masjstovel

How is the CEM70 performing? pros and cons? Have been looking into it for quite a while, but theres not TOO much info around.

Hi, On all the "guide-help"-threads i've seen, the question that usually pops up very early: "Can you upload your guidelogs?". I would adivise you to provide link to your logs, as people who are good at this can analyze it in PHD log viewer and hopefully provide help. Also i react to your comment "what is odd, is that the reported backlash varies tremendously each time i run the Guiding assistant" If the variation is what you provide from your photos (41 - 159ms). I live with quite some backlash on my mount and GA says 1500 to 3500ms every time i run it. I still guide at 0.4-0.6 (0.3X in the best positions and if seeing is nice, and ~0.7X in the wrong spots, for example in south close to the horizon) - so a span of around 100ms i would not be concerned about. What guidescope are you using (what is you pixel resolution?) About the weights: I'm absolutely no professional, but ive heard from others that its better to add weights and have them closer to center than using less weights and towards the end of the bar.

Heres mine!

Here's my try. Incredible data. Now i know what round stars look like Workflow: PI: DBE division, DBE subtract, LinearFIT, LRGBcombination, BackgroundNeutralization, ColorCalibration, SCNR, MultiScaleLinearTransform, ACDNR, CameraRaw: Color calibration for more saturation, PS: Dodging & burning based on luminosity masks.

This is me about a year ago when i sold my EQ5 for (Which i owned for 3 months or so because i didnt listen to the people saying i needed a bigger mount for AP) and bought the EQ6 Pro. One of my key learning points have been not to buy gear that is "maybe good enough", but use the extra $ instead. This hobby will have you lie to people (= wife) on what you have spent anyway.

Very nice post, that will help alot of beginners im sure of. Good job! I had alot of the same issues like you when starting up with this a couple of years ago. Used probably 3-4 months on the "I need ASCOM, but what the heck IS IT actually?" to understand it. Also; I use my MAIN camera for SharpCap Polar Alignment, and NOT the guidecam. What will be different is: 1. The angle that will not be perfectly the same between main and guide camera if you dont have an OAG. 2. The focal length of the main scope will (logically for me at least) make a more accurate polar alignment as opposed to with the shorter focal length of the guidescope. Also, on image capturing program i feel Sequence Generator Pro (SGP) is really worth a mention. I love that software. IMO it is intuitive to use and easy to get started without "understanding" what every button is for, and at the same time there are all the options/settings available for when your level has increased as well.

Ah, then i understand more why/what youre asking :D. Sorry, i should have known better! Yes, i see the whole frame is panned to the right. Less on the left, more on the right, so thats why i asked. Was thinking a flat frame would illustrate/reveal the problem bette rif it was some misalignment/uncollimation between sensor and lens

Im the opposite of an expert, and i dont have lenses that wide, but was just thinking of something. I dont mean it offensive at all, and you have most likely control of it since you made the post; you are pointing in the same place in the sky? Since the lens is so wide and since you can see the horizon++ in all sides, it is acutally difficult to see. Anyway, what i was thinking about, was, how does the vignetting of a flat frame look like? Is the vignetting also "offset"?

I do not agree that Clear Outside is rubbish. Like all metrology sites, the certainty drops over time on the forecast. If you check for whats the weather is going to be in one week, then the % is lower for that the forecast would be correct, than if you check the forecast for the next 4 hours (then the certainty is more likely to be more or less correct.) I find Clear Outside to be one of the better forecasts if i use it like described above. The period of the forecasted weather also counts in. By that I mean if the next 7 days is predicted to be 100% clear skies, then its more likely to be correct forecasted in 3 days, than if it was forecasted to be rainy the next 2 days, clear skies the third day, and then rainy again on day 4 and so on. Of course theres times, also when following the above, that Clear Outside says its clear skies right now, but outside its cloudy, but i find it to update itself more often than other sites that i use.

Thank you. They're shot with ASI1600MM Pro cooled. There are some minor stretching in lower left corner of the last image, but thats because of mirror-tilt/bad collimation i believe. To be honest, i dont remember 100% why i didnt went for the MPCC, but i think it was some people saying it wasnt perfect for F/5 (150PDS) when i did my research. I believe it was that, but it was definately something about feedback regarding compitability that made me change my mind since i had the 150PDS.

