david_taurus83

If it works well for SCT's and RC's then it may be a worthy investment. I think it can focus electronically? For AP, if it meant nailing down collimation better than the MK1 Eyeball, I'd probably give it a go? A good filter is more expensive!

5 minutes ago, Acika said:

So should i buy 1 of those filters or should i use my telescope without them?

Personally, I think you should spend the money on modifying your camera, or buy one already modded, and try that first as the rewards will be greater. Its your decision though.

You should always crop out the edges before doing background extraction. DBE is usually the preferred method as well. ABE with default settings will usually give me similar results to above. If your struggling with placing points you could try placing points in the 4 corners, and one on each edge as well and a couple near the centre that's not on nebulosity. Sometimes it won't remove all light pollution and gradients but it should flatten the image enough that you should be able to colour balance afterwards.

2 hours ago, Acika said:

So guys what filter would be the best between those 2?

Did you not see my response above? You will struggle to image emission nebula with a non modded camera. Filters don't enhance signal, they isolate and either reject or pass specific wavelengths. So while both filters in question will reject light pollution and pass emission wavelengths, your stock camera internal IR filter will reject Ha emission wavelength.

You would be much better off modding the camera. The CLS filter will block out light pollution and pass broadband and emission spectrum and the UHC will block out most broadband and pass emission but the IR filter in the camera will then block most Ha emission signal. Not a problem if your shooting a galaxy or Pleiades etc. Modded 450D's come up for sale quite often for not much more than a clip filter itself.

I find Pixinsight has the odd random bug with various updates. Scripts that worked before suddenly stop working, PCC works on previous image, fails to solve on next image. Usually solves itself with another update or 2.

Back on topic though, how is SX doing now? My free trial is over and I didn't purchase. The first version worked well at removing stars but left too smooth of a remnant compared to the background beyond the star. Have things been improved in this area?

So it's been a bit quiet here lately due to the rubbish weather and too dark to get stuff done when I get back from work. The rats nest of cables I have installed won't do at all so needs tidying up.

I had my Redcat on there a few weeks ago and I managed a good session on the California Nebula one night but I did have to supervise the mount while slewing and during the meridian flip as there was a high risk of all the cables snagging on the silly AZEQ6 latitude bolt. I have decided to move all the USB hubs and power adapters to a plate that sits on top of the scope and run shortest cables possible from camera and accessories. The only cables running up the mount should be the power cable and EQMod cable while all the others stay static above the Dec axis.

I ordered a small aluminium plate from Amazon for about a tenner I think. 200mm x 300mm.

It came with quite sharp edges and corners, I'm guessing from being cut with a bandsaw. These needed rounding off and filed down. Also filed a bit of a bevel to all edges. Dont want this ruining the inside of my Telegizmo cover when it's on top.

Whilst I'm at it, I'm mounting my DSD autofocuser to the plate so I don't need to mess about with the bahtinov mask on the Redcat. Done a rough fit last week and ordered a 304mm MXL belt from BearingShopUK. Quite cheap at £2.39 for the belt. The postage and packaging cost more!

Belt came the other day so tonight started fitting out. Holes drilled for mounting the plate to the Redcat handle with a couple of M6 bolts.

Focuser bracket offered up for marking where to drill. This bit was critical as I have no mechanism to adjust tension on the belt apart from loosing the bracket screws or the plate bolts and adjusting position slightly. I threaded these 2 with an M4 tap.

Perfect fit first time!

Tension appears to be just right and the belt doesn't slip on the focus ring. Looking forward to see how well it works under the stars. Passed the indoor test anyway.

The AZGTi is not designed to be used as an EQ mount for AP though it does a pretty good job with the EQ firmware anyway. The internal gearbox has a lot of play between the 3 little nylon gears on the motor output shaft so there is a lot of backlash that can't be avoided. In PHD turn off the option to dither in Dec axis and dither in RA only. Its capable of 5 minute subs with good polar alignment.

