kirkster501

Kevin Nelson who was the founder of QSI (he's now at Google) and Don at Astrodon both have said to me that 31mm are better at that fast ratio - i.e. faster than F3.8. You can use 1.25 but there will be more vignetting. Yes flats will help with that but if you can afford to go with 31mm then you should do so. And that is from people who really know. I know that Sara Wager uses 1.25 at fast ratios just fine as just Steve Richards. And if they use them then rest assured it will work. But if buying new then why not got for 31mm and reduce that vignetting? The cost delta is very slight.

I asked Astrodon himself this question. He suggests that anything faster that F3.8 you get the 31mm. Good flats will help if you do use 1.25 but the 31mm are better. And that is from the man himself.

I think the focus drifts slightly with the blue channel with the TEC on Baader filters, fractional but it does drift off a little. I think the FSQ85 is parfocal with LRGBHa from Baader. When I get it I am thinking of stuffing the QSI683 with Gen2 E series LRGB 31mm Astrodons and also a Astrodon 3nm HA. The Astrodon LRGB's are double the cost of Baaders but what the hell with an expensive new camera. This all depends on my tax return this week and if HMRC are kind to me......!

I am keeping my 460, as you have suggested Olly, for use exclusively on the TEC and small galaxies. I do not have the flattener Olly, I don't think I need the flattener though with the small chip of the 460? A flattener would imply spacing issues again..... I did the maths on this prior to ordering the TEC last year and I -and Yuri - said it was not needed with that small chip. Sara, I spoke to Ian King this morning and, exactly as you say, he has a customer adapter for use with the FSQ/QSI. I think i am going to sell some premium bonds (that have won jack all in seven years) to buy the QSI (I think). Ask me in a hour's time and you may get a different answer!

I'm also going round and round this loop too. One moment I am going for QSI the next the Moravian, then back again. And now I got looking into the QSI690 as well to make it more complex! Indeed why not the G3-16200.... Doh! MI G2-8300 gets a very good press and looks a fine package at a reasonable cost. But a little monkey is on my back saying get the QSI and spend the extra and get what you really want right now Steve.........! How would a QSI or MI connect to the FSQ 85 reducer anyone know? I asked Ian King today and waiting for him to reply but wondered if anyone knew?

I am in the same place Dave. Money ready to go on a 8300 chip camera (QSI for me I think though) but I feel it a bit extravagant at the moment given the sky conditions of late. I have to think hard and question if that sort of outlay can be justified as I hardly use the stuff I already have.

Many thanks guys, I understand. I will have a go next time we get a clear night.

Hello all, please would someone kindly advise how to align camera in RA and Dec? Olly has suggested this is good imaging practice, but I confess I am not sure why or how? I take my framing sub at the beginning of the imaging run to get the subject the way I like it. So how, from that image, can I orientate the camera in said RA/Dec??? What is my reference to do that from the acquired sub? Thanks,

I have made the decision to keep to refractors for AP. Sure, for very small objects I may not get the ideal image scale but there is enough in the sky to accept that "limitation" I think. I have a C925 and a 12" Dob for visual. However, I do all lunar visual, and sometimes Jupiter, through the TEC as above. It is an astonishing scope for that, just as Olly told me it would be.

Fabulous! I considered one of those but went for the TEC in the end. It was a long wait! That horizon view is great, wish I had that.

Thanks Steve. it is a very fine visual scope as well. Best views of the moon I have ever had are though this scope and a Nagler 17mm. The contrast is amazing. Aperture is not everything!

TEC 140 on MESU 200

I also received mine yesterday. I am going to do a thread as to how I do the metalwork to mount it with the MESU Supplied plate. Can't believe how heavy it is! @harry page Bern drove the short distance up to Nottingham after dropping yours off in Stamford. Not really had chance to do much with it yet - the metalwork starts tomorrow

Even if you are guiding during your exposures you will still get field rotation if you are a degree off the NCP - which you will be if you are aligning the mount on Polaris.You need to be much more accurate than that. Even for visual, with the F10 FL of the C9.25 objects will not be in the FoV in your Goto's if you Polar Aligned the scope on Polaris. I have a C9.25 myself and can tell you this for a fact.

^^^^THIS Nothing but trouble from my PC the other night. Everything had been working perfectly during the nights before, capturing subs within five minutes of rolling the roof off. Yet, Sunday night, IT (as in Information Technology) would not play ball and my camera would not connect to the PC no matter what I did. I had made no changes whatsoever to the rig beforehand. Several reboots of the machine and it auto-magically started working, just like that. By that time the clouds had rolled in. Doh, AP in the UK.......

My next project after I get my MESU in and working Steve

Meant to also say that my FSQ 85 is perfectly par-focal with the Baader LRGB and Ha filters and the focus stays true all night. PERFECTLY parfocal. I have spent a lot of time confirming this, they are absolutely bang on focus when i move filters. They are NOT quite parfocal with the TEC - LRG are parfocal but Blue and Ha are not quite and need a tiny nudge.

Hi Steve (gnomus), See my M27 with the TEC here: @Olly, yes I will get the Flattener for the TEC as well eventually. Not sure I need one though with my current chip on the Atik 460. I did the maths when I bought the TEC. (Incidentally the TEC is a magnificent visual scope!). Back to topic of the FSQ, yes, I am using the reducer on the M31 above (and the NA nebula I posted on Saturday). Most important thing for me is to gain processing experience after the stacking and combining stage - as the M27 demonstrates. I think I am steadily getting there in terms of getting the data in the can. I am very pleased with my FSQ + reducer (after I fixed the reducer).

Gnomus (I would have used Steve, but there's too many of us about on this thread ), The pixel size of that image is such because it is just a screen capture - yes, as you state, the original is 2800x2200. Even in that image the stars to the upper left are not 100% correct. But I think that can be explained by the fact these were 6 x 300s exposures and my PA is not perfect. I've attached a single M31 300s luminance with the 85 + reducer that has not been tinkered with in any way. I cannot see anything wrong with my scope. At extreme zoomed in maybe the tiniest amount of egginess in the corners. I am prepared to accept that even if it were the scope producing it. So I am happy with my BabyQ. Sad that some folks have been disappointed with theirs and the dream did not live up to expectations. Indeed, there is £4000 worth of scope when the reducer is factored in. At that price one has a right to expect perfection.

Glad to hear it guys, thanks for looking at it for me. Steve (Steppenwolf), I seem to recall us PM chatting about this a few years ago - indeed, you advised me about the dovetails etc. I think we bought our FSQ's at a similar time. Do you recall what serial number yours was? Wonder if it was a batch of duff ones and I just made it... ? Then again, I took my FSQ to Steve (Gnomus) in August 2015 to show him the scope and his was a duffer......, two years after ours..... Possibly just luck that I got a good one.

Holy thread revival...... Following the issues encountered by the Steve's in this thread, here is yet another Steve's contribution. Here is my Ha NA Nebula 30 mins with FSQ85 and reducer stretched to within an inch of its life to make it easier to see for the purpose of this thread. This is on a NEQ6 which has "good enough" PA because I am not spending an age getting it perfect with drift alignment as I am awaiting my MESU. My results look pretty good I'd say? Steve

Using a diagonal in visual then no extension tubes ever required. When doing AP and a camera at Prime Focus then extension tubes often required.

My TEC 140 with Atik 460 and EFW2 on a NEQ6. NEQ6 will be replaced by a MESU 200 when I know the extent of my tax return damage!!! (and a SW300 in the corner )

My FSQ85 with ST80 guide scope atop Modded NEQ6.