Skipper Billy

This is probably nearer to what you are after https://telescopius.com/deep-sky/object/1107/andromeda-galaxy/m-31/galaxy Click on the Altitude - Yearly tab and it shows the best time of year to image any given target.

If you use Stellarium you can locate an object then 'wind the clock' forwards or backwards by hours, weeks or months to see when its in the best place for you. https://stellarium.org/

Great timing - thank you so much for letting me know.

As a person who makes things and sells things I can tell you with first hand knowledge that life is extremely difficult if not impossible just now. Try ordering from UK wholesalers any of the following (and probably loads more besides) - steel, computer chips, paint, wood, stainless steel parts, epoxy resin, anything from the EU, lifejackets, dinghies, outboard engines, polyester resin - the list goes on and on..... There are various excuses given - usually Brexit, Covid and Suez - the truth is that most manufacturing and processing ground to a halt and workers were furloughed and 'stuff' wasn't made/processed - then when the world started to open up a bit there was nothing in the warehouses to sell to retailers. How the hell am I supposed to trade my way out of this mess if I cant get the materials to make things to sell ???? I have every sympathy for Lucas - many of the materials he needs are simply not available. Yes, its important to keep customers informed and most of our customers have been understanding but there is always a small minority who cant resist having a go and constantly asking the same questions again and again. This minority have no care whatsoever for the people running micro businesses working 16 hours a day 7 days a week (and often not even drawing a wage) to make quality items under the most challenging circumstances ever experienced. I have fully refunded a couple of clients who fall into this category along with a clear message to try our competitors. Yes I own a Mesu mount and I am extremely happy with it - that doesn't make me a 'Mesu fan boy' - if there was criticism to be levelled I would be honest about it. I am not sure what point the OP is trying to make - is he trying to create difficulties for Lucas or generate sympathy for himself ????

Cheers @Shimrod I will have a proper read at those user reviews.

Thanks Mark I am slightly wary about something happening to supposedly RAW images that I have no control over and can't turn off. I think I am leaning back towards the Canon 5D MkIV again !!!! Thanks again.

I still haven't pressed the 'BUY' button - its not like me to suffer paralysis by analysis but I want to be sure that the R6 will do all that I want it to do. One thing I have discovered is that all images are treated to a dose of noise reduction and it cannot be turned off !!!!! This might be a deal breaker 😞

There are some very nice R series lenses out now and en route. I think I am decided now on the R6 - I will use my L series lenses until the R series ones are out and about. Thanks all for your advice.

Thanks for the info guys - it will probably only ever get used in the dark with a 14mm lens. I still cant decide!!!

Thanks Shimrod. Useful info. I have a fair selection of L series glass that will probably see me off this mortal coil so I am not too worried about lenses.

Anyone using the Canon EOS 'R' for astro use?? Care to share your thoughts??? I am torn between a Canon EOS 5D MkIV and the EOS R - part of me thinks mirrorless is the future and part of me likes the tried and tested. It will predominantly be my daytime camera but sometimes used for Aurora timelapses, Milky way widefield etc. I don't think an intervalometer is available for the R which might be a deal breaker.

Well done to the winners and everyone else who entered. It still amazes me the variety of results that have been achieved from the same data set!!! Great fun and well done all.

Processed almost entirely in Pixinsight. RGB DBE Channel combination DBE Background Neutralisation Colour Calibration Histogram Transformation Mono DBE Histogram Transformation Star Alignment Combined Mono with RGB Dynamic Crop DBE TGV Denoise Morphological Transformation SCNR Curves Corrected Iris colour in Selective colour in Photoshop Saved as TIFF and JPEG iris nebula 1.tif

You have got the right idea. As long as the guide scope is pointing somewhere close to where the imaging scope is pointing it will work just fine. The last thing I would do is fit an adjustable guide scope mount - it's a sure way to introduce unwanted flexure.

You won't have any fun at all with it. Turn it on - guide to sublime levels of accuracy - turn it off. Where is the fun in that!!?? Nothing to twiddle with, disassemble, degrease, replace parts, regrease, reassemble, adjust for best performance, fit new bearings to it, swear at, swap parts for belts etc - now that is fun! 😉

100kgs - personally I wouldn't go over about 70kgs but as long as its balanced properly in all 3 axis it will swing it around all night without breaking into a sweat.

I vaguely recall a problem with the felt on the inside of the rings some time ago with this scope. I think thicker felt was sent out to people with affected scopes. I thought this issue had been dealt with though?? From memory it was only a couple of mm but made all the difference. I am sure the folks at FLO will be back to you soon.

Well done to all the winners. Amazing to see the variety achieved from the same data set!!!! Congratulations !!!!

Steve - have you downloaded the very latest Core Software?? It contains the most up to date 64bit drivers. https://www.atik-cameras.com/software-downloads/

I can only speak from my personal experience but I installed NINA when SGP changed its business model with the intention of running the two side by side to see if NINA was any good. Within a month I had deleted SGP. NINA needs careful set up and it does things the NINA way not the APT or SGP way. Its worth persevering with. My setup is remote (end of the garden and controlled from indoors) and I use electronic focussing etc. and NINA has performed superbly and been completely reliable.

You might find the second item down on this page helpful..... https://www.davidbanksastro.com/how-to

Thanks everyone for your very kind comments. I only have the one scope and camera which is totally unsuitable for galaxies so next week it comes to bits for its annual check over and slides into a coma.

Yep - it gets put into a coma in a temperature controlled and dehumidified life support container (spare bedroom!) where it can enviously watch me playing with my summer toys - 1963 MG Midget and RC aeroplanes etc!!

On the one occasion I put just a DSLR on my Mesu I had to remove the counterweights and the counterweight shaft and knock up a temporary lightweight shaft. The DSLR was about 1% of the mounts capacity but it tracked perfectly.

This season just ending has been an unmitigated disaster weather wise and I have just been through my saved images and I have managed just 11 images this season and two of those were widefield nearby images of the moon and the Milky Way leaving just 9 deep sky images and one of those is particularly rubbish! We all must have a masochistic streak!! My rig gets taken down next week and packed away until August - lets hope for a better season next year. Here is the fruits of my labour from the winter season just ending......