Skipper Billy

It would work but would need painting as epoxy is not UV stable - it will break down is sunshine (and its expensive!)

Well if that was just your first attempt then you have definitely got 'the knack' !!! If I had got that report from CCDI for a fast reflector I would leave it well alone and enjoy using it!!! ATB David

A bead of this stuff should cure the problem https://www.travisperkins.co.uk/glazing-and-frame-sealants/c-tec-clear-sealant-ct1-tube-290ml/p/991099 Used to fix leaky boats etc

That is good - very good. CCDI always over exagerates curvature so to have so little visible it is very, very good. The image confirms that too.

You should be!!!! Mesmerizing, ethereal and beautiful - well done.

+1 for the lakeside solution. Easy to fit, works reliably, robust driver, accurate focusing every time. Not as elegant as the Primaluce solution but it works - night after night after night and that's what counts.

Thanks Dave Mine isn't getting that far - it flips - takes an image then the solver just goes round and round in circles. ie it doesn't rock backwards and forwards across the meridian. Your solution sounds like the answer though!

Thanks Steve This is the version I am using and I made a mistake - I am using Platesolve 2 - NOT PinPoint It works just fine anywhere else just not around the zenith??

I am using SGP to control everything and usually everything works very well. I have auto meridian flip set up and usually it resembles witchcraft - it flips takes an image platesolves it adjusts the mount restarts PHD2 and cracks on without any fuss. Last time out the mount crossed the meridian very close to zenith and the platesolve failed - I tried it three times and it failed every time - Pinpoint just kept searching but never solved. I told it to ignore platesolving and get on with it and the resultant error was just 6 pixels - so it was very close. Any suggestions??

Greenwich Mean Time "Universal Time" is the current term for what was commonly referred to as Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). Zero (0) hours UTC is midnight in Greenwich England, which lies on the zero longitudinal meridian. (The standard of UT replaced GMT in 1926 because too many different definitions of GMT were in use.)

The only one on your list that I have any experience of is the Atik 16200 and it is paired to the same scope you will be using (Tak 106). I changed from an Atik 460 to the 16200 and its a very different camera - the biggest difference is the mechanical shutter - for me it made taking flats a different experience! I have only had about 4 clearish nights since I got it but one thing that rapidly became apparent is that despite the noisy chip, if you run it cold ~ -30 degrees the noise is much reduced. Despite the horrible looking performance graphs the data is a joy to process and needs a very light touch. If you would like to see subs etc to have a play with just let me know and I can pop some in a DropBox or Google folder.

I would say agriculturally elegant with brutalist style 😉

I cant open a FIT file on this machine but of more help would be if you could post the log file. Also there is a good document here - second item down on this page - https://www.davidbanksastro.com/how-to

I ran mine with 36 lbs on it and it never flinched. I was extremely happy with mine and only sold it as I needed a significant uplift in weight capacity. It was one of the easiest to use mounts I have ever had. If you get one spend some time getting your guiding working well - short sharp corrections required and short exposures. One other thing - the subs always look better than the guide graph suggests they should - I dont know why! Maybe the very slight elasticity in the drive belts? I would have another one without a second thought.

Your findings are very similar to mine.I have been using the same Pixinsight workflow with the images from my 16200 that I used for my Atik 460 and the results looking back at the four images I had taken with the new camera are, looking objectively and in the cold light of day, quite frankly horribly ham fisted and more of a smack in the face than an elegant massaging of the senses! The above image was done in a massive hurry - less than 40 mins - the data was gathered last night and we have the family arriving from Sweden tomorrow along with a new grandchild so 'Mission Control' aka dining table had to be dismantled and there are no clear nights forecast for the next week. So I hurriedly processed the data to see if it was any good. All I did was Batch PreProcess, Histogram stretch, Auto Background Extraction, RGB combination, the gentlest of TGV Noise reduction and Unsharp Mask, SCNR to reduce the green cast and a gentle nudge to the contrast in Curves. Nothing fancy or clever. To my eyes its a much better result and for just 6 hours I am quite satisfied. I intend to go back to the data for the 4 previous images to see where I went 'wrong'.

