spillage

Do I smell a wind up going on here?

TBH I am sure my PA is out, focus  is out, I probably have cone error and balance isses on top of this I am sure I need to re-tune the worm gears again. In fact I really need to do a hypertune. You just know the minute you start stripping things down the cloud clears.

PA is out as well. I am just playing around with the gain/offset and exposure times to see what is best for me. It definitely a lrf. Once I am happy with the camera settings and sorted out the calibration frames I will pull my socks up and pay more attention. Going from the dslr to dedicated is a bit of a learning curve for me. Even using live view took a while to sort 

@richyrich_one ASI1600mm. Just updated my sig.

I should reply that I am manually focusing for every filter/temperature change. In reality its using my home made bahtinov mask (cornflake box) and live view in apt at the beginning of the night then leaving it at that. I am looking at getting autofocus for the 130 for my next purchase.

Thanks @richyrich_one I am really struggling with my flats and darks but as soon as this is sorted I can start to improve things and remove the rubbish out of my images.

The sky is looking poor tonight so I may have another go at my calibration frames. I got another few hours out of the rosette last night but my alarm failed to go off at 0230 so also ended up with few hours of data to bin due to the flip. So might add this extra to my attempts.

Just a quick and dirty go at the horse head. No flats, No darks, No bias just 10 lights (180s) stuck into DSS and a quick develop in startools. I really need to get my calibration data sorted.

spill

I would say that if you move your eye towards the front/back then put a bit of packing at the front/back accordingly.

Did your measure the holes diameter for the focuser divided by 2 plus the measurement from the edge of the scope to the start of the hole. Just wondering if the focuser needs moving forwards? its been a while since I have stripped mine and cannot remember how much movement you have.

3 hours ago, Spaced Out said:

Every time I have rebuilt the scope I have carefully centred the focuser the best I can using the 3 collimation screws. I am wondering if there are further tilt adjustments available for the focuser/focuser tube to line it up perfectly with the secondary ? There are few more allen screws on the bottom of the focuser but not sure what they all do tbh !

I have not got access to my 130 but my 150 has only 3 allen screw on the focuser. Have you worked out the orientation of the issue.

If you know which side of the focuser is giving the issue then:

I would be tempted to take all three grub screws out to the point that they do not make any adjustments so you are at point zero, undo the focuser and maybe using the plastic from a milk container pack one side out with a couple of slithers and see it it makes it better or worse. Try all four sides and if that make no difference then make adjustments on the grub screws.

Just one more thought, have you tried rotating the veins around??

spill.

I had fun with mine, it ended up feeling like a rubix cube. I got things close so stripped to add spacers then could not figure out how the bits went back.

I ended up buying a t2 extension set from ebay for about £12 and now have the correct spacing.

spill.

First time mono with my 130pds, asi1600.

15 sec exposure at unity. Messed up and my focus was out and my L,Ha,O111 and S11 failed.

R x 20

G x 20

B x 20

Flats, Bias but no flats.

3 hours ago, Uranium235 said:

just don't try touching it with bare hands or licking it...lol

 Haha, I used to work in a -24 warehouse. Lost count the amount of times I put my pencil in my mouth and got it stuck. Or ran in without my cold gear to do a stock count only to find my biro had frozen

I keep my scope outside so do not really need any cool down time and it does look quite cool in its silver jacket..

@sagramore sorry might be me...just brought some new kit. It has allowed me to lag my 130 so fingers crossed I get to try it all out.

I have one of these compression rings and have added an extra screw.

I would strip it down flock it, put it back together and get everything right and then look at doing the focus tube after re-testing.

I think maybe this got a bit mixed up as I do not think I ever mentioned anything about back focus to the sensor, only retaining the full movement of the original length of the focus tube. I guess if I ever come to sell it then I have not made any alterations that will effect its use from as new. If that makes sense.

May I am being stupid. My cc connects to the T2 ring, the T2 ring has not being moved doing this as the cc sits inside the T2 ring and this sits on  the focus tube. I am sure that I have not need to drastically move the focus by using the cc.

I guess I have the baader so maybe this is why?

I would like to add that yes my was is more difficulty then just taking a bit from the bottom of the tube but you do ensure that if you do remove too much then you still have a fully functional tube. I have a second hand 150pds where the previous owner butchered the tube.

8 minutes ago, Adam J said:

It will not cause an issue, the back focus from the coma corrector remains exactly the same at 55mm so you need spacers between the coma corrector and the camera anyway.

Sorry not really sure how using a comma corrector has anything to do with the focus tube entering the light path.

Have a go at this mod:

Please do not chop of a bit from the end of the focus tube as if you change your camera this can cause issue. You can remove a square front and back leaving the sides of the tube intact to still enable you to get full movement from the focuser. I will post up an image tomorrow when I find it.

Have you tried to cut out a circle the same diameter of the scope, fold in half and half again and just cut of the tip of this. Place it over you scope and make sure the centre screw of the secondary is central. I would also recheck that the secondary is central to the focuser using you collimation cap.  Your last image to me shows some veins (top) seem a bit bent???

I would suggest using the nikon t2 with a 2" nose adaptor, I think you are too far out with the 1 1/4".

I always leave everything set up and never move it. Also I am slightly lazy. I have to do collimation so will do the flats afterwards.

@Adam J

Thanks for the info. I have just seen your reply to my other post as I was not sure where the problem was with my images. I did not process this until last night (images gathered on Wednesday) when I realized I only had flats for the 150 and did not have time to get any 130 flats I just used what I had. 

I did think that as long as nothing is moved or changed in the image train then you can reuse flats.

If I get time this evening I will re-do my collimation and run off some flats.

Cheers

Spill.

NGC6992.

Taken with my 500d, It is looking like collimation is out and so heavily cropped. 

No darks just lights, bias, flats. Flats were from my 150pds as I have not got round to sorting out ones for the 130.

20 x 300 iso800

DSS and just Startools, no gimp or photoshop.

Room for improvement and needs more lights.

I run eqmod through my computer which allows me to use phd2 for guiding. 

Guiding can be done with a converted finderscope or something like a st80 or a off-axis guider (oag)

This has a guide cam which is attached to the pc and phd2 then keeps the mount in position using a star by sending instruction to the mount motors.

hth

Spill.