Andyb90

I looked through the different options and went with the Nitecore NU25

https://www.nitecore.co.uk/Products/nitecore-nu25.html

It has separate buttons for Red and White light. The Red light has a low setting and the buttons can be locked.

The torch is charged via USB and feels lightweight on my head. It can also be tilted which is useful.

Hi everyone,

I'm interested in the Antlia 1.25 Pro NB filters. Can anyone confirm that they fit in a ZWO EFW and there is enough clearance for the filter wheel to rotate?

I have the 8 X 1.25 ZWO EFW.

Thanks,

Andy

Thanks for the suggestions. I also found a Nitecore headlamp (NU25) to add to the list of options.

One issue I had with my old headlamp is that it must have knocked against the inside of my bag and turned itself on. I only realised when I went to grab it for a session and the batteries were virtually dead. So I'll probably go with a headlamp that has a locking function.

6 hours ago, paulastro said:

Who's Trevor Jones?

He has a YouTube channel and website called AstroBackyard.

His channel has charted his journey through astrophotography from beginner to more advanced imaging. Just my opinion, but I think he's a very likeable chap and I enjoy his content.

Hi everyone,

I’m getting back into imaging and my old head torch no longer works.

Can anyone recommend a good torch please? Ideally:

- Light weight

- Can turn on the Red light without having to cycle through white light settings.

- Rechargeable or inserted batteries is fine.

Thanks,

Andy

21 hours ago, Mandy D said:

This looks like a nice, professional product, made in USA and distributed by a company not far from me in Bolsover. The company offers bigger systems too that should be capable of running an off-grid home. Do you know if the output is pure sine-wave as they shy away from discussing this on the site or in the instruction manual, which I find slightly concerning. They also do not state the output frequency in the manual, but note that you can change it in the settings. They explain what frequency means and state that it is usually 50/60 Hz. I wonder if it is a binary choice or a continuous range?

Got the unit today. The description says '700W AC Pure Sine Wave Inverter (1,400W Surge)', but I'm not completely sure how that would be checked/tested. I did see a few Youtube videos testing other Bluetti power stations and they appear to feature some kind of device that has a graphical output, which I think they were using to show the Sine Wave shape.

The power supply unit for the power station even has its own fan 🙂

From what I understand the cigarette type socket is regulated 12v, but the other 2 x 12v DC ouputs are not regulated.

I purchased a couple of AC to DC power supplies to try with the 2 AC outputs. I've never had a power bank/battery with AC outputs before.

After a fair bit of research I ended up going with this power station:

https://bluettipower.co.uk/products/bluetti-eb55-portable-power-station

Its probably a bit overkill, but if I'm out at a remote site and have an issue like a breakdown then I'll have plenty of juice for things like plugging in a heater to keep warm etc.

6 hours ago, OK Apricot said:

I bought the Anker 251 which has been excellent. It has managed my rig for 7hrs+ so far on a single charge only dropping to around 35% having slewed to a couple targets with an EQ6-R, camera cooling at 60% and dew straps at 50%. A decent option for the money. 

Thanks for the info. Maybe I’ve over estimated my power needs. My setup will be similar to yours. I see the Anker is 256wh or 21ah @ 12v.

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for a battery to power astrophotography gear from a remote site. I think I need around 30ah.

I've ordered an ASI Air Plus for my setup and plan to use it to power the camera cooler and dew heater bands. So I think I only need one 12v DC output on the battery to connect to the ASI Air.

My mount will have a separate power supply.

So far I found the Jackery Explorer 500:

https://uk.jackery.com/products/explorer-500w-portable-power-station

Are there any other options I should be considering with a good brand reputation?

Regards,

Andy.

20 hours ago, The Admiral said:

Just a heads up, they say to write what lead length needed in the notes box, but it wasn't obvious where the box is. I needed to tick a tick-box in order to reveal it.

Ian

Ok, thanks for the tip.

Thanks for the replies. I'm going to order a couple of straps with 2.1mm connection. Just need to get an ASIAIR plus now :-)

On 20/10/2022 at 07:43, The Admiral said:

I've just bought a couple from them. What I liked was that they offer a 2.1mm plug option, which allowed me to plug straight into my ASIAir, and they can provide the lead length needed, so I din't have to have 2m of lead to try to stow neatly. They seem well enough made and they work, though I've only used them once so far. I'd have no hesitation in buying again.

