teoria_del_big_bang

Nice images, I love the Bi-Colour

Steve

Yes it is not surprising that image is in print it is stunning.

Well done and well deserved 🙂 

Steve

As many did I had some clear sky last Saturday and used my new CEM60 mount for the first time.

Due to some messing about getting to grips with the new setup I had a short window to image Orion before it went behind neighbours house.

So Only managed: 2x 240S RGB + 2x 60S RGB

But this gave me enough to try combining both using PS to try and get over the blown core I had always had on this target. So by no means the best image of this popular target but it was a nice exercise for me and look forwart to getting more data and trying at a better image soon.

Many thanks to @carastro for directing me to a tutorial for a nice easy way to achieve this.

Steve

A lot of work gone into that image but really is worth it. A wonderful image 🙂 

Steve

Hope it helps, update the thread with how you  get on it would be nice to see how you do with it 🙂 

Steve

26 minutes ago, paul mc c said:

Thanks Steve,i will check that out,i tried Pixinsight trial, but just could not get it,way over my head to be honest.

Yes I know what you mean I tried the trial and in fact extended the trial for another month (They will extend it if you ask) and like you just thought it was far too difficult to use. Then after another year thought I would take the plunge and pay for it and as it is not cheap that would make me learn to use it.

Funnily enough although it does have a steep learning curve and takes a lot of work to get to grips after a while something sort of happens and the penny drops how the logic of it all works and it suddenly becomes a lot easier as you sort of understand the thinking behind it all and it is a great piece of software.

Now I am not suggesting you do try Pixinsight as it is a handful but I really would recommend Nebulosity 4.

I always have to write down what I am doing so I can follow the same flow next time and I did these instructions if they are of any help to you ?

Just looking at these instructions again (not used for sometime) they were written when I was using a DSLR but are okay for OSC and for mono you would just need to follow the instructions for each filter then combine the stacked images.

Steve

Pre-Processing & Stacking with Nebulosity 4.pdf

Nice image, and I am sure could be a real nice image with some more processing.

I am far from being any sort of expert on processing but there looks to be plenty of data to work with have you tried Nebulosity4, that's what I started out using for processing and found it really easy to use and produced some reasonable results. Yes it is lacking a bit in some areas but for basic stacking and manipulation I found it easy and really good.

I am now using Pixinsight and Photoshop but both have fairly steep learning curves and still sometimes go back to Nebulosity4 just to get a quick image.

Steve

Ah yes makes sense. I am guessing then of there is nothing in the Fits header then it will not matter whether it is selected or not.

Steve

Ruzeen,

The HEQ5 is an excellent mount but having stripped one down and rebuilt mine I would say it is fairly simple in design and so should not be too difficult to get it working correctly with some more information.

• Before you did the belt mod and replaced the gears how was the mount performing?
• What gears exactly did you replace and were the replacements genuine SW parts?
• Did you replace or re-grease any of the bearings?

Also a screen shot of PHD2 with the graph displayed and showing Ra and Dec together with the correction pulses will give everyone an idea how good or how bad it really is.

If you manually slew each axis in turn at maximum speed through the full movement of each axis does they move smoothly without too much noise, and no stalling of the stepping motors. Listen very carefully is there any noise that seems periodic as if there is some binding once per rev of the worm gears ?

Steve

When using ImageIntegration process do you need to select "Subtract Pedestals" under the Image Integration parameters?

If so do you need to do this for all images, Darks, Flats, Lights etc?

Steve

This is such a popular target and you see a lot of images of it that it is hard to get an image that stands out but you certainly have achieved that.

An outstanding image 🙂 

Steve

32 minutes ago, Adam1234 said:

I'll remove the polar scope during the week and investigate.

I've just had a thought actually. I wonder if the polar scope itself is loose, but seeming to be held in place by the reticle, but then moving around when the telescope is moved.  When I first bought the scope/mount (second hand), the polar scope was loose and wobbling around and I could pull it out somewhat. Tightening the 3 screws seems to hold it in place, but perhaps I'm right in saying that all I done was tighten the reticle around the polar scope and made it appear that the polar scope is tight, and maybe there should be other screws that I should have tightened? 

I don't know if that makes sense to you at all.

Sounds like that is the way to go. 

There has been a lot of things in this business that for a while have not made sense, but there is always a reason and when you find it it THEN all makes sense 🙂 

Good luck I hope it all becomes blindingly obvious.

Steve

I am not familiar with your mount but looking at this tutorial it looks very easy setup and not indifferent from my HEQ5.

Meade LXD75 Mods and How to's #4 Polar Alinement part 2

So if you are sure none of the 3 adjustment screws are moving and it is all tight around those screws then I can only assume something at the other end of the polar scope is moving. Any signs of any wear of marks if you remove the polar scope altogether.

