JSeaman

It downloaded but I couldn't open the RAR file, got 7zip on it and worked, try this one ...

I'm afriad I can't do too much as I grabbed your RAR file but it wouldn't open. Just using the above image I dropped it down a notch in brightness so there was a core and removed a bit of the green but this is crude ...

Thanks I'll see if I can find a copy!

Last night I managed to complete my third narrowband image. Still very much learning, I haven't mastered the post processing particularly well yet and I could have done with more data but I am happy nonetheless 31x10 minute Ha, 7x10 minute 20x10 minute O3

Yes I never had star bloat with my SLRs (1000d/70d/5d) or my QHY8 but the Atik seems to show it for some reason

Thanks for responding!! Yes the other ED80 could be used and I was thining about a dual set up as I have a colour 314L also but I would need another focusser and also a bigger hole in the observatory roof! I'll have a look at the ASI1600, thank you Re focus, every single time it has bee with a Bahtinov mask and the focus is 'perfect' but I still see star bloat, I believe it is a feature of the camera. So far I've only been at 10 minutes and that has been OK but I'm sure I can push a lot further

Nobody?

I've just started entering the world of narrowband and it has been such a step change from the years of work with OSC cameras I'm wondering what is the next step forward to take. I'm interested in imaging DSOs rather than visual Telescope - ED80, I'm very happy with it and have a spare sat around for bits if needed. This is the only scope I've used in anger so have no real reference point for how much better others are. From forum posts it seems this is till well accepted as a good scope, should I leave this well alone? How much better are the other options? My only restriction is that the new camera means I have a smaller fov than I'd like even with a 0.85 reducer, mosaics are just too painful with all the filters to consider as well Mount - I've got an NEQ6 and I'm very happy with it, 10 minute+ subs is fine for me so I think I'll leave this as is Imaging camera - Atik 314L, just finding my feet with it and love it but have quite a lot of star bloat which I believe may be a feature of the camera, any experience of this? How does it compare to other options James

No bolts, post was sunk into postcrete, set in seconds and absolutely solid. I would definitely do that again too and it was one of my first goes at using it, cheap and easy and very effective

Mine was £120 with all materials. The metal was about £30 and is readily available. You don't have to be able to weld but it does help Mine is half filled with cement and doesn't ring at all, I'd definitely do it again that way

I built my own a few years ago (see attached), £120 solid as a rock and is now under my observatory doing it's thing Pier.pdf

Yes that's precisely how it works, the joystick is the same one you get in the starter kit (KY-023) eBay example 113839500270 I came to the same conclusion as you about slaving the dome but I'm almost at the point where I think I won't bother now

Of course, source attached Just a simple joystick/menu and you select a pulse duration (250mS ish) and interval (8-10 minutes), nothign too fancy but you could do some ASCOM stuff if you wanted. There's also a simple left right (<>) nudge command so you can move it remotely Observatory.ino

Normally called a cam pulley, flange on both sides is handy for locating if it's a bit wobbly, prevents unexpected runout! 25mm should be plenty of real estate I just wrote my own code from scratch on the arduino with a little .net app talking to it Encoders are one route, I didn't want the complexity in mine though

I'm still learning a lot as I go but this is the Crescent from the last week or so Total of 7 hours of exposure and 4 hours of darks: 15x10 minute Ha, 20x10 minute OIII, 8x10 minute SII This image taught me meridian flips in EQMod, the importance of alignment between filters, how nice it is using narrowband when the moon is around and also showed that 3 hours+ makes a big difference on each filter. Hopefully the next image will be a little bit better as a consequence!

For what it's worth the timing belt approach worked WAY better! I still use it every night I can and it doesn't miss a beat. I've now moved to Arduino control which is much better than trying to frig the movement based on proxy sensors, if I can offer any help at all I'm very happy to

Ha, it works! Must have been the file location - many thanks indeed! Imaging away on the Crescent now

Again, these were at their default so don't think it's that. Assuming the forecast is correct I'll try the file location tonight and report back. Thanks for the input though

Whatever the default is. I'll give that a try, thank you

Thanks yes, mine looks the same but then it seems to forget that when I next start up and my list is empty

No plate solving going on

Thanks Ken that is ticked and I tried toggling it to no avail

Has anyone else had issues with EQMod 'forgetting' your alignment points between sessions? I start up CDC which in turn calls up EQMod but it is always empty of alignment points. I trim in on a star, save the point (append on synch) and all looks good. But then the next session I have no alignment points again. Any help welcomed James

Oh believe me there's plenty wrong in the processing, this is my first time around with most of this stuff

Don't know what you mean