Space_Plane

Hello!

Came across this new mount recently, hadn't seen it mentioned anywhere before.

Thought it might be of interest.

15 hours ago, Adreneline said:

Thanks Lee - it all worked out quite well really - the Ha data was very good which helped.

Here with a rotated version - you're right, it does look like a skull.

Adrian

When rotated like this, the first thing I've always thought of is the Rolling Stones 40 licks album cover. I can't unsee it 🙂

"40 licks nebula" lol 

On 25/02/2021 at 18:13, michael.h.f.wilkinson said:

As I was using an EQ3-2 mount without guiding, I limited my subs to just 60 seconds, and cranked gain up to 300, just so I could see something on the subs. I think a lower gain would work adequately, but I tried this and it works

Thanks for the info!  Got some subs on the same target myself a few days ago.  Stayed with 60 sec just to test and tried gain 150, seemed a good place to start, but, average results lol.  Maybe next time 😀

Very nice image! 

I've recently got the same camera and with the weather hasn't been out of its box yet. Curious what gain / sub exposure time you used with this setup? 

Thanks! 

Thanks again for all your input, certainly some things to think about.  That IDAS D2 looks interesting, and worth a try, likely much more effective than the l-pro I use.  A lot of my recent images have otherwise been taken with an l-enhance, and I've only done one proper session with it and my new led friends.  I'll post a rough process of that up later if interested, but what started me thinking down this line was the large section of white glare toward the bottom of the image...right above where the led lights are 🙄

Judging by your comments, if I postponed mono, for now, do you think a replacement duo filter with narrower bandpass might be more effective?

Hi all, thanks for your replies / suggestions. 

There are a couple of places in the garden where I can setup that are not directly in the line of sight of the streetlights (albeit limiting my field of view), so unfortunately it is actually their glow I am finding worse.  It is quite a main road in front of my house, and as such they are taller and much brighter than the more "residential" led lights in the streets behind, which I cannot really see at all.  They also face outward at a slight angle, and not fully downward, which seems to make it worse.

Is the general consensus then that they are not effectively "filter-able", via mono/narrowband or otherwise?  Shall reconsider contacting the powers that be, but I suspect it'll be a waste of my time!

Thanks again

Hello hello, 

Have quite enjoyed tinkering away at imaging the last few years, especially as a distraction during lockdown etc, but recently the council have decided to install ludicrously bright led streetlights all along my street. Where once I had a fairly dark and usable back garden, now I have 3+ floodlights staring down at it (they also saw fit to change the lights physical position).

I image with osc, have been considering mono for a while, but it would require significant outlay. Is it + narrowband filters of ANY help whatsoever with led lights? Or is it just a lost cause? There are so many I don't think there's any point contacting them about it. 

Alternatively any good filters for osc that anyone has found particularly effective against leds?

Any thoughts welcome!

Cheers

Hi, wow, greatly appreciate all your comments & suggestions!

  @MarkAR, @callisto, @Victor Boesen, I'd certainly like to get more data on it, clear nights are fairly rare where I'm at, and I tend to keep trying for new targets.  I'm quite near the sea, with houses on all sides, sometimes even on the clearest of nights the clouds roll in almost instantly!  I'll absolutely try and add more to it and experiment with longer exposures if I get the chance 👍

@vlaiv, I've read those Helios lenses are good, I almost grabbed one myself last year.  I really enjoy using this setup, so I hope it all works out for you when you get it pieced together!  Look forward to seeing the results 🙂

Thanks again

Hi all,

Results from a quick session on the Veil Nebula from a few weeks back.  Have been trying to capture this target for years and never managed anything that even vaguely resembles it. 

This image is certainly not perfect, but its the best I've ever produced lol.  Any comments & suggestions welcome!

Vintage SMC Pentax 85mm lens @ F/2.8

ZWO 178MC-Cool + L-enhance

AZ-GTi in EQ mode

75 x 60 sec exposures

Stacked with DSS, basic processing in PS

Have never yet managed a total exposure longer than this on any target, whether its clouds, bad tracking or needing sleep 🙂  Someday!

Thanks for looking

Hi @DaveS, @Gina, @rotatux,

Thanks very much for your additional info & comments regarding focus / step down, shall keep them in mind!  Certainly good to know in the end that the lens might not be a complete waste if used with mono.

Look forward to testing it with what I have, got to figure out some more adapters etc first and take it from there 🙂

Cheers

Chris

Hi Ciaran, many thanks for your reply.  Your images look great!

The lens is an SMC Pentax 135mm F/2.5 (K-mount), and truthfully I was expecting a bit better from it lol.

The gif above was at ~ F/3.6 using step-down rings infront of the lens, but I tried it systematically all the way down to F/8.  It really didn't improve it all that much, but even if it had, I wouldn't overly want to bother using it that slow.

Hopefully the lens doesn't have any other serious problems, hard to tell with the focus issues, but good to know it could potentially work better with mono, thanks for that 👍 

I've already wasted one rare clear night experimenting with this, so it looks like it could be more!  The only mono camera I have (currently) is a little 120mm-mini, so I'm going to rig some sort of frankenstein's monster of an adapter to use it with this lens, before I would consider any further purchases!

