alacant

7331 crosses here just after 23:00 (22:00 UK?) when it's almost directly overhead. Wait until then perhaps? The sky seems to get more stable as the night goes on anyway.

Hi. I had a go last year with an old 6" f8 doublet. With a reflector -no need for correctors- I think it should pull more detail. One way to find out I suppose...

Excellent! I think if you took down the red a bit, it would be perfect. Oh, and how about having a go with your longer reflector? May get in a bit closer. Anyway, you've given me inspiration for my next target(s); must have a try with my 150 f8... Cheers and clear skies.

Hi. Yes. You're too close top right and too far away bottom left. Choose a corner, place the star there and get it round using the tilt adjusters. If you get one corner right, the other should fall correctly too. But be warned; it's difficult to put the camera into the 130pds focuser square. The situation is marginally improved by drilling and tapping for a third thumb screw to compliment the two already present. HTH.

Hi. If you can find a dark-ish place, you could use a fake star. HTH.

I'd risk another 50 quid on 10-1 shot, ngc7331.

? Does that mean led is good? TIA

Excellent effort. Even here at 38N it's a challenge, so from UK to get anywhere near is amazing.

Excellent. And not an ed80 on heq5 in sight!

Hi. Have you tried PHD2's PPEC? Set it to begin at whatever pecprep indicated as the biggest -as in most intrusive- PE and allow it to home in over a worm cycle or two. HTH.

Yes. There's a discussion on the st forum. Ivo doesn't want to second guess with an are you sure, so we must be careful. I think it's something you only do once though!

Ah, glad I got that right! Trying to imagine where it is for you at UK latitudes. I think the bubble will be higher for you whereas m8 would be higher for me...(?) I would be. Excellent shot. It also stands up to enlarging. I can id the bubble and the cluster but what's the nebula toward the bottom?

Suggest vica versa? Certainly from here, the lagoon would be too low after the bubble was at a decent altitude. HTH.

Hi. I don't agree with that (sales talk?). I have a dslr which cost far less than half that; it works fine for deep sky stuff. +1. Start with just a camera. HTH, clear skies and good luck.

Look at the photo -it's fine- NOT the guiding graph!

10'?

Hi. When you have it as good as possible, offset the polar alignment by say, 10º in AZ. DEC then drifts and has to be corrected, but in one direction only. The motor always turns the same way for the correction; no backlash. Works as close to the pole as ngc2403, haven't tried closer -I don't think there is anything. HTH.

+1. BUT just a heads up that before the OP corrects the collimation, he should take flat frames with the existing collimation, otherwise the 'light patch' will not coincide. HTH.

Hi. I believe we know why that is. However, before you correct that, take flats AS IT IS to help correct this image. HTH.

Hi. OK, hang the camera on the laser then. If the beam stays put, you're fine.

Hi. I think you have to be more systematic. Again, JTOL, things you can try whilst it's still cloudy: Does the collimation change as you tilt the telescope tube? Does the collimation change if you hang a weight the equivalent of your camera on the Cheshire? Is the primary fixed in its cell or does it float from side to side? Does the primary have strong enough springs to hold it for ap? Is the secondary correctly aligned for twist and tilt? Does the secondary move when the tube is tilted? Is the secondary spider centred in the tube? Does the collimation show the correct offset whilst looking through the Cheshire? HTH.

Hi. I think so and/or tilt although it doesn't show the FWOABW light leak I mentioned. Maybe just my inadequate processing. Here's the master flat showing the tilt... HTH.

Hi. How does -the stretched- master flat frame look? That may help us diagnose moon or not...

Here's a quick look at your stack with StarTools in big-hammer mode There is colour... I think the main problem is gonna be the gradient bottom left to top right and what could be a light leak top centre. Certainly doable though HTH.

Amazing. Just imagine if you took 2 and stacked them. Almost twice as good; take loadsa snaps, stack them and see how the image improves. HTH.