oldannie

Dave - just to say I ordered and have received the dual channel dew heater control as per your suggestion at: /www.dewcontrol.com/Dual_Channel_Digital_Dew_Controller/p3099125_13437758.aspx It looks well made, and arrived quickly. Looks just the job - thanks. Annie

Super sharp image!

Thanks Alan - my diy has improved since I started imaging but still not great! I don't need pc control so may have a look at Dave's suggestion. I did think the two I mentioned were a bit overpriced so am pleased you reinforced that. Thanks Dave am going to look at your suggestion. Annie

Am looking to buy a new dew heater control - a dual one is all I need so have been looking at the Kendrick and Pegasus one, £107 and £99 respectively. Is there much to choose between them and are there any other options I might consider. I have plenty of Kendrick dew tapes. Annie

Thanks for the info - looks like my next purchase! I've heard that extenders don't work particularly well but never quite understood why. Perhaps your comment about the diameter explains it. Annie

First of all I love this widefield shot and also how you have superimposed the image on the star map. Thanks for explaining how you did it. Am not sure whether I can ask in this thread about your equipment? I have the FSQ106ed and the NEQ6 and have been wondering about the reducer as I love widefield - it obviously works very well ? I also wonder if the extender works as well? Perhaps admin will tell me if I should have started another thread - apologies if I should! Annie

Hi Rob - Before I moved to CCD imaging I was given an old 550D Canon which I had to stick the hand grip back on! However I had it modified and it has taken some cracking images! Have fun and persevere! Annie

Some good information Novi - thanks a lot. Will work through what you suggest. Annie

If I want to create a false luminance channel from grayscale RGB images I usually go to channels , click on the dropdown menu, choose 'merge channels' change 'multi channels' to RGB, map the RGB images to the correct channels, ie green to green etc and everything works fine. Am trying to process my first narrowband image and would like to create a false luminance with my stacked Ha, OIII & SII subs but when I go to 'merge channels' it won't let me move from multi channels and change the number of channels from 2 to 3! Have obviously not understood something about narrowband processing and would be grateful for some help! Annie

Like you I always use the handset to control the mount and was reluctant to go down the road of any form of control via a pc. However am all for making polar alignment both easy and accurate so after reading some excellent reviews of a piece of software called 'Polemaster' I took the plunge and have never looked back. What a brilliant bit of software it is, can't recommend it enough and of course it doesn't get in the way of using the handset. There are some very good user instructions written I think by Steve Richards but the on screen directions at every step are also very easy to follow. Annie

Well lots of food for thought and some very helpful info so thanks guys. I think it does seem sensible to start off with the DSLR's I already have - modded canon 550D and modded canon 5D mk11 then as is suggested move forward from there. I haven't really followed what's been happening with CMOS so something to research. I would take a laptop out anyway as I like Backyard Nikon. Even in the observatory I have always used a stand alone guider, the Lacerta MGEN which works admirably so would be happy to have another. I take the point about not utilising the optical qualities of the 106 and may think about going full frame. Moving from DSLR to CCD imaging this season was a big step for me and am a bit reluctant to move away from a setup that is now working well for me however............ I am also a bit reluctant to think about setting up a mono CCD/ filter etc and associated cables outside but you never know!

I have an observatory set up where I image with a Takahashi 106 with Atik 460 mono plus guider on NEQ6. I also have an HEQ5 plus a nice TS imaging Star 71, 347mm, f/4.9 which are just languishing around. As my husband is beginning to take an interest in imaging we thought we might set up outside as I did when first starting. I used to use DSLR's but now thinking about a OSC ccd. Wondering if they have sufficient significant advantages to DSLR's to warrant the expense? Annie

Hope it works as well for you as it does for me. Thanks to whoever recommended it to me in the first place!! Annie

Not sure whether this is relevant to your issue Jon but I had a problem with halos around eta Geminorium when imaging the Jellyfish nebula using Ha. I was told that one halo was probably off the CCD window, the faint outer one from the rear element of the scope whilst the middle one was probably off the filter! I could try using a soft edged mask to tone it down a bit but all in all was probably stuck with it! I use 2" Baader filters the Ha being 7nm. As far as I am aware if I used a narrower bandwidth I would get slightly more contrast, smaller stars so more moonlight and light pollution tolerant . but would pay a lot more and I assume maybe less likely to be parfocal. Probably entirely irrelevant to your issue!! I think we've met on another forum! Annie

I couldn't get on with Fits Liberator and someone on this forum recommended Avis Fits Viewer - free, very easy to use and so far can't fault it. Annie