smr

Hi David, 

Great tutorial btw, I am following it now. Presumably it's ok to follow everything as it is still? I am on the part where I've just downloaded and installed ASPS.

Hi,

I've got EQMOD and Stellarium working now, so I'd like to start Platesolving to make finding DSO's easier - as it's quite difficult to tell whether you're on target with an OSC Narrowband Filter as I realised last night. 

What is good and how does it work ?

The Software I use at the moment is PHD2, EQMOD, Stellarium, Sharpcap (for polar alignment) and APT (free version)

Hi,

Just took some dark frames this morning, 4 of them at 240 seconds, and this is the last of them, at 25C, ISO 800, 240 seconds. Is this too many hot pixels. The Camera has quite a high shutter count of 63,000, I'm wondering if I should've bought it. You might have to click on the image to see the hot pixels.

3 minutes ago, MarkAR said:

Dark frames will take care of the hotties.

Will dithering too as I don't take darks?

Thanks guys, I used the FWHM in APT and it seems ok - probably not in great focus but much better than it was. 

It's a new Camera I'm using, and a NB filter for the first time too so I'm having to learn a few new things at the moment. 

It took me ages tonight to get set up, very rusty having not set up since early May. 

Does it look like I finally got the Heart framed?

I'm wondering if this 600D that I've bought is ok as there are tonnes of hot pixels.

Clouds have rolled in now.

Hi 

I'm using a narrowband (for OSC) filter for the first time - I've never had one before - how do you focus with it ? It's in the field flattener of my Z73 (2" Filter) - whilst I can see stars I can't see any spikes with my bahitnov mask on.

The Filter seems to fit in nicely.

4 hours ago, david_taurus83 said:

I think he does it to all the cameras which have the Baader BCF filter installed to allow daytime use. If its just the IR filter removed for astro, the LP1 filter is left in place and so the sensor cleaning should work. Maybe worth an email to Juan with the camera serial number. He might be able to offer more advice.

Yes it was just the IR removal as I asked the seller before buying.

All around 4-8 second exposures

2 hours ago, david_taurus83 said:

Be mindful that if its one of Juan's cameras (Cheap Astrophotography) that he removes the anti aliasing filter in some of the 600D's and the sensor cleaning function won't work. The biggest issue I find with DSLR sensor dust is it can move around during a session, im assuming by the shutter action, and rendering flats useless at removing the artifacts. He's left the LP filter in my 6D and the ultrasonic cleaning is quite effective, as long as I remember to take flats before I switch it off or the battery runs out!

You should get the sensor as clean as possible with the blower and if you have an alcohol based cleaning kit, use that to clean it also and if available put a clip filter into position to keep any more dust out.

Yes it's one of Juan's mods. How would I know if the sensor cleaning when switching off the camera works or not? When I switch it off I see the message to say that the sensor is cleaning itself.

Brilliant !

That's a superb image. Well done Carole!

I received my Canon 600D DSLR this morning and took some photos to see what the sensor is like, and as I expected there is some dust. I've used a blower so it would need cleaning with a wet clean if I were to do it, but I'm wondering if it's worth bothering, as I take flats. What do you think? 

Canon 600D is the best choice for a modified DSLR imo. I just bought one for £200.

Ah right that's interesting.  I'm not sure why they designed that flattener so that filters would be facing the wrong way. In the original flattener that I have the thread is inside the flattener and faces the right way.

8 hours ago, TerryMcK said:

Some filters are directional and should be placed so the male thread goes towards the sensor and the female thread is to the sky. The field flattener on the ZS73 has its filter threads the “wrong” way around. When screwing the filter in you find that the female threads of the filter are facing the sensor.

I had to buy an adapter from Teleskope Express that turned the filter the correct way around. Much better than turning the glass around in the filter frame! The adapter is essentially an M48 threaded tube about 7mm long.

An M48 filter allows you to use it on purpose made astronomy cameras in the future too.

Thanks, I didn't know that - so the Filter is facing the wrong way then without the adapter? 

Could you please link to the adapter which you bought?

Edit - I have the non adjustable (first) version of the Field Flattener, and have screwed a basic 2" Light Pollution Filter into it before, was it the adjustable one you bought?

8 hours ago, R1k said:

Quick newbie question - where would the 2 inch filter fit in your imaging train? Assuming DSLR - field flattener - scope

 

thanks

With the Z73 the filter attaches to the field flattener.

47 minutes ago, vlaiv said:

I would say L-eNhance unless you for any particular reason want to separate OIII and Hb lines, or rather eliminate Hb lines.

Main difference between the two filters is that L-eNhance captures both OIII and Hb in green and blue channels of your DSLR, while L-eXtreme captures only OIII.

You won't be able to separate OIII and Hb with L-eNhance, but it gathers more signal because of additional Hb (that is present in some nebulae). L-eXtreme passes less light pollution, but you are in 20 mag skies so difference will be minimal (even in heavier LP difference would be very small given band passes of both filters).

 

Thanks vlaiv, I'll go for the L-eNhance. Just need to decide between the 2" Filter or the EOS-C Clip in. I guess I don't really have any fast lenses that I would use for Deep Sky Astrophotography at the moment but if I were to buy a fast f/2 Samyang or so then it would have to be the clip in... decisions...

Hi guys, 

I've finally just bought a modified Canon 600D. I'm really looking forward to imaging many Ha Emission Nebulae. 

I'd like to buy a new filter for this, which would be better to go for, the L-eNhance or the L-eXtreme? I have Bortle 5 (19.57 mag skies)

What's the difference between the Photo and Pro version of the QHY268M ? 

Thanks.

Hi guys,

I think it's time I got a modded DSLR, will be good for the Summer targets, and perhaps before Winter I'll buy a cooled OSC, or even keep using the DSLR if it performs well.

Using a modded DSLR will allow me to use dual narrowband filters such as the optolong l-enhance which I'd really like to do, and I should be able to sell it for what I bought it for it so it's a no brainer really. £200 for a 600D and £100ish to mod it.

So who would you recommend to do the mod? Thanks. 

Joel

1 minute ago, TerryMcK said:

I went to f2.5 when I was experimenting the other night. I found f1.8 a little too much but was getting good focus. Nice to have a little in reserve.

I think you have to stop it down a bit to avoid too much chromatic abberation ?

I personally think the Canon 70-200 /f2.8 and /f4 are superb lenses for astro. Nice wide apertures on both, especially the 2.8 and decent focal length with crop for widefield shots. The sweet spot for me would be 400mm at /f2.8... but that lens is expensive!

On 22/05/2020 at 05:49, TerryMcK said:

I’ve recently been experimenting with the EF 50mm f1.8 STM. Very fast and great for ultrawide field. I am using it on a 400D which is a crop sensor of course and get the equivalent field of view of a focal length of 81 mm as seen on a full frame camera. On your R it will still be the intended field of view.

I have been focusing it with a home made Y mask. I tried making a Bahtinov mask for 50mm but the slots are so close together for that it was impossible for me to make - hence the Y. In practice focus is that close to infinity it is really easy to set on this lens.

I've got the nifty fifty lens. What aperture do you stop it down to ?