TerryJ

Seeing your pics here, I am seriously considering digging out my 130EQ, the first scope I owned.

Great pics.

Hi Paul, 

That's what I did, flattener at 11.4 then I added according to the diagram, in my case for a filter wheel. It all seems OK to me, but I am also fairly new to this and was asking the same questions as you a few months ago.

Try it and when you get some pics you can check and see if the flattener needs adjusting.

Good luck

Terry.

Hi Paul, 

When I got my ZS73 with 73A flattener I emailed William Optics and they replied saying that " When you set the flattener at 11.4, you have to use the Zwo recommendation for 55mm back focus" with a link that will get you started.

https://astronomy-imaging-camera.com/tutorials/best-back-focus-length-solutions-55mm.html

Scroll to item 4 and it shows a solution using 2 inch filter draw.

Hope this helps.

Terry

9 hours ago, Rustang said:

Thanks guys, APT plate solving has been working a treat for a while so that's why I'm annoyed and confused that it wasn't playing ball last night. I've also always managed to get pretty close to target for plate solving so I don't know why that's wasn't working either. Maybe I'm missing a new setting or something. 

I had frustrating time last night. After months of APT platesolving working  ASTAP kept failing. Three hours later I went into the settings for Point Craft and ticked the box to use PlateSolve2 for near solving and APT solved without problem thereafter. So not sure if there's an ASTAP problem or not.

Anyway, keep on going.

Terry.

Hello and welcome, from just over the Devon border.

Terry

Nothing exciting, just a 2x Barlow, however, the FLO sticker on the box gives some hope..😃👍

Just seen this on Facebook. 

18 hours ago, SiD the Turtle said:

Flexure is also probably an issue with the crappy mount that the ED50 has. The William Optics does have a kind of handle with a long saddle mount in it, I wonder if you get a compatible dovetail to replace it? I see if I were to buy the ED50 today it comes with one.

I got a dovetail and rings from SVBony for my ED50 on WO ZS73.

1 hour ago, Sunshine said:

Looking at it again, i can see your collimation was bonkers the first time, those stars looked like comets! 

Haha, I used a Celestron 102SLT and a Nikon DSLR unmodded.

On 12/11/2020 at 22:17, Sunshine said:

A night and day difference, indeed.

@SunshineYes indeed, after much reading on this forum and watching Youtube videos.

On 12/11/2020 at 22:46, Jamgood said:

Back on the 12th of May 2020 I took an quick snap of The Plough with my phone in my garden with a late night beer and became addicted. I've always wanted to have a shot at Astrophotography but was never really in a financial position to really do it for many years. The first lockdown urged me to have a go.

@Jamgood Fantastic picture, lockdown did  have some positives.

22 hours ago, Jm1973 said:

I took this shot of Andromeda in late September - my first DSO photo...

@Jm1973 Thats a subject I will try soon, my first attempt was so bad I ditched the subs.

Thanks to all.

Terry

Hi all,

Just thought I would share what a difference 10 months has made.

Back in January I posted this.

And 10 months later after swapping to mono with a cooled camera, I took this LRGB image.

This is 5 x 120 seconds each LRGB, ASI183MM on a WO ZS73, HEQ5 belt mod, stacked in DSS and processed in Gimp and Affinity Photo. 20 darks but no other calibration frames.

Still have much to learn.

Cheers

Terry

53 minutes ago, johninderby said:

 

Lack of photos also puts me off buying anything. I mean if you can’t be bothered to take a photo or two I can’t be bothered buying. If you state photos to be posted later at least I would come back later to take a look.

I prefer photos of the actual item being sold, and not a link to a retailers website.

Received from FLO, after a few weeks delay due to the pandemic. 

Zwo ASI183mm plus wheel and filters.

The learning curve gets steeper..🤣

Cheers

Terry

Just received from FLO, just gotta wait for the rest of the gear to arrive, hopefully this week.

William Optics ZS73 and Flat 73A.

Terry

Ps, clouds included...🤣

.

I currently take both,  but If I had to make a choice I would opt for AN.

What did you decide? I am looking at either the WO ZS73 or the SW ED80.  I would be using Canon 450D Astro modded. Next purchase would be a dedicated camera, probably mono, when funds allow.

On 06/06/2020 at 10:54, david_taurus83 said:

It can be done. Just take an image in APT with the bahtinov mask on and adjust between exposures.

Works for me, I do it using BYEOS and using a 450D, doesnt take long to achieve focus.

Terry

3 minutes ago, DDUH said:

Ok - so how to I update the firmware then?

 

Instructions on page 26 of the manual linked to by Cornelius Varley.

16 minutes ago, happy-kat said:

 

All the tutorials are on youtube in his channel down the bottom are the part 1, part 2 

Thank you Kat, found the Youtube videos now.

On 18/05/2020 at 08:47, happy-kat said:

There are several members who use GIMP here and the videos on budgetastro.net by Doug you can pretty much follow using GIMP and he covers DSS.

Checked that web address but it doesn't seem to exist, I got a holding page .

Aprils recommended A Quick History Of The Universe by Clive Gifford and Rob Flowers

Hi all,

After a bit of advice. I am a relative newbie to astrophotography and have achieved what i think are a couple of acceptable results.

My first DSO.

Second galaxy pic from recently.

These were taken using a Celestron Nexstar 102slt on a Skywatcher EQ3 Pro mount. I have the opportunity to upgrade either the mount or the telescope. I was looking at the Skywatcher ED80 or the William Optics Zenithstar 73 II APO scope wise. Was looking at the Skywatcher HEQ5 PRO mount wise. So the question is, which should I upgrade first, mount or scope? OR wait a while and save enough to upgrade both at the same time?

Thanks in advance,

Terry

Try this site, click your location and it shows the elevation just above the map.

https://routecalculator.co.uk/elevation

Thanks for the information and guidance. Man this hobby is complex, but rewarding. 

Terry.