Vroobel

I nearly forgot what is the 17kg OTA + accessories...

Hunting the James Webb Space Telescope last night 😊

https://www.astrobin.com/gmh64m/

The Spaghetti Nebula (SH2-240, Simeis 147)
17-18 January, 26 January, 30 January, 1 March, 3 March, 5-6 March 2024

The Spaghetti Nebula is an extremely difficult DSO even at the first stage of its imaging. It's faint, especially the OIII component. It should be captured under a really dark sky, not in the Bortle 9+ location.
I'm going to continue imaging it in the next season when it's reachable.

Askar FMA230, Optolong 2" H&O, ASI 2600MM-Pro @ Celestron CGX;
14h 40m of total integration time: 47x300s Ha, 129x300s OIII; Gain 101, Offset 50, -10°C;  
NINA, PixInsight, Affinity Photo;
Liverpool, Bortle 9.

AstroBin combined : https://www.astrobin.com/51veym/F/
AstroBin starless     : https://www.astrobin.com/51veym/F/#rE

Below is a quick first light of the Sigma 40mm lens and the Canon 6D from the city, centered on Capella (80 x 15s subs, ISO 400, F/1.8, Optolong L-Pro FF clip). It's just a test, the FoV is so big that it quickly covers high trees around. Maybe I should reprocess it... 🤔

We all suffer from bad weather for months. And if the sky is cloudless, there is not enough data collected and the sessions has to be continued indefinitely. What if I could multiply my chances of any success in astrophotography, and also give myself a chance for the acquisition under a darker sky than Bortle 9+?

In January, I came up with the idea of buying a Sigma 40mm F/1.4 Art lens, as I already have a modified Canon 6D, and in February I already had it in my hands. For some time now, I have been taking shots only in two sensor positions relative to the mount: horizontal and vertical. Taking advantage of the universal solutions of the Arca-Swiss system for photography, I created the basis for a setup based on ASIair Plus. A couple of weeks later I bought an interesting Carl Zeiss Jena DDR 135mm F/3.5 lens from our forum fellow and decided to use it with the ASI 2600MC-Pro camera, for which an appropriate fastening had to be made, also based on the Arca-Swiss L-bracket. 

Knowing that I would buy additional glass, in January I started adapting the SW EQ5 mount to OnStep GoTo and I made a fairly light and very precise mount as a result, capable of shooting up to 120 seconds without elongating the stars at a focal length of 242mm (SW Evoguide 50ED) without guiding. I'll write about this modification later in this thread, but for now, I want to focus on what's at the top of the rig.

The pictures below show two different lens/sensor configurations, and the sensor can work both horizontally or vertically in each configuration. Any change takes literally seconds, everything is based on Arca-Swiss clamps. I should mention that it required well-managed cables fastened to designed and printed frames: data cables on the left-hand side and power cables on the opposite side. Like always, only two cables run down from the setup: a 12V power cable and a USB cable connected to the mount.

There is also a third option: a ZWO Canon EF filter drawer, which will be useful when I move from the experimentation phase to regular astrophotography with a faster 105-135mm lens with a Canon EF bayonet.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07WTC333V?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details (the Sigma 40mm F/1.4 Art mount ring)

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07SQHG23Z?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details (the Arca-Swiss L-bracket)

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CF8ZYVDV?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details (a big Arca-Swiss clamp safely holding the expensive lens with the 6D body and all accessories around, which is over 2.8kg in total)

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B071FBXHNN?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details (a small Arca-Swiss clamp is screwed to the Svbony guider)

First time two rigs in my garden, both are mine. ☺️

I have the EF bayonet version, but it's the same lens. 

Hi, 

Recently I finish a SW EQ5 OnStep GoTo mod with MKS Gen-L v.2.1 custom 3D printer/CNC board, steppers and belts. It works under control of ASIAir Plus.

Earlier I made an Opus Magnum EQ fork mount from scratch based on FYSETC S6 v.2, it works with both Astroberry and ASIAir. Harmonic gearing was used and of course steppers. 

A few months ago I finished a 1:20 scale 3D printed model of a New Robotic Telescope build by Liverpool John Moore University on La Palma, also steppers and belts, but this time an OnStepX was used. 

I love the OnStep/OnStepX and the new challenges. 🤩

@a6400, did you mean the Sigma 40mm F/1.4 DG HSM Art?

If yes, I designed it and printed a few days ago. It works, tested on Capella. Are you interested? 🙂

It's time to say sorry to my modded Canon 6D. Here is my newest and shortest setup in its beta version: Sigma 40mm F/1.4 Art, modded Canon 6D, Optolong L-Pro FF clip (if needed), 30mm guider and ASIair Plus on top of my recently finished SW EQ5 OnStep GoTo mod. It's something for a few hours trip outside the city, quite portable.   

