adyj1

Another +1 for APT, but haven't tried BYEOS.

Well, firstly well done for getting something, and you are starting to get some nebulosity around the sisters... We all suffer from those 'forgot to charge', 'didn't set up correctly', 'forgot to take the bahtinov mask off' moments, and it is worse if you don't find out until after the session! You've made a good start and you will get better the more you do it.

Good luck!

I like this - I've been adopting the 'half-exposure length' approach without thinking about optimising this based on actual exif temperatures... This way is a bit more scientific. ☺

Yes, thanks for the prize, hopefully the suggestions were useful.

Sounds like you had a great experience, @tomato. It's great you got 3 clear nights!

Carol, thank you - I appreciate you can't guarantee it's the right one, but your guess is better than mine Oh, and thanks to @RolandKoltoo (I'll do it for you, on my smartphone a list pops up as soon as I type @ and start typing letters...) Ady

No problem - thanks for checking. Ady

That is a very simple-looking solution. I don't suppose you have a link? There's so many to choose from... Thanks

That does look better. What tutorial did you use?

@ollypenrice, we're both in agreement then. If there's any way you can afford to buy an heq5, then get one. If all you can afford is a second-hand eq5 then buy that - even though that will mean you'll end up "buying twice" if you are lucky enough to find the extra money in years to come. 2nd-hand HEQ5 prices are proportionally higher than EQ5 2nd-hand prices because of this very reason - and when HEQ5s do come on the market that are quickly snapped up. (ironically another good reason to get an HEQ5!), so finding a 2nd hand HEQ5 at the right price a bit of a challenge. I intended my post to say 'buy an EQ5 if that's all you can afford". I can see I never explicitly said 2nd-hand EQ5, and I suppose in my mind (small as it is) this was obvious,as that is that is the' limited budget' world in which many of us live. Your post with more words makes more sense - don't buy twice if you can avoid it. I apologise for overreacting - I should have asked for clarification before replying, it's just that I see the sort of 'don't bother of you can't afford the good stuff' message keep cropping up (which you've clarified you never said). Yours humbly Ady

@ollypenrice Olly, if people buy an EQ5 in the full knowledge that it isn't as good as a HEQ5, it is because they can't afford it. The advice so far has been to get an HEQ5 if you can at all afford it, but if not go with the EQ5. You're telling the OP not to bother with AP if he can't afford the more expensive mount, which I find very elitist. I value your expert advice on many things, but I respectfully but strongly disagree this time. Ady (with an EQ5 if that isn't already obvious. I've had it for two years, and am quite happy with the level of AP I have achieved)

It all relates to budget and OTA. As @catburglarsays, you *can* achieve what I would consider an acceptable level of long exposures with an EQ5. I get 120s unguided. If you can afford a bigger mount, of course you'd upgrade that first, but if finding an extra £200+ means waiting for longer than you'd like, then go for the EQ5 now. A decent EQ5 will sell when you finally get the funds/win the lottery and can upgrade, so it isn't exactly wasting your money... As @almclposted@almclposted, don't overload it, though. I use a 150pds and am happy, but can't use the st80 guide scope setup. That will have to wait until I upgrade... Ady

Peter, just to let you know, we all have to click the here in your post to find out where you've recommended... It's almost like it's a link to 'Anonomiser' not 'Astronomiser' (I'll get me coat...) Juan at cheapastrophotography did mine (and many others.) Both sites are well regarded on these forums. Ady

Stu, how much eyepiece 'neck' does the NexYZ need to be able to clamp on to? Some of my eyepieces (particularly the higher mag ones*) are quite short. Ady * get me, with "higher mag eyepieces" - I mean the 6mm one