baggywrinkle

Does anyone have a working alternative to the Daystar 0.5 focal reducer for the Quark for imaging.

I ordered one via Altair Astro over 6 months ago....still nothing despite AA chasing Daystar for info.

I wonder that Daystar stay in business when they fail so badly on replies .......

I was trying to use FITS Scrubber this morning but it does not seem to be working. I knwo it can only be used online.

Are there any alternatives to FITS SCrubber

I go for 'Scenery' and raise it a bit and put in the filter. Seestar seems to fall over (not literally) when trying to find the Moon or Sun...why? when it is so good at finding DSO...maybe its plates olving could be converted to small fluffy cloud solving for the Sun...😁

I bought one for grab and go...taking mine to NZ in February. It has its limitations, like any 'scope.

My main drip isd that it is aimed at beginners yet the manual, for what it is, is dire. Very little explanation of what does what. 

I own an ASIair and other ZWO pieces so I am reasonably familiar with their idiosyncracies. It does not do field rotation. 

ZWO do seem to be listening on theor website and consider suggestions...

A couple of images from mine.

Three panel mosaic taken with my 6" classical Cassegrain and  an ASI244MM camera. 

Seeing was very wobbly...than as usual when I had packed up it cleared spectatularly...and would have been better, the astonomical equivalent of the one that got away...

On 20/10/2022 at 10:08, Laurieast said:

Wes Higgins took this in 2006, wonderful image showing the church spire shadow's 
https://www2.lpod.org/wiki/January_17,_2006

Stunning, simply stunning...

I only buy from them now, good product and service. Never had an issue.

Excellent, I will give this a try.

I am using a 60mm Daystar Ha with an ASI 174MM for solar work, however I noticed I get flaring on the images as well as mild Newton rings. I have bought a tilt adapter (Rowan) but there are no instructions with these. I have looked online and there is a dearth of information.

Has anytone set one of these up? Thanks in advance

Between clouds I grabbed these images. All taken on my Altair 6" classical cassegrain with an Altair GP-CAM 290M mounted on a Celestron Evolution mount. 2000 frames with the best 50% stacked in Autostakkert and sharpened in Registax, final tweaks in Affiinty Photo.

I have found the the 6" Cassegrain punches well above its weight and gives great images. If I have a criticism it is that it is really hard to add a Barlow to. Not just a case of dropping one into the diagonal but actually removing the focuser and playing around with the spacers to get enough inward focus.

With the post full Moon beiing nice and high at this time of the year I am trying to image those features which are well past post fiull phase on the eastern edges.

9 hours ago, peabrain said:

sounds like you are heading for a fun outing 😁

 

However the weather forecast is not very optimistic..

Plus books, games, music, wine, beer..........

Holt, England, United Kingdom weather forecast | MSN Weather Todays forecast....bring a rain gauge...

I have the AM5 and will control via the ASIair. Hoping to give it a proper outing at Kelling this week...Will use with the 52 mm Cat and hopefully see how it does with an 8"  Edge.

T118 Yellow Dragonfly, will be flying a White Ensign over a Submarine Service flag....(in the day only....) arriving Thursday 22nd...

ZWO AM5 and Celestron Evolution mounts, 8" Edge, 52mm Whitecat, 60mm Daystar and other bits

A very quick grab as the clouds parted. Used my SWMak127 and a Canon 650D. 6 frames at ISO400 1/50th sec. Stacked the frames in Affinity then used IMPPG to sharpen. Registax did not like the file size. Then back to Affinity to adjust the exposure etc.

I had an issue and spoke to my Parish Council, they arranged to have a shield fitted that prevented backward light into my garden. I wrote explaining why I need less light, they listened.

That was a few years ago. I am now on the parich council and on the planning & lighting committee, though the local borough council are a bunck of........ they do sometimes listen when I write in about new planning for housing and street lighting.

I have the SW 127 Mak, a great wee OTA. Yes it is mainly a lunar & planetary 'scope but can be used for bright DSO. 

Don't use high power EP's as the field of view is narrow. I find it works well with a 24mm EP. I was using mine for club outreach at the weekend and the campers looking through it were all wowed by the views of Saturn & Jupiter.

I do use a 8-24mm Baader Zoom, it goes a bit soft around 10mm or less.

Images from this morning. Used the Altair  6" classic Cassegrain with an Altair 290M camera on a Celestron Evolution mount. My obsy is still off limts as undoung the bolts hold the roof is still a stretch following heart surgery.

1000-2000 frames with the best above 60% quality stacked in AS, wavelets care of Registax and final processing in Affinity Photo.

The 6" is a great OTA, but its big drawback is adding a Barlow is a faff., extra rings (which are provided) need to be added, it does not have the same back foucs as an 8" or 11 " SCT

Great images

Used the 6" Altair classical Cassegrain and an Altair 385C GPCAM on an Evolution AZ mount.

2000 frames then best above 60% quality stacked in RS, wavelets in Regsitax and tweeked using Afinity Photo.

Both images around 04:00 GMT

I can now confirm I am going. I booked T118 last year but as I had an aorta valve replacement 6 weeks ago it looked touch and go.

Making a good recovery and selecting kit based on weight and ease of lifting as I have a magnificent scar down my sternum where they went in with the angle grinder or panel saw...then stapled it up with an upholstery gun.. 😉

See you all there...

I aquired a 6" Altair classical Cassegrain as an alternative to the heavier 8" Edge I also own.

The reasoning is that I have just had an aorta replacement and need to keep away from heavy lifting for at least another 6 weeks and I wanted something lighter for when I am away in the caravan...(Kelling).

Took these images last night with the OTA mounted on a Celstron Evolution mount. I was initally concerned that at F12 tracking might be an issue. However a solar system align on Jupiter was more than adequate. Non barlowed I saw minimal drift.

I used an Altair GP-CAM 385C as the camera and took around 1000-2000 frames and stacked the best >50% quality.

I spent some time in the afternoon playing with the spaces provided and in the end had to use the diagonal, which I know is not recommended, so that I could swap from an EP to the camera when starting the imaging run. Question: If you own one of these what do you do. Inward focus is the issue. So barlow or do what I am doing?