Like every my scope, also this one will sit on a Losmandy dovetail bar when a proper saddle arrives. I will finish it and make it tidy then. The camera can be positioned horizontally (in the pic) or vertically thanks to an excellent Arca-Swiss L-bracket and two clamps. One smaller clamp is used for attaching the guider on a free side, very clever.

Waiting for tests...

'Firts light' and tests of a turned into OnStep GoTo basic SW EQ5 (2GT belts and an older custom 3D printer board). I'm going to describe it wider soon. 

The GoTo seems more accurate than the one in my Celestron CGX. 😳

Unguided tracking of Betelgeuse, 7.5* over the Equator; respectively 60s, 120s, 180s (ASI2600MC-Pro and SW 250mm Evoguide 50ED with SW FF; 3.2"/pixel). It's made as a mobile mount for my modified Canon 6D and a Sigma 40mm F/1.4 Art which I'm going to buy very soon. 60s subs can be easily taken without the guiding. 

Thank you Adam, I'm going to consider this idea. 

On 19/01/2024 at 20:49, Clarkey said:

I got one of these. 12.5mm thick. I thought it would be really poor, but it is actually very smooth and does not move at all. Holds my 1600mm and filter wheel no problem.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003279695931.html?UTABTest=aliabtest481469_657498&src=google&src=google&albch=shopping&acnt=494-037-6276&slnk=&plac=&mtctp=&albbt=Google_7_shopping&albagn=888888&isSmbAutoCall=false&needSmbHouyi=false&albcp=17859472720&albag=&trgt=&crea=en1005003279695931&netw=x&device=t&albpg=&albpd=en1005003279695931&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiA2KitBhCIARIsAPPMEhLTLkAfDYp7Ma4wdJBuNQrt_M1k1jcWA7ZBuzXiKQhHQq-cRGfRaIkaAuogEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds&aff_fcid=a1fef4d7886f4bed90c532c4f34b6941-1705697101389-07968-UneMJZVf&aff_fsk=UneMJZVf&aff_platform=aaf&sk=UneMJZVf&aff_trace_key=a1fef4d7886f4bed90c532c4f34b6941-1705697101389-07968-UneMJZVf&terminal_id=4a377cf5f14743aba676a791ef9a56a1&OLP=1086700608_f_group3&o_s_id=1086700608&afSmartRedirect=y

Yeah, it's exactly the same. 

I can see a tiny coma on one edge, depending on the camera position. My 7x2" ZWO EFW with filters and the camera weight more than 1kg, and they pull the camera side of the rotator down, but it's still acceptable. I'll wait a bit, it looks like ZWO plans to introduce their own rotator. 

It's difficult to rotate the whole scope while a Deep Sky Dad's EAF adapter is used. Rotation by 90* means turning a focusing ring also by 90* in an opposite direction that causes significant change of the focus point. This affects a whole filters offset settings. The FMA230 isn't a typical refractor. 

45 minutes ago, bosun21 said:

 

I'm referring to the temperature control circuitry. As the cooling is controlled by the 12v perhaps the temperature sensing is also supplied by it.

I assume that by asking the questions you have some thoughts. It would be easier to answer them if you could expand these thoughts.  🙂

I'd like to update this thread in case someone has a similar problem.  

Recently I bought two used M54/M54 manual rotators from @rsarwar. One of them has a male M54 / female M48 reduction ring which is great for me, I had only screwed it in deeper to obtain a proper length. It matches perfectly with the 7x2" ZWO EFW with its M54 thread while the second side can be screwed to the Askar thanks to the reducer.

I still think about the 5.5mm rotator, but I'll try to find a similar one with M48 or M54 thread. The extremely low profile would allow me to make an electronic rotator based on that. Thank you, Vlaiv.

CS,

Just now, vlaiv said:

Maybe place it between camera and filter wheel?

That way you will only have weight of the camera hanging on it and that is probably a bit less.

M42 also won't be a problem as I'm guessing you are already using that to connect EFW with the camera?

I cannot do it, the camera is screwed straight to the EFW, so it's the first part after the camera.

I can experiment and screw in an M48/M42 reduction behind the EFW to check the vignetting. I use an Askar FMA230 which is F/4.6.

Thank you Vlaiv, it's indeed very thin. I'd like to use it with an APS-C camera and 20+2 mm EFW, isn't the M42 too small for 39.5 mm from the camera sensor? And isn't 1,350 kg a risky amount?

