goldblade1983

I hear what you're saying Mike an I certainly won't be looking to create images such as those everytime and to be honest I'd be amazed I could ever manage it. However if you believe the description of those pictures however they're noted not to have any post processing and were just as viewed live (albeit with longer exposures to create them) I was more thinking of it from a solely basic visual perspective and given that the camera seems capable of good images with some basic long term stacking without processing I was imagining it would be also therefore be good for three/four minutes live stacking to get some decent visual on screen for observing with sharpcap pro? I am little concerned over fov with the cpc925 (even with 0.63 f/r) and the ability to get good visual eaa images with that setup but this guy seems to have delivered outstanding results on. C8 which is a similar scope (albeit as noted with longer exposures). I am not against taking up to say 10 mins max of exposure and live stacking it to get an almost live image but was more worried about the ability to focus correctly, deal with field rotation etc and have a camera that was capable enough given the long focal lense. So really trying to understand whether the camera seems a good fit. It is also half the price of an ultrastar so trying to understand the benefits of ultrastar (or indeed lodestar) over the asi385. In terms of price I can pick up a lodestar X2 mono second hand for £350 which is equivalent price. I can pick up a second hand colour for £250 I think. The ultrastar you're talking £700. So with price in mind I'm trying to weigh up the options and understand the differences, but I'm useless with all the camera mathematics.....hence the fall for help Longer term, if I am looking to get some decent images with the CPC I will get a hyperstsr for it turning it into an f/2.3 scope. Before that happens I do have a celestron 80mm guidescope that I can stick in top that I'll probably play about with to see if I can get any wider fov eaa shots - but not sure if anyone has had much luck with those. Brian

Thanks for the comments. After doing some research I was considering going with this: https://www.firstlightoptics.com/zwo-cameras/zwo-asi-385mc-usb-30-colour-camera.html I also found a site of someone who used it on a C8 with great success - see link and images towards the bottom: https://www.flickr.com/photos/171338444@N04/with/47841005961/ Would be grateful for any comments on this approach! Brian

Hi guys I sold all my kit a few years ago, but given lockdown have decided to get some equipment. I bought a package deal of bits which was at a good price and I'm hoping to do some EAA with it. At the moment I have: CPC925 (Alt/AZ) Antare 6.3 focal reducer 80mm Celestron Guidescope Nextar autoguider (unused which i'm selling as doesn't work in alt/az) QHY5y original cam Laptop I can get some okay-ish results with QHY5Y, but the sensor needs a clean and it's not that good in any event. I had though I could use it for guiding in Alt/Az mode, but it turns out it's' not really possible. So my plan at the moment (subject to some advice) is to: 1, Spend a bit of £££ on a new / used camera for EAA (planetary photos plus deepsky EAA), but also capable of doing some deepsky imaging at a later date (see step 2 below for the future). I think my budget for this would be around £600 on basis i'll recoup about £200 for the auto-guider which is in A1 unused condition. 2. At some point, probably next year, invest in a hyperstar kit so I can turn the scope into an F3 wide FOV scope for some astrophotgraphy with the same camera. I would have thought even with a camera more attuned to planetary / EAA that it would be possible to get some good results at F3. I am loathed to defork it and loathed to get a wedge due to set-up time becoming extended. Astrophotography is not something I will spend hours and hours on so i'm never never going to get really good results. I used to autguide with a gt81 on a neq6 and got some okay results but I detested the set-up time and the impracticality of EQ for just getting away at short notice (to get away from light pollution i also have to drive 30 minutes each way). In alt/az i can get the CPC up and running and aligned in about 15 minutes which is by far quicker than I could ever set up the NEQ6 (more like an hour). So from what I have read, from the point of view of a quick setup, a hyperstar seems the way to go for me as I should end up with a good set-up for visual (and EAA) in the meantime that is also portable and in the future will have a wife angle FOV quick scope that I can dabble with some deep space astrophotography (field rotation aside). So looking for some advice on my plan, as well as what camera i should consider. I live in a relatively light polluted area and for EAA anyway I am keen to be able to do this from home as i'll remote desktop the laptop and do the EAA from comfort of inside the house. I did wonder whether a canon slr might work (and be cheaper option) but open to ideas 🙂 I am also coming around to the fact I might need to get an autofocuser but at the moment i'm hoping i should be able to get some okay results from manually focusing with a decent camera - i don't mind having to nip out now and again to refocus 😉 Thoughts everyone? Thanks in advance Brian

Hi guys, I sold most of my equipment a couple of years ago, but decided recently to start accumulating again given lockdown.... So at the moment I have (which i bought as a package): CPC925 Alt/Az Celestron Guidescope 80mm (piggybacked) Nexstar autoguide (which i'm selling as it doesn't work in alt/az) I also have a QHY5Y original + laptop left over from before which i can control scope with via serial cable. Per the topic here, I have also managed to 'borrow' a scientific Q Imaging Rolera-XR. My understanding is that this is actually for security camera / microscope use, but I wondered whether anyone has ever used it for astro work? Link to tech specs is here - http://www.adept.net.au/cameras/qimaging/rolera-xr.shtml and a data sheet here - http://www.adept.net.au/cameras/qimaging/pdf/Rolera-XR.pdf I have the uncooled version. I haven't yet managed to plug it in to computer yet as it needs as fireware cable which i don't have yet.... I do not have the lense which is attached to front in picture, just the metallic fittings which don't fit a 1 1/4" or 2" telescope so requires some form of adapter. Any ideas? Also not entirely convinced even if I can get it to attach and turn on that i'll achieve backfocus. I'm useless at the technical stuff so any help appreciated! If it helps, the CCD itself is towards the front of the unit, and there are inner-threads that are approx 1 +1/2" in diameter (see picture). There is also a separate piece of equipment that mounts 'over the top' of the fittings (see separate picture). Not sure this would be of any use for astro. The tech specs says it's a c mount, but the inner thread diameter is definitely larger than 1" Any help would be greatly appreciated.! THanks Brian