Vroobel

42 minutes ago, Mike Q said:

It was a so so night.  The air is pretty thick this time of year and a touch of haze up there, but all in all not bad.  It was a fairly short session since i had been up since 0430 but on the productive side.  

The robot is a Stellina.  The wife spent 5 grand on it and a new 12 inch tablet for it.  Expensive.... Yep, but it is so easy to use.  Its AP for dummies.  Set it up, let it figure out where it is and it will tell you what it can see, then pick your poison and press go. 

Can you share any pictures taken with that? Something well-known and easy to compare with typical AP. Thanks.

2 hours ago, Xsubmariner said:

Early this year I captured, “back to bed” after a long night. Interestingly this thread started the year I took up Astronomy.

Interesting rig. Could you tell us what's that mount and the rest of the setup? 

Hi,

Thanks for that. I just ordered the FMA230.

It may be useful because I thought I can use my ZWO OAG and ZWO filter drawer, but if it happens and the back focus is also shorter than the 55mm in my case, then I have to consider removing the OAG and using some spacers and another guider instead. It's not nice to play with the components, as they are well aligned now.

Edit.

I just realized that it may be OK for the APS-C., so let's see. 

24 minutes ago, Franklin said:

You won't be disappointed, but the 102ed F/11 will have greater resolution. The more I use the A80M the more I like it, as a grab and go all-rounder it never fails to perform. Plus, being a relatively cheap and robust kind of scope, I can just leave it in the shed ready for rapid deployment! Setting up the SD115 on the SXD2 and going through all the goto alignment takes a bit more time and effort, which I have to reserve for extended sessions when it's forecast clear all night and I don't have work next day.

That makes sense. Recently I made marks of my CGX tripod legs on paving tiles that I use as a foundation in the garden, so will try it soon whether it keeps PA (14") or not. Then I'll be ready quite quickly forthe precise solar astrophotography. I have also similar marks in front of the house for EQ5, which I only move there at day and back to home, nothing is adjusted. 

46 minutes ago, Franklin said:

More solar viewing today, this time with the 80mm F/11.4 achromatic. The long focal length combined with the solar continuum filter creates images that are very sharp indeed, in fact I see no difference between this and the SD81 regards definition. Easier to pump up the magnification with longer focal length eyepieces as well, today I was using my part collection of Vixen silver-top plossl's (2nd generation), they really do go well with this particular scope.

 

I should try my A80M as well. Together with bino (x1.6 and x2.0) and pairs of ortho 9mm and 7mm should give not much worse result than the 102ED F/11. 

I checked all available tools mention in the Internet, I think the fringe removal as well. Unsuccessfully. 

Thanks for the confirmation of the F/5.6, I'll try. 🙂

I found one screenshot showing the raw stack. For me it's not acceptable and I won't repeat the manual halos removal anymore. 

On 11/02/2023 at 21:55, Nb888k said:

Hi, 

I love your project. Please can you share the stl files? I was about to try to figure this out myself.

I use Myfocuserpro2 project for DIY focusser. And will use Nina autofocus. But I need a solution for scope rings, focusser gear etc and yours look great.

How's it been performing?

I'm sorry for the late reply, after the defeat mentioned above i temporarily abandoned the project, but now it's coming back.

Are you still interested in the files?

Hi,

Thanks for your reply. I didn't do too much, only the California Nebula: https://www.astrobin.com/hnlo7s/B/ . It looks quite good now, but I had a huge problem with significant red halos around all stars, which I removed manually. I used a Baader Canon ring with an extra compartment for 2" filters where my L-eXtreme was placed. Some people said that the halos could be caused by the filter. Now I declared a purchase of the full frame Optolong L-Pro filter here, on the SGL, so I'm going to give it another chance. I have only several targets for this setup: M31, M42 with the Horse Head and the Flame, maybe the America with Pelican, but it's again another filter needed.  