I've got the TS-Optics 2" 3-element MaxField Newtonian Coma Corrector for my 150PDS. I'm satisfied with it as the corners are not stretched in my opinion. Couple of images shot with this corrector on a 150PDS:

Very nice result indeed! Makes me wanna go for mosaic myself

@vlaiv That was my tactic exactly

@Freddie You have a point! Robin, Looks good! Would have to wait half a year or so after its for sale to see what people think though

Hi, and welcome to the forum:) I'm no expert, but i believe there is no "correct" answer to this. It's kind of like: I need new sunglasses, and i also need a new backpack - what should i get first? I dont think that a coma corrector gives you technical advantages that makes it smart to buy first, or vica versa. I have got a astro dedicated camera myself, and havent owned a astro-mod so i cant say this with 100% certainty though. Only advice I have in general on buying astro-equipment is to get it right the first time. By that I mean not to buy anything which is half of what you want/need, because you're in a hurry to get started. I did that myself. The "I'll just buy this crap in the meantime to get things to work, then i will buy the real deal later" - mentality can get very expensive down the line:) I have the 150PDS myself and have the TS-Optics 2" 3-element MaxField Newtonian Coma Corrector which i think does its job well. I know alot of people have the Baader MkIII MPCC corrector as well. This is on the edge of off-topic, but still: My experience is also that in MANY of the "Scope and mount"-packages, the mount is underdimentioned for astrophotorgaphy. I sold the EQ5 and bought the EQ6 after 6 months or so because of this. I'm not saying its pointless to do AP with the EQ5, but i would argue that a bigger mount (starting at HEQ-5 as the smallest) would be the right place to put your money first. Remember that if your getting serious with AP, the equipment starts to build up and you reach that weight limit before you know it.

Hi, Have the beltmodded and "supertuned" EQ6 Pro atm. I have worked hard for perfecting the guiding and am now stable at 0.4-0.6 RMS (3.2"/pixel resolution), but interupted by some jumps here and there. So its guiding good, but its not consistent, likely because of some backlash. Loooong story short: I throw away 1/3-1/4 destroyed subs, and I cant get rid of that backlash, but dont want this post to be about that:) Im playing with the thought of purchasing the CEM70 version with USB 3.0 (iGuider and Polemaster integrated), mostly because i believe it will me more consistent - but also just a better mount. Anyone with Skywatcher experience who owns this? I've read/watched on youtube that the Alt knobs are not perfect, but nothing more. I use the equipment listed in signature below. Might get a new scope down the line, but i wont blow the weight limit for the mount any time soon. Is this a smart route to take? Any thoughts?

I eventually understood what you meant, my bad:) The attachment holes underneath the supplied dovetail with the 50 ED, i dont know if they fit the "Medium Dovetail 21cm" which is the one supplied with the 150PDS.

Oh, I see. The clamp i have were 3D-printed to fit the existing holes yes. Its an identical dovetail from SW as the one thats on the bottom that was in the 150PDS package.

@Jonny_H I replaced it with a dovetail i had. I dont remember any problems with unscrewing things no! Dont remember if i changed bolts - I think i did! Edit: Yeah as you can see theres 2 different bolts on the dovetail, And i use a 3D-printed clamp for best possible stability. Never really liked those adjustment-screws on the tube-rings (On any products). The clamp is attached by 2 bolts on the dovetail as well

I got the setup you're mentioning. I got the 50ED for better pixel scale (3.2"/pixel). It's fantastic. Built in helical focuser is a dream, even if its a little "steel against steel" feel on it. (A mess with the cables, but its not set up for imaging here. It looks like a mess then too, but still..)

3 out of 4 captures in 2020. All shot with ASI1600MM in 150 PDS, all ZWO Narrowband 1.25". NGC 281: IC 1396 -Elephants trunk NGC 7635:

@geeklee Thanks alot!

Thank you so much @vindubs & @ultranova! Means alot!

@newbie alert & @CCD-Freak thank you so much! 😀

Work of 2020. My first full year of astrophotography (and astronomy for that sake). Started March 2019 and its been a steep learning curve. Feel free to comment, and make suggestions! I've learnt everything from you guys in here, so any critics are good critics for me! NGC 7635: ZWO Ha 1.25" 7nm: 15x200" -20C bin 1x1ZWO OIII 1.25" 7nm: 12x200" -20C bin 1x1ZWO SII 1.25" 7 nm: 12x200" -20C bin 1x1 Integration: 2.2 hours NGC 281: ZWO Ha 1.25" 7nm: 58x200" -20C bin 1x1ZWO OIII 1.25" 7nm: 38x200" -20C bin 1x1ZWO SII 1.25" 7 nm: 41x200" -20C bin 1x1 Integration: 7.6 hours IC 1396: ZWO Ha 1.25" 7nm: 60x200" -20C bin 1x1 ZWO OIII 1.25" 7nm: 25x200" -20C bin 1x1 ZWO SII 1.25" 7 nm: 35x200" -20C bin 1x1