Thanks Carole - just learning how to process the data from my new camera - its very different to my Atik 460! Much lighter touch required and I have never been noted for light touch elegance - more cack handed in yer face!

The Soul Nebula - IC1848 - imaged on 30th October 2019. Tak 106, Atik 16200, Baader narrowband filters, Mesu 200 mount. Guided with SWED72 and ZWO290 mono. Fully calibrated with darks, flats and bias. 2 hours each of Ha, Sii and Oiii. Processed entirely in Pixinsight. Constructive criticism most welcome. Full res here - https://www.flickr.com/photos/113316085@N05/48992168697/in/album-72157675109735132/

I use white lithium grease on a completely different application and after repeated exposure to cold weather it turns to something resembling stale cheese. A much better alternative is 'SuperLube' - https://www.rapidonline.com/Loctite-399420-Super-Lube-Grease-Tube-85g-87-7279?IncVat=1&pdg=pla-530220220992:kwd-530220220992:cmp-757438067:adg-44804851896:crv-207912323492:pid-87-7279:dev-c&gclid=Cj0KCQjwjOrtBRCcARIsAEq4rW7F-ORhnXZA5gY-NksfFey87oFNo-Xa6Y-Bk16K7jAdxz7IwD2KvlcaArslEALw_wcB

Depending on your learning style this might be worth considering. Inside Pixinsight - https://www.firstlightoptics.com/books/inside-pixinsight-book-second-edition.html

I make a full library of bias and darks and a full set of flats for all 7 filters binned 1x1 and 2x2 at the start of each season then use them for that season and it seems to work well. My scope is very sensitive to focus / temp - I have to refocus every 0.5º change in temp but the calibration files work just fine. The usual temp. I image in is plus 4º to minus 12º so quite a wide range. Hope that helps.

28th October 2019 - The Witch's Broom and surrounding area - NGC6960 - also known as the Veil Nebula - Takahashi 106, Atik 16200, Atik EFW3 filter wheel, Baader 2" broadband filters, Mesu 200 mount guided with SW ED72 and ASI 290 mono. Software - SGP, PHD2, processed In Pixinsight and fully calibrated with darks, bias and flats. 3 hours Ha - 2 hours Oiii all binned 1x1 - Processed in HOO pallet using Pixinsight. Quick and dirty process - we are getting 3 nights on the run clear enough for imaging so I am grabbing photons rather than concentrating on processing - I will revisit this when we are having cloudy nights again (Weds!) As always constructive criticism very welcome. Full res here - https://www.flickr.com/photos/113316085@N05/48979773566/in/album-72157675109735132/

If it wont play try this link https://www.flickr.com/photos/113316085@N05/48974558783/in/album-72157662766199285/

Well last night was a waste of time - we have a 2000' hill to the North of us so the Aurora needs to be pretty strong to rise above it. I couldn't leave the house as I was imaging the North America nebula with my telescope. Rather than dump over 320 subs I turned them into a timelapse - you can see very faint reds and greens to the left and behind the trees about halfway through. Xyz-1.m4v

27th October 2019 - The North America Nebula - NGC7000 - Takahashi 106, Atik 16200, Atik EFW3 filter wheel, Baader 2" broadband filters, Mesu 200 mount guided with SW ED72 and ASI 290 mono. Software - SGP, PHD2, processed In Pixinsight and fully calibrated with darks, bias and flats. 3 hours Ha - 2 hours Oiii and 2 hours Sii all binned 1x1. A lot of low whispy cloud and poor seeing. Processed in 'Hubble' pallet. This needs reprocessing when I have time - all the brightest stars in the middle have 'Raccoon Eyes' ! Full res here - https://www.flickr.com/photos/113316085@N05/48974834692/in/album-72157675109735132/

Do HMRC have night shifts now ?? 😉