WestCoastCannuck

Had a nice first night with a little 102ED doublet I picked up as a grab and go. Now just need to find a mount and tripod for it. Have my eye on a Porta 2 with tall tripod. Clear skies!! Mike

Thanks Trevor!! I missed your comment you snuck in! Pretty happy with them..... looking forward to powering up the Vixen a bit more when the seeing is there. (And a moon... and dark sky without clouds.... lol)

Thanks Robert! I am with you on only lunar (and planetary). I don't have time or patience for DSO's. I LOVE lunar anyway. As to printing, yes, I came into this hobby via photography - I know about scale and you are quite right. Have not printed any for a long while - since before my telescopes. I know I have some images that should look great ! I have an A2 size of the moon behind me that was done with only a DSLR and my birding lens and it looks awesome! Will maybe send you a pic when I do a more recent one BIGGER. hehe Clear skies Mike

LOL... Thanks Robert!

Thanks Wornish!

Yes!! Unfortunately in spite of nothing but clear skies for the last 10 days or so, the clouds have now moved in for the extra long weekend with great phases. I even took the Tuesday off work for an "extra" day. Be very lucky to get even one more shot. Socked in now. Think I over cooked those closeups. All well. Clear skies! Mike

Man that scope shows its potential here! Some great details in there. I feel your pain for the lack of a nice sky and moon at the same time. Got lucky this morning.... rest of the weekend looks dodgy. Clear skies! Mike

Had some technical issues... but still managed something. First is a mosaic with the APM140 @ F8.9. (I shot at F11.9, but seeing did not support for all the panels so I backed off a bit in post.) Next, is the SINGLE lower third panel of the above mosaic, but processed separately and shared here in full size at F11.9. (1.7X Barlow + 183MM) Next up.... and some time passed at this point, and I was now shooting 30 minutes after dawn. Vixen VMC200L at prime with 290MM camera in Green. (Baader 520nm CCD filter) Comments and Critique much appreciated. I still feel out of my element processing and using a 4K monitor. I KNOW my processing has changed..... but for the better? As good? Worse? I can take it. Hit me! LOL Clears skies Mike

Hi Steve! Yeah.... its a bit of a monster, it uses the same tube (shortened of course) as the 152/8 by APM.. :))) But it's not really THAT heavy, even with that big ass 3.7 inch focuser. About 24 lbs here with the camera and extensions. Here it is next to my now sold 120ED as a comparison for real size. That pic above is a little skewed due to the perspective.

Thanks Trevor! Low as it was, this is the best I have seen in almost darkness for a while. lol Itching to have a nice night time session again.... seems like forever since the last. Thanks Craig! I really love it for viewing as well as imaging. On a good night a while back, I was viewing this incredible long pin thin shadow at the terminator - it was mesmerizing. Was viewing at 325X with an old 3mm TV plossl (I think... I borrowed it) - my eyeball view was better than I captured of the same area with my 8 inch. At times I regret spending so much time imaging that there is often little left for just viewing. Clear skies! Mike

Thanks Neil! I really should have listed the seeing as 4/5... was waving around a fair bit but I knew there was good detail in the data. That will be it for a while. Hope the next rounds are good for us! Here is a pic of the view just before setting up.... had to give it a go. Lol Clear Skies Mike

Yep. lol. Going to get better. Thanks Neil! Clear skies Mike

Was only 24 degrees elevation... but close enough to sunset for an easy dark sky with a 685nm filter and a decent result. Clear skies!! Mike

That is quite the yellow..... smoke? Good capture of it.

Low in the sky with crap transparency was still good to exercise the gear. Might have got more decent data had the clouds not become so thick. Full disc - APM 140/7 + 183MM + IR742. Best 200 of 3000 frames. My first of only a few attempts at higher power was the best. Vixen VMC200L + 290MM + IR742 Best 400 of 10000 frames Thought this was quite the contrast, so have included it in post. A single frame from the sequence. I usually save the best one, but by the numbering I would have to guess this was simply the first frame of the 10,000 The clouds rolled in pretty quickly after I started with the Vixen closeups. My the skies be friendly.... at NIGHT! lol Mike

Lots of details there.... but VERY noisy! Must be to pushing the file as ISO 200 is very reasonable. You can improve things likely by fiddling with your settings a little. Try putting yourr ISO at 50 or 100 and your shutter speed at 1/100 sec, stop down your aperture if too bright . You can further improve things perhaps by stacking a few.... but that is another whole ballgame. Clear Skies!! Mike

The second shows the best and nicest detail to my eyes. The third has a pleasing warmer tone too it. Was that added? It is something I often do. May the skies be friendly.... Mike

Looks pretty good Trevor! Are you using an IR filter?

Tons of details buried in there. New cam looks great! Now, if only we can shoot some night time. I forget what its like. Mike

That "X" just floating there is outstanding. 10 minutes either way and it just would not look like that. Would love to view that at high power one day. Fantastic for daylight!

Man that 8 is a monster. lol Outstanding results Marty! So jealous of having an OB. You would not likely have nabbed this if your setup was not so fast. The colour looks good. Mike

Thanks Craig. So far, I like it. Have to get both it and the 180 MAK side by side one night for a shootout.

Seeing not as good as the day before.... but lucky imaging made something useable. If it were not for these daytime efforts I would have nothing lately. Vixen VMC200L, 290MM camera, IR807nm filter. 60of10000 180 of 10000 180 of 10000 180 of 10000 180 of 10000 180 of 10000 Clear Skies!! Mike

Night time is better for sure 90% of the time. Daytime images require more processing and you lose some of the terminator because of having to darken blacks so much (at least for mono work). Because I am limited to shooting in IR I can't amp up the resolution much, if at all. Having said all that, I am pretty stoked that images like these can be captured in Daylight! It has opened up more imaging days. Seeing forecast was good for today - if I was not working I would SO have been imaging! It has helped my mindset a lot for this very dismal year of very few nights out. Yesterday I imaged again, and will post a few images shortly - turbulance was worse but to my surprise my images are still postable. I am happy enough. lol Clear skies my friend! Mike

Thanks Sunshine! 😊