Skipper Billy

APT - you can open an image and apply autostretch very easily - fully functioning and free - https://ideiki.com/astro/Download.aspx

I use Baader 2" mounted - L - R - G - B - Ha - Sii and Oiii These https://www.firstlightoptics.com/rgb-filters-filter-sets/baader-lrgbc-ccd-filter-set.html and These https://www.firstlightoptics.com/narrowband/baader-narrowband-ccd-emission-line-h-alpha-filters-2.html If you have a 5 position wheel I would try LRGB and Ha to start with. I am very happy with my Baader filters - sure they are not Astrodon quality but they are a fraction of the (eye watering) Astrodon price !

I am several miles up a single track road in the Scottish Highlands - we get deer (Noisy in the rutting season), badgers, foxes, bats, birds (common and garden plus sea eagles and owls), cats, bats, pine martens, hedgehogs and even an otter! We also have adders - I have seen them in the daylight but they are very quiet! They have made me jump now and again but I have never felt threatened. A torch usually frightens most of them away.

Condensation on the chip cover glass?

Thanks all - I have found out 2 things 1. Its the dummy battery thats failed - its very poorly made - There is 7.2v to it but the contacts are rubbish. 2. FLO sell them !! https://www.firstlightoptics.com/batteries-powerpacks/lanparte-e6-dummy-battery-pack.html

Thats the very fella !!! Thank you!!!

I have an external power supply for my Canon D70 - its powered from a 12v battery and powers my camera and the battery powers the dew heater strip all night long - or at least it did ! It gave up the ghost last night (mid aurora !!!) It is essentially a dummy battery with a transformer. I cant seem to find the company I got it from - Astromics, Astronomics - something like that - I think it was a one man hobby business. Anyone know of them or where I can find something similar ??

Our heating is on 0500 to 0800 and 1600 to 2200 - I work mostly outside and we are a long way north so I dont like starting the day off cold and I like to come home to a warm house! We also have a 12kw log burner for when its really cold as our lounge has 2 walls that are almost all glass and the heat loss is horrendous! One of our regular customers is still in shorts and a t-shirt although I did see him with a fleece on the other day when it was -3º !!

From what I have heard and read, you have made a very wise choice! I hope you have many years of fun with it and I look forward to seeing your images.

Have you got your camera set to B (Bulb) - not M (Manual) - that can cause the effect you describe.

You need to have the latest software and then right click on the park button and a box pops up with Park1, Park2 and Park3 giving the option to save the mounts current position as any one of them. Once defined to park the mount again right click on the park button and choose your park position. As long as the mount isn't touched between parking and the next session then no blind solve is required - just power up and off you go - from one session to the next its never more than 10 - 15" out.

Not sure what is meant by 'homing' ?? If it means park to home position then I can confirm that it does have this function - I have three home positions set - one pointing at Polaris and another pointing at my flats panel and another that is suitable for closing the obsy roof. As long as the scope isnt moved from its last use then there is no need to do a blind solve.

Simple...... https://www.astrobuysell.com/uk/propview.php?view=154710

Despite truly appalling seeing, wind and 50% moon as it was only the second clear(ish) night this season I couldn't resist having a go. 5 hours in total - 3 hours Lum binned 1x1 and 40 mins each RG and B binned 2x2. Gear as per signature. Criticism most welcomed. High res version here - https://www.flickr.com/photos/113316085@N05/48936391118/in/album-72157675109735132/

Just in case anyone else is looking for these cables - I went with the Canford option linked above but just be aware - there is a minimum spend of £35 plus VAT and the minimum postage charge is £10 !!!!

Thanks folks - will have a look at the links. Slainte Mhaith.

I have searched in vain for ultra flexible Cat5 or Cat6 network cables. Something that drops under its own weight rather than stays in a spiral trip hazard !! About 3 meters. Any suggestions ??

A year or so ago I showed my 4 year old grandson the moon through a £100 Heritage 130 and it blew his little socks off. We live in Scotland and the grandkids all live in Sweden so we dont see them very often. On his most recent visit when we collected them all from the airport the very first words out of his mouth were 'FarFar Visa mig teleskopet' (Grandad show me the telescope). He couldn't wait to get to our house and thankfully it was a clear night. He gazed through it for ages. My son and his wife tell me that he is always asking about the night sky so the effect was clearly profound. To me - that's a serious telescope!

From memory that guide camera on that scope needs a lot of spacers - I am holiday but will see if I can find some photos. This is the best I can find just now - its not a very good photo but it looks like there is about an extra 70 - 80mm backfocus required??? Try making a temporary spacer from a toilet roll tube and gaffer tape - you will soon see if its a backfocus issue. Even with tin foil and a tiny hole the required exposure will be ridiculously short!! Try letting Sharpcap choose the exposure automatically.

My observatory is the open roof type rather than a dome and for me dew bands on imaging scope and guide scope are absolutely essential.

Mine is thick walled high pressure steam pipe (from a submarine!) - the flanges were welded on each end. The concrete block was drilled for the studs when it had cured and they were set in construction epoxy. The top is just a steel disc with bolts welded to it that match the holes in the top flange. I am not a fan of the 'rat cage' design but with 8 x M16 bolts there is no flex. Painted with 4 coats of Smoothrite and filled with sand. If/when we move house its easy to unbolt and leaves nothing but a concrete pad (after cutting the studs off flush). Total cost - well under £100. If I did it again I wouldn't do anything different. Photos here and here

Its a few years since I used AstroTortilla but I remember this site got me up and running - once sorted its like witchcraft !!!!! From memory the command line syntax is all or nothing - an extra space or a missing comma will stop it from working. Good luck - once its sorted backup your settings!

Thanks folks. I have sent this image to FLO and they have been in touch with Baader. Just waiting to hear back now. Will post what happens as it may be of interest to others.

Hello David. I am going to show my ignorance now! Which is the anti reflective side?? The way they are installed now is that they are screwed into the filter wheel from the scope side of the wheel. IE - the side of the filter that is away from me when screwing the filters in is facing the camera. I cant see any way to change this as the camera attaches directly to the wheel with three screws and the attachment points on the wheel housing only exist on one side of the wheel. AFAIK the carousel will only fit in one way round ?? (Its an Atik EFW3) https://www.firstlightoptics.com/atik-accessories/atik-efw-3-filter-wheel.html Any suggestions gratefully received as the quality of the data looks pretty good apart from these horrible haloes !!!!

Ah - I didnt think to look in the second workspace !!! All sorted thanks very much.