TareqPhoto

This was the stock focuser of my Newt that i replaced so far

I don't doubt about FT and ML focusers, everywhere they are top choice no question, but i was asking if i am having those very cheap Newt, is it really any point going with focuser that are maybe more expensive price the the scope itself? and how much improvement it will give anyway rather than beautiful design and smooth focusing? GSO i think is almost same as Skywatcher focuser design.

Still i didn't get the answer, i mean are you saying that the stock SW focuser is just fine not a big deal which means no need to upgrade? Or just upgrade to be sure only? Are you asking about the scope that i already have or the one i ordered and i am still waiting it?

To be honest, this isn't any cheaper, i mean it is very close to Moonlite price, very, i added that Baader focuser and the motor and it is nearly $800, let's say it is $700, also expensive, i did contact ML and i got an email with the quotation for ML focuser of the color i need plus the autofocuser of their brand and it was about $795, and someone on FB just told me he god that ML focuser only brand new for $165 without extras i think, so, for me i think going with Baader isn't any save then, and i have to know how much improvement it will give over my Skywatcher focuser anyway.

I saw that, but is it really worth it? And which autofocuser i can use with this if i chose it?

Hi all, So, i am still waiting my second Newt to come and i hope it will meet expectation at least or even exceed it, and with Newt it is always about the collimation and the quality of the tube and the focuser, so i will just ask about focuser here. How much improvement someone expecting going from stock focuser to something affordable medium quality? Or to premium focuser such as FT and ML? What is the main thing you need from that premium or better quality focuser over stock focusers that camera with cheap Newt? And about the motor or Autofocuser, do you prefer to go with premium brand of the focuser motors or you buy something else separately? I am still thinking about if i really should upgrade the focuser of my Newt scopes or not, i did for my 8" F5 from stock single speed to Skywatcher dual speed, i don't know if that is enough if my imaging setup isn't that heavy, Camera + FW + CC = less than 2KG or say ~2KG, is it a big deal really to upgrade for premium to adopt say 1.5-3KG weight?

Great, thank you very much

That is superb really! What mount did you use? If it is Avalon then does it work with EQMOD? What gain dd you use? and which C.corrector?

I forgot to mention two things: Guiding setup: QHY mini guide scope + QHY5L-II-M Those 6 frames i deleted were bad because it was like someone moved the scope/mount or the guiding is off and i was exposing for 30 minutes unguided with movement in all directions not one, so i don't know what happened there for those 6 frames, and there somewhere in the middle of another good frames, this is what i call it a true "CURSE" when you are doing everything but still fail.

Hi all, So after long time of no imaging i decided to return back to do imaging as requested from people, and here is the brief/short story about it. I asked only in Arabic groups on FB about what they would like to see me do in the next or coming time so i can focus better on doing imaging at best, and i gave them 4 choices [Nebulae, galaxies, clusters and the Moon], and to my surprise, they chose galaxies no doubt followed by nebulae, so i listened to them and wanted to start with galaxies if i return back to imaging, so i gave them another choice about which of two only galaxies they would like to see, M51 or M101, and they chose M51, and so the imaging started ..... I kept my 8" F/5 Newtonian sleeping for long time although i modified it slightly to do the job, but it is really very difficult to use the Newtonian that large if i didn't get used to it, but i know that i bought it for galaxies and small clusters anyway, so i gave it a try on that night of 23rd April 2020. I put the Newt, then i wasted so so long time only to balance it, i really don't know how people can do it, so anyone has using 200mm [8"] F/5 on EQ6 mount help to do it, then i decided that if i spend the whole night only on balancing then i will never make it, and the time is running out as well as the target was high but the sunrise time isn't much far, nearly 3 hours, so i left balance at best i can do anyway, then i had another time wasted for collimation in the yard with no light, even when i turned on my lights around it was not that clear on the scope, so i tried hard to collimate it quick as i can and just live with it, and third i came to the issue of doing star alignment, that also wasted my time, so it is nearly 1 hour wasted only to make my setup ready, and then i started to do imaging regardless of the issues, and i used my guiding system i bought for the first time with the newt, it did the job but the issues are there from everywhere, the sky was clear. I took only Lum filter lights, and the subs after that, and later within 2 days i processed my subs to see the results, and it was 2 mixed news: 1. The calibration subs RUINED my light and overall final result 2. I CAN image galaxy from my SKY, what do you think? Here is the result processed by someone after i uploaded the FITS file asking for processing, i stacked by myself in PI Here are the links for the files: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1s3gowBGjDIK1cYHG3tcHU_rgKpkNVMxa/view?fbclid=IwAR1C3Xqyn9ZxDPhJ96Ck0dROfH8RT5Gn_TJ8F_oUI39m0z-X9sVFYzPnMY4 https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NslNxQDTfYvCvcFkHaphpzUziNqOiAen/view?fbclid=IwAR2OjJZ8Dd-32MnKeothMzTUw1WEpyJCXdWO4EZ7QkS75752frwK3GwWRIE And here are the single frame examples from Dark and Flat that ruined it: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SUuvUc_3lztKIIhyn92ClDxREd-7SAnB/view?usp=sharing And the guy asked me the single light exposure for inspecting so i did that too: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Lcnwre6gHv_WzeidW6jwECOIkZZS2s-o/view?usp=sharing I took new dark files only almost under same settings of light in my room, i will test that sooner or later, but i am surprised to see this happen, bias doesn't have that problem, and i covered the scope very well, and i used T-shirt method for the flat and it was working for me before, so i am not sure if my PI processing was bad or i have to try again or i just have to forget it and image again whatever, i want to image another galaxy as well, but first i need to know those issues with subs, will they repeat again or it was a one time mistake or there is something i have to think about. At the end, i am really happy to get back to imaging, and someone advised me to forget about Lum and just got for RGB and create Synthetic lum from there, it is a great idea actually, but the problem is that i am not good in creating synthetic L and also i am not sure how good my RGB will be anyway. Telescope: Meade LX70 8" F/5 R8 Camera: QHY163M Mount: Skywatcher AZ-EQ6 Filter: Cyclops Optics LUX-Series L Exposure details: 65 x 120sec [i deleted 6 bad frames to end up with 59 only], Gain 75 Offset 15 @-10C Darks: 25 Bias: 200 Flat: 50

Almost there, as i still can see that kind of coma or whatever you call in few crop frames, but you are almost there as if you take a super wide it won't be shown so clearly until someone zoom in heavily.

