knobby

Thanks Icesheet !

Very promising looking guided performance ...

Shame that's the EC version though 😞

I'm waiting for some more stats on the base model.

Really not your fault Steve ... Even my wife struggles to understand me sometimes 🤣

Can't wait to see some real user feedback on the mount though .

Apparently Ioptron have found a way to have PEC ?

Cheers Steve, that's what I was saying in my dodgy Essex boy English ...

The HEM27 is in stock at FLO but not in stock without the Ipolar 🙂

The HEM27 is in stock on FLO website ... But not without ipolar.

🤞🏻

1 hour ago, herne said:

@bomberbaz  Actually I should list the exact Siril workflow I used for your data:

Open the tif file in Siril.

At the bottom middle, change "Linear" to "Autostretch".

If you flick through the Red/Green/Blue/RGB channel tabs at the top, they'll all be shades of grey except the RGB channel which will be bright green.

From the top, select Image Processing > Color Calibration > Photometric Color Calibration.

In the window which appears, select the "Image Parameters" box, type in NGC6888 and click Find.

Some options should appear underneath after clicking Find.  Select Simbad Crescent Nebula (or NED NGC6888 if you don't get that option).  Then click OK.

Wait for it to complete and click close.  The bright green RGB picture should disappear and be replaced with something looking better but suffering from gradient.  The Crescent will be in the centre against a greenish/black night sky and framed by reddish clouds.

Select the Blue Red or Green channel but not the RGB channel.

Select Image Processing > Background Extraction.

Use these settings in the window which appears:  Degree order 4; Samples per line 20; Tolerance 1.00; leave Add Dither unchecked.  Click Generate.

A load of small green boxes will appear.  Right click on whichever green boxes touch or are very near to the Crescent nebula to make them disappear.  (You can't get rid of boxes if in the RGB channel, hence changing to one of the others).  I got rid of 4 boxes.  You don't want them touching your target as that'll make the program think it's part of the gradient.  Click Apply then Close when it's finished.

Click on the RGB channel and your picture should now be looking pretty nice.

Select Image Processing > Remove Green Noise.  Make sure the Protection Method is set to Average Neutral, tick Preserve Lightness and click Apply.  Close the window when done.

At the middle bottom, change Autostretch to Linear.  The screen will go all black again.

Select Image Processing > Histogram Transformation.  A window will appear with a line graph in it.

Just below the line graph there are 6 icons.  Click the one on the right which looks like a cog wheel with an S curve running through it.

Your picture will reappear.  Click Apply then Close.

The night sky will have a blueish tinge which I sorted out in Photoshop with a basic "S" curve.  I guess GIMP could do the same.

Now save it as a 16 bit tif file for use in Photoshop or GIMP.  (Right click on the image > Save RGB image to TIFF > give it a filename > select 16 bit unsigned integer).

That's it 👍.

+1 for Siril, definitely worth persevering 👍🏻

Processed my Monkey head with it (it's on this thread somewhere)

I think ioptron do something similar 

Iguider ?

What mount Ian ?

Also, can't find one in stock ...

7 minutes ago, bomberbaz said:

Can't do this Lee, I have already seen this but when I tried to undo the screw marked 2, the screw head sheared off.

I am going to see how I get on with things as they are but if the star shapes are unfixable I have to decide do I put up with it or buy a new mount and use the existing one for solar.

Have you read down to tis post https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/668785-adjusting-backlash-on-skywatcher-az-gti-mount/?p=10388057

Talks about removing the screw if it breaks ... 

17 minutes ago, AstroNebulee said:

Thank you, yes it is long and I will try to compile page numbers with most useful bits on eg servicing, solved issues. 

If you are going for planetary in EQ mode, personally I wouldn't go much above a 102 maksutov. I know the Skymax 127 at 3kg can be used in az mode easily (though quite a bit of vibration to settle down. I used to have this combo). It should cope ok in EQ mode too, though I never tried it. 

I do say that my sw 72ed deepsky setup comes in at 5.9kg with everything attached (about 3.7kg without counterweights) 

The rated max weight capacity of the az gti is said to be 5kg. But most of us eq mode users push to this or  beyond. 

Cheers 

Lee 

Cheers Lee, I must get round to weighing my current kit (similar to yours) ... I've posted on here before but never thought of trying planetary with it.

Amazing thread ... very long but very useful.

Can I ask what the heaviest scope you've used on your AZ-Gti ?

Thinking of trying some planetary with mine @elp perked my interest in another thread 🙂

I'm in EQ mode with counterweights.

Mmmm food for thought 🙂

6 hours ago, Louis D said:

Maybe you could look into a harmonic drive mount?  That way, you'd save yourself the effort of carrying around and installing counterweights.  The mounts themselves are fairly lightweight while still having a relatively high load capacity.

