AstroSamuel

Really helpful, thank you. The processing is a big learning curve. Have been practising on other people's images which has been helpful. Here's before and after of Orion. Still lots to learn but really enjoying the process!

Do you have any other recommendations for nebula to start in? I'm in the southern hemisphere

Really great advice, thank you. Totally aware thay 9 minutes isn't enough, don't have an intervelometer yet and was pressed for time but still had a lot of fun. Helpful to know about the polar alignment causing the trailing, a few images came out quite bad prob because of this. One annoying thing about being in the southern hemisphere... this shooting session all I did was line it up south roughly then did my 3 star alignment, I didn't do the polar alignment adjustment with the synscan controller after the fact which probably was my problem.

Recently upgraded to a skywatcher 150p on a EQM35 Pro mount. Also have a canon 1300D, this was my very first time ever seeing a nebula let along photographing one. Didn't honestly know what i was doing but i winged it and ended up getting 9 minutes worth of 20-30 second exposures of the Lagoon Nebula. Winged my way through deep sky stacker and lightroom, heres my final result. Would love tips or any information as i would just love to learn everything there is to it... (probably not possible lol) from photographing to editing.

Totally understand that. I have to admit I was a little worried to be tinkering around to loosen the axis (I had to loosen the disc on the R.A axis which holds it into the mount) but the guy on YT seemed to know what he was talking about and there isn't any play with the amount I've loosened it up so it seems fine, rotates a lot more free now and without much friction. Managed to get a clear night where I learnt how to calibrate and align the mount which worked good enough to slew to and track saturn. Haven't tried DSO yet but will let you know when I do. Heres the link to the video on the adjustments I've made to my mount, could maybe help with yours?

Just wondering what everyone's rules are with when to unlock and lock the clutches when you're going through your stages of setting up/taking down. For example, when you're taking the telescope off the mount and eventually the mount off the tripod to move it or travel, do you leave it unlocked to reduce the stress on the clutches?

100%, being tight was the first thing i noticed, especially when balancing the DEC axis, it would stick no matter ehat position my telescope was in but I found a really simple fast youtube video to loosen them up so now the 2 axis move super freely.

Lmao love it. So nothing to be concerned about then? Hate the idea of damaging something but the gears are meshing good and there's no backlash from what I can tell. Still trying to understand how it all works. Recently upgraded from a manual eq2

So this sounds pretty normal then?? (The rattling at the start specifically) this is also on max sp 20240919_183119.mp4 20240919_183119.mp4

Just got my first motorised mount and it works great although sometimes the R.A motor makes rattling (almost grinding) like noises. The mount continues to move and doesn't stall and I've opened the motor cover and all the gear cogs seem to be lined up fine. There is this pin like thing that's connected to the smaller gear and pops out the other end of the mount and when i put pressure on this/hold it while its moving, it stops the noise even though it sounds like its coming from the motor. Can't find any other answers online.

Did you ever manage to fix this?? I'm having the same noise with my R.A motor on my EQM35 pro, I'm not particularly bothered by it but I'm worried that it's being damaged.