pipnina
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Should I buy a ZWO ASI 1600MM-pro or an Atik Horizon?
pipnina replied to pipnina's topic in Discussions - Cameras
It seems I never updated my profile when I got the imaging setup earlier this year, I'll have to edit that! I have a HEQ5-PRO and a 130-PDS with Baader Mk3 coma corrector that I currently use for photography. My 250PX sits on a dob and I use that for visual, though I've tried to get a few sneaky planet photos through it. -
Hi guys! I am hoping to move into proper astrocam imaging this winter and have been looking at the different options available. The Atik Horizon and ZWO ASI 1600MM-pro have caught my eye due to having fair sized sensors for the price, but which makes more sense to use? They both seem to have the same size sensor with the same pixel size, though the ZWO is cheaper in mono form than the Atik. I have heard that ZWO equipment can also be operated wirelessly with another attachment, which could make adding a guiding cam even more convenient if I got a ZWO + ZWO? My current camera is an old Nikon 3200, which has the same pixel scale as these cameras but a larger sensor. Would any reducing lens be useful to reduce the pixel scale some since I always binned my Nikon 2x2 anyway? Thanks
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ALMA can have a 16KM diameter with its movable telescopes. Perhaps I'm misunderstanding something or this video has overlooked it?
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Guiding is definitely something I need to look into! Thanks for reminding me. I suppose I could leave the mount itself outside between nights with a cover. But it being soft ground I do wonder if it might be at risk of shifting over time (I don't have a good concrete space to put it), also the risk of theft while mild given my area and the setup location always lingers in the mind. But I'll definitely look into those covers! If there isn't a good dedicated system for remote telescope control, maybe I could use a Raspberry PI to control the whole setup (Guiding/Mount movement/Camera) while the expensive computer sits safely indoors? Thanks for the response
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I always like seeing the brown dust around this nebula! A wonderful photo.
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Hello! I've been gone for a while but now that the dark nights are upon us again I have been thinking more and more about my dusty astrophotography setup, especially since my coworkers recently saw my previous astro pics and wanted more! Sadly the weather over the last month has not been welcoming but I hope to become ready for the winter and spring ahead! Currently I have a fairly simple HEQ5-PRO, Nikon 3200, and 130-PDS. I have been thinking about possible upgrades to this which would make it either out right better or easier to setup, but I felt I should ask for ideas from the experts! The first thing I want to change is to move to a proper astrocam. The Nikon has been a great and cheap way to get started but it just doesn't keep pace with the rest of the kit. The Atik Horizon CMOS seems like a good direct replacement as it has the same pixel scale as my Nikon and I'd not lose too much FOV from differences in resolution, while gaining the benefits of active cooling and mono+Ha sensitivity. But maybe for my 130-650 telescope a bigger pixel scale would make better use of my field? The other thing I must consider is setup time. Getting my HEQ5-PRO polar aligned and star aligned feels like a lengthy process with consulting the scope, then 3-star align, then scope again seemingly making no progress past 5". Is there any kit I could use to make this process less tedious? I have a laptop I can use to control the mount and camera with. But ideally I could control both remotely? I seem to always use my photography equipment in my back garden which is within wifi range. I have heard of wifi modules for these things but don't know how universal or practical they are... If I get the mono camera, I would want to get filters eventually, but I feel like I'd want to buy filter equipment once I am already comfortable with the astrocam so i don't think I'll buy any yet. What do you guys think? The choice and possibilities for equipment are vast and there is much to consider... Higher quality pictures of the universe are in my future I hope! Thanks
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My usual summer astro drought continues. In the last 4 months I've basically only had 1 look at Jupiter and Saturn.
Sad, but the longer nights will come back soon and the garden is doing well in the mean time. -
Hi guys, took this image last night of M101 but it is in dire need of some flats as you can see. What method do you guys use to take flats with the 130-PDS that minimises adding more tray light than you started with? last time I tried I got a gradient from one side of the image to the other...
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Good sky tonight
Got the imaging scope pointed at flame/horse/2023, and had a look all around with the visual scope! Clusters in gemini/auriga, nebulae in orion (maybe a glimpse of flame). Saw the andromeda galaxy as well as 81/82. Hoped to find Uranus but no luck 
Too much pollution to navigate the area properly and finders frosted up.
