wesdon1

@elp Thanks mate. Yes I use a 50L bag for the small refractor, but when using the big 8" newt, I have the 50L bag on back with cameras, power box etc etc in it, and carry the newt with left hand, and have the HEQ5 on my right shoulder, and it's literally like that 80's/90's show the CRYPTON FACTOR having to slowly methodically negotiate corners, stairs etc without banging my gear on walls, railings etc! LOL. When using the little refractor, I can just put it in bag on back and only have the HEQ5 on my right shoulder, which is still hard work, but much less difficult than when i have the big beast with me. Definitely getting a full lightweight setup in coming months though!

@Elp I live on 3rd floor of flats with no lifts, so I have to carry my entire rig, all in one go, down all the stairs. I am too afraid of carrying it all down in two or three trips because of a local man who is a severe drug addict, and has already stolen my brothers brand new bike. We couldn't prove it though, so we're stuck. He would literally steal your kidneys out your body if he knew a way to get them out! LOL. But even without the fear of crime, I still dread carrying my big HEq5 pro, either my 200/1000 newtonian or small Altair 66/400, power box, cameras, batteries, flask of coffee etc etc! Carrