newbie alert

I'd say it looks more like the RS, the RT has a 1.25 focuser  the RS comes with a 2 inch .. I needed the 2 inch focuser version as I intend to do the pst mod with it but wanted to look at the moon first, I wasn't disappointed..great contrast 

40 minutes ago, StarDodger said:

PhD will run on the rpi yes, but has to be started first in sever mode, then controlled from within Kstars, if you run Kstars then there is no need to anything else....IMO, but Apt will not work with INdI, not sure about SGP...

Just been looking, Kstars, ekos looks really good..

Got a R-pi coming next week

4 minutes ago, StarDodger said:

I use an rpi3b+ for my full imaging set up, it does it all, I use the Stellarmate OS and use it as a sever on my mount, all kit connected to it, and Kstars runs on a pc indoors and connects wirelessly to the rpi for full controll of equipment,  very stable and non of the inherent USB and COM issues that you get with Ascom....it just seems to work, and one pieces of software, namely Kstars that does the lot..

You can run Kstars on a windows PC, there is a windows version, it’s just INdI that has to be Linux or Mac...so using the rpi and an INdI server and Kstars on a windows PC is a good choice for you.. HTH...

That sounds great..I have issues atm of ascom crashing and unrecognised com ports , thought it was just me..sounds like just the thing im after, things that just work..

So you can run phd on kstars, can you use things like SGP and APT?  I'm quite computer illiterate, but my daughter's boyfriend works for raspberry Pi, but has no astro knowledge.. 

I can see this is an old post but what's everyone's back focus distance on their esprit 80,seen lots of different ones from 55 to 75mm..I'm talking about the distance from the flat part of the flattener to sensor..

I'm really interested in using the Pi,  without really understanding what I can use it for..I understand it has to be on linex as it's not compatible with windows(yet)  so I take it can be used for guiding,  data transfer etc with the kstars program .. anyone wish to chip in with how they're using it with theirs please?

Stunning

3 hours ago, MarsG76 said:

So according to you, would you say that the 618C pixel size (5.6um)  is better suited for a f10 8" SCT? 

I'm no pixel expert but seen a few great images done with a zwo 224 with 3.75um pixels 

I use a 236m on a 8 inch sct, it's a ok camera but always felt it's not an ideal match , maybe the pixels are too small for the focal length..it's great on the moon.. it's mainly used for guiding on my deep sky scope, a bit of planetary (although they're far too low atm) and some solar work..so it gets used as a allrounder 

Hope it's not a myth for a friend's sake..

Shouldn't be too long now before he recieves it.. but I'm sure he said that last month 

 In my and other peoples opinion to maximize your photons captured mono does win hands down, either on planetary or deep sky....

As for rotation I only ever see effects of rotation on Jupiter and mars.. with rapid frame rate camera's you can get a fair few frames captured in a 30 sec avi, so even all 4 channels can be captured in a short space of time .. look at what the top planetary imagers are doing..Christopher go,Damien peach etc they all use mono cameras..

While it's true that you can get a decent image from a colour camera, you be able to get a better image from a mono one..

I'd have a 9.25 over a 8 inch any day..

The 9.25 is the sweet spot for uk skies they say..

On 21/06/2019 at 09:59, CraigT82 said:

Any reasons why mono wins hands down?

Nice cropping..

If you read the bit before it says to maximise your photons captured ..

A Bayer matrix has a group of 4 pixels to shoot through.. rggb usually so a red or blue wavelengths aren't going to be red or blue once they hit the sensor.. 

As a 11 year old he knows far more than me..fantastic and a inspiratation to us all.. well done that lad..

Are all the stars like it or is it a certain part of the frame..

For getting maximum out of your photon capture, mono wins hands down

3 hours ago, Stu said:

As Ricochet has said, with white light solar you are observing right across the spectrum and will see chromatic aberration if using a fast achro. Using a narrownband filter such as a continuum, you can pretty much eliminate this by only viewing in one tight band pass of green light.

I actually think that spherical aberration is the more significant issue as this can really kill detail at higher powers. That is one of the key reasons I use a decent Apo for white light solar, but something like one of the 102mm f11 clones would do an excellent job too, SA much better controlled and any CA can be removed with a filter.

Thanks for the explanation..

Have I missed something as I thought imaging/ viewing the sun you're looking at 1 wavelength so a simple achromat is just as good as a triplet or a quad or whatever..  a lunt is a achromat for a example..

Very nice, my favourite part of the veil.. what was your equipment as some of your stars have spikes, others don't..

Amazing image from my favourite part of the veil..

Very good for 60 sec subs

Fantastic image..

Must admit to not knowing the scope or mount, the scope stats look amazing, can't find any info on the mount thou

Payload I think

2022 Jupiter is at 40 degrees, Saturn not quite degrees

15 hours ago, MultumInParvo said:

And we've never been seen in the same place at the same time...

Have you started a build yet or just gathering info? 

Not as yet...still very much in the planning stage.. I've sourced something for the pier, sort of found out what size it needs to be and a friend has given me some info on his build

Where abouts are you in Kent?

Frame to gauge size

I'm sort of in the same boat with sort of similar kit, and in Kent.. spooky 

2 hours ago, zerovalve said:

Hi guys im new here and new to astronomy.

I recently got the Skywatcher HEQ5 Pro mount and I am trying to polar align it. From watching tutorials I see people with polar scopes with the big dipper on the reticle but my scope only has octans and it does not have a circle for where polaris should go. It only has crosshairs with 0,3,6, and 9 on it with 3 circles. I read somewhere that this year polaris should be in the middle of the 3 circles. So I do the following:

    1. Have the mount pointing roughly north and level the tripod. Then attach the mount head.

    2.  Once the head is mounted I then tilt my dec so I can see out the polar scope and use the bolts to get polaris roughly in the circles .

    3. Turn the RA so 0 on the polar reticle is pointing up.

    4. According to my synscan it says polaris should be at 10.17.

       So I position Polaris on my polar scope to roughly 10 and a little bit more to make up for the 17 mins.

    5. Then do a 2 star alignment.

       First star is way off and second star is also way off. Once I find and center the stars and complete alignment I try to slew to an object. The object is way off again.

 

What am I doing wrong. Do the setting circles on my mount have to be aligned also?? Is it because my polar alignment is terrible?? How do I improve it??

 

Thanks in advance. Spent all night out and still no improvement.

 

First of all star alignment and polar alignment are completely different things.. star alignment is for your pointing accuracy,  the first star is always out as you not told the mount where it is yet..perfectly normal.. Are you sort of putting the star in the center of the eyepeice? A cross haired reticle will be more precise..

Getting back to polar alignment, your polar scope may need collimating..most do ..not too sure on what it's showing as Octans is for southern hemisphere....most have both thou..  as is shown here