RolandKol

Hi guys, LED Streetlights were installed on the road next to my garden and.... Of course, they are not shaded, so my garden and even further neighbors gardens are strongly lit. Without any serious expectations I dropped a short email to the local council, however, they even called me today (only 3 days later) asking to clarify more details. Lady, Environmental Protection Technician, who spoke to me, was kind and was sure LED lights bring only benefits, she agreed to some of my statements about Light Pollution and asked me to describe the negative impacts in the email, so she would be able to forward the issue to the higher entities/authorities. I am not a native English speaker and struggle to express myself properly in official manner and hope you guys will help me out to draft one. Further more, - we could create a standard letter/email which would help others in this field. You can see the email text I received after our telephone conversation (as I understand she copied and pasted most of it from the council's website). I will start drafting my answer in the post below and hope some ideas and help from you guys. ********************* It was lovely to speak to you earlier and to clarify the concerns which you raised due to the scattering of light from these LED which disturb the environment of nocturnal wildlife. We both agree on the benefits of LED lighting. I have included excerpts from the Medway Council Website below:- Benefits of LED lanterns The benefits to residents include: reducing the amount of money spent on electricity per year less glare and intrusion into homes saving roughly 50% in energy less maintenance work improved visibility with a white light easier to see colours making it safer for residents driving, walking or cycling improved safety to residents The new lanterns are better for the environment as they: use less electricity than other lamps or bulbs have less light spillage with lights directed towards the pavement to create better environment for wildlife produce less carbon emissions reduce light pollution and sky glow work well in hot and cold environments have longer lives compared to traditional lights light up immediately I would be grateful if you could send photographs of the light scattering from the LED lights on your street which affect your home. Yours Sincerely, Environmental Protection Technician

Hi Mate, yes, as @alacant it is a dust. And no, it is most likely not on your sensor and most likely not even close to it... Usually (but not always), the dust on the sensor is very dark and usually very small (unless extremely dirty), yours looks like the dust on the filter if you use any. You can calculate the distance of the dust from the sensor using the formula as per description in the link below.

Hi guys, I need a small advise... Planning to upgrade from my Skywatcher 130PDS to iOptron Photron 8" Ritchey-Chrétien... Will sit on NEQ6, guided via OAG. Shooting will done via ASI1600M-pro... Strange, but I could not find almost any info online in relation.... Questions: 1) Could not find any reducer for this scope, - are there any? 2) Does this particular Photron needs any type of corrector? 3) Colimation - any special tools? or I can use the same Cheshire from Newtonian? 4) Saw quite a lot "fat" stars online via RC... is it scope specific or just newbie processing mistake? 5) if not iOptron, - what about GSO or TS-Optics or something? Or simply/painfully cash out for EdgeHD8/9.25.... P.S. Shooting DSO mainly....

It sounds like you checking LCD on the Canon while focusing... If I am correct, try NINA or APT software, so you will have Live View on the Laptop with Bigger screen and proper Zoom, - software also has Bahtinov aids (focusing aids), which will give you some values of sharpness to support your viewing.

not sure, maybe I missed the advise I am willing to give as you had quite a lot already, but here are extra 2p from me simply cut/3d print/or buy the Bahtinov mask. I noticed your images got sharper and sharper, - so you are already getting towards correct focus, but Bahtinov mask or just a simple Y mask will help a lot! During post processing, learn to shrink stars a bit, - and do not over sharpen. P.S. really nice data for a start!

personal note: Full ZWO setup mentioned above with 1.5mm delring (not 1mm, - mistake above) from CC to Camera body = 51mm overall back focus was 57.5mm

Hi guys, any advise will do! P.S. Focuser circumcised (-1cm)... cannot try GPU CC.