Cheers Louis, yes I'm leaning towards a bit more saving up ( plenty of time as the harmonic mounts aren't readily available yet ) and choosing between the ZWO and the Ioptron, with maybe a used Mak for planets.

3 hours ago, dweller25 said:

I also have a bad back and have had to find a lightweight observing option.

It is currently a Mewlon 180 on a Vixen GP.

A Celestron C6 on an EQ mount would be even lighter…..

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/advanced-vx-goto/celestron-c6sct-vx-goto.html

 

Cheers David, It's more the mount weight that causes me issues, I can lift a scope up to around 10 kg easily enough, it's the mount that is awkward to handle.

The Tak looks a stunning scope but way out of my price range 🙂

2 hours ago, Shimrod said:

I'm not sure I understand the logic of selling an 8" Edge but getting a heavier and larger 9.25 SCT. Was it the mount rather than the OTA that is causing the issue? I've no experience of it, but if needing something lightweight for planety the Stellalyra 6" Classical Cassegrain might be a good choice, or for lighter still the Stellamira 80ed F10 refractor. 

The C8 edge was a bit of a sacrificial lamb to help fund a lighter mount, honestly the edge isn't really needed for planetary as the planet is tiny and generally in the middle of field so it was sold with the intention of replacing it after the mount had been decided.

1 hour ago, Ratlet said:

Gem 28 is nice and light.  If weight is an issue then I would wait to see how the harmonia look.  You won't need a counter weight which will knock at least 5kg of the weight.

Yes, I really like the specs of the GEM28, just a bit warey of the poor reviews and perceived quality control issues 

Thanks for all the replies 👍🏻

22 minutes ago, etsatlo said:

Forgive me but why aren't you able to do planetary with the mount?

Forgiven 😀

The AZ-Gti will only carry 5 kg ... The scopes I'm looking at are both around 9

Hi all, due to an ageing body (mainly back) I'm in the process of planning a lighter rig.

I've been using my AZ-Gti for a few years now but miss the ability to do any planetary imaging with it.

I've sold my HEQ5 and C8 Edge as I just can't set it up without suffering the next day or 3 😞

I'm toying with getting a 180 Mak on an Ioptron HEM27, or a ZWO AM5 if or when they prove themself.

Other options would be an Ioptron GEM28, still very light but would handle a large Mak well enough for planetary imaging.

I've seen some bad reviews on the GEM28 so my gut feeling is to wait for a while.

Budget around £2700 plus whatever I can get for the AZ-Gti so I'm probably looking at a used Mak or maybe even C925 SCT.

All suggestions welcomed 🙂

I'm in no rush as I'm using the AZ-Gti currently but the planets and the money put aside are telling me otherwise 🙂

I can't wait to see some of these being used ! I'm resizing to lighter kit due to the old back getting creaky ...

For a second I thought it was going to topple over !

Just watching this ... looks very interesting.

Nice, what equipment did you use ?

I had a first time white light dabble around the same time yesterday, when I was using wavelets I wasn't sure if I was seeing surface granulation or it was noise 😀

SW 72ED / ZWO 1600mm / DIY baader film / ZWO 7nm Ha filter.

Approx 50 frames stacked from 200 

Hard to tell on my phone but the streak appears to be in the same direction across the frame ?

What exposure length was this ? Could it be tracking ?

5 hours ago, AstroNebulee said:

Finally managed to get the scope out last night to test my backspacing which was at 62.5 mm and has been adjusted to 63.5mm! (yes I know a lot but its what works to a point) will check the subs on the laptop later but weren't looking to bad on the phone screen zoomed in. I was testing on Vega and surrounding stars for this. 

Had first light with my Astronomik L3 filter and wow it really made a difference tightening up the stars and cutting down the blue/purple fringing, whereas before some stars would of been a blob now they are tightened up and close stars split easily. So I'm chuffed with it and worth every penny. (once again will check the subs on the laptop later)

Then had a few subs on M57 to test then settled in on NGC 7000 for a while. The az gti was performing great with guiding ranging from 0.7-1.7 rms so couldnt be happier, not always going to work so well but conditions were very good last night. Not astronomical dark I know but was not to bad. 

Good to see the summer triangle (see dodgy phone shot), milky way and popping my head around the corner of my imaging area Scorpius was rising nicely (better phone shot) just a pity my scope view is blocked on this part of the sky. Sadly I had to pack up and come in at 1.30am as I had to be up early this morning. Now I'm a glasses wearer I can see so much more clearly into the night sky and made sitting out with my set up more enjoyable to just gaze clearly at the stars. 

Hoping to get out again tonight if it stays clear but high cloud looming in, will see. 

I hope others managed to get some clear skies with their az gtis 😊

Cheers 

Lee 

That's sweet guiding 👍🏻

Cheers Ivo, excellent software ... well worth the money.