for Outdoor Camping/RVs/Home Use : Amazon.co.uk: Garden
EcoFlow DELTA 2 Portable Power Station with 1-3kWh Expandable Capacity, LFP Battery, Fast Charging, Use as a Solar Generator for Home Backup Power, Camping & RVs : Amazon.co.uk: Garden

 

On 31/10/2023 at 14:01, Bigskyjim said:

3) The Focus mode in the ASIAIR was very difficult to use. There was significant lag between the images being taken and them arriving on my screen to the point where  I couldn't really tell which change i'd made to the focus had produced the image). Is it better to just use the DSLR view finder with a Batinov mask?

Do you have Electronic Auto Focuser? Did not see it on your equipment list. Lag comes due to antiquated Canon USB 2 connection. Arm your self with patience and calculate 15-25 min for autofocus with DSLR depending how far off you start. ASIAIR Mini USB 2 only might be second bottleneck you come to. Try to get EAF if you do not have one,  try to ditch DSLR and buy (second-hand) dedicated astro cam. Start small and cheap like ASI585 MC. If you do not have the option to upgrade, yeah Bathinov mask is faster.

On 31/10/2023 at 14:01, Bigskyjim said:

4) Does anyone have any good suggestions as to a good place to mount the ASIAIR mini? I stuck it to the side of the mount body with a velcro dot, however I did find that at certain orientations the mini came very close to making contact with the lower part of the mount, and it also led to my cables becoming snagged on the DEC axis adjustment handle.

Do not place it there. ZWO issued a warning about the positioning it there on AM5 and did not include the mounting option there for AM3. Buy additional finder shoe and mount it on the scope if there are holes for it. Alternatively on the saddle or dovetail bar. 

On 31/10/2023 at 14:01, Bigskyjim said:

5) can anybody point me in the direction of a good tutorial to use the app with the mount? While it is fairly intuitive, other areas are quite technical and I don't understand what to do (and the time to be working it out, isn't when i'm in -5C in the middle of nowhere 🤪.

Google is your friend... but here is AM5 tutorial (same as for AM3 except for Bluetooth) made before the above warning

Happy star hunting... Do show your photos...

Clouds, clouds and rain, clouds, rain and wind... so, bought new filters...

Altair Ha Sii Oiii DualBand ULTRA 4nm Filter COMBO

There is updated review. Cuiv, The Lazy Geek reviewed both filters.

Aaaaand it is out of stock...

The local astronomy club had a monthly meeting, so I brought all three setups for the first time. Snaped a photo just before I tore it all down at the end.

SW Heritage 150 on iOptron Cube Pro II for visual, AP 110GTX on AM5, and RedCat 51 on AM3.

One of the club members used flash... 😎

As I lost patience with Stellarmate and INDI driver support again, I got ASIAIR Plus 256 GB for the bigger OTA / camera. "Old" ASIAIR Plus 32 GB goes to smaller OTA / camera.

Now waiting for clouds... 😒

On 15/09/2023 at 17:26, Peds said:

I suppose now I need to go shopping for a lightweight/portable mount.

If you can guide at 1 sec. with the Altair DB NB filter, I would suggest ZWO AM3. ASIAIR Plus would go a long way in reducing your luggage needs in combination with AP and MC DUO.

Your setup could look like something in between my two rigs.

The smaller one got upgraded with MC DUO just recently. 😉

10 hours ago, Peds said:

I posted my first image with the Altair Ultra 4nm filter (Ha + OIII)

Please update as you get a chance. I am holding off just due to a lack of reviews. Lazy Geek made a video about it and I would prefer to see a second confirmation to exclude production variance.

Have you considered SII + HIII to complement Ha + OIII?

+1 bump

30 minutes ago, AlcorAlly said:

With the finder removed, Heritage 150 tube just about fits

True, I`ve done that. They`ve let me on a plane with this backpack. After that I took e-scooter to get to somewhat darker beach.

If you manage to get one, AP 110 GTX. OTA literally made around Pelican Air carry on case. 

It`s not computers be gone, it`s computers be inbuilt. In this case looks like RPI CM4, but it may be custom board as well.
Hear me out... Although I am not a big fan of Stellarmate this can give comparable results for far less money.
Use any mount of your payload or technology preference, slap Pegasus Astro Saddle PowerBox on it and use RPI CM4 8GB RAM / 32GB eMMC for Stellarmate. Why RPI CM4 and not regular RPI4? External antenna support and internal 32GB eMMC.