On 12/02/2023 at 00:13, Whistlin Bob said:

Not sure how your getting on, but an important learning for me was that it performed much better at f5.6 than it did wide open. Hope you're having fun with it.

My question is how does the F/5.6 appear better than the F/4.5?

On 9/6/23, before the 1st night of the Iris Nebula (and before the thunderstorm...).
New components added: a trustworthy Losmandy-style dovetail by Altair Astro as a base and a WO Vixen-style one with clamps just for accessories. The Vixen-style clamps for ASIair offered by the FLO are so strong that my Evoguide attached to another imaging setup (APO) doesn't even twitch. 🙂

And one more for now.

Supernova 2023ixf in Pinwheel Galaxy (M101) - my first multi-night imaging over 5 nights: 2023.05.25, 26, 28, 29 and 30

Bresser Messier 10" F/5, MPCC Mk III, IDAS LPS-P2, ASI 2600MC-Pro, ASIair Plus @ Opus Magnum ATM EQ Fork Mount
77×120″ (2h 34m) and 555×60″ (9h 15m) gain: 101, -10°C
ASTAP, PixInsight, Affinity Photo

Full size picture: https://www.astrobin.com/full/7zkm5o/0/?mod=&real=

Hi,

The Whirlpool Galaxy (M51), 15/5/2023

Bresser Messier 10" F/5, MPCC Mk III, IDAS LPS-P2, ASI 2600MC-Pro, ASIair Plus @ Opus Magnum ATM EQ Fork Mount
177 x 60s (2h 57m), Gain 101, -10°C
ASTAP, PixInsight, Affinity Photo

Full size picture: https://www.astrobin.com/full/9km0fx/B/?mod=&real=

8 minutes ago, Ricochet said:

Check that too when you contact Bresser. The Bresser Messier range have 10 year warranties but you might need to register with them.

It's a budget telescope, I don't think that they will fix the problem. 

BTW, I thought about a custom carbon tube, but going towards i.e. GSO/iOptron/StellaLyra 8" RC OTA seems cheaper. It's smaller, shorter, lighter and in the meantime it has a longer focal length. Of course, it's about the astrophotography. 

Hi, 

Thankfully, it works that I got the post as well... 

I place a link to my post on the bottom. Yes, I'm imaging. I understood an origin of the problem after analysis plenty of final pictures after stacking. There was a kind of uneven shadow on the bottom of pictures caused by lift up mirror of the Canon DSLR (180* rotated image) that was unable to eliminate by series of flat frames taken, when the OTA was in a vertical position. It was caused by the gravity: the camera was changing it's position within a night (EQ mount). BTW, nobody was able to explain this effect looking at the pics. 

After my modification (unfortunately involving a lot of drilling) I never experienced this effect. Now I use a heavy cooled astro-camera, OAG with its camera, filter drawer and EAF auto-focuser. I don't think that your EP is heavier than my items together. Now my subframes taken over a night move across the picture only because of the guiding or GoTo imperfections. 

My conclusion is that the steel wall is not stiff enough and in my opinion @Ricochet is right in their suspects that their 8" OTA is stiffer because of its smaller diameter. 

4 hours ago, Coco said:

And no wind 🙏

Maybe I don't have the best views and unlimited horizon around, but I don't have the too strong wind as well.  Also, I have two extra counterweights from EQ5!

Yeah, this is the new setup based on old stuff. Not bad, if we take into account that it's OAG @ 1284mm fl and over 18kg OTA with accessories.

I really like the CGX together with ASIair Plus.  

9 minutes ago, Ratlet said:

I will title this image seconds from disaster...

Very light up here the now and couldn't get sufficient stars to polar align until about 23:30, however the mount had a dodgy zero position lodged in it from the last time I used it so when I asked it to slew to Vega, it slewed to try and look at the core of the earth, fortunately I was sat beside the mount before anything collided.  Managed to figure out the issue, but by then the clouds had arrived.

Still, not a complete waste.  Setup was very quick as I've adopted @Elp technique of having everything ready to go, just move the mount, pop the imaging rig on and connect a couple cables.  defo a winner that.