Thanks and CS

Hi,

Miracles of Auriga - 2024.01.05-01.09

As it's stated that only narrowband is allowed, I place here a starless image. If one would like to see the SHO with RGB stars and star clusters, please visit my AstroBin.

It's my first image created using a mono camera and narrowband filters. I bought the camera, filters and 7x2" EFW in December 2023. I had to learn NINA by observing the setup at home. Finally, three cloudless nights in January 2024 gave me the chance to check what I learned and you can see it below.

Askar FMA230, Optolong 2" SHO, ASI 2600MM-Pro @ Celestron CGX;
18h of total integration time: 71x300s SII, 74x300s Ha, 71x300s OIII; Gain 101, Offset 50, -10°C;
NINA, PixInsight, Affinity Photo;
Liverpool, Bortle 9.

AstroBin starless     : https://www.astrobin.com/wvhx21/C/#r0
AstroBin combined : https://www.astrobin.com/wvhx21/C/

7 minutes ago, WolfieGlos said:

Definitely prefer the warmth of indoors, and letting the imaging rig do the work though! 

Me too... 🙂

On 25/12/2023 at 21:38, Vroobel said:

Is it a game-changer?

Askar FMA230, ASI2600MM-Pro, ZWO 7x2" EFW, Optolong 2" HSO & LRGB and Astro-Gadget AstroPC Pro (reviewed by Cuiv The Lazy Geek) with NINA. The Evoguide 50ED was swapped with ZWO 30F4.

Clouds, clouds, clouds... After over a week of learning the NINA, I try at least to run an offset calculator.

 

I cannot say a bad word about the sky and air tonight. To be honest, I never experienced so good guiding with the PHD2. Earlier I tried an Astroberry (INDI) and it was very annoying, like a shark's teeth, later I used an ASIAir Plus and the total RMS often was below 0.4", even sometimes 0.3". Now I'm very happy with the NINA - the total RMS reached 0.43" tonight.

BTW, attempts of processing in the middle of the multi-night imaging prove that it is the game-changer.  

That's it. During the planetary imaging we tend to get as much calm air in front of the scope as possible. I placed below what happens when the secondary mirror heater is turned on. I was imaging Mars, if I'm not wrong, so I had to turn it off and wait a while to let the mirror cool down. In the meantime, it's OK for DSO, because you record its average view. I didn't analyse the same DSO images taken during a dry night vs. a humid one, but the final image is always good as long, as you use a quality stuff. In my location the moisture affects my pics (and my fun) much stronger then any tiny distortion in the image caused by the heat. 

5 hours ago, bosun21 said:

I have found that a standard dew shield is adequate for protecting the secondary in a Newtonian. I experience heavy dew from time to time and the shield has worked for me. A heater will cause warm air currents which won't really help with imaging IMO.

I cannot agree. I'm imaging with heaters attached to every my scope and the heat doesn't affect the subs in any visible in the final image way. My 10" F/5 Newtoninan has the heater installed permanently on its secondary mirror. The longer the sub the better (e.g. 300s narrowband and 30s broadband). It affects a visual observation and planetary imaging, but it's different thing. I'm not observer, but I experienced it in a beginning of my hobby. The DSLR says that's not the case. 🙂

1 hour ago, mcrowle said:

My 12” Newtonian, out imaging M81 and M82 last night, shortly before the secondary dewed over. I’m adding more data this evening.

Regards, Mike.

It's time to think about a dew heater... 🙂

Hi.

I know that the CAA is not a camera, but it's closest to the discussion subject. Sorry, if someone asked the question earlier, but I didn't find the answer if any exists here.

My question is what is a thinnest manual (but high-quality one) or electronic rotator. I found one 16 or 16.5 mm thick, while others are only thicker. I'm a user of an Askar FMA230 which has a back focus 52-53mm instead of the declared 55mm and I'm not the only one. I like it and I don't want to swap it with another small scope, but using an ASI 2600MM-Pro cam and a 7 x 2" EFW with its 2mm thick M54/M48 reducer I'm limited now to 13mm only. 

I'm very curious if I missed something in the market. 

Thanks for your help in advance. 

Is it a game-changer?

Askar FMA230, ASI2600MM-Pro, ZWO 7x2" EFW, Optolong 2" HSO & LRGB and Astro-Gadget AstroPC Pro (reviewed by Cuiv The Lazy Geek) with NINA. The Evoguide 50ED was swapped with ZWO 30F4.

Clouds, clouds, clouds... After over a week of learning the NINA, I try at least to run an offset calculator.