tomato

I have run 3 scopes on a couple of occasions, two are on a permanent well sorted dual rig set up which works reliably (most of the time!), the third was a RASA8 which has to be set up and taken down. That is more than enough for me. Bear in mind if your set ups all have the same FOV, you will need to align them reasonably precisely and that will eat up a lot of time if they are not permanently set up. Good luck with whatever approach you take.

It seems to me you have the ideal approach to get into AP and not be put off by the set backs. From time to time, I get a hankering to do some visual astronomy, but it's not long before I get back in front of the laptop.

Maybe all of those data algorithms have some value after all. I note that the ads I get on the SAT24 website have all recently been for rocking chairs, maybe they are trying to tell me something?

Great mosaic! The starless mono image could almost be a terrestrial cloudscape.

Thanks, it is my dual Esprit 150 rig, currently equipped with an ASI178 mono for Luminence, and an ASI678 colour for RGB. Previously I have used an ASI178 mono and RGB filters for colour (that’s what was used for the posted image) but I am trying to establish if the newer 678c sensor (no amp glow) can do the job just as well.

Here is another seldom imaged galaxy, NGC 2336 in Camelopardolis. It's a shame because although small it is IMHO a spectacular example of a spiral galaxy. This is a reprocess of just 3 hrs of data captured back in 2020, but I am certainly going to add more data to it, now that we have the Xterminator tool set to get the most out of it. Take a look at the Hubble image of NGC 2336 if you get a chance, the background galaxies visible are just mind blowing.

While waiting for NGC 4216 and it's spectacular SN to get high enough to image I got 100 minutes on an old favourite, NGC 2903 at the other end of Leo. This was using an ASI178 for Lum and a ASI678C for RGB. This was captured at the native resolution and then combined with some LRGB data from 2020 using ASI178 mono cameras. Combined in APP then down sampled x2 before processing in PI. Why are the CMOS OSC cameras so much better then their CCD counterparts, better QE and lower read noise I suppose? PS I never got NGC 4216, the clouds rolled in...

I emailed Touptek support in China, I explained what happened and sent them a photo of the power PCB for identification purposes. They have just replied and said it needs to be sent to them for inspection via the original retailer so there is a united front on how I should proceed. Then again, I suppose the European manufacturers of Astro cameras don’t readily sell spare parts to Joe Public either. However, it’s good that SW seem to be more accommodating on this issue. I’ll just wait now until CNY is out of the way.

Superb image, puts the dust around M78 into context.👍🏼

Will it have open access to all brands of equipment, unlike the ASIair?

This galaxy is on my list to have a go at during this galaxy season but in the meantime I found some data from 2020 which had not yet been processed with the RC suite of Xterminator tools. So here it is, 9.7 hrs taken with the Esprit 150/ASI178 LRGB dual rig, originally imaged at 0.47 arcsec per pixel(!) but now down sampled x 2 prior to processing. There were some massive coloured flares from the bright star in the lower left, but these were easily dealt with using the cosmetic correction tools in Affinity Photo, once they were separated out with SXT.

Superb detail, what was your seeing like for those 25.5 hrs?

Great image, and for some reason I think M38 being in there really adds something to it.

I suspect there is either dust or IFN just about everywhere, it’s only comparatively recently that imagers have had the kit/software/inclination to record it. If you don’t want it, image under frequently cloudy, light polluted skies, the UK is a great location for this.😉

Yes, a tremendous success, and respect to the folks who designed and built it.

Top notch, it's a great FOV with the Ha arc coming in on the RHS.👍

A great FOV with lots of different classes on show. I can see several tiny galaxies not picked up by the PI annotation, which is nearly always the case on deep images like this.

Here is ARP 114, imaged over the last couple of nights (I know, it's nearly a full moon, right?) 9.7 hrs integration with the Esprit 150/QHY268 dual rig. The frame has bee significantly cropped to put the group to the fore. There is an exquisite image by Adam Block of these galaxies, NGC 2276, the face on spiral galaxy, looks for all the world like a tiny version of M101. Not so with my version, but then I bet he didn't get a picture on his phone of the Wolf Moon Dog on the same night.😉 Thanks for looking

Just wondering if there is any consensus on which is the best company to use to ship a small parcel to China? For some reason UPS, DHL, FedEx can’t find my destination address to quote me even though I’m selecting it from their drop down lists.🤔 I have a reasonable quote from Royal Mail, but there are contrasting opinions on SGL about their quality of service. Any suggestions gratefully received.

Spoke with Steve at Touptek Europe, they don't hold any spares but he is relaying my situation to his technical contact in China. He suspects they will also be reluctant to supply me a board even though it is entirely at my own risk, so it would have to go back to China. I would prefer if I could do this via Touptek Europe, then maybe I would only have to send it to an address in the UK.

Teleskop Express have replied promptly but cannot supply a PCB. They suggested I try Touptek direct, so that’s my next port of call.

Yes, I still can’t work if my hesitation in plugging the power plug was the cause, or the camera would have gone pop anyway. Still, my current view is at 2 years old the camera still owes me something so if I can’t get hold of a replacement PCB, it will go back to China. I’m sure a few RisingCam owners will be following this thread with interest.

I agree, I wouldn't make any claim against RC if the replacement board didn't fix the camera, after all it's me (or rather Tomatobro) doing the repair, not them. But RC hold all the cards (or PCBs, to be more precise), so if they won't ship one and I can't source one from anywhere else, it looks like I'll be exploring the joys of returning the camera to China...

Unfortunately Rising Cam won't sell me a new power PCB on the grounds that it may not itself fix the problem, they want me to ship the camera back to them. I'm awaiting a cost estimate and of course it is Chinese New Year in Feb so I wont be shipping the camera until after the holiday. In the meantime I have contacted Teleskop Express in Germany as they are a big Touptek dealer to see if they might be more forthcoming with a replacement PCB.

Well, there was some indication of heat and degradation around components C39 and L2 on the power PCB, see photo: However, the capacitor was removed from the board and appears to be OK. I have contacted Eddie at RisingCam, first response is that it will need to go back to China, but I'm trying to see if they would be willing to sell me a new power PCB. That would be my preferred option from a shipping and logistics standpoint, especially if the cost is reasonable.