groberts

There is (see below) but I think it gets a bit messy + more integration time needed?

Thanks Martin, much appreciated. Graham

In between the clouds, rain & snow, at last I managed to catch a few hours of LRGB data of M42 earlier this month. To my surprise I hadn't imaged this wonderful object since 2019 and since then have changed my mount + camera + filters + learned a few more processing tricks, so this was long overdue! Hope you like it. Graham Image Info: 2nd January 2025 at Redhill, Surrey UK AM5 + ASIair + WO GT81 + ASI294MM Pro + LRGB Chroma filters 3hrs 9min LRGB @ 180s + 20 mins LRGB @ 60s + 15 mis LRGB @ 15s

I've been using a SW AZEQ6-GT for about ten years with a WOGT81 and other rigs (Sammy 135) and found it to be excellent but if, like me, you have to put-up & take-down each night it is something of a beast. I recently added the AM5 + ASiair plus to my stable, it's early days but my experience to date confirms this is a complete game changer. Light + easy to use + no need to balance (except perhaps with heavy payloads) and very quick and easy to put up & down - <= 10 minutes so far. In time I also hope it will give me the flexibility to travel to dark sites & friends and family. If you can wait or somehow find the budget IMO it has to be the AM5. Good luck whatever you decide. Graham

Thanks for all the comments. In my case this is driven by my forthcoming operation and is therefore a 'needs must' reason and probably not a long term move, as I too prefer hands-on imaging (when the skies are clear)! What I'm really looking for is feedback from those with first-hand experience of any remote operators if possible? Graham

With time on my hands during covid lockdown a few years ago I subscribed to a remote imaging, with a Takahashi FSQ 106 rig at Deep Sky West, New Mexico for some extra data to process. Whilst the data was good it just wasn't the same as imaging from my back garden patio, despite the difficulties - weather, light pollution, trees and planes - it's funnny but I find it more rewarding. Notwithstanding, remote imaging is also fun and, of course, produces lots of wonderful data from Bortle-1 skies in locations all over the world. Early next year I'm booked in for a right knee replacement operation, I had my left knee done 10-years ago so know what's coming, though in the long run it's worth it. As a result, once again I'm going to have time on my hands for a few months but will be unable to set-up imaging equipment - which probably means there will be lots of clear skies for the rest of you! Anyhow, after the intial few weeks I'll at least be back at my computer and am thinking of taking out a remote imaging subscription again (a) to keep my hand in, (b) perhaps work on objects I just can't see from home (Redhill, Surrey) and of course (c) to maintain some sanity. I would be interested to hear from anybody with first-hand excperience of commercial remote imaging services + comments and recommendations - good and bad. Obviously the data needs to good + reasonably priced but also need to know if the service works well e.g. data access and downloads, frequency of images and quality, ease of use and communications + general administration etc.? I have an open mind on location but Chile does look attactive + all those southern hemisphere objects to see! Graham

I've imaged this popular autumn target a few times before but always considered it something to do before Orion arrived on the scene and didn't give it much time. On this occasion clear skies were still in short supply but I managed to acquire nearly 8hrs of data over three nights last month. I can now see that there's a lot more to this object and am very satisfied with the outcome which shows off the billowing / wispy nebulosity and deep colours well, altogether creating good depth. Graham Imaged on 11th 20th & 21st November from Redhill, Surrey ZWO AM5 + WO GT81 & 31mm Ha OIII SII Chroma filters Ha x 33 @ 300 sec OIII x 32 @ 300 sec SII x 28 @ 300 sec Total integration: 7hr 45min

Thanks Craig, I did something similar but had also got conflicting information from another source, so thought I'd check with the illustrious and knowledgable community on SGL. It looks like a facinating target so now only hope that the weather forecast is correct! Graham

I am new to using an ASIair plus, though from what I've seen so far it's very good, but tonight was hoping to have a go imaging LBN 762 AKA The Drunken Dragon! I'm fairly sure that ASIair does not have the LBN catalogue so was wondering, is there another catalogue number that would work with ASIair or, what is the Lat & Dec for LBN 762 and how can I use that to find the object with ASIair? Graham

Located just below the Pelican Nebula and close to the supergiant Deneb star, this complex area is known for the graphically shaped streaks of cold, dark dust clouds that criss-cross the dense, brightly coloured gas regions of nebulosity. As a narrowband target my initial choice of image processing was the traditional Hubble Palette SHO configuration, which as envisaged, resulted in an exciting and colourful rendition of the busy IC 5068 (1st image). Notwithstanding, having recently discovered some other, newish Pixinsight processing techniques (NB Color Mapper & NB Image Blend), I decided to give them a try to produce an alternative blended HOO–S image (2nd image). Though still very much recognisable as IC 5068, the resulting (warm) colours and details reveal a very different and perhaps more dynamic image? I believe this intriguing region deserves greater attention and should belong in the pantheon of popular Cygnus objects such as the North American, Pelican & Veil nebulae. Moreover, the so-called Forsaken Nebula warrants a name more befitting of its excitement and beauty? Graham Equipment & Image Capture Taken over 5-nights between 14th September & 10th October Ha 56 x5 mins OIII 46 x 5 mins SII 44 x4 mins Total Integration 12hr 10 mins William Optics GT 81 ZWO ASI294MM pro + HOS 3nm Choma filters ZWO ASI AM5 mount + ASIair plus

Another basic but possibly important question: I'd certainly use the DC 12v 10A cigarette lighter connector to the mount but if I wanted to separately run a cable using 5.5mm 2.1mm plugs out of the battery - which is rated 10A e.g. like the Bluetti EB3A - either into the ASIair or dew straps which are recomended as 12V 5A, will that also be OK, or do I need to drop the amps to 5A + if so how?

