elliot

Managed to grab a few frames of the ISS as it flew over recently using my dob and DSLR. Pretty happy with this though I've a lot to learn. Focusing could be better.

Hope everyone is well and not too frazzled. Maybe getting some garden stargazing done?

Declination balance is a disaster with the supplied dovetail. I've added an Arca Swiss clamp and long rail to give it a bit more toward the front but it adds quite a bit of flexure.  Hopefully you can see what I've done from the image - I had the clamp and rail anyway.  If someone could tell me exactly which dovetail I could buy to improve the situation I'd be delighted.

Just now, Nerf_Caching said:

Got a similar setup as yours. Did you use guiding?

Nope. I know I can do better...just need those elusive holes in the clouds to practice with.

Rosette Nebula with the SA, SkyWatcher 72ED, and an unmodded Canon 600D.  About 35x120s @ 1600 with flats and darks. Loads of the images had to be chucked as that lot is a bit undermounted on the Star Adventurer and I think the little grub screw was too loose so there was quite a bit of backlash on the RA. I'm hoping a CLC filter (on the way from Ali Express!) and a future modding of the camera will help me out with detail.

That really is very good looking! Agree with Jiggy, would happily have those on my wall.

Just carried out a sidereal test of the SW Star Adventure Pro. According to the mount, one Sidereal day is....

... 23hrs 56min and 34s!  (+- 30s for gaffer tape slippage)

Very happy with that result. It also means I'm not very good at polar aligning or balancing my ED72 on it as the last night had quite a bit of slip. I blame myself.

On 06/02/2020 at 14:50, Frank the Troll said:

Can I ask where you source that from please

Thanks

Frank

Exactly this one but I've not actually used it yet so caveat emptor until i've actually generated some flats with it...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07GJBF4P3/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

That's so pretty! And that's just newt spider vanes causing those lovely spikes?

My cheapo tracing pad flat field generator.

I'm being an idiot. this foam has an "edge" of a set size that goes all around. No reason I can't do away with the edge and cut a larger block to fit. And that I shall!

It seems this Lidl case is a weird size that nobody sells foam for. Might have to convert it in to another case and shell out for something more "standard"

Thanks all.

Oh wow you hero @Littleguy80!

I can't find replacement foam for this disaster! I haven't slept in weeks.

Wow these look amazing. And FLO doing their own branded premium scope is a wonderful thing!

This ^^ more than anything! I did a sharp intake of breath when solar filter was mentioned. 

Can I share this on a Twitter, Paul?

My first (kind of) and so far totally unused frac. Though I only got it on Thursday

On 29/01/2020 at 12:22, fiestazetecmk2 said:

My lifetime dob.

This is fantastic! There's so much going on!

On 07/12/2019 at 15:15, johninderby said:

Some twin wheel braked castors for the Bresser 10” dob. Cheaper to buy a set of four although of course only three needed. 

How did you get on with them John? Thought about wheeling up my dob as my back isn't getting any younger.

Who’s a lucky boy then. 

17 hours ago, david_taurus83 said:

For nebula work, might be money better spent getting the camera astro modded. Is that an option?

Not for my lovely Fuji X-T2, but I'm leaning toward buying a modded camera just for astro.

15 hours ago, Stub Mandrel said:

I'm, waiting for the next clear night

Good luck! I hope it works out for you.

It's new shopping list time. I'm going to be doing some _modest_ astro pics with my Star Adventurer and a SW ED72 (if they ever get back in stock). Visually, I see a huge difference when using a UHC or OIII filters on my dob.  Would getting the 2" versions of the same filters to screw into a flattener and used with an unmodded DSLR be a sensible purchase for nebular in a Bortle 4 sky? Unfortunately I'm not really in a position to try other people's gear as I'm far from the nearest society.

cheers.

Hey,

I'm thinking of attaching a spare SW finder to a Star Adventure dovetail L bracket which has a 3/8" spigot, or directly to a ball head via an adapter of some sort. Anyone know what that block thing here is? Looks like it would do the job, would attach the finder shoe to that, and then to the ball head. It's not mentioned on the amazon item I found it on.

cheers, e.

(Cross post from...elsewhere. Thanks @Davey-T. Stunned by what you guys have been able to achieve with this little gadget)

This is my first stab a tracking and stacking using a Star Adventurer, or anything in fact. I've never tracked and stacked before and I'm an imaging noooob.  I'm using a Fuji X-T2 mirrorless camera with an adapted vintage Pentax Super Takumar 200mm/f4 at f5.6. ISO 2500.  Happy enough with star shape (apart from the aperture blade spikes)  so I think my polar alignment is ok. Used a 5litre bottle of water to weigh down the tripod.

Obviously the North America Nebula. (Well, not that obvious) Bortle 4/5 back garden, Moon not yet risen. 15 lights at 165s (best I could get with those cloud things), 10 darks and 10 flats. Flats shot by holding the camera to a white screen on my phone. Stacked with DSS and processed in PS and Astronomy Tools Action set using AstroBackyard's methods here. Transparency wasn't the best, i think I was shooting through thin cloud most of the time.

To be honest I'm not delighted with it:

• The nebula is a bit dim eh? Very low contrast on the nebulosity. I don't think I could go much longer untracked than 2'30" or 3' on the Star Adventurer.
• There's a red cast. Stars that should be bluer all seem to be a bit reddish. Not sure why. White balance? I think I probably had it on auto but I was shooting raw so would think I'd be able to deal with that.
• It's a bit noisy.
• Big pointy stars.

What I think I need to do to improve it:

• To increase nebula contrast, I'm thinking of getting myself an old 600d off fleebay and getting it modded. Maybe one day getting an h-alpha clip filter for it. It would leave my gorgeous Fuji X-T2 to have normal human being settings, and not weird astro settings.
• Redness? I don't know. It doesn't look very natural to me.
• Noisy? More subs I guess. I could drop the ISO but then I'd need have longer subs, and the SA won't be up for it. 
• Spiky big stars. I have a stop down ring that I forgot to use. Note: Don't forget to use it.

Does this make sense? Any further advice on improvements i could make would be hugely appreciated. (I'm a budget astrophotographer if you hadn't guessed)

Thanks all!

Thanks Dave, will do.