The imaging rig is a good thing, I also have one based on my Altair 102EDT and Evoguide. But another setup based on already owned gear is just tested...

Hi,

It's a 4th night of the M101 (nearly in a row) and my first approaching the multiple-nights imaging.  

Hi, 

Everyone captures the AR3310 sunspot and its neighbours, so I do it as well. 

SW EQ5, Starwave 102ED F/11, (Barlow RevelationAstro 2" x2 ED), Hercules Herschel wedge 1.25", Baader Yellow, Baader IR/UV Cut, ASI 678MC.

OpusMagnum ATM EQ fork mount, Bresser Messier 10" F/5, full aperture Baader ND5.0 foil, Baader Yellow, Baader IR/UV Cut, ASI 678MC. 

Videos are still processed.

Hi,

I also hope to take a few pics of the M101 with its supernova. 

Tonight it's a test if a new child in the family: new ZWO OAG with a helical focuser, new ZWO filter drawer and already owned ASI 120MM mini and IDAS LPS-P2. Of course, ASI 2600MC-Pro is there as well. 

Recently discovered excellent cooperation of my OnStep controller (based on the FYSETC S6 v.2.1 board) with the ASIair Plus constantly impresses me - it's 1280mm focal length put on top of the home-made mount. 😳 Or is the mount so good? 🤔

P.S.. The Evoguide and ASI 224MC is there just in case of poor guiding by the OAG, warm and ready.

Hi,

Now I'm ready to present much better picture of the M51, which was my main goal till now.

The Whirlpool Galaxy (M51), 15-16/5/2023

Bresser Messier 10" F/5, Baader MPCC III, IDAS LPS-P2, ASI 2600MC-Pro @ OpusMagnum ATM EQ fork mount, ASIair Plus
177 x 60s, Gain 101, default offset, -10°C
ASTAP (stacking), PixInsight (BlurX), Affinity Photo (GradientX, StarX, NoiseX, stretching)

This is a higher level of my primary setup: the 90kg ATM EQ fork mount with 17kg 10" F/5 Newtonian with accessories.

I wrote it's a higher level, because this setup never fully satisfied me till now. I used the Astroberry with its Ekos and PHD2. Guiding offered by the PHD2 very rarely was below 1" total RMS, usually it was nearly 2". Recently I bought the ASIair Plus and after obtaining decent guiding with Celestron CGX (around 0.8") I decided to give my ATM fork mount another chance. The result is outstanding, if we take into account that it's a fully home-made mount built from scratch: nearly all the session the total RMS was below 0.8", very often it was around 0.65" and sometimes reached really low value like 0.56". I think that the harmonic gearing used for the RA axis just showed its class. The question is why does the PHD2 run on the same Raspberry Pi 4 (my Astroberry has 8GB RAM) cannot do the same as the ASIair Plus?

Hi, 

Two hours before the run: coming back to origins and another level of the setup? 

After some significant amends described in the following post... 

... recently I found that the ASIair Plus supports the OnStep, so I cannot resist and must try it all together. 

ATM EQ fork mount, Bresser Messier 10" F/5 Newtonian, ZWO EAF, ASI 2600MC-Pro, Baader MPCC III, SW Evoguide 50ED, ASI 224MC, a home-made dew heaters controller, ASIair Plus  and... my smartphone instead of laptop with VNC. 

I love the external antenna of the ASIair Plus for it's awesome WiFi range! 😳 It's much better than the simple Raspberry Pi (Astroberry). 

Hi, 

Cooling down before hunting the M51. Hopefully tonight it will be first light for my new ASIAir Plus with the CGX. I'm very curious of their cooperation in terms of PA and guiding. It will be also test of how flat is my field after making the light path more rigid. Busy night, busy me...

1 hour ago, Dave scutt said:

Reminds me of bad robot. 

 

 

 

IMHO rather WALL-E...