Skyline

Thank you.

Nadeem

Today I fitted the mount head on the pier, I found the peg a bit long so I had to thread an 8mm rod with some nuts to create a correct size peg, now everything fits flush and tight. Also I need some long azimuth knobs. Where can get some from ?

Finally covered over with a waterproof tarpaulin with a fresh hardcore rubble bag underneath. Colour is bright, but so long it does the job it's no problem. Bungee cords are firmly fitted.

Hence the reason for the extended rebars.

N.

Thanks for your kind words Paul, I've recently bought a waterproof tarp, it's really a quality leaf collection bag with velcro and rubber handles which I am hoping I can use some bungee cords with it. 

I will add another layer underneath with some desiccant pots.

The plan is to have my heq5 permanently mounted, so the only thing I need to setup would be a small refractor and my imaging equipment. My power provision is near the pier.

N.

It's been a very excited week. After 2 months of having my Spinal surgery my lovely wife suggested I needed a pier in the garden, due to my back condition I will find it hard to move my equipment outside.

We have a couple of builders doing some exterior work around the house and they offered to build my pier so long as I provided the materials. Very nice of them I say....

Day 1.

A hole 600mm deep and wide.

I bought a galvanised 1.5mtr 8" diameter duct tube from for a total of £18 inc. Parcelforce 48 delivery.  A layer of 100mm of some gravel into the whole then the tube.

Exactly 1mtr over ground. The pouring of the gravel and mastercrete around the base.

Day 2 - Tube filling with Rebar 

On the same day this arrived from Germany:

This sinks into the concrete, length 500mm a high quality cnc machined pier adaptor for my heq5, fitted with M16 rods. Bear in mind my heq5 base was 0.6mm wider, so I had to grind it down to fit the pier plate. It now fits really well with smooth rotating movement.

Day 3 - The pier tube was rock solid just over night so the builders poured in the mastercrete to the top of the tube and fitting the pier plate.

Now I'm just waiting for some time to add the mount onto the pier plate.

Nadeem.

On 09/10/2019 at 08:54, Adam J said:

To answer this you really need to know what type of targets you want to image. Because it matters for sensor selection. The asi1600mm pro is great but with your scopes focal length it's not really going to give wide field views of emission nebula. A friend uses his 150pds for detailed looks at smaller targets like the bubble nebula or Cresent or galaxy imaging. The other thing you will want to be aware of is that the focuser will not support a asi1600mm pro and filter wheel without some droop / flex and so it's hard to get good corners, from my personal experience with the 130pds. A smaller higher resolution sensor will be easier and more suited to imaging smaller targets in detail. For example you will get very good results on small galaxys with a asi183mm pro or even better a qhy178m and they will be good right to the corner, but I sence you want the bigger sensor in the expectation of trying to go for larger targets. That being the case consider dropping down to a 130pds as it's just that bit wider. I. Terms of filters I went with 1.25 mounted, they are good down to F4. 

Or drop down to something like a ed80.

Just moved over to APT for the ASI

17 hours ago, Anthonyexmouth said:

yeah, i set dither quite high in APT

How much is high, when using backyardeos, I used to set it at 3

Hi

I was playing with your data - hope you don't mind !, you have a very rich area of the sky which is full of Ha nebulosity.

I stacked your Flats, Darks and Lights in DSS, I can't believe how sensitive this camera is, I can't wait to get mine out !

I tried not to stretch it out too much, but wanting to retain as much of the surrounding nebulosity as possible and used some noise reduction.

N.
 

The Kodak chip is better. Detail is good as well.

But the ASI is no slouch either.

N.

I did try this one a few years ago, but its low in my location, and the seeing was terrible. I think at that time I only got a few subs off with an outline of the main nebula.

Yours is a good attempt, especially as the faint outer ring is starting to show.

N.

I started with a 450D and over 8 years stuck with a 1100D until better CMOS chips came along for dedicated astronomy cameras.

The 1100D basically is the same chip as the 450D apart from the 450D uses DIGI 3 and the 1100D DIGI 4 image processor. The latter with better noise reduction.

The 1100D has a 5.2 µm CMOS sensor, the 450D is the same.

Edit: Easy to mod as well.

7 hours ago, Lockie said:

These look like they'd compete directly with the WO ED doublet range scopes.

I personally like the livery. Some might not think that matters, but if you're paying good money why not have a scope you like the look off as well as the specification off. We pick colours and styles for everything else in life from clothes to cars. More recently for us, a new front door. It took is ages to pick a new door colour and style lol

Good things come to people who wait. 

On 14/10/2019 at 12:07, FLO said:

😆 Lots of in-depth opinions about the green livery (on a prototype to boot!)

I've got used to it, it reminds me of a country's colour of their national flag.

I don't think colours like silver or gold would have suited them again from past trims and they wanted something different from other manufacturers. 

Certainly something with a bit of a punch!

Just my 2p's worth.

look at 4th post down.

I could try with the IDAS V4 LPR I have 1st. When I get the chance.

2 hours ago, alan potts said:

Think I will give that L-eNhance a punt next month in 2 inch size if the 31st October allows me to, and if I am still alive after hospital here.

Alan

I have an interest in this filter as well, It was out of stock at the time of my recent purchase.

or you use Noel Carboni Tools:

https://www.prodigitalsoftware.com/index.html

1 hour ago, alan potts said:

Yes I must have made a mistake in that first M13, I still need something for gradient removal though.

I tend to use a cheap plugin called Gradient Xterminator by Russell Croman. It will run on a limited trial then you have to purchase.

http://www.rc-astro.com/resources/GradientXTerminator/

Nadeem.

Those are good images Alan, especially the reprocess of M13.

I need to find the opportunity to get my new ASI294MC Pro for a run (he clasps and rubs his hands in joy !) 😉

N.

The 1st image is very deep.

Any update FLO when they are likely to be back in stock Please ?

My 2 pennies worth. An NEQ6 Pro would be more suited for that scope. The HEQ5 Pro is borderline if your planning to image.

The EQ5 purely visual. 

Nadeem.

I like the idea of that 62mm.

My interest is mainly emission nebulas and star clusters, apart from a few galaxies i would like to image but thats it really. M63, M81, M101 NGC891, just a few to mention. 

Its all down to budget now and when to buy.

Some food for thought.

Nadeem.

Hi Adam,

Thanks for your feedback, imaging I considered as a main hobby a few years ago, but as life went on I don't get the time much to image these days.

The ASI294MC Pro is a consideration due to it having a sensitive Sony chip, rather then a Panasonic chip which the Atik has. Also as you say combining the camera with a Duel Narrowband filter, sounds like the key.

I take it I can do away my IDAS using this combo ?

Are the Panasonic chips any good ?

I am currently using a IDAS LPS V4 with my DSLR, which I have used for around 5 years now, with good effect, I don't know my sky brightness, even though I live on the outskirts in N.London.

Nadeem.