I will be honest with you, i don't care much about collimation, i do collimation inside house so i can spend even 1 hour trying, and i think it is too much drama about losing the collimation with any movement, i have a feeling it is not that much sensitive, i can collimate inside house precisely as much as i can, and when i take it out i can fix collimation maybe easily as it won't change collimation completely off, maybe slight shift, so i may re-collimate it in shorter time outdoor, i only care when i take it out not when i take it back inside, so i will collimate it inside and keep it there until the time of imaging, then i take it out carefully and check out again, if it is good then i just do imaging, if not then i try to make it quick while i am out before the imaging, in all cases i don't want to think about it as it is impossible or HOURS to spend, if that is the case then just image with it, i use my ST80 for imaging with all kind of issues and people still like the results, so i won't make it as a big deal, you can wait me until i get the scope to test and confirm you or you just buy and deal with it.

Nice setup, and that is exactly what i will do, to have larger or longer dovetails, i do have Losmandy 14" dovetail bar or plate, but i may buy a wide dovetail bar that long, 14" or 400mm is good i think, but i am not planning to put any big guide scope on top of it, i already bought mini guide scope with small camera so that will cut or reduce the weight or payload much, my ST80 is really heavy now with its replaced focuser, and my ZWO 60mm guide scope i hate it because of Helical focusing which rotates everything behind, and i didn't know how to reach focus until some mentioned that it needs an extension, so my mini guide scope and camera is like perfect, but i don't know if that won't work with Newt of any size, we will see that, and nice setup you have there, you used many counterweights, and did you add that extra shaft or extension bar for counterweight that is came with the mount? Balancing is my main problem really. Thank you very much

I mentioned that i will make or it is already in my wishlist of having that 0.73x reducer, i never mind to have it regardless of its price, but not now, later until i can get most out of my Newt the current one and the coming one, nice image there, it is nice to see the result under that short time, but i think you are living under nicer Bortle sky to get it right, i live under high light pollution sky, so now sure if i use faster scope it will help, i did shoot Orion with my F2 lens, didn't process it yet at all, and i felt like no matter how fast it is, i am still can't get out of it much in this sky until i can have much more frames or if possible much longer exposures.

Ok 😊

This is what i have, HIGHLY recommended, but do you know something else i should think of? https://www.firstlightoptics.com/other-collimation-tools/premium-cheshire-collimating-eyepiece.html

Hi, Yes, i do have a Cheshire collimator from FLO, i do have also laser collimator which i collimated it as well to make it accurate, and someone told me to use a Barlow i have to magnify it for better collimating, i will give it a try, so, with a Cheshire one, is that sufficient?

I feel like i will never make collimation right then, because everywhere all people talk about collimation, so it means i have to wait until i can afford Howie Glatter collimator or Catseye for example then i can make it right. This reducer corrector is definitely in my list, but i don't know if i will use it for my 8" F5 or 6" F4, it will do good in both, but i was thinking about trying 0.9x reducer first maybe so i can reduce only little or it is not worthy and i just go direct to 0.73x? I don't know what to expect with this 6" F4, but i bought now because i want to get busy with "Cygnus" constellation that is already nearby, it is still late for it to be high at good time, so until next month i will practice with the scope once i receive it and then i hope i will be ready, if it is that good really i may buy another one so i can do dual rig imaging.

Ah ok.

Lucky you, Orion Optics are nice optics brand. I have exactly this same coma corrector, i bought it for my 8" F5, i will use it for my F4 simply.

I just answer your last line, I HAVE "Skywatcher F4 Aplanatic Coma Corrector", anything else? 😉😂

This is what i have, i use it for secondary precisely, and the laser is for primary. https://www.firstlightoptics.com/other-collimation-tools/premium-cheshire-collimating-eyepiece/action/reviews/

Do you mean using a Cheshire collimator?

Ok. I have 8" F5, so i already did it. My laser collimator isn't accurate, i figured that out, not stupid to not know, so i watched videos and read articles about how to collimate that laser collimator itself, so i did, i do have two, and both aren't, i collimated one, not sure about the other one, so i ignored it and keep using the one i collimated, it may not be that perfect accurate collimated yet, i have to give it a try with F4 later, and i still didn't test my F5, but as all said, F5 is easier, so i can't judge yet, by the way, i bought my 8" F5 in 2018 got it by Feb, i never tested it maybe until 2019 i think, and i didn't use it yet much, only twice or three times, so i tried to modify it first, what i did is to replace the stock focuser to dual speed, i replaced the screws of secondary to Bob's knobs and now it is a breeze, what else i need to do, later i will buy an advanced collimator to give it a try, in a video someone referred it to me he said i can use a Barlow with my laser collimator, i do have 2x and 3x and 5x, so the bottom line is, i must experiment or give it a try then i see if i give up or not.

Honestly speaking, i was requesting 20" Dob last year but my situations changed to very worse, so i delayed or suspended the plan, if it was happening then i will simply buy Howie Glatter collimator, this is as people said the best, i still can but not now, i just have to try the collimators i have first then later i will see if i need to upgrade that. Regards, Tareq