There's a good strip down guide to watch.

Hi Jon. It's something I will do myself once the mount is outside its warranty period. There are plenty of guides available for the EQ6R but not many for the AZEQ6. I was going to remove the needle bearings, measure them and just order SKF equivalent. Only way to be sure.

2 hours ago, vlaiv said:

Indeed, not up to speed with whole issue - I thought that thread being too long is main problem and that solves easily with spacers / distance rings (I have similar issue with my filter drawer that is rather thin and longer thread just protrudes inside and stops drawer from sliding in/out properly).

Is that the TS one by any chance? I cut the offending side off the drawer with a Dremel so it wouldn't catch the threads when removing. I think they have since resigned it.

You can't tell from single subs if their halo free. My first Baader Oiii 8.5nm was bad and on some subs you couldn't see anything but after stacking, there it was, big halo. 

Their target market is us, Average Joe trying to grab a few photons from our back gardens with small refractors and/or cheap Newts with reducers and coma correctors. They should be testing on the likes of those, not 11" RASA's. 

You need to apply pressure onto the part and twist. This always works better for me than strap wrenches, rubber bands etc. Trainer with soft sole usually does the job. 

Tighten the bolt underneath a bit more?

It's asteroid 779 Nina. Initially I checked in Sky Safari but didn't show anything until i realised I needed to update the catalogue. Pretty accurate as well. 1 minute out on RA and 4 minutes on Dec. 77km wide, 1.5AU away and whizzing merrily through the solar system at a leisurely 19km per second. Captured with a little 50mm scope out in my back garden. 🙂

As stated, Sharpcap is Windows only. If you have a ZWO camera, then there is an Android app called ASICAP that you could use as long as you have an OTG cable/connector. Don't know how well it works though. Mixed reviews. 

16 minutes ago, newbie alert said:

Hi Adam, isn't your oag before the filters/ camera?

When he changes to the thinner UVIR filter he has to move the focuser in for the main camera and it throws out focus for the OAG as he needs to rack that back out by itself.

Been processing some NGC1499 Ha data i managed to capture last Sunday 21st when I noticed a slow moving object in a series of frames. Is there an app or a website that can identify these objects? Asteroid? Satellite? Tesla? This was a series of 10 minute images taken from 7pm last Sunday through to 5am on Monday morning. Co-ords of the object just before midnight Sunday was RA: 04-03-16, DEC: 36-34-39

Just read one of the news articles. Hope no damage done but surely if it can cope with the 3+ G's of launch through our atmosphere...I doubt that's vibration free?

I had the Altair version of this (102EDR) and its a very nice scope. When I brought it to the local astro club everyone who had a peek through it commented on how sharp it was. I even bagged M1 with it from my old light polluted back garden!

7 hours ago, 900SL said:

You need a tracker. 

Fornax Lightrack2. Best tracker for the money by a long way

Bosch 170 survey tripod, 70 euro, solid as a rock

The Fornax wedge is eyewatering expensive and over budget but works. 

Or find second hand WO wedge or similar

 

You sure about a survey tripod? Coarse 5/8 thread as standard. I looked at this option a while ago as I have a few tripods (engineering surveyor) but couldn't find an adapter down to 1/4.

Seen this on FB. Altair 26C owner in the US. Different manufacturer with similar issue.

23 minutes ago, tooth_dr said:

 

Wall-E 2.0?!

Same here. I was struggling to find a good focus on one of my guide scopes. Stars always looked too bloated in PHD for my liking. Bought a cheap IR/UV cut filter and it works great. I would even say try and find the cheaper SVBony ones as they work just as well.

2 minutes ago, FLO said:

If you are who I think you are, I see when you placed your order our website estimated dispatch mid-late December.

I will check progress early December then update you 🙂 

Steve 

Hi Steve. It was said in jest! It will land when it lands! 🙂