Hi guys, was away from astro imaging for a while. Once back, - decided to combat my Coma illness... Need advise as simply do not know if I can try something else. Images attached, are with 1mm spacer. Imaging train: 130PDS, SW coma corrector (0.9 reducer), T2 extender 11mm , 16.5mm M42-M48 extender, 1mm Baader Delrin spacer, 20mm ZWO FilterWheel, ZWO ASI 1600MM-pro CCD distance 6.5 = total 57mm and 56mm without 1mm Spacer. SW Coma Corrector states it needs 55mm, filters in the EFW add up around 1mm into the focal path, - ideal spot should be around 56mm. 56mm and 57mm clearly do not work... (will try 58 tonight...) how to get to the lower end ? I mean to 55mm, so I could test 55.5-56mm with Delrin spacers. Are there any 9mm T2 extenders? Further more... I am not sure if I have collimated it close enough... I flocked the scope, so had to remove focuser and both mirrors... Maybe focuser is tilted... Secondary may be slightly off.... kinda.... lots of done... raw, 120sec H sub frame_and_focus_85.fit

My Sincere apologies for the target chosen... But I am really happy I was never able to hunt this one down since I started 3 years ago Cannot hold myself not to share. Not the best pic for sure, - but still happy (only 11.5mins per channel + Moon) * Borlte9= noisy hope to catch it one day without the Moon and for longer than 30min. P.S. My initial image, just once I started... (my astrohookup image)

nice guiding! and data even jealous!

Sadly... But l think only side by side comparison can offer more than we have at the moment.

Welcome back Platesolving, - is probably the option I cannot imagine myself imaging without as per NEQ6 upgrade, - I would postpone it... 0.7/0.8 is good enough for our image scale, - not perfect but really good. Especially, if you will go after CMOS astrocam, - 3min exposures will be enough, so no need to push NEQ6 further (at least in my opinion)... I would better save money for the modern/better mount instead. As per NB imaging, - it is completely different Level of imaging... HUGE step UP. Literally HUGE! And it does not matter which location you are in... The darker your place is, - the larger step up it will be I am based in London, - imaging from back garden bortle 8/9... you can check my images on the Flickr... It has a clear trace from Canon, to ASi1600 LRGB and NB. Images are not professional, - "advancedbeginner" level, so will be closer to your possible results.

I also received them recently (36mm ones). Some Stacks examples/tests below. No Flats, just used half a year old master bias and darks, autostretched in PI without any other manipuliations. Test done on 05/08/2020, London, Bortle 8-9, via ASI1600m-Pro + Skywatcher 130PDS (flocked), Gain200 + 120Sec, 30min per channel. Targeted Sadr on purpose, - wanted to check if filters produce any reflections (OIII especially). (Almost full Moon was hiding behind the house and quite far away from the target) I am quite happy with them, just packing is not perfect... Filter envelope is sealed with a halo sticker, - which managed to end up on my SII.... If someone will decide to go for them, - remove the stickers completely H SII OIII End result:

ISO800 / 90Sec!!! Jealous!!!! My ISO100/30sec usually are almost overexposed! (Light Pollution issue....) Nice pic!

I used my Canon without any SW CC first and have not noticed any drawtube protrusion issues... SW CC actually caused problems... However, it can be written off, - as I had completely no experience at that time and did not know what to look for.

Hi Brendan, Very sad story... I see 2 problems: 1) Guiding issue 100%, - after SharpCap polar alignment, Calibrate PHD properly and run drift alignment to check your PA. You should be quite close or actually even Spot On after Sharpcap PA procedure. If guiding is still in trouble even with good PA, check your balancing again (RA and DEC) and check cabling, - maybe some cables are able to catch mount bolts or something. 2) Spacing - which causes coma. I do not use Canon for last 2 years, - but as I recall it has 2 different types of adapters.... I hope someone will correct me if I am wrong... But one of them, actually had incorrect spacing which produced coma (or in other words, - does not eliminate coma completely even if CC is used). Can you please drop us the link of Canon Adapter you use? However, in your case, stars distorted quite heavily... I suspect the Primary mirror holder bolts can be over-tightened a bit, but I am not sure... have you bought your PDS from the shop or it was used?

Don't Cut if you use Baader CC, - try all out first. If you will notice any problems (most likely not), - think of chopping 10mm off first, simply with hacksaw, - aluminum gives up easy, 5min job... Test test Test... If problem remains, 5mm more (not more, otherwise drawtube will not stay on the internal rollers). The inner side which protrudes into the scope is chopped, as other side has threads which are used for camera holders As I mentioned, usually that problem happens with Coma Correct for Skywatcher Brand.

