tooth_dr

I suppose I'm trying to move with the technology, and make full use of the 44mm imaging circle in the Epsilon. The smaller pixels will also bring me down from 2.2"/px to 1.55"/px which can only be beneficial and probably a closer match to the local seeing conditions. I think the IMX455 is a 16bit sensor too.

I have decided to buy a new CMOS camera to replace my KAF8300 CCD and was pretty much set on the QHY268M. I now think the larger full frame might be a better option. Whatever camera I get will be used with an Atik EFW3 7x2” mounted filters. My telescope can illuminate a 44mm imaging circle. ZWO / Atik / QHY? QHY lite version? The Atik looks like a really good quality product. The QHY600 claims some sort of K sensor? I have tried reading up but CN descends into excessive technical jargon. Any help much appreciated.

I was totally set on a QHY268M, then I spotted the QHY600M? Any reasoning for or against?

Please don’t discount the 40d. I regularly used mine and @MarsG76 uses one. Its more than adequate. Hopefully that’s just a little focusing screen and has no bearing on functionality of the camera.

Everything else aside, the field of view of a webcam is really minuscule for something like andromeda Below shows the comparison of Canon DSLR versus webcam

I’ve had a few by myself - see Saturn for the first time, my first photo - M57, naked eye Neowise, but sharing the TSE in 2017 with my family was by far the stand out event. Holding one of kids in my arms whilst watching thunder and lightning AND totality at the same time, I’ll never forget it. We were at a large event at a university campus in Charleston, and the whole place was just in awe.

Very nice image 👍🏼

Moonlite do a nice focuser/rotator package https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/language/en/info/p9100_MoonLite-NiteCrawler-3-5--Rotating-Worm-Drive-Focuser-incl--Adaption.html

Thanks guys. I’ve been really busy with work as well as filming for a tv advert (!) but I’ll try exactly this.

Ordered! Nice little Christmas present for my kids who are obsessed with facts

No problem.

That is a lot of waste with the RGB The image scale is pretty awesome, but it's a shame it hasnt worked out the way you had intended

Hi Olly I have the QHY9 set to slow download speed (as opposed to normal or fast), same for both lights and calibration frames. I can take some 12s darks this evening to see if that helps, nothing to lose.

All taken at same temperature of minus 15 deg C

Andrew, some more images: 1) single light 2) single light with MB calibration 3) single light with MB + MF calibration 4) single light with MB + MDF* + MF calibration 5) single light with MB + MDF* + MF + MD calibration 6) BPM 7) MD *MDF is a MB I do normally use matching exposure time dark flats but read somewhere that bias is ok too. I do use darks, 5) below is a single light calibrated with MB MF MDF MD

Possible. I do take all my calibration data at night to avoid this, and at the shortest exposure for bias light should not be an issue. If above, I can show that the single flat is calibrating correctly, then perhaps I have an issue with my lights?

Andrew I just took a few minutes to do this now. Doesnt the second one look like my image - maybe there is an issue with the bias calibration? 1) Single Flat 2) Single Flat with MF 3) Single Flat with MB and MF

Sorry that's what I meant! Typing to fast!

It's only 7nm, but I'm using a camera with a mechanical shutter, so my flats always have to be longer than 3.5s. The panel had a couple of sheets of perspex on it for lum flats, so at it's brightest 12s was the length of exposured to give me a correctly exposed flat.

Thanks Andrew, I'll try that calibration process later on the master flat itself

Hi Vlad. Yes I’m sure the aperture wasn’t adjusted. It’s done manually on the lens ring itself and I took flats just after lights without adjusting anything. Yes this a 180mm lens connected to an EFW then QHY9.

Great job I like that.

I calibrated it with a master bias. I could try with dark flats correctly exposed to the duration of the flat (it was around 12.33s)

I have a 2.2m dome, and it's surprisingly roomy inside. The slit is narrower than the 2.7m model, but I can still work with a side by side arrangement. I'm guessing the nexdome is too small?

I have tried this and came up with a simple solution - a 3D printed filter holder that gets the filter as close to the DSLR sensor as possible. It doesn’t interfere with the fit of the T-adapter so that can still be screwed directly onto the focuser as before. The above adapter will place the filter too far from the sensor, and it’s also highly likely you won’t get focus if using a Newtonian, and you lose the security of a fully screwed-on connection of camera to focuser. Adam