bendiddley

Thanks a lot for having a play with my image. I think the solidity thing is an easy one to solve. I used a lightweight camera tripod for this image and there probably was some camera shake when the shutter was released, I've seen this problem in some still life photography I've been doing and when I used a sturdier tripod the problem went away so I think I will have another play and see what happens. I'll have a look into the Teleconverter or Digital Zoom thing too. I did do some further research into other ways of enhancing detail and it was mentioned that a green filter can help with this, not sure if that is only for visual solar observation though or if it will work in imaging as well, might give it a try.

So I've started taking some photos of the sun in white light with my canon DSLR/75-300mm kit lens and solar filter with Baader film. I've managed to capture a small sunspot and I think I can see some very subtle texture to the surface but I was wondering if there is anything I can do to my set up that might bring that texture out further? I've heard of the Baader Continuum filter, solar wedges and calcium filters if you've got a telescope set-up, but I'm just using a DSLR only. Is there anything else that I could add in to the image train that could enhance anything and that won't cost the earth, I don't know maybe a colour lens filter perhaps or any other kind of lens filter. Or maybe a better lens would help. Or would further post processing help, I have photoshop which I use for my regular astrophotography. Any advice welcome. Cheers. [Edited note: Apologies, I've just realised I posted this in the solar observing forum and it should have been in the solar imaging forum!]

Thanks, sorry I should have been more specific. It's in the context of general visual use, using plossl eyepieces.

I'm wanting to know why high powered plossl eyepieces are best suited to long focal length telescopes. Also if they are used in shorter focal length telescopes what limitations are there with this? Cheers.

I'd like to know what telescope focal lengths are considered long or short. I'm guessing about 1200mm and above is long and 700mm and below short???

thanks, so is it due to the lower magnification of the eyepiece that the nebular benefits from it? Sorry maybe my terminology light transmission is wrong. Guess I meant can you get more out a nebular filter by having a lower magnification eyepiece? Stu says that larger exit pupils help with nebular filters.

Great stuff. It's not for my scope though, I'm just interested in the subject and wanted to find out more. By the way you say exit pupil is affected by the scope too, I thought it was just the eyepiece that affected this, how does the scope affect exit pupil?

So I have read somewhere that a larger exit pupil and getting the 'right amount' of magnification from an eyepiece can maximise light transmission of nebular filters. Is this the case? Also some people have said that 40mm gets that 'sweet spot'. Anyone found this?

Ah yes, good point!

Also when you say correction at the edges, what sort of corrections do you mean ie. better light transmission, sharper stars, less coma etc?

Thanks. Is this the same for a 32mm plossl too ie. need much slower optics, what's the baseline for this? Or can faster scopes benefit from these as well, say f5?

Thanks, but I'm wanting to know how it fairs on slower telescopes. I am curious. I have an f5 and know it wouldn't suit that. Celestron says it suits f6 and higher, just wondering how it fairs for slower scope and how slow it needs to be.

As the title says, I want to know what focal ratio is best for a 40mm plossl. I know some say f/6 or slower ie.Celestron 40 Omni. Is this the case in practice or would an even slower scope be better? Cheers.

Great stuff guys. Many thanks.

Thanks. Yes it does look very similar, can't find any with the silver top, maybe the top came from something else. Interesting to know about the Celestron skywatcher compatibility. I have taken it apart and here are some photos. No clues on the control board or from the serial number but I've looked up the patent numbers and the us and eu numbers are showing results for a company called 'PACIFIC TELESCOPE CORP [CA]', have attached screen shot. Can't find any link to skywatcher/celestron on the patent application though, but I'll keep looking and see what I can find.

The controller can operate the mount so I'm assuming the mount must be Celestron? Or can a Celestron controller operate another make of mount ie. skywatcher? Maybe the mount is a very old Celestron model but I can't find any photos of it on google.

Thanks. Mine has a silver top though. Have looked up the nexstar gt and those ones have black tops, see photos I found on google

Does anyone know what mount this is? I know it's a Celestron AZ mount but don't know the model.

Hoping someone might be able to help. I have acquired an old Celestron slt mount with just as old nexstar hand controller. I think its a v4 controller. I am using an FTDI USB TO RJ9 4P4C cable to connect controller to the laptop running windows 7. I have installed the correct FTDI driver. I've installed various Celestron stuff including CPWI, HCupdate, nexremote and also the Celestron ASCOM driver. I know the cable works as the computer recognises it, but I can't connect to the controller. I've ensured the controller is plugged in and aligned so as to be able to connect. I've tried connecting using stellarium and Cartes du Ciel and I also tried the Celestron HC updater too to see if I can update the controller but I gather that this controller can't be updated?? Don't know what else to try. Wondering if this controller is too old to be connected to. Anyway, maybe some folk have more of aa clue than me.

Cool sounds good. I might give this a go. I'm weighing up options at the moment, even considering making my own one, have started another post to find out more about that, if the price is right though I'm all up for buying a ready made hub as I'm not very electronically minded, but up for a challenge too if needs must

Cheers. Interesting solution. I think I would do the same as you if I went for something like this as I was trying to get away from using a cigarette plug. How would the knobs affect things, if I accidentally knocked one, I assume it could turn the mount/camera off?

Thanks. Yes I am to electronics what Simon cowell is to ballet 😂. Well maybe not that bad lol. I like the idea of a project like this but I don't know how to solder (yet), I can always learn though. Thanks for the explanations. Gives me something to think on.

I'm looking to start running my rig from a maplins 12v powerbench but need to make a hub to connect all my kit to. I don't have loads of kit so only needs to be fairly basic. I have my NEQ6, CCD camera and light panel. My netbook is 19v so I will just have to make sure that's charged each time I guess. I want to get a small APO at some point so it will need to be able to have support for powering a dew heater strip at some point too. Does anyone know of a guide that would have instructions on how to make a hub like this?

Hi. I stumbled upon this post whilst researching 12v hubs. Just wondered how you got on with the deepskydad box? Thinking I would quite like something similar to this. Cheers.

Thanks fozzybear. Haven't the foggiest how I would use one of those or the GX12 connector things though.