carastro

Hmmm missed it, that's what happens when things get delayed.

I would hold on for a cooled camera, it will make so much difference to the noise levels.  Patience is not only a virtue, but a reward.

Carole 

I have watched the imager/s that produced this image for some time on Astrobin.  It seems he spends much of his time making new discoveries and l think he is genuine in his work.  

Some of the nebulosity might look blurred in comparison to the other image shown because of the latest fad of blurring the background to remove noise.   Also the FOV is different between the two images  

 Carole

I have had a sky POD for 13 years.  It leaks at the pivots and so l have a bucket to catch the leak but there is always some degree of splash on the floor after a heavy downpour.    I don’t remove my scopes or cameras unless changing my rig which isn’t that often.   There is a small natural gap between the dome  and the walls.  
 

In the winter months l use a dehumidifier intermittently but when l do l pad out those air gaps with pipe lagging  to save me dehumidifying the entire neighbourhood.   I have never felt any moisture on the scopes and the cameras seem to be unaffected.  I even leave my laptops out there when doing multi night imaging.  

l bought my dehumidifier from DryItOut  

Carole

Not being at all into engineering I have been reading this thread as I used to own a CG5 GT.   I guess 3D printed cogs are not going to be an option?

I know a guy who built a complete EQ Mount 3D printed and it works and guides well (he is actually a member of this forum but not active these days).

Carole

 Spread the word as only up to  915 signatures

Looks good, not an easy target. 
 

Carole

I just took a look at the Flat you posted earlier and there is definitely vignetting, which means the flat does not work.  

Carole 

Might be worth checking the histogram of flats you have previously taken to see where the histogram is on those.

OK it is more faff to do it this way, but if the Flats Aid doesn;t work it is giving you even worse faff.  

Carole 

I have come across this problem before with two other new imagers using the APT flats aid and it to me doesn't appear to work properly.  APT is an excellent bit of software otherwise.

On both occasions I got the imagers to use the histogram and simply take a flat exposure without using the APT flats aid.  Make your length of sub short enough so that the histogram is about 1/3 to just under half way across.   

This has resolved the problem in both cases.

I must tell IVO (APT)  about this problem as he is very approachable.

Carole 

3 hours ago, Graeme said:

OSB on the inside is all done. I put a trapline on the top because rain was forecast.

 

 

Good job too!

 

 

 

It's coming on well Graeme, I love the puddle of water in the tarpaulin.  Lol

Carole  

Amazing images.  I only passed through Akureyri by way of flying there from Reyjavik en-route to Lake Myvatn in February some years ago.    

Iceland is such an interesting and different place to visit.

Carole 

The bumps in the middle picture are mountains on the Moon. 

Isn't there enough junk up there already, but at least what is up there is for a purpose, but adding more just for entertainment.  Honestly!!! 

19 hours ago, christiano said:

Hayes is pretty close to Bromley, could be a good place to look. Beckenham too.

Nice area to live in but will be Bortle 7/8

It’s up to 778 now.  Share and share.  

Live away from New Cross.  I am in Bromley and it it still Bortle 8.  If you go as far as Sevenoaks area, especially place like Otford and Shoreham there are trains to New Cross from there, it will be much darker.  
 

Carole 

17 minutes ago, tomato said:

It’s odd that used CCDs can’t hold their price, it has been said many times that the advent of CMOS has not suddenly made CCDs incapable of producing a first class image.

Exactly, but everyone seems to want CMOS now.  
 

Carole

The sale of second hand CCD cameras has also gone through the floor 😪

l was going to sell one of mine Atik428EX but seeing the low price someone else had to sell for thought l would rather keep it than give it away.  Might come in useful at some point. 
 

Carole

I think Atik have stopped making the CCD cameras.  But as you say keeping the specs on a separate page on Atik’s website would be helpful as people are still using them.   I certainly am. 

Not sure about the QSI cameras though.   I recall having a conversation about them at Astrofest but as l don’t have one l didn’t retain the info.  

Might we worth contacting them. 

Carole

Well done Wesdon, I am glad our advice helped, and you'll go on to bigger and better things.  Guiding will make a heap of difference if you can get to that stage.  

As some-ne humerously said before some of us did far worse images when we started out, I'd be ashamed to show any of mine, or even if I still have them lol.

Carole 

That's come out really well Bob.  Yes keeping OK, a few old age "creaks" besides.  Hope you are OK too.  

Carole 

Not brilliant but how's this?

Yes, Elp’s description is more detailed and helpful than mine.  
I will have a go at it when l get on the PC, but l am sure you want to do it yourself  

Carole

I don’t use elements but if you have a layers option l would take a copy of adjacent brickwork that matches paste and slide until it matches other brickwork and covers the poster.  Flatten. You may need to do this in more than one iteration. 
 

Carole