The Sailor

Looked a clear one again tonight but maybe a sea mist will be rolling in :(, all setup at the moment, just waiting to do a Polar aligmment.

Thanks Isabelle, just had a coffee :D, now for clear nights. Oh, new photos up :)

At last it is finished, a runout with the equipment last night showed that I had to move a few item on the walls around, done now but a little more to be done, happy chappy :)

I wonderd about the moon shot as you can see the radius of the eyepiece :)

Jim

Neil, Sirius was moving pretty fast there, like it though.

The moon, have you got the webcam attached to the scope, when I say attached, the lens out and an adapter attached?

Jim

At last, the pier adaption for the NEQ6 is finished, can now load it fully and give it full use, now what I need is clear skies :)

If you take a look at my setup, the latest one on the NEQ6 I have a centre bar with a 7 port USB hub, the following will be attached to it:

Canon 450D

Nikon D40

SPC900

Mount via Serial/Usb cable

The hub is than attached to the laptop, basically the setup you are employing, works for me.

Jim

LOL, yes Isabelle, a sandstorm. When it happens we normally find the cars a new colour, just wonder what effect it would have on astronomy, lots of dust high in the sky.

Mmmmmm, do we live on the same street? :D

Have the same problem here, sourrounded by street lights, the observatory does help but still an LP area :(

Jim

Ah, sorry to hear that, am now making up the time when we had wall to wall clouds. Just sitting here making my log up and after browsing the Imaging - Deep Sky forum and in conjunction with Stellarium I have now made a list of targets, eight at the moment which I should be able to see let alone photo. I have seen a report that a sandstorm in the Sahara has blown dust quite high and it's headed north, just hope it don't spoil things.

Jim

Last night, Fri 8th, was very good, clear skies and nice temp. Setup and started up a three star align, as the scope was slewing to the first star all went wrong, the scope was falling sideways!! Grabbing hold of it and hanging on for dear life I started checking to see what the problem was. After checking all the clamps was still puzzled when I seen the problem, I had not put the weight on!!!! Reste the mount to home and prayed it would not slip and quickly got the weights doen and started all over again. All went well, aligned and all targets came up centre in the EP, stayed out till 2am and went to bed a happy chappy :)

I use a Canon 450D directly attached to the back of the scope, I also use webcams in the same way, still learning myself. I normally look at the Imaging - Deep Sky forum, there I can look at a photo and see what gear was used at the time, all helps :)

Jim

Lovely weather, obsy opened, pier adapter fixed, cement poured, oh what a lovely day :)

Jim

Yes your correct, roof closed and can work away, just need good ear defenders :D

The weather is not the best here Isabelle, if clouds are not around then it's a sea mist, either one or another lol. Still, plans are on schedule :)

Drilled the new holes in the pier top today, pick up the pier adapter tomorrow and then its remake the top of the pier, hopefully all will be in place by the weekend.

I had the same problem getting a nebula in live view, realised it would never happen so I took the following action. Went for the nearest bright star with an EP, changed over to the camera, focused and then slewed to the neblua and set the camera rolling, it went as well as I could expect for my first shot. I now carry out the same action for all work like that, spot on each time.

Jim

Thanks Isabelle, yes a bit mad but got there :D Teach me to buy a monster.

Last time I seen the Northern Lights was 1970 in Alberta, a sight not to be forgotten :)