rockinrome

Welcome!

Hello there! I would check out AstroBackyard's site (website and YouTube) - he has loads of info and specifically some on the scope and mount you mention. https://astrobackyard.com/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCn3npsPixgoi_xLdCg9J-LQ Clear skies, MJ

Hi Alan and welcome. I saw 2 the other night - spaced by about 2 fingers width. You do a bit of a double-take as it's not something you expect to see. MJ.

Just an update on this for those who were kind enough to reply and indeed it was light from "somewhere"...... A quick M101 last night between clouds rolling in to confirm.

Hi Dave - funnily enough I have the original apple logo over the light also - not full red though

Indeed - in the garage I go ....

Thanks Terry - I will deffo be turning that off!! Matthew

I have just had a huge *AH AH* moment ..... how about this ...... I use a Mac book air with the lit-up logo (hold-on ..... wait for it .......) and I also have it in a hard case which gets it to about 50% illumination - however ....... almcl's orientation of the image is spot on for how I had my camera - which was at this point upside down. Now I reckon' that even with the supplied Canon view finder cover I am getting light in through that from the logo light - I mean it was 5 minutes worth. May be the line is an artefact of the reflection from the view finder?? (That's a proper guess though!!) Does this seem good enough reason.....?? MJ

To varying degrees, every sub has the same problem. There was a half-lit moon of course, but this was some way away and the line across the image is not indicative of that surely? Puzzled MJ

Here's hoping Terry. Thanks for taking the time to respond. Matthew

Hi Terry - it's a SkyTech CLS clip-in. Thanks for replying. Matthew

Thanks almcl for you help and time on this. I did give the subs a cursary look, but will now check properly tonight and re-process like you suggested. Kind regards Matthew

Hello again all! I hope the 1 or 2 nights of clear sky are spurring you on? To which end I was out last night trying to get at the Witch Head Nebula, but something has gone wrong. The attached file has been stretched somewhat to try and show the problem better, but I hope you can see that the Witch Head Nebula is in there to the middle bottom. Taken with an unmodified Canon 600D at ISO 1600. Total of 55min (5 mins subs) with darks/flats/bias into Deep Sky Stacker. There were at times thin high cloud (subs look fine though), but this looks to be more a thermal noise type thing - but this is why I ask - I just don't know. Thanks in advance and .... clear skies .... MJ

Hi @FarAndBeyond I have recently created my own battery box that holds 10x1.2V 4000mAh rechargable C type batteries. All it needed was a bit of soldering to get them in series and the power adapter end. Drawing maximum current (approx. 3A) it should last about 1.5 hours on full charge. All the best. MJ.

Using same mount with 12V 3A for ages now, early on used 12V 1A (old EQ3-2 power adapter) - seemed OK, but I would err on larger mount more power ...... so 3A. MJ

Hello! To start I would use the eyepiece and then connect the camera afterwards. Use a Bhatinov mask to obtain exact focus - a must for astro photography. So... 1. Polar align 2. Mount and balance scope with eyepiece (without Bhatinov mask) 3. Do star-align, making sure the last star you go to is "roughly" in the area of your image target (Mount will start to track at this stage) 4. CAREFULLY remove eyepiece and attach the camera and use the last align star with the Bhatinov mask to focus the camera. Using Live View is helpful, but I would just take (say) a 10 second exposure at ISO3200. 5. Carefully adjust focus to obtain the tell-tale diffraction spikes 6. Remove Bhatinov mask and slew to image target 7. Do a test exposure like in (4) to make sure the image target is framed correctly. 8. Make a brew 9. Start Imaging Clear skies MJ

<tut> 😪

Sorry, I got a little ahead of myself and was thinking about it in terms of what would be obtained as an image as opposed to simply looking at it at the eyepiece. So, image would *look* bigger from camera because of the 1.6x crop factor. Hope this now actually helps you rather than confusing the issue. Please see my later replies to posts above to clarify the answer ......... I'll get my coat .........

Hi. This is what I *thought* was being asked .....

Sorry, this is what I assumed the question was relating too. I know you can't magically increase a scopes' focal length ........ However, the sensor does have a bearing on the image obtained as opposed to normal viewing.

Focal length is the same, Field of View changes .....

Love that!

Thank you all for the input. It's funny how talking about a problem takes you down roads which you don't think of as an individual. Anyway. I took the first sub and streeeeeeeeeeeetched it to hell in GIMP to be quick and dirty and there is loads of data in there (see attachment). Bloody Moon!!!!! Thanks again and clear (moon less) skies ... MJ

So, just checked my light subs - I may have found the culprit, but need opinion .... It's that massive great lump of rock in the sky that reflects sunlight back to Earth *I think* ... As I scroll through the 30 images they become lighter and lighter. I do not detect any cloud in the frames although some later images appear more noisey than others. Thoughts? Thanks, MJ

Hi Carole I will check the subs first I think - don't wanna give you all crap data from the outset!! Thank you MJ