alacant

Hi Lovely shot. I think that with correctly matched dark and flat frames and with each channel containing only one set of data -R contains only R etc.- you'd be able to process the whole of the frame without having to spend time correcting in software. Also best to keep the camera attached at the same angle, thus avoiding edge artefacts which have to be cropped. Here's an in-your-face-shouldn't-be-here lrgb thrash in Siril. You got some great detail:)

Hi Why not just cheat?! Cheers

I'm guessing because I don't know what the serial port looks like on your eq6. I assumed it was that because of this post. If you actually have a 9 pin connector as on the Neq6 and older versions then this one will do it. The more spare cables you have, the less likely the failure of the one you're using;) HTH

What does the serial connection on the mount look like? When diagnosing stuff like this, you need to get hubs and repeater cables out of the way. To eliminate the eqdir cable, plug one end into a usb port on your computer and the other end into the mount. Now try to connect. Any good? If not, this cable just works. Cheers

Hi Leave the lens wide open at iso 1600. If you really do want f5.6, cut a circle out of black card and stick it over the lens. Or use a filter reducing ring e.g. 58 to 46 without the filter. Start at say, 1/250s and gradually increase until you have an orange blob. HTH

Hi The LHS is astigmatism. Assuming the lens sits tightly on the camera and this doesn't happen with other lenses, I don't think there's much you can do. It's gonna cost a small fortune to tear the lens apart and align it. Perhaps better to get a fixed lens. At 200mm, old Takumar and Zeiss examples are available cheaply and have the advantage of being corrected for full frame and so perform well corner to corner over aps-c. HTH

Hi Nice shot. StarTools is definitely the way to go these days. I think maybe you're getting overwhelming stars because you used Develop rather than AutoDevelop for the second pass after Wipe. Or maybe you missed out wipe altogether. The power of StarTools is that your data remains linear with your work held in a database so you can perform processing tasks in any order, but of course missing them out will lead to unusual results. try AutoDev Bin Crop Wipe AutoDev With the second AutoDev the one used to tame the stars. IMHO you have probably overdone the second Dev stage. Post the stack if you like. Cheers and HTH

Yeah, looks good, but no worries. You'll soon be able to take the focuser for granted. Not many PDS users can claim that! If you're gonna get serious and be able to take the rest of the telescope for granted, there are a few other things you may want to consider. To avoid having the camera so far away from the tube, you maybe better off with the GPU cc and add reinforcement -0.7mm aluminium sheet is good- around the tube where the focuser hangs. A longer, wide dovetail with the tube rings further apart will help with tube stability as will a rail along the top to tie the rings. The primary mirror springs need to be replaced with stronger versions with passive springs around the locking screws. To eliminate lateral movement also a good idea to 'glue' the primary mirror to the cell using silicone sealer. It was @laser_jock99 who put me onto all this. I should take no credit. But I do have stable Newtonian reflectors which hold collimation and just work. If I've missed anything, I'm sure he'll check in;) Cheers

I thought it was simply a 1200d with WiFi. Same sensor, same processor... Hence 800...

No. A 1200d.

Hi 800

No, because you'd be in the bar with a cool beer!

Hi I can recommend Ubuntu, especially in its kubuntu guise. The kstars and indi chief developer uses the latter so all the stable versions will run out of the box on any recent Ubuntu distribution. We're currently running kubuntu 20.04 on an old dell portable which sits next to the telescope. You can vnc or ssh into it from anywhere. Or just sit next to it with a pair of binoculars... (like in the good old days it says here!). Our recommendation would be -especially when starting out- not to skimp on the nuc. Give yourself a fighting chance with something decent. After all, you wouldn't run a windows based ascom box on a 2Gb rpi... Cheers and good luck.

Hi Simply focus by looping 1s exposures instead of live view. Cheers

That looks fine. The cc is 'crushing' the star correctly. Try as one may, I don't think it's possible to remove tilt from a SW focuser. Not sure if it's worth getting a proper focuser; correct in software instead. How are you doing for d-shaped stars? Cheers

Hi The correct spacing from the shoulder of the cc is 58mm. The second image shows out of focus d shaped stars. If you can tolerate that, just leave it. Otherwise it's a 5 minute job with a hacksaw to fix it. HTH

I think that's the big advantage of open-source. EKOS has a large user base and we are all involved in development; even if it's simply to request a new feature or that you can see a better way of doing something, or even just saying how well it works, it will receive attention. The coders are astrophotographers like you and I and innovation is high on the list of priorities. Whilst commercial software houses may talk about it, the kstars project actually does it. You only have to look at the recent implementation of SEP multistar guiding to realise how powerful the open-source model is. This spills over to support too. If you have an issue -and you really are sure it's not you being stupid- chances are it will be fixed before your next session or at the very least, a workaround proposed until it is. Cheers **EDIT. BTW, I thought I'd post a view of the EKOS automation screen;)

Mmm. At at over 6cm in diameter, my guess is that it would be quite a bit faster than the op's lenses;) My money is on not being in focus. Don't know whether the FF is a reducer but in any case I think you're gonna need an extension tube to reach focus. Try in daytime on a distant target to get close. A nudge then on the focuser toward the tube should bring you to infinity under the stars. They snap into focus quite abruptly compared with a lens helicoid. HTH

Not really. Flats correct optical irregularities. So long as the camera hasn't been moved and the light path to the same is identical, the iso is irrelevant, especially in this case where we're trying to rescue a set of light frames. Keep it the same if you can of course... Cheers

Which is it? Anyway, use the flat frames which worked. Unless you moved the camera relative the telescope between targets, if they worked for one set of lights they'll work for the other. If you're with a DSLR, lose the dark frames and dither instead. HTH

Hi Why not use EKOS? It automates as SGP, is available under a licence which obviates the need for payment and has support which is verging on PHD2's quality. Set it going at dusk and come back the following morning to get your frames. I don't know why native Windows software is so expensive, but I have a few ideas;) If you don't want to download and install stuff, it is also available as a -one off payment- sbc and yes, if you must, you can connect via windows. Or your 'phone, or a tablet. From the bar, restaurante, night club... Or anywhere there's Internet. Cheers

Unfortunately, they need an optical element to reach infinity, so you lose any advantage. Look instead at the M42 Takumar or Zeiss lenses. The M42 to Eos adapter is purely mechanical. Cheers

Hi Yeah, I'm sure it's doable. To ease the tracking, tilt the plate between the tripod and the base of the telescope mount to match your latitude and point it toward the pole. (Many steps omitted here). But, and IIRC, this makes the whole assembly unstable. Be sure to add weight below to prevent the tripod toppling and to balance the tube at the front against the DSLR. Watch carefully to avoid the camera trying to fit between the fork;) HTH

Getting an 80ed and a heq5. An old ebay flavour 135mm lens for my dslr and a heavy tripod. Cheers

No. Take out the mirror. There are six screws holding the clips which hold the mirror to the cell. In fact they would be better described as screws which prevent the mirror falling out of the cell instead. They should not bear upon the mirror under load from the screws. I believe current wisdom has moved from a cigarette paper gap, via credit card to a sheet of normal printing paper. For solutions as to how to fix the focuser, have a search here. HTH