Steve

So long as the polar scope is tight and cannot move with respect to the RA axis then using that alignment process it should be spot on.

Without adjusting anything are you saying that if you check it again to a terrestrial target in daytime, as in the link, then it is not aligned anymore?

Steve

That really is an exceptional image.  So much detail and interest in the image yet the colouring is still subtle, I just love it 🙂 

Steve

Thats a lovely image.

It really seemed to clear up around 11 PM didn't it . I spent most of night playing about with my new mount and trying to get the guiding right but did get a few Ha and OIII of NGC 7822 (not sure what the popular name for this one is it is new to me).

Steve

Nice images, that is a great start to a great hobby

Steve

10 minutes ago, vlaiv said:

It was error in DEC. Dec should simply stay still - it should not move, so no binding, no periodic error, nothing like that. It needs some sort of external thing to throw it off correct position - either move scope / mount or move guide star (poor seeing can make star appear to be displaced).

Other than that - DEC should change very slowly due to PA error - something like one correction every half a minute or minute. If you look at your recent graph - there are 5 corrections in one direction and 8 corrections in opposite direction - let's say that 5 of those "cancel out" (just seeing stuff) - only 3 are "true corrections" and display shows something like couple of minutes worth of data. PA error simply can't be cause of such large excursion in position.

Yes I see this now, and now you have pointed this out it is pretty obvious. Also really interesting about how the heat sources can affect it as well. I guess these could be something as simple as a flue from a central heating boiler, although I guess the condensing vapour from those will show up on the subs as well so will be more obvious, but there are plenty of other heat sources.

Steve

2 minutes ago, vlaiv said:

That does not look particularly good - that large excursion in DEC. It looks odd - it could be due to wind (large scope?) or cable tug/snag - or something else.

As I said I am also trying to understand these graphs, my thoughts were that the fact the error continues to climb for quite a time then goes all of a sudden would suggest some sort of binding in the gears, or never thought of it myself but cable drag also, do you think wind could also cause this?

I guess if it is binding or something with the gearing it will be cyclic and will repeat.

Steve

Following your thread with with interest as although I have been guiding for some while now I have sort of jut set PHD going and like you not really known what to expect.

Also there is a lot you can do to tune things in with PHD and again I am still getting to grips with it.

It may help to say what your setup is regarding the actual mount and guidescope/camera ets as I am guessing you should be able to get better results with different equipment.

With my limited knowledge I think generally looks very good and certainly a little better than I got with my HEQ5. As you say that lump on the Dec axis looks like a tight spot in the gearing that maybe just binds very slightly and so takes a fair few correction pulses then goes all of a sudden. Hopefully somebody with better knowledge will confirm this or suggest another cause but if you can improve that then to me looks good (please take with a pinch of salt though).

Steve 

My words that is a nice image, so clear and so much detail without being over-stretched. 

Steve

Just now, newbie alert said:

Keep us updated on the cem as one of the mounts I have my eye on..even if it's just a pm...good luck with it..sure you're going to enjoy..

l try to remember, things slip out of my mind so easily these days but I promise I will try. Problem this year is getting the clear nights I think.

If you do not hear from me for a month or two please message me you are more than welcome to ask anytime 🙂 

Steve

2 hours ago, newbie alert said:

I had a AVX which was excellent for my widefied frac and planetary imaging, but I wanted to use my sct for imaging mainly small galaxies so I was looking for a extra payload mount.. A cgem popped up so after abit of negotiation we swapped mounts with some cash his way.. initial try I absolutely hated it, so much so I asked to buy the avx back..

After a few mods to the cgem I've kind of got used to it but it don't hold the same place in my heart as the avx did..

In your case the cem60 should be far better, shouldn't it?

I am hoping so, not had much of a chance to even test it out in daylight yet and certainly these northern nights are giving me no chance to test it out for real (C.O. does give Saturday night as clear but time for that to change yet 🙂 ). So will not be selling it until I have had a good few goes with the CEM. Its the one without encoders so not much really to go wrong, well thats what I hope anyway.

Steve

11 minutes ago, Alan White said:

I often regret buying kit rather than selling it to be honest.
Sometimes I cannot stop myself buying something out of curiosity and then wondering why I did this.
When it comes to selling, yes I often regret having sold kit I liked but decided to upgrade mainly out of curiosity as above.

But if you don't try you don't know.

 

Yes I have bought a fair few bits I didn't really need or that I have used in anger, thankfully nothing too expensive 😉 

Steve

11 hours ago, JeremyS said:

ISo, given the number of regrets (including some from me!), maybe it's best just hang onto everything 🙂

The downside is that I wouldn't be able to move in the house 🙂

Luckily I have a pretty large garage, but it is starting to get cramped in there now though 🙂 

Steve