tomato

I keep on imaging throughout the summer, the results aren’t great but I can’t let a clear night go to waste, even if it isn’t properly dark. The RC Camera awaiting repair is used with my SY135 lens, which normally gets an airing once galaxy season is over.

Got an update from Eddie, the damaged PCB is now with the manufacturer (Touptek) for repair. He told me not to worry but I can't see me getting it back before astro darkness disappears, but then we probably won't get a break in the clouds either, so what's the rush?

Hmm, I suspect there are other factors involved to put us at no. 20 but this is a politics free forum so I'll leave it there. Looking at you equipment list I'm sure you have plenty to keep you busy without looking after other people's set ups. Keep those widefield RASA images coming, it gives us all a lift when you post one.👍

Goran, I know you are at quite a Northerly latitude, which goes against the conventional thinking for these ventures, but have you considered offering imaging hosting at you location? You might get some interest from us perma cloud frustrated imagers here in the UK.😉

My QHY cameras are back on the scopes, with an ambient temperature of 6 deg C, both cameras controlled the sensor temperature correctly, running at 28% cooler power to maintain a temperature of -10 deg C. Weird…

Thanks for the tip, It does indeed have a HDR tool, I’ll take a look.

Great crisp detail in both M77 and NGC1055. I personally wouldn’t crop the bright stars out, that would bring the galaxy too close to the edge of the frame, and I like what they bring to the image.

I don’t take the OTA apart after every session, but I do change cameras from time to time, and take new flats each time I do this. I now don’t bother to take separate flats for the RGB filters as I find the Lum flat corrects for these subs just as well.

That’s interesting, my experience has been the opposite, ie all the dust motes that show up on the image reside on the sensor window rather than further up the optical train. My evidence for this is that flats taken with LRGB filters all show the same dust pattern.

I stayed out for 4 hours last night hoping a cloud front would clear so I could capture some new data, but no luck, so here is a combination of some existing Esprit 150/ASI178/IMX571 data, just to keep my hand in. 8.68 hrs combining the data in APP then further processing in PI and AP. The main aim was to preserve the dust detail in the core which I think is OK, but the fainter outer reaches have suffered accordingly.

Nice M101. I prefer the second image, the fainter spiral arms are much more distinct.

Is this OSC data or separate LRGB channels? If it’s the latter, do the separate R,G and B stacks look OK?

Any scope that’s located somewhere that gets 200+ clear nights a year. I’m working on it…

You have done a great job, but I share your frustration on the lack of new imaging opportunities. You can only revisit old data so many times.

The view on the imbedded link above is a bit misleading, as it isn’t from a Seestar, that video is higher up the thread, and somewhat less impressive.

Very nice, I love the detail and subtle colours.

Fabulous image, glad to see it entered into the Deep Sky Survey competition. It’s inspired me to change cameras and have a go at something similar, assuming I can get a clear night and and the dome operational.

Great images, the Ha regions in the spiral arms are spectacular.

My Pulsar dome is currently powered by a 14 month old 12V 13Ahr Lead acid gel battery. The most recent imaging session aborted due to low battery volts after about 4 hrs, this is a safety feature to ensure there is always enough power left to safely close the shutter. @Tomatobro put it on test with a 1.9 amp current drawand here is the result: So I have finally embraced 21st century battery technology and ordered an equivalent LiFePO4 battery, inc charger. Over double the price of the LA variety so it looks like the scarcity of UK clear sky is now pushing up other indirect costs of imaging.

Yup, the RASA(s), have done a fine job. It is indeed pleasantly surprising how much of a close crop these RASA8/IMX571 OSC will take.

I do find that some tilt adjustments are needed every time the camera goes on the lens, but the camera support facilitates this operation. I wish it was as easy to adjust tilt on my RASA8 set up.

I’m sure @Tomatobro will supply details but basically a m42 male adapter is screwed to end of the existing Sony lens adapter, as in the photo. As emphasised previously, this thin, plastic adapter is attached to the lens body by three small screws, and will not take the weight of an Astro camera alone, some form of additional camera support is required.

You beat me to it Michael. I was about to ask where is the pinion for that rather impressive circular rack? Looks like a product of AI design software, got the flavour but no engineering principles evident.

I have used CdC with Windows since getting back into AP 10 years ago. I now use it in conjunction with NINA, it meets all of my requirements when imaging, although I use Stellarium with the various Deep Sky overlays for planning sessions.

Crikey, we are well into March and I've only posted one galaxy image so far this season. I got a measly 79 x 2 mins with the Esprit 150/ASI178/ASI678 on this fine barred spiral galaxy in Canes Venatici due to the dome shutter closing on a Low volts alarm. It looks like I'm clouded out for the next 5 days so I went through the archive and found another 5 hrs on a wider FOV taken with the Esprit 150/IMX571OSC. So this 7.75 hrs of the combined data, processed in PI and Affinity photo. I'm really grateful that we have the software to effortlessly combine data from different set ups, it does help to offset the meagre clear sky time we have to work with these days.