Sorry, maybe a stupid quesion, but looking at the AM5 the input socket says DC 12V ~3A, is a battery that supplies DC 12V and 10A okay to use?

Thanks everyone - now thinking of getting the Bluetti AC50B. https://bluettipower.co.uk/products/ac50b-portable-power-station?variant=45680765075622 Any comments please before I push the button? Graham

OK, I think I get your drift here (just) Keith, which is obviously not good but I did look at your link and do not understand how I would therefore use the converter you've suggested - please explain? + Presumably the Anker power packs will work fine - the question is, if using the adaptor is very inefficient (which is what I think you're saying?), what is a better way of connecting the said power packs to the AM5 and thence onto the rest of the equipment? Thanks for all your help and everyone else.

Thanks everyone, to be honest my eyes glaze over when I start looking at electricty stuff, just doesn't agree with me 🤪 Anyhow, taking on board the advice I'm drawn to Anker, who generally seem to get very good reviews. In particular either the 555 - my favourite but a bit put off by it's weight or the 521. I curretly (no pun intended) run all my AM5 & related needs directly from 240V mains via a DC powers adapter straight into the AM5 and onwards to the ASIair plus and all the other equipment (see image below for spec). Am I right in thinking the power adapter would plug directly into either of the Anker Powerhouse mentioned using a standard UK x3 pin plug and then just work the same as off the mains, or am I missing something? Graham

Thanks everyone, I obviously need to do some homework, and will. However, I was rather hoping that somebody with a similar set-up might have some specific recommendations? Graham

I've recently acquired a ZWO AM5 mount which I hope (a) will be better for my back than the excllent but very heavy AZ-EQ6 GT I've been using for years and (b) provide greater flexibility, in particular going to sites darker than my Bortle-6 in Surrey! I'm sure many of you already do this and would be grateful for any recomendations for a good / reliable portable battery I could use to run my astrophotography rig for a decent night's session. The basic electric power demands are: AM5 mount + ASIair plus, ASI294MM pro camera, x8 EFW, x3 dew straps for main scope (81mm & 102mm) Guidescope (50mm). Graham

On all 300 secs + calibration graph attached + distributed mainly top right down to bottom right. Any thoughts? I'm thinking the PA just needs to be a bit better, but it's tricky without seeing Polaris - though using drift align with a standard PHD2 on my laptop works well. FYI I should also say that the WO GT81 rig is identical to what I usually use on my main EZ-EQ6 GT mount, except I've added another WO guidescope + ZWO120MM Mini camera so it works with ASIair plus (the other guidecope has a no-compatible Lodestar X2 but excellent camera). Graham

One direction.

Thanks everyone, much appreciated - the AM5 + ASIair is a wicked combination, that I'm already really enjoying, as is my back! One final question, if I may - I can't see Polaris from my location and used the All Sky Polar Alignment function, which is quite slick + I seemed to get reasonable aligment but, my stars are a little elongated. Anything I could do to improve this - I should say that guiding is excellent, generally varying from about 0.40 to 0.75 RMS! Just wondering if I've missed something? Graham

Thanks Lee, but don't uderstand why this is? As a matter of interest, although I've successfuly used the Meridian Flip function (brilliant!), which of course subsequently plate solves to frame the image again, but when I try to plate solve a previous sub to set up a new image run it fails. Any ideas what could be the problem - I've scrupulously checked the focus which is good? Graham

I have been successfully using a William Optics GT81 (focal length 478mm) matched with a WO 0.80 F6-A Focal Reducer and ZWO ASI294mm pro camera and APT image capture for some time. Of course, the addition of the Focal Reducer changes the focal length to 382mm, which is therefore the FL I use with the aforesaid image capture software and it all works very well. For convenience and greater flexibility, I recently purchased an AM5 mount and ASIair plus, which I am now just learning to use. It’s been quite successful so far (blown away with the Meridian Flip and plate solve function!) but for some reason I am having a problem with the focal length used by ASIair plus. At the start, when setting up ASIair plus I enter the aforesaid 382mm adjusted FL when setting-up the Main and Guide scope camera (same page that includes Latitude and Longitude etc) before proceeding to the main operating screen. However, when I subsequently run an image schedule, for some unknown reason the focal length changes to 391mm – I have no idea where this number comes from or why it is self-populating the image settings. Any advice / guidance would be appreciated on how to deal with this problem? Graham

Oh, that makes more sense then, pity about the error, thought it didn't seem correct! Any advice on using the ASIair Power Output % adjustment then please? Graham

I have (at last) purchased some Lynx 12v dew straps from FLO: 40cm (0.67Ah) + 20cm (0.33Ah) + 15cm (0,25Ah) and am about to start using them this autumn but have a few more questions before doing so. The straps are all 12v with varying Ah ratings (see above), which I find confusing, I'm using main power to an AM5 mount, then on to the ASIair box: At say 0.67Ah is this the really same as saying 0.67amps in order to assess the total power drawn from the ASIair, which I believe is max 6 amps? As the ports are, as said, adjusted as a percentage, what should I set them at my given set-up? Graham

Thanks for confirming that, much appreciated. Graham