Chefgage

Do you tell the mount to go to the home position using the asiair after polar aligning? This is how I do it and I seem to remember a time I did not and went straight to the target from poloar aligning (so heq5 pro at 60 degrees from home position). The mount tried to plate solve the target but failed (it was obvious it would as it was pointing nowhere near the target) it then moved again but not to the correct position and tried and failed to plate solve again. After about the fourth time it finally managed to move and centre on the target. Never had this issue when polar aligning, then send mount to home position, then slew to target and plate solve using asiair.

Plenty of cloud where I am in England. But today has been great temperature wise. I have cut the grass and I am out currently just in a t-shirt having a beer on the decking. Although I must point out I am not just wearing a t-shirt, I have trousers on as well

Still enjoyed it though. Sat watching it with my new Jeb plushie (for KSP fans).

Enjoyed the launch but on the same note quite disappointed. The coverage I thought was very poor compared to what space X produce. By this I mean appart from the first 10 seconds the rest was mostly just computer simulation showing the rocket as it disended and staged

Have a go at removing the gradient. It can be done quite effectively even with GIMP.

Out of interest, what software have you used for processing?

I am no expert but u get a similar issue but mine occurs both bottom left and top left. Someone on here mentioned it could be a tilt issue. I have since removed the adapter that has two thumb screws to hold my camera in fitted a screwed adapter in instead. Although early days the images do appear better. I can only assume that that as it tighten up the two screws it slightly tilts my camera with respect to the imaging train.

Definitely. Only the other day I had my fingers crossed whilst re-booting a scada panel after a repair.

I have just processed my image of M45. I do plan on re-processing the data so I will give your script a try. Thanks for sharing your script 🙂

M45 The Pleiades Capture information HEQ5 Pro mount ASIAIR Pro Skywatcher 72ED Refractor Canon 200D (modified) ZWO ASI120mm mini guidscope ISO 800 EXP 120s Lights 68 Darks 0 Flats 20 Bias 20 Moon percentage 39%. Moon below horizon when halfway through imaging. Stacked in DSS and processed in Pixinsight.

This is a house that likes to illuminate every other house around it. I am so grateful that they use their own money to illuminate my garden This house is two gardens away from mine and quite why they need this amount of illumination baffles me. They put it on for about 3 hours when it gets dark during the year so in summer when it does not get dark till 10pm it is on till about 1am. At the moment it comes on at about 6pm for a few hours then goes off, quite strange. If they look out their back window they can surely see that it lights up at least 3 other gardens so in that mind I feel a complaint to the council is in order. AS for my immediate neighbors they sometimes do leave lights on all night but I have devised a system to use sheeting that blocks all the stray lights. I can put this up quite easy (one sheet pulls across a retractable washing line) so it is ready for if a light is left on.

IC1318 Gamma Cygni nebula Capture information HEQ5 Pro mount ASIAIR Pro Samyang 135mm lens (at F4) Canon 200D (modified) Astronomik Ha filter (12nm) ZWO ASI120mm mini guidscope ISO 800 EXP 300s Lights 25 Darks 0 Flats 20 Bias 20 Moon percentage 61% Moon 103° 39' 29" from target (halfway through imaging) Stacked in DSS and processed in Pixinsight

IC1318 Gamma Cygni nebula in Ha (also posted in the imaging - deep sky sub forum) Capture information HEQ5 Pro mount ASIAIR Pro Samyang 135mm lens (at F4) Canon 200D (modified) Astronomik Ha filter (12nm) ZWO ASI120mm mini guidscope ISO 800 EXP 300s Lights 25 Darks 0 Flats 20 Bias 20 Moon percentage 61% Moon 103° 39' 29" from target (halfway through imaging) Stacked in DSS and processed in Pixinsight

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Avoid the rice idea, bit of a myth type thing anyway. A nice warm room will be better. The thing with rice is you risk getting small particles/rice dust onto your optics.

I agree! I mean we are spoiled now aren't we. I really do like the way it takes a test image to see if it's centred and then if not moves a bit to re-align itself. I have not used my star adventurer pro for a while. To go back to manual framing is going to be a bit weird.

I do definitely recommend the asiair pro (or the plus, I have not used the plus). The big bonus for me using the asiair is the plate solving. No more using the bulky hand controller (not that I ever did, it's never been used on my Heq5). Just a quick polar align and then tell the asiair to go to the target. What is more simple than that

Is the ASIAIR plus for me?? Well no. I have the ASIAIR pro and see no reason really to upgrade to the plus. If you are new to the asiair then yes get the plus.

I do like the starless version. I have started processing my images using a starless version in the process. Sometimes I prefer the starless version

I like this image. The way it's been processed to show the outer parts all wispy like is very good.i think

We go camping every year. Prefer the small sites where usually there is a bit of cover between each pitch. But this time even though it was a small site (where we have been before but was on the edge of the field and had some bushes around us) we had no cover between pitches. I am one to stay up to the early hours having a few beers and looking up if it's clear. Usually have a fire as well so sit next to. I agree at 1am and with the site very quite with everyone in bed every click of my DSLR sounds like it could be heard miles away!!!

That usually happens with me, part way through imaging and then lights on! I have issues with lights coming on from three directions. I have now a retractable washing line from which a black out sheet is hung. The sheet has metal ringed holes in it so it can be opened and closed. This is closed when the imaging starts. Works really well.

I was up last night after an imaging session. I looked out the kitchen window and there was Orion! A welcome sight looking forward to imaging this again this year

That can depend on a few things though. I have looked into this (and started a thread on here about it). Many insurance companies will insurance equipment whilst it's in the home as part of contents insurance up to an amount or an agreed extra amount. The issue is when it's outside or away from home. A few I spoke to will insure up to £5000 in outbuildings or garages but if it's left in the garden whilst imaging it is not insured. I argued that on there polity they insure garden items against theft but their rationale was that they only insure items outside the house in the garden if the item is designed to be there such as garden furniture. I argued that my imaging gear is most definitely designed to be outside as I would not get much of an image if it was inside pointing at a wall! So it comes down to this. First ring your own insurance provider and get them to explain exactly what would be insured in the event of theft especially if it's outside or away from home. I found a few that only insured up to a value of £5000 for all the items, so if I was camping and got everything stolen including the camping gear then I would still be out of pocket. The other option is to have a separate policy for just the astro gear. There are providers who deal with astro gear but the policies are quite expensive so it a decision you have to make. Here is the link to the thread I started

Sorry to jump in on the thread but thanks for posting that. I went on holiday a bit back and thought I will just take the one tripod for my star adventurer and heq5 pro mount. It was only when I went to try the star adventurer that I realised it would not fit due to the cast pin that is for the heq5 pro mount!!