laser_jock99

Nice - wonder what F ratio?

Don't remember if it was the exact same display- but here's some Aurora images from Warwickshire in the 1990's

Why can't they paint them black.......

They probably can't turn the street lights off at night. The generation 'system' needs a 'load'.............

Submitted my observations. One or two less than last year on both sites.

Are my eyse getting worse with age or is Light Pollution increasing...........?

REMINDER- don't forget to remember the phase of moon. All too easilly forgoten in the excitment of booking a holiday........

On 09/03/2020 at 11:38, sploo said:

Thanks. I'd be happy just to get a 1 minute exposure! Because I currently only have DSLR camera gear I understand that long exposures aren't a good idea.

With the off-axis adaptor, doesn't the prism/mirror intrude into the image being captured? I guess not, but it seems odd that it doesn't.

I only use DSLR's at the moment. With a DSLR you have a rectangular imaging area superimposed over an imaging circle. The trick is to get the pick off prism in the area of the long side of the DSL image rectangle so it doesn't intrude into the imaging area.

2 minutes ago, Frank the Troll said:

Blimey, I will be well under that

 

The EQ6 mount is capable of large payloads, but everything must be supremely well balanced and moved with care.

Things liking stopping the scope dead during a fast slew will destroy the gears. So I probably wouldn't recomend this kind of payload.

Still, it's interesting to know it can be done!

On 03/03/2020 at 18:02, DaveS said:

We've had a horrible autumn / winter here, with one atlantic depression after another carried on the jet-stream. There has been extensive flooding in several parts of the country, river levels have broken all records (The Severn and Wye especially), and even "danger to life" flood warnings in Wales.

Up here in the Welsh Mountains the water went away very quickly (downhill) and off into the tributaries of the River Severn......

So yes- it rained a lot but didn't stay too long!

I'm looking forward to a slightly drier spring galaxy season.

On 02/03/2020 at 17:37, Frank the Troll said:

Does anyone know the payload for an older EQ6 (black version)

Cheers

Frank

Around 35Kg for imaging......

EDIT- been running this rig for eight+ years.....but can't say if the mount manufacturer would endorse it or not!!!

On 09/02/2020 at 17:13, Barry-W-Fenner said:

I have tried to understand this thread, but ultimately, it has given me a major brain fart...

 

Baz

Okay, maybe this will help? M8 in just 30 seconds with a 8" F2.9 (ultrafast) scope!

On 28/02/2020 at 16:59, alacant said:

Hi

Phew. To get started in astro-photography with that telescope and stand a chance of getting results, I think you'd need to imitate one of these. OTOH, I'm almost certain @laser_jock99 may be able to help with alternative ideas.

Good to have others on board with big reflectors:)

Cheers and good luck.

Thanks for endorsment!

I run a 12" F4 scope on an EQ6 (pushing the limits on weight loading....). Typically though I'm only imaging at 1200mm (or 870mm if using my focal reducer).

The only real wisdom I can offer is that off-axis guiding works best with this kind of set up.

I tend to limit my exposures to 10 minutes max, but more often three minutes to avoid too many dropped subs.

Good luck!

Can't they paint them black........?

On 02/02/2020 at 22:34, WanderingEye said:

Mount too..? Or just the pier.... as I leave mount attached to pier under covers...

The EQ6 & counterweights stay on - but not any optics.

My outside pier is covered with a selection of BBQ covers when not in use (as seen arrayed on the table to the right).

This rig has survied six Welsh Mountain winters so far.........

Critters is a problem for me. The mains is burried in plastic condiut but rodents have attacked all the exposed cabling (12V, USB & radio coaxial feeds) in the past.

Petition signed.

Modern CCD cameras are very sensitive to incoming individual photons, couple that with a large aperture scope and it's remarkable what faint magnitudes can be reached.

I attempted to image the same 'blank' area of sky used for the famous Hubble Deep Field Image. Using a 12" F4 fast Newtonian and Lodestar X2 camera, I was able to pick up the four main magnitude 21-22 galaxies in just 180 seconds.

On 22/12/2019 at 01:22, gorann said:

A week ago I arrived at Lizard Island (14°27 S, 145° 27´E) for research on their marine biological station until early January. It must be one of the darkest places on earth. Lizard Island is situated on the Great Barrier Reef about 20 km off the Australian coast and this far north in Queensland there are very few human inhabitants on the mainland and no light can be seen there from here. Closest town is Cairns 200 km to the south.

 

Great post- I'm enjoying the pictures so far!

I'm curious if you can see any light pollution from the Cape Flattery Silica Mine ? It's about 20km due south of Lizard Island. 

Flexure can be problem on any scope- more so on Newtonians with thin metal tubes and heavy cameras hanging off at right angles.

I'm a great believer in beefing-up the dovetail and tube rings to support the scope properly.

Even my little 6" Newtonian benefits from a custom made, longer, stronger dovetail bar. No flexure here!

Nice rig- look forward to seeing some more images.

Thanks for sharing- rarely seen on UK forums due to it's low altitude. Needs a dark southern horizon to show well!

Head over to Wales for some of the UK's darkest skies.

12 hours ago, old_eyes said:

Two days of solid downpour gave me a chance to check out the weatherproofing on the scope room.

I want to make sure there is plenty of ventilation in the scope room to avoid condensation, so I am reluctant to seal up every crack.

So far the news is positive.  A little bit of weeping from roof seams that I think I can fix with some judiciously applied silicone, and a little leaking in by the roof rails where I have some missing boards (more ventilation) that can be easily fixed. The real test is when we get high winds and rain as that could blow in through the various gaps.

Also been some nasty rain in Mid Wales last 24 hours. Observatory is fine - house is leaking though!

Roads badly flooded- had an epic 8 hour 'road trip' to Shrewsbury and back yesterday. Clocked up 210 miles to find a way round it all......