Ian

Great, thats even better if they can provide a shorter lead length.

Hi all,

I found 'Dew Control' heater straps via Google and see they offer a 2.1mm connector, which would be useful as I plan to order an Asiair Plus.

Does anyone use these straps? Would you recommend them?

Regards,

Andy

Hi all,

I'm interested in the Redcat 51 for a portable imaging rig. I'd like to use auto focusing with it and have seen a couple of kits for the scope.

- ProAstroGear Black-CAT Mount - uses an external gear

- Deep Sky Dad EAF Mount - uses an external belt

Does anyone have experience using these kits on the Redcat 51 during freezing conditions? I'm wondering if frost/ice could form on the helical focuser and/or the gear/belt and stop auto focusing from working properly.

I've also looked at the Askar fra300 scope which has a rack and pinion focuser, where I would just remove the focuser knob and attach the motorized unit. So the connection between the motorized unit and telescope focuser would be covered, not on an exposed surface.

Thanks,

Andy

Ah right ok, thanks for confirming that.

Hi everyone,

I haven’t done any imaging for a bit and my PHD2 version is now out of date. So I want to update to the latest version.

Do you just install the new version over the top of the old one, by running the installer?

Will that wipe my existing equipment profiles and settings in PHD2 ?

Thanks,

Andy

2 hours ago, AbsolutelyN said:

Interested to hear more on this for my Esprit 100. I suspect image quality may be pushed a bit with the 80 unless using with a small sensor as the 80 has smaller image circle.

Yes, although I’d be willing to do some cropping if it was just the edges that had issues.

I’m wondering if my Baader filters would work at f3.25.

Also I focus manually, so not sure if that will be difficult at f3.25.

Here’s an Astrobin image from Trevors website. It was taken with the reducer

https://www.astrobin.com/full/m8xy95/0/

Stars look pretty good to the edges.

Hi all,

This new reducer/flattener looks interesting. It's been featured on the AstroBackyard video.

Reducing my Esprit 80 down to f3.25 is very tempting.

Has anyone else seen this? Are you considering getting one?

Good to know the 1.25” will fit. Although having checked the current prices the 1.25” are about 75% of the 36mm cost. So could be worth considering the 36mm.

7 minutes ago, Magnum said:

Annies actions

Interesting. I hadn't heard of Annie's actions before. Looks like they're a no brainer at $15.

Hi everyone,

I'm interested in the Astrodon narrowband 1.25" mounted filters.

Can anyone confirm that they fit in a ZWO EFW?

Andy.

16 hours ago, MartinB said:

I used to use Astronomic 13nm filters but convinced myself that I would be better off with Baader 7nm.  I definitely wasn't wowed by the difference.  Now it seems I must have 3nm.  Well actually, I don't think so.  I've seen comparisons which give hints of improved contrast.  I've been given 7nm and 3nm unprocessed data for comparison and could really see very little difference.

All this brings to mind the sort of discussion you get in HiFi circles where speaker cable costing £1000 per meter "blows away" a cable costing £500.  

Good to hear about the Chroma 3nm pricing though.  

 

I'm particularly interested in comparisons under moonlight. So I'm looking at various forums and sites to find some.

11 hours ago, DavM said:

Hi Andy, at the bottom of the actions palette there is an action called "as layer on top". If you use this after your action, you can use the layers adjustments to control the strength.

I use it all the time!

Dave

38 minutes ago, newbie alert said:

As a add on to David's advice, you can use the layer underneath and use the erasure tool to sharpen what you want..as in the hard lines of contrast

Great, thanks for the advice. That makes sense as I feel the effect is too strong just be applied to the whole image. I'll use layers and eraser/masking to be more selective.

5 hours ago, alan potts said:

it could be temperature drop, it goes from 20 or so down to 10 fairly quickly here.

I find temperature changes make a significant difference. I refocus throughout the night. I did try auto focus, but couldn’t get it to work reliably. I may try again soon as I have a new focuser.