Takes a little bit of effort but certainly doable.

Could cost you a ton of nerves but so will dealing will iOptron or INDI in general. Your tolerance for masochisms may wary. 😁

Yeeeah, sounds like INDI/stellarmate... To be clear, I love everything about the concept of INDI/EKOS and I understand how hard it is to drive such open source project. I even bought Stellarmate to support.

Looking at your screenshot I would try to put Bin to 1x1 and reduce box to 32.
Anyhoo, seeing your post made me give my Stellarmate go with ZWO AM5. I got new camera that I was set on testing yesterday. Updated Stellarmate RPI4 8GB it to latest stabile build. Gave it plenty of current with 12V DockerPi Power Board at 10A and supplied the camera on its own with 6.5A. Long story short, they did not get along...

Tried all three available drivers

I do have INDI / Stellarmate / EKOS experience and have successfully imaged with it, but the hustle was just horrendous... Some quite old screenshots below

At the end I got fed up with it, not knowing if it will connect to certain device that night or not, wasted many clear nights freezing while trying to make it work. Went out and bought ASIAIR Plus, have not lost a singe clear night since, have not looked back or regretted it.

I am not fan of ZWOs closed ecosystem regarding the ASIAIR. Their stuff just works (for me, for now), and on seldom clear night that I can devote to this hobby I have no inclination to spend them troubleshooting drivers. 

ZWO ASI2600MC DUO

Delivered yesterday, had hour and a half with no clouds and no moon to test it out. Everything worked instantly. Pure symphony with WO RC51 and IDAS NBZ...

Why the AM3?
 

I already own AM5 and I am pleased with its performance, weight and overall quality, so for my second backpacking setup I wanted the same features with less weight. Hence ZWO AM3. I will not go into technical details here, they are readily available on ZWO AM3 site. I will rather focus on the photos and my observations.
 

Packaging appears standard, box within a box. well contained and arrived without signs of damage.

Box appears to be made of expanded foam. Quite sturdy, but does not inspire confidence in longevity without outer nylon fabric cover and does not come with Shoulder Strap.

Given the smaller size of AM3 the box is also smaller and does not offer space for counterweight bar or ASIAIR Plus. AM3 with tripod plate fits quite snug and requires both hands to take out of the box.

Together with TC40 carbon fibber tripod, TC40 has different spreader compared to previous version. Everything else is the same.

I was not impressed with the box, so tried to see if AM3 fits in B&W type 2000 outdoor case that offers much more sturdiness and weather / dust protection.

B&W type 2000 outdoor case is somewhat smaller but AM3 fits just fine.

AM3 vs AM5

Compared to AM5 there are few differences. Aside from lower weight and carrying capacity, absence of DC passthrough is the most notable and missed one. Quite disappointing as I would much rather have passthrough instead of BT control. AM5 DC Passthrough is one of its better features, although it could benefit from higher current load capacity. Perhaps Pegasus Astro Saddle Powerbox could be a solution, but certainly not at current prices.

I will not name every single difference as there are already few YT videos (here and here) making detailed comparisons.

AM5 Carrying Case compared to AM3 Styrofoam like box.

Front side by side.

Left side comparison.

Right side comparison.

Top view side by side.

Only difference in the TC40 tripod that came with AM3 compared to one that came with AM5 is the spreader seen on the right-hand of the photo below.

In the jungle corner mounted on tripods

For the end fully loaded with their respective OTAs.

As I post this I notice that the photos are grainy. Imagine the surprise of clouds rolling in as new gear comes in and me not noticing light dimming. Dough... Will replace shortly...

ZWO AM3 Mount and TC40 CF Tripod

Another year, another Visnjan observatory summer visit.
Equipment:

More about the OTA:

Great find, just what I need. Thnx

This guy used £215 SharpStar 2" 0.95x MPCC to convert Celestron C8 F10 to F2.0 instead of £1k Starizona Hyperstar 8 V4. 

He also provides CAD files for required adapter in the video descriotion.

Quite cool DIY hack. Obviously, not perfect but certainly interesting. Thought it might be worth sharing here.

22 hours ago, Elp said:

I'm curious how this would work at 1000mm+ FL using something like an lextreme.

1000 mm, f5, Newtonian