Welcome to the dark side! Once you get all, - check youtube, - it has nice vids about collimation, just one mistake (on all videos), they offer to adjust secondary (the small mirror), - I strongly suggest do not touch any bolts of the secondary at the start as it is quite sensitive and difficult to adjust... To collimate the primary (large mirror) is very easy and you can be confident, - you will not ruin anything. as per Baader CC, - most likely you will not need to shorten the Focuser's drawtube as it has no Focal Length reduction as Skywatcher's cc has (which is 0.9 reducer). Bias, - you can take any time, as these are the shortest exposures of Darks (Canon probably has 1/4000sec exposure in the fasted mode). Bias are done at the same ISO as Lights, you can build library and re-use Master Bias (stacked version) in the future. Darks, - currently is quite a big tendency to use Dither strongly instead of Dark (Dither every sub or every second sub). Dither is slight shift of the target between subs, - it is usually done via Astro imaging software like APT, SGP and etc while Guiding (some even able to it manually...... O_o ) Of course, try the procedure with Darks also, - in ideal they should be taken even at the same temperature as Lights, - it will not be possible with Canon, so just simply try to get the temperature close (and of course, the rest of the settings like ISO and Exposure - have to be the same as Lights). Thats why darks on Canons are hated... Especially if you do Long exposure lights, - you will waste a lot of time on Darks also... Flats, - depends on the software you will use, APT has ant option for Canon Flats, - easy as 123. If no software is used, - it is quite a poem to write about it..... Keep in mind, - Flats is not only for vignette reduction , but Mainly to remove dust shadows from images (you cannot avoid them completely... dust will pop out from time to time in different places), so if you moved any toy one your optical train (for example camera... or reducer or Light Pollution filter and etc), - you will not be able to produce Flats which will match your Lighs, as optics will shift and dust shadows on Flats will not match their location on the Light images.

I am only 3 years in a hobby, never ever managed to get more than 20 I added 5 just in case as I am not keeping any diary, - just dated folder names Location Location Location.... My Bortle 8-9, probably shine much brighter even if a slight thin cloud line is in the way. You actually made me a bit more optimistic...

as per EP, - yep, will fit as PDS has an adapter for them. And you are very right, - It is a BlackHole for your earnings! Just keep in mind, for the flat field (stars without coma in the corners) you will also need coma corrector for PDS (actually, for all newtonians) and it will cost around £140 and there are few options to go for... Like Baader MPCC Mk3 or GPU and etc, Skywatcher has the standard one for PDS, which is also 0.9 Focal reducer, - works... but... you may end up shortening focusers tube as 0.9 F reduction forces to move the focuser almost full IN to get focus for imaging, and the drawtube casts shadow on the mirror... it makes some brighter stars in shape of letter D or similar. if drawtube is shortened by 10mm, - images are perfect, but... you will not be able to use EP for visual, as focus position is much further for EP and drawtube may/will fall off from the internal rollers.

If you target for the new one, - buy it from astro shops... At least you will have a proper support and warranty. Prices will be more or less the same. Ebay, - for cheaper toys only

I saw some users managed to get nice pictures with EQ3 Goto, - but it involves balancing on the tiny line of capabilities of the mount... The most usual advise would be to go for the secondhand HEQ5 as a minimum or even step further to NEQ6. As later you will add: Guidescope + GuideCam Mono camera instead of Canon, - it will need Electronic FilterWheel. Once you get bored to focus on each filter, - Autocofuser will come along. Also, - All the cabling in relation.... And Voilà, - you are few kg above the mount limits.... And long exposures are not reliable due to bad guiding... Around 50% subs to the bin... So it mostly depends on the area you are in, if you have lots of clear and free nights, - you can try tinkering the cheaper mount and get most of it and you will most likely succeed. On another hand, - if you are UK based, - you probably noticed, we usually have around 20 - 25 clear nights per year.

I do not think spacing is correct... The top left corner clearly shows it... the slight tilt reduces coma in other corners. add or reduce with 0.5mm derling spacer... slight coma will remain (as in my case), but I simply gave up P.S. not sure about the direction... yours is a bit strange..... it should be excentric.. but yours is more vertical... Have you played with focuser's tilt adjustment?

I managed to image Whirlpool Galaxy using short subs from London.... 7sis should be more than OK, but there are other challenges...

Thanks for explaining As per 3D printed rotator... Not sure if it's a good idea... Unless your rig is placed in the spot with quite a stable temperature... Plastic is quite sensitive to temperature changes... And dont even think to print it from PLA, - it will deform during summer. (PETG or ABS as a minimum) But it's another story, - anyway, my 3D printer brought me a lot of joy these two hobbies do match nicely