FrenchyArnaud

Actually that is not as ludicrous as it sounds, a 60D can be found under £150 : how much could I resell the 50D if I mod it, considering it has a grip, 2 new batteries, low shutter and a remote...? That's something I need to investigate. Pretty sure that for the resell price of the 50D and the 450D combined, I can find her a decent 60D or maybe even a 70D body only 😇 And I still would upgrade my 450D to a 600D in the process...

For those on a budget searching what a cheap dslr will return when modded... My most difficult target to date, the Bubble Nebula NGC7635; heavily cropped. 2h total integration (would surely require another 2h+) L=14x180s+5x240s+12x300s, B=20, D=10, F=20, DF=20 SW130PDS - CG5gt - 450D modded+CC+CLS, guide altair ASI120mm+ guidescope altair 60mm, NINA. From Backyard in Bournemouth, UK, Borttle6.

Hi guys! Maybe some of you will remember that some time ago, I bought a battered 450D and converted it to full spect. myself - I was pretty proud of myself for that. Searching for an upgrade on this 450D who has seen better days, I bought a very decent fully functional 50D with low shutter count for pocket money - thinking that the sensor upgrade would be a nice project. But here is the thing: the GF uses my old 600D (since I myself upgraded to a 70D) and as the astromod of the 600D does not require soldering (which the 50D does) and the 50D has a much better FPS, I am wondering if it would not make more sense to give her the 50D and mod the 600D (then get rid of the 450D modded if anyone is interested) Or does it make sense to go on with the original plan to mod the 50D? As I want to upgrade on the 450D but I don't want the GF to "downgrade" in the process. All thoughts and input welcome! 3 pics taken with the 450D modded for tax (450Da+CC+CLS+130PDS+CG5-GT+Nina, all from Bournemouth UK, borttle 6)

Damned, I JUST did bag up! If I had seen your message 30mins ago, I would have taken pics/videos... I do a full presentation next time it's up, promise. Which will be next time I have a sky, can be tomorrow or in 6 months, who tf knows

Ok, so here is the verdict: (drum roll....) You can't. There is no way. I have however after a bit of fiddling figured a solution that proves as good as, and reliable : a good USB splitter and a very, very long USB cable. The splitter is on the mount side and is connected to guide camera, dslr and HC (via serial/usb adaptor), and the splitter itself is plugged on a massive USB extension cable. Unfortunately, there is no way to do without the HC, HOWEVER having only the usb extension to pull inside, up to the office (15 meters) is much less of a hassle than trying to extend everything including that pesky phone cable. It must be noted though that as it turns out, it is really imperative to have a "good" splitter (branded, USB3.0) and a "good" cable, properly insulated as the cheap ones I first tried gave me poor, unstable connections with data loss and corruptions (especially as I send the DSLR pictures directly to the computer, not using a SD card). My theory is that cheap ones are more prone to interferences.

Ok, so after HOURS of digging, googling and reading the doc... Nope, not possible directly. It looks like a big oversight to me from the devs, I am dropping them an email. I am left with two choices : 1) as suggested, dithering on every frame and set a settle time for the mount that is much more than needed; 2) switch to APT. I am installing APT and will try both as soon as I have a tiny bit of a pretend of a sky - we are closing in on a month with 100% overcast so I have no idea when that will be! EDIT - After a quick chat with the devs, I learnt that the sequencer has been upgraded for this in the V2 currently beta, which I will test immediately! When the beta becomes main, the sequencer should therefore allow precisely that.

Hi all! I am experimenting with NINA and plate solving and the whole thing is very, very compelling. However, as I use a stock DSLR I would love to be able to set an interval in between frames so that my DSLR sensor can cool a bit and the shutter is not battered. Like, 150 seconds expo, 20seconds cooling, 150 seconds expo etc. I have been unable to find how to do that? Considering a £6 intervalometer can do it, I am sure it's possible but I can't figure it. Anyone knows? Thanks!

Hi all! Waiting for the day I can afford to upgrade, I use a Celestron CG5GT. Now, I am slowly coming to terms with all the softwares and connections to have it handled from the comfort of my office. However, that's miles of electrical spaghetti I am now trying to simplify. On the CG5, the connection to the computer / stellarium works by plugging an st4 with com port on the HC then onto a com>usb adapter. So it gives mount>st4>hand controller>st4>adapter to usb>laptop. Considering that the HC is totally redundant, is it possible to simply go mount>cable>computer?

Hi guys, I have not posted here for a loooong time... As I am, after a long break, returning to AP, the Skywatcher 130PDS is out and about again! However, I have a minor problem with dew, which will soon likely turn in a problem with frost. I am struggling to find a definitive solution, ideally a ready made heating kit for primary/secondary. I considered a shield but it occured to me that the tube is already a shield for the primary and it still fogs up. Anyone knows of a proper solution that would allow both mirrors to stay actually dry and bright? Thanks, Arnaud. My latest image for tax (DSLR, coma corrector and CLS filter, celestron Advanced GT, 130PDS, bortle 7)