Thanks again

Chris

Hi all,

Was hoping for some quick info / opinions on taking e.g. H-alpha frames with a mono camera, but using a vintage lens.  Does it work well?  Any focus issues / general problems?  Advice?  Examples? etc etc 😀

I ask as i've been experimenting with a vintage pentax 135mm lens, but using an OSC cooled camera. 

I got less than useful results with both an l-enhance / l-pro filter, failing completely to get all channels to focus together, no matter what.  

See attached gif cycling between blue and red channels.  Does using mono / narrowband "sidestep" this issue, as i'm no longer trying to focus 3 colours?

Hope that makes sense!

Cheers

Chris

Hello hello!

Some short sessions over the last few months, mainly without proper astro darkness.

Each image is 75 x 60sec exposures, Bortle ~6 with "lovely" led streetlights all around.

Shot using an old Pentax-M 85mm @ f/2.8, a ZWO 178mc-cool and an l-enhance, aboard an AZ-GTi in EQ mode.

Lots of issues abound, so pixel peeping these will make you nauseous lol, but please all C&C welcome, always looking to improve!

Thanks 🙂

Hi Rich, 

Stumbled across this the other day on CN, a user there seems to have essentially written a book on pixinsight, maybe it'll have some helpful info? 🙂

https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/680910-new-update-to-my-pixinsight-process-flow-posted-its-a-book-now/

Chris

Certainly a strange one! From memory it was occurring no matter the exposure, 10, 30 or 60 seconds, and I wasn't guiding either.

I see some minor diffraction spikes on the bigger stars from being stopped down a bit and oddly they don't seem obviously triangular.

I'm out of ideas anyway, no clear nights for a while for any more tests, and I don't assume I can fix pinched optics in a lens 😐

Thanks again for your input. 

Many thanks @michael8554, I've attached one of the preview subs from that session, auto-stretched straight from the ASIair.  Its a bit lower resolution but its particularly noticeable in certain areas.  I can upload some of the .fit files later if you think that might help?

Thanks

Chris

Thanks Roland, yes, it was bought new only a few days ago, 85mm F/1.4 AS IF UMC (if any of that helps!) Manual Focus.

I was quite disappointed lol, I'm hoping its just something I'm doing wrong, but I've used multiple other (and much heavier) lenses with exactly the same setup and haven't had any issues like this 🤷‍♂️

Hi,

Recently got a new Samyang 85mm 1.4, and as luck would have it, had a clear night to experiment with it on my asi178, attached via geoptik adapter. 

Did a quick smash and grab on andromeda after taking dozens of different exposures testing focus and how far to step the lens down.  I'm relatively confident my PA & tracking etc weren't "too" bad. 

The attached png of the stack is 20x1min at f2.8, with nothing more than a crop at the edges and 1 set of levels to make the issue more obvious. Best focus I could get was just shy of infinity. 

All the stars are triangles! 🤣

Any ideas? 😀

Chris

Thanks  for that vlaiv, was an interesting read (google translate helped me out a bit 😀 )

Certainly gives me lots to consider, and typically the lens has increased in price in a "sale" lol, so I have time yet to continue my research!

Many thanks for the input everyone.

I was never 100% sure vlaiv if a smaller sensor kindof, sits in the middle / "best" part of a lens and only the bigger sensors receive the worst of the aberrations at the edges, or whether the lens acts like a funnel and all sensors get all aberrations regardless of size.  Fascinating 🙂

Do you remember where you saw some test shots?  I quite like the idea of it for the price, but the combination results in 5.82"/ px.  Wasn't sure how badly that would affect images, maybe things would be a bit, blocky?

Thanks again!

Hi all,

I have recently been looking at the Samyang 85mm and considering using it with an ASI 178.  Has anybody got any experience with it? 

I know the 135mm is rather famous and well regarded, unfortunately also twice the price 😀 

Thought this lens might be worth a try for the slightly wider fov and hilarious f ratio, and hoped maybe the tiny chip on the 178 might "skip" the worst of any potential edge of field aberrations? (if i understand that correctly).

Cheers

Chris

Hi @ZBOYD,

Thanks very much indeed for the detailed info & photos, it's exceptionally helpful! 

I'll certainly be looking into this asap. 

Clear skies! 

Hi @ZBOYD, mind if I ask what tube rings you're using with the 72 EDR?  I have the same scope, and have never been 100% sure what ones would work!

Would love to get my hands on the AZ GTi when its back in stock, and these would certainly help.

Cheers!

Hi Punchy,

I've just recently bought the Neewer RA finder, in the hope of using it with the Star Adventurer.  This looks absolutely great!

After a bit of searching i've located a fairly local place that does 3d printing, hopefully be able to get it sorted.

Many thanks & good work!

Hi Mike, 

Thanks again for taking the time to post more images, greatly appreciated!

As davy says, looks like it could be very tight with a 6" newt, even though it should hold the weight. 

Very tempted to order one at some point and see! 

Cheers