kirkster501

Frustrating though it is, always remember, the stars ain't going anywhere....

I am on the lookout for one of those 106's for the larger imaging circle. They are not cheap and do not come up used very often. You need to be on ABS regularly and get in there early. I recently missed out on one....

Thank you for the kind comments guys. I am on all learning curve.

What a great outcome for you and a what a great company. A CCD is a considerable investment for all of us and it's gratifying to know that Atik looked after you. All the best, Steve

TEC 140 and ASI1174MM. Third pic with Powermate X2.

I agree, it always seems to be the case. As a result, I have got into Lunar (and solar) recently. Waiting for the skies to clear (and for long enough) for DSO imaging is an exercise in frustration in the UK. Increasingly so.

Yes I did this when I had one. Perfectly doable.

Yeah, lets compare tomorrow John! I got 140Gigabytes of video to crunch through!

TEC140 with X2 barlow and ASI1174MM. Will post my results tomorrow!

Why make a snap decision Steve? Why not dither for six months? In all seriousness I had made my mind up to get the QSI a while ago and was awaiting the funds. As soon as I got them and pressed the go button QSI stop selling them for reasons we all know.

Yes indeed. Thanks. I'm looking into that option. Another thought is to go with the a 16200 chip camera and maybe upgrade the scope to the FSQ106 with its larger imaging circle since I don't think the baby-Q will cut it with a sensor that size. That starts getting very expensive since the delta to upgrade my 85 to the 106 will be in excess of £1500 on the used market - and that's before I bought the camera/filters. I was also going to go with the Astrodon filters 31mm filters with the 8300 chip options but that starts getting pricey at the 2" filter sizes. Decisions, decisions....

So after all the work and saving to get the QSI 683 I can no longer get one. Back Square 1.

Hi all, This is the thread where I modified the reducer. It was way out until I performed this [very simple and five minute] modification.

I am very disappointed that August, the whole of September and, so far, early October have been lost to incessant, endless cloud and the "grey perma-cover" as I am starting to call it. Autumn has been the best time of year in recent years but not this year, apparently. We can only hope it gets better this year as we head into winter but, I am not too hopeful.

Don't forget many of the excellent Youtube tutorials.