Hope the rest of you got lucky too!
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Something like this might provide a good surface to shoot at for flats? https://www.amazon.co.uk/32-Inch-Portable-Translucent-Collapsible-Reflector/dp/B002ZIVKAE/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1546970257&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=photographic+reflector&psc=1 Also, flats don't need a perfectly reflective surface because your lens should be focused at infinity while the target is considerably closer.
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Here's hoping for some clear sky this new moon. I need to finish my image of M42... from 3 weeks ago.
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It's been a week, still no sign of any clear skies in the forecast. The dust on my kit might reach 2cm before I get it out again
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As is tradition...
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When it comes to dew shields, what are you guys using? Off-the-shelf solutions or something more DIY?
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Finding this thread just makes me more excited for the coming darkness! I got to do a few tests with my 130-PDS (hopefully I've got the hang of it all now!) during and just before summer twilight. Not sure what I'm going to photograph first though. My camera has pitiful Ha response (One day I'll complete the build with OAG and a cooled CMOS...) and the central milky way nebulae (M8, M16 etc) are too low down for me to image (without exposing the precious to the road and pavement... and street lamp glare!) On a side note, has anyone else found the 130-PDS prone to stray light? In an image I took recently I noticed a gradient in the image that seemed too "sharp" to be vignetting or sky gradients. (The glowing pale lobe to the left hand side) Are there measures that can be taken to prevent this?
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Perfect weather for observing the central milky way nebulae last night. Or it would have been if they weren't so close to the street lamp. Got to see M8 behind some stray light reflections in the binos at least.
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I think I'll have to collimate the secondary of my 10" for the first time in 2 years, noticed astigmatism in focused and defocused stars last night.
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I think the heat is due to be the end of me... Can't even leave my chocolate in the shade indoors without it becoming a puddle any more.
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I think the ZWO 1600MM is the first CMOS I've seen with a reasonable sensor size under £1k... Does it live up to the hype I've been hearing about it on here?
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Marcel is producing amazing images with this camera. https://www.astrobin.com/full/350412/0/
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Spent 30 minutes wondering why my HEQ5 wasn't pointing in the right places, until I realized that it interpreted 11/06/2018 as the 6th of november and not the 11th of june! American date format? What a load of...
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That was my 3rd mistake when i started, 2nd mistake coupled with mistake 1 was entering the wrong coordinates and i wondered why my telescope couldn't find the moon
. The first and biggest mistake i've made so far was not doing enough research so i ended up buying the wrong telescope?.
I'm sure since January i've made every mistake possible
but i'm enjoying every second i spend viewing and photographing the heavens.
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Being held down by gravity alone, I would be mortified at the thought of mine tipping over since we're at 51-56 degrees north in the uk! You seem to have done a splendid job of it though. You'd think it was off-the-shelf by Meade, made specifically for that scope!
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I hope this forecast doesn't change on me! I'm predicted 3 moonless, cloudless nights in a row! I think I'll give M101 a go.
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I have been taunted. Last night I look out my back window (11:50~) and see no clouds at all! I get the HEQ5 and 130PDS out hoping to get first light. But by the time I'd brought the mount out to the tripod it had become completely cloudy again!
I also must have stepped on an ant hill... But because it was dark I didn't see all the ants on my shoe and brought them inside. Spent a lot of today chasing ants out of the house.
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I bit the bullet and bought a HEQ5 & 130-PDS. They should arrive today, do the clouds appear when the package arrives or when I open the box?
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Guidescope Suitability Calculator
pipnina replied to FLO's topic in Sponsor Announcements and Offers
Does only pixel scale matter for guidescopes, or is a guidescope of certain size relative to main telescope aperture also required?
Got the imaging scope pointed at flame/horse/2023, and had a look all around with the visual scope! Clusters in gemini/auriga, nebulae in orion (maybe a glimpse of flame). Saw the andromeda galaxy as well as 81/82. Hoped to find Uranus but no luck 
Too much pollution to navigate the area properly and 
. The first and biggest mistake i've made so far was not doing enough research so i ended up buying the wrong telescope