tooth_dr

What a fantastic image Peter.

Lip:

Thanks Richard. I can add in a 0.3mm shim if required. I've done a search and cannot find anywhere listing 56.2mm, only 56mm. Where did you see this? There is a tiny lip on the corrector. Do you measure from that lip or from the broad flat surface (if you follow)

Very good Mick. I suspect there is more in there, looks pretty dark on my screen.

Both those M31 images are amazing Goran but the Ha really lifts it. I think maybe I’m going wrong and overexposing. I was shooting 300s at gain 100 at F4.4

...I am not using the QHY filter wheel like the other guys with this camera so just wanted to share my initial experience. I already own an Atik EFW3 2 x 7” and unlike the QHY version i can’t bolt my wheel to the camera. I’m attaching it via an M54 to M42 threaded adapter (with an M42 to M48 adapter on the M42 male thread of the EFW). The back spacing for Epsilon 180ED is 56mm to the M54 corrector and I’m allowing another 0.7mm for the filter glass, so I’m aiming for 56.7mm The M54 to M54 adapter I have is 8.7mm thick, added to a 22mm EFW3 gives 30.7mm, leaving 26mm to work with. The camera uses 12.5mm plus the additional 5mm adapter that screws directly onto the camera. With this 17.5mm accounted for I was left with 8.5mm. Despite having amassed quite a lot of spacers, I hadn’t very many M48 items, but was able to find a 5mm M48 extension. In the box of the 268 are several unthreaded M54 ‘washers’ of 1mm and 3mm thickness. I was able to use one of the 3mm spacers under the threaded M48 spacer. Loosened and removed the M48 threaded adapter: Placed 3mm M54 washer onto camera body: The three sizes of included bolts didn’t fit (too long or too short). I found some SS bolts I bought a while ago that were 3mm longer than the standard short ones - no hacksaw needed. The remaining 0.5mm was made up using a red Baader M48 shim. I can see that Takahashi do an 8mm M54 extension piece for a very reasonable £23, so I plan to buy this to minimise the camera sensor to filter distance. I’ll add it onto the existing scope side M54 adapter, replacing the 3mm spacer/washer on the camera body and the 5mm M48 extension piece. Whether this works in practice is yet to be determined but on paper it’s ‘right’. I also plan to use the 268M on my 250px but will need to include an OAG in the imaging train. Initial assessments suggest it will work. It’s 57.5mm +\- 1mm from the M48 shoulder on the MPCC. The EFW is 22mm, camera is 17.5mm and ZWO OAG is 16.5mm. The flush filter wheel fittings add 0mm, and allowing 0.7mm for the glass, I’m coming in just under 56.7mm. I again can use the M48 baader shims as required 👍🏼 The weather is another story now 👎🏻 Thanks for making this far Adam

The QHY 268M arrived today

Done that carrying my 300 dob outside 😂

That is really interesting. I’m sure your results will help anyone who searches the web 👍🏼👍🏻

Nicely presented. Some significant differences there.

🤣 it’s late too

Do you mean on the 2600 image in another post or the one above. For sure in the image above that’s the problematic 1600 microlensing effect.

As Davey says it’s standard M48 thread. I have used these adapters: M48F to M54M: for attaching a filter wheel. Is that the plan here?

I would tend to agree as they are star like. The 1600 is a different matter though.

Thank you Reggie.

White wasn’t enough for me with the Epsilon. Even on the dimmest panel setting I couldn’t get the exposures above the 3.5s threshold. I needed something like 12 or 17 or some ridiculous amount of paper so ended up changing to grey acrylic and it worked a treat.

At most I got four tiny spikes on the brightest stars with my KAF, and I wouldn’t even really have noticed them.

I had the same problem. I bought a grey acrylic sheet, which does the same job but just a bit more durable. It was about £4 for A3.

Svbony is a budget brand but not unknown in the astro community. As said above hard to know for sure the quality, it might be ok (but probably not brilliant to be honest). Second hand clip filters do appear regularly on here for sale so there is potential for one to pop up. But I agree with discarded astro, wouldnt spend £80 on the one above.

Great start Stu. You will be hoovering up those photos at a serious rate now 👍🏼👍🏼

Very detailed, a real delight to look at 👍🏻

Nice captures 👍🏻

I’m happy to go along too 😂 I’ll even share the boot with the scope

Thanks Dave. This is frustrating as FLO knew I was buying this for the 94 telescope but didn’t mention an adapter. This means another £50-60. It is starting to look like an esprit 100 would have been a better choice.

Well I thought so, it does certainly suggest that in the telescope text. Looks like it’s M68 and the scope focuser is M74. Unless I’m missing something or haven’t attached adapters correctly https://www.firstlightoptics.com/sharpstar/sharpstar-94edph-f5-5-triplet-ed-apo-telescope.html