happy-kat

I've found visually I've needed to use averted vision to see M57

That's a great capture and at your first go.

It's like a wave approaching, quite animated.

What was your processing approach, always interesting to read please

Good to read you had a better session with your setup.

It's useful to understand the difference between geographical North and celestial North

I'm using 1 star alignment several times in a row on different stars the difference is I pick stars I can see as apposed to 3 star alignment limiting the star choice to a list I can't see any on. Repeated several times builds go to accuracy.

To help use your existing eq2 mount with ra drive to help setup would be to fashion something to help you polar align your eq2 to then use the mount with your camera and a lens for imaging. The staradventurer tracks just on the ra axis to.

The 4SE mentioned the mount moves in tiny left right up down movements so will follow an object but doesn't track the earth's rotation so images begin to smear which limits exposure length. The eq2 tracks equatorially.

I have limited sky or when you are fighting cloud gaps use one star alignment, this does not limit you to one star.

One star alignment select the star you see, then fine tune the star in the eyepiece drop to the 10mm eyepiece tune and select the button to confirm it. Now pick one star alignment again and choose another star in the sky you can see and repeat the process. You could do this for 3 stars each time your goto I expect to get better.

When the emulator mode was first available it was only accessable through a certain method of touching the screen, it is really handy it can now be easily selected. Synscan app is usable on many mounts (whether inbuilt wifi or dongle) and is not specific to just the azgti mount.

After selecting emulator you need to connect, select connect

Nice to see an animation

Is that a different sort of storm the white area above and right of the GRS?

If it is an altaz mount then start with the OTA level but pointing North.

In 1 star alignment you can search place your finger on the magnifying glass that's the search box. Start writing the star name

when it's daylight go to settings and connect settings and choose emulator mode, then connect and the app can now be pretend used to get familiar with it. Remember to take it out of emulator mode when finished.

I use 1 star alignment but on several stars of my choice.

you don't mention what camera if a canon DSLR you're probably better off without darks. 

Depending on what eyepieces come with your telescope you'll probably find the low power one fine to use it might be a 20mm and that would work with the barlow as well. The high powered one you might find not so easy to use, why not wait until it arrives and take it from there. 

There are also several things that can be tried to help a small tripod be more stable.

I hope you enjoy your telescope.

Your observing report sounds very successful, great bit of DIY improvement.

The TLES85 you shared looks interesting, 80mm by 500mm f6.25 it would show some chromatic aberration but give fairly wide field of view and if not too fussy perhaps liveable CA. Do you know if it is a ccoated doublet? The tripod looks fairly ok.

130pds good choice with having an interest in astrophotography, what mount are you currently using?

If you have a camera then could start with the lens that came with it. Startrails have already been mentioned as one avenue another is plenty short exposure shots, as short as necessary to not show star trails and stack them. Nice images can be created using a wide field lens such as the kit lens often supplied with cameras. Need a stead tripod and a trigger for the shutter either the onboard timer or an external trigger. If have an android phone then there are various camera shutter apps using an OTG cable  like to use DSLR Controller.

Software lots available to start with, GIMP, startrails, starstax, DSS, SIRIL and for video to see what pushing astro using a static tripod might look like have a look at Forest Tanaka

EDIT What telescope do you have?

Deep space objects are generally differing in size of grey smudge but it's cool seeing how many million light years it's alway. Double stars are another observing target.

Binocular sky does an excellent binocular observing monthly news letter which also can be read with using a small telescope, I think you're in the northern hemisphere as well.

For a outline feel of a smaller telescope the videos by astrobiscuit (I have no affiliation with him) there are a couple though the reviews focus more on what for example the planets would look like. Whilst the brands are different the aperture and focal lengths are similar, though the quality of the lens or mirrors may differ and such any resulting view.

What tripod do you currently use your ED triplet on? 

Welcome

Where you will be using your telescope the most what is the light pollution like?

You might like this read

https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/196278-what-can-i-expect-to-see/

The heritage 130p telescope has a long dove tail bar already attached so no tube rings are required.

The heritage 130p trusses can be used not fully extended so focus can be reached with a camera.

There is a member using this telescope and azgti mount I'll add a link they have shared how they set it up for their particular use which isn't EEA but the post is showing the telescope on the mount you mention.

Link, the user also uses the azgti in altaz mode.

https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/228101-the-no-eq-dso-challenge/?do=findComment&comment=4185739

Random thought, what about just the ED on say a goto mount but use with EVAA to say a tablet if windows tablet then sharpcap live stack, there's a post where an existing dslr was being used as they had it already, can't recall the brand of dslr 

Good post, it's reminded me of the beta feature though your comment re drive motors may also mean it won't play with the virtuoso v1, I'll have to put it on the list to try.

I think I saw it along the lines of if sticking with a large  newtonian the user would need an even taller ladder for seeing into the eyepiece or a very deep wallet for a very fast shorter tube newtonian if using a tripod.

Tripods are generally more stable if used without the legs fully extended.

Dobsonian is named after the person who designed the base and sat a newtonian (reflector) telescope on it.

I don't have that telescope but I'm tempted to say a T ring for your canon EOS camera and a T mount would do it. Use either 1.25 or 2 inch depending on what your telescope is set up for