tomato

Dare I say it, the base and Alt/Az adjusters look very similar to the Mesu Mk1... I feel for the folks who put their faith (and money) in the Trident mount if it has now disappeared from the website.😕

Interesting mod and intriguing post title. I had visions you had somehow used software to integrate your Telrad to the scope which had then come under cyberattack, lol.

Telescopius (previously known as Deep Sky Browser) is useful, you can filter objects by type, magnitude and importantly size. There is a FOV facility so you can see how well your chosen object will look on your sensor/scope combination. I try to plan my targets but frequently get frustrated by areas of cloud that refuse to budge from my chosen area of sky, so pick another target at short notice using Stellarium.

I have only ever executed the dither command from the capture software e.g. NINA or SGP, and I would agree that this makes sense as you don’t want to execute a dither while you are capturing a sub exposure.

Yeah, IMHO a much bigger issue for stargazers near this facility than Starlink satellites.

It switches the retro fitted Peltier cooler to control the sensor temp at set point, usually +3 deg C.

Here is my and @Tomatobro’s dual Esprit 150 rig, no prizes for cable management.

I’m considering one of these two to try my hand at visual observing from my Bortle 5 location or a proper dark site. The all metal construction and visual aesthetics of the ES scope appeal to me more but at the end of the day ease of use and optical quality are what really count. Would I be right in saying the mirror quality is likely to be very similar as they are both manufactured in China or am I wide of the mark on that one? Any thoughts/experiences would be much appreciated.

Thanks for the comments, I do intend to add some more data in collaboration with @Tomatobro, when M27 climbs a bit higher in the sky. I thought the original attachment was a bit pink on my iPad so have had another go at the processing:

I should have pasted in at full size, it’s a 12 panel mosaic...

Keep on imaging. The results will be inferior but you can still practice the craft. This was captured a couple of nights ago, and what with the twilight and full moon, you could easily read a newspaper outside.

I have a feeling this could run and run, that’s the bad Gnus...

It's about time the media picked up on the fact that M31 is approaching us at 396000 km per hr. This is what it will look like next month folks! PS, the cityscape is Brisbane which is not in Gnu South Wales😉

Cable management is one of the improvements listed for the mount so I think that is right.

I would have thought the left hand bolt ringed in your photo and the hidden third bolt are used for azimuth adjustment, while the right hand bolt ringed in the photo is used for altitude adjustment. I am presuming the unused bolt(s) for alt/az adjustments will need to be loosened slightly to allow movement when making the adjustments, but hopefully a 200e can confirm this.

Agreed, I posted the final image In the Deep Sky imaging section, APP dealt with the Starlinked subs, no problem.

Not dissimilar to the Vaonis Stellina, which S&T did quite a generous review of IMHO. The reviewer basically saying some well heeled folk using it while sipping cocktails is better than them not looking up at the sky at all.

No you shouldn't image DSOs when there is a full moon up, but I can't let a clear night go to waste. This is just 135 mins of LRGB taken with the dual Esprit 150/ASI 178 'Close In' rig. Calibrated and stacked in APP, processed in StarTools and AP. One set of subs was hit by Starlink, my first encounter with EM's project, but APP sorted them out, no problem. L 24 x 3 mins RGB 7 x 3 mins each Imaging at 0.94 arcsec per pixel, guiding at 0.5-0.6 arcsec total RMS, guiding was improving as the object climbed higher in the sky. Thanks for looking

Lovely widefield image👍

But you have to admit the SpaceX adventure is great to watch. And what is it with my posts and HB cartoons? I have a nebulous Scooby Doo as an avatar, and now references to Deputy Dawg et al?

LOL, no I wasn't imaging from a dark site in a field full of deer, but it does indeed sort of feel like you have been sprayed with something...

It is only a 3 minute sub so that's one benefit of CMOS cameras, just as long as you get a bit of a clear run in between. For sure, with the numbers planned, it is going to get worse.

I'm sure they will calibrate out but it is a depressing prospect that a sub without starlink trails will become the novelty.

It had to happen sooner or later. At least there is no mistaking the culprit.

It is starting to look like the compound eye of some giant robotic insect. That Paramount will be earning it's keep.