PESKYWAABBIT

These are all amazing. I am shocked how lovely and powerful each of the images are. Must try this myself.

Lovely photo mate. Keep these up. You've probably learnt loads ready for the next comet!

Haha brilliant! I've been doing astrophotography for 7 years or so now but only just delved into mono CMOS imagery with filters. Had this book on my wishlist for a few years and only started reading it the other day to just maybe help me with my mindset or any hints and tips I didn't already know. It's funny how accurate the book claims the path of discovery is in the astrophotography world is. Camera on tripod > DSLR > astro modified DSLR > dedicated CMOS Astro cam.  I found I was reading through my past discoveries completely! Brilliant book so far.

I have now upgraded from a DSLR to a dedicated ASI1600MM with filter wheel. L, R, G, B, SII, Ha and OIII.

What imaging program would you guys recommend to start using, I used to use Backyard Eos but that's now out of the question.

What frame types would I be needing for each filter/sub?

Light, flat, dark and bias frames for each of the above filters?

What combination of filters should I be using? Should it just be L, R, G and B together in one stacked image. Or L, SII, Ha, and OIII in a stacked image? What are the rules?  

Any help is much appreciated and cannot wait to step up using a dedicated camera

Just delving into mono filter astrophotography and recently got the ASI1600mm EFW set and I am yet to image with it just yet, just sorting out my balancing and dew heaters so it's all ready to go. I image usually with my DSLR from a nearby laptop.

So I'm curious, I see some people using a powered USB hub to power all their items but also I've seen lots of people use the ASIAIR pro. Is the ASIAIR for controlling their scope from a Wi-Fi Android device primarily with the ASIAIR App, or can it also act as a glorified USB powered hub for a PC to operate from also? I would like to control my ASI1600mm, EFW, guide scope and dew heater strips from a device with my nearby laptop and maybe the flexibility of taking my setup to a field without worrying about a PC would be nice but not what I'm currently looking for. Or is it basically solely a solution for you to image whilst in a field without a laptop/computer?

Basically, do I go power USB hub, or an ASIAIR PRO if that's recommended?

Sorry if that's confusing, thanks in advanced for any responses.

Thanks guys, with those recommendations I bought the 1.25" filter bundle, probably the largest purchase after a car I've ever made.

I hope this is worth it, sorry for the cloud cover! 😂☁️

Hey there guys, I recently tried out my SW Skymax 127 and found that I couldn't balance the scope on the 3rd axis. I was able to balance it in RA however as the 127 has an offset hotshoe and a fixed dovetail, with all my gear such as a finder scope and a guide scope, the DEC axis would also slump down and my HEQ5 wasn't happy with it guiding. Any ideas of what I could to balance in the 3rd axis? I see FLO sell a ADM Dovetail Side Mounting Counterweight Kit 'D' Series, but that only fits D series dovetails, and my fixed SW dovetail is a V series. Anyone else got some recommendations for a product that helps with counterbalancing with all the gear being on mainly one side of the scope?

Cheers!

Here is a better example of what I mean: 

Tom

Really like this Russ, can really see the different colours and temperatures of the stars I was talking to you about on Saturday. 

I have been imaging for years on a cheap DSLR and have made the decision to jump up to a dedicated CMOS camera. I have just acquired an SW ED80 and soon to get an ED80 0.85x focal reducer.

The camera I'm looking at getting is the ZWO ASI1600MM-Pro and I'm curious which filter sizes I would need in the filter wheel to get to make sure I don't get any vignetting or at least the minimum I can.

The options on FLO seem to be either: 1.25", 31mm or 36mm.

Any thoughts are much appreciated

Yeah I'm glad you guys do think the same. Will have to invest in one. Cheers mateys!

Every pair i've owned has come with this tiny thin strap which is super uncomfortable and I don't think brands put much thought into peoples necks when they throw a neck strap in the bundle last minute. Do you guys buy a camera neck strap to replace yours? If you do replace yours, do you have any recommendations for some based mainly on comfort? 

5 hours ago, tooth_dr said:

Genuine question - is there any point in spending several £1000s on a new mount if imaging is going to become impossible in the not too distant future?

This is a similar thing I was concerned about. I'm now on the lookout for my first house and I always wanted to have my own observatory. One main requirement is some dark sky out in the sticks so I was just wondering if it's even going to be possible to get long exposure shots at low iso's in the near future. Was shooting the M81 and M82 at 1600ISO for 600s recently and didn't have a single problem with satellites for a good 4 hours. I assume this will all change soon.

So I haven't delved much into the issue but I was curious. Does anyone have any idea of exposure times we'd realistically get when they put up all the 12,000 SpaceX Starlink satellites up in the sky before one was within a single light frame?

Cheers!

So I take photos using BYEOS with my Canon DSLR. I have a Altair Astro guide camera hooked up to PHD2 which is plugged into the HEQ5 mount to correct for guiding. I have read about plate solving and I was curious. Does plate solving ONLY gives you the ability to get into the same place as a previous night by giving your EQMOD the right data to allow for easier multiple night data stacking and is not for guiding or part of the guiding mechanism itself.

Say I want to start trying this plate solving malarky. Would I:

Setup my scope, Polar align, 3 star align, Plate solve using a photo from my DSLR and not my Guide cam? and then continue to use PHD with guide cam to guide? 

Any replies are much appreciated.

Hi Dreek,

What a fantastic project you've been working on! I love the whole idea and I'm sure it will get the minds of the kids engaged. I just hope the skies remain clear for you in Sunny Suffolk.

On 10/02/2017 at 18:51, Dreek said:

a new Astronomy Club in the area

I'm from just outside Bury St Edmunds myself and I'm looking out for an astronomy club to get involved with. I would have though there would be one in Bury but so far I've learned there isn't. If this would be a club that not only children could attend I would be very much interested.

Keep up the great work buddy, looks amazing!

17 hours ago, JOC said:

Scott, yup I'd already zoned in on that option as about the only thing that I'll stand a chance of taking a photo of.  :-D

I think I'm in the same boat mate, I look forward to seeing the moon pictures! XD

17 hours ago, Ant said:

*technically every planet is a satellite of the Sun

If the clouds don't go away. I may have to construct one of these balloons to even get an entry! 

This is such a great idea but unless the clouds don't sort themselves out soon, nobody will have any entries!

I'm a bit embarrassed about my first DSO. It was a week or so ago. Using my SW 200P with a Canon 1000D on the Orion nebula. Kept the 30" and on ISO400 and got massive amounts of hot pixels.  I didn't even shoot dark shots. Just pure light shots. I stacked about 30 images in deep sky stacker and it came out okay. I need to work on focusing. Any advice on focusing when your camera can't do live view on the LCD and only through the viewfinder?

Just waiting on the next clear night to redeem myself and try out my new techniques. The end image does look dark but I've literally done no processing to it other than stacking. Any changes go off the scale in PS, so I'm leaving it as it is. The White balance wasn't taken into account but it will be next session! 

Cheers!

Tom