carastro

Excellent image John, Carole

The image is only slightly darker in the background. HEQ5 handles ED120 fine. All subs are keepers from guiding point of view. Not sure what RMS was as didn’t look but guiding was pretty smooth. I use a finderguider. I have done 15mins and even 20 mins subs with this combo in the past and on one occasion even 30 min subs. In the past l even did some imaging with the ed80 mounted on top of the ED120 as part of a dual rig on the HEQ5. It turned out ok but l felt it was pushing it a bit so didn’t repeat this. HTH carole

Thanks Adam, yes me too. Thanks Dave. Well I decided to give it another go when I got home and had more time and better light. I would have liked to have had a bit more Ha showing, so might still try to do a new version. Shows up OK on the Ha only process, but seems to disappeared when added to Oiii. Funny really as it's normally the other way around, Ha overwhelming Oiii. The middle bit was really difficult to combine the shorter subs and having to do it in all filters made it a real mission, Carole

Taken at local astro camp on Sunday 12th May (1st quarter Moon)Decided after processing the first night's data that it was pretty futile doing a 2nd night as I obviously didn't have a long enough focal length for the target, so only did the one night on it. Both short and long subs were taken for all filters due to the bright centre.Ha 11 x 600Oiii 6 x 600Plus shorter subs of 30secs for both Ha and OiiiRGB for stars 150 secs each 5 & 6 of each plus 30secs subsAtik428EX, Skywatcher ED120 + FR x 0.8HEQ5Total imaging time amounts to 3 hours 45 minsProcessing was a real pain as all channels had to have short and long subs taken and combined due to the bright centre (the famous bit - just about got the rough shape of it and that is all).Combined as HOORGB

Sorry Adam, missed your post first time. Thanks for the comments. Taken with your old EFW. Carole

FLO are normally extremely helpful and co-operative. I am sure it will be fine. Carole

I would always prefer mono as it is so much more versatile insomuch as you can do narrowband whereas with OSC its really only broadband and with a bayer matrix it will be less sensitive. I did buy a OSC once to try to save on time, but found it funnily enough far more complicated to process due to the bayer matrox settings so gave it up and stuck to mono. Glad you are changing your mind, it is more expensive with all the "bits" and there is a bit of a learning curve to combine data (I have some You tube tutorials on this) but worth it in the end. Some targets really show off at their best in narrowband. Carole

When we go to local astro camp there are sometimes non astronomers on the site too and generally they are normally quite interested in what we are doing. they often ask if they can come back later and take a look through the scope but most of us have cameras in the back. Occasionally some-one has a scope that can be looked through and we give them a guided tour of what's up there. We also show them the planets when they are up, and the ISS if it is passing over and all is much appreciated. I only got one occasion (not at camp I hasten to add) when I pointed out to some-one the ISS and was told that it wasn't that it was something else ridiculous like a meteor lol. Couldn't be bothered to argue. Carole

I think you are right Olly, I could say the same for a few more targets as well. Carole

Is this better?

Thanks every-one. I do have a tendency to stretch the background to show the underlying nebulosity, but I'll try dropping it a little. Carole

I have used the same synscan handset with an HEQ5 and NEQ6, in fact the HEQ5 I still have and the Synscan belonged to the NEQ6 which I have sold. I am not familiar with the AZ GTi mount but a Skywatcher dealer should be able to confirm, and already some replies are coming back here as affirmative. However just curious why you are wanting to control the m9unt through your phone and yet using a handset as well? Sorry just can't quite work out the situation. CArole

Welcome Luca, we have at least one other Italian on this forum but I think I stole him as he now comes regularly to our local Deep sky camps as he is temporarily working in London. However if he comes onto the forum I am sure you can have lots of Italian chat with him. We are a friendly bunch as you have already discovered with lots of people to share ideas with, get help or have a joke. Carole

How annoying Dave. Maybe you need a more straight forward mount for camping something like mine. You do seem to spend a lot of time faffing around with that Micron at most camps. Thanks for the nice comments folks. Carole

Thanks Simmo

The age profile is mostly older/retired members at my astro group with a smattering of younger guys. Females are in the minority. Carole

Taken at astro camp in East Sussex on 13th May during a first quarter Moon. I last attempted this 5 years ago and have been meaning to come back to it. Hubble palette plus RGB stars. My first image with a Baader 3.5nm Ha filter, Still not sure whether it is any improvement on the 7nm. Atik428EX & SWED120 + FRHa 3.5nm 15 x 600Oiii & Sii binned 300 x 8 eachRGB 4 x 100 binned EachMount HEQ5Total imaging time 3 hours 50 mins on narrowband with a further 21mins for star colour in RGB.

This was my first reaction. So therefore the dust bunnies are not ending up in exactly the same place. Must say I have never seen this before though so grabbing at straws. I have however seen the 3D dust bunny in Vlaiv's bottom left examples, but I got that years ago with a DSLR so no filters. ?????????? Carole

What about a competition for new imagers only, say those in their first 6 months of imaging for instance. A competition for RGB images done in a LP location, say Bortle 7 and above. Carole

I have to confess that after moving the wheelbarrow containing the Bees nest for the 3rd time they abandoned the nest and went elsewhere, but at least we didn't kill them. I am referring to the Spiders in my observatory, so they are already half outdoors. I find over a period of a few months though I end up with loads of dead carcasses in the obsy where spiders and other insects have got in but I guess roasted in the heat or starved to death, so in some ways I am doing them a favour putting them outside. Carole Carole

I agree, I never kill anything if I can avoid it. Even spiders that I have a phobia for I bought a spider pick up stick on a very long arm, so I can put them outside unharmed. But I would strive to try to get it removed especially before it gets too big. The idea of the repellent spray sounds a good idea. Not sure if they are like bees though, if you remove the nest and put it elsewhere the Workers will still come back to the former place trying to find the nest. We had that with a wild bees nest once that had nested in a bird box on a garage wall near the house, it was a bit dangerously close to the kitchen door and we had a young child then, so as some were getting in the kitchen we contacted a bee keeper and got some advice. We moved it down the garden at night. The following day there were hoards of bees hovering around the garage where the nest had previously been, so we had to go and fetch the bird box/nest and put it in a wheel barrow below the place where the nest had been. By the end of the day the bees had found the new nest position and all was well, then we had to move it a couple of feet a day down the garden. Lol I have also heard that wasps are an important part of the ecology. Carole

What a fantastic tutorial, thanks to David for all his hard work. I was on one of those "difficult to install" threads, I have it installed now, but not yet had it working, though the one time I tried it was due to user error. Thanks so much for all this. Carole

I had my bilateral laser iridotomy done today. Wasn't looking forward to it, but it wasn't too bad. Have to use eyedrops for two weeks and no contact lenses meanwhile. Fingers crossed this has done what it is supposed to. Carole

One of my local group chums, said he has installed it and says he downloaded V5.0.0.4 and it took out his filterwheel and would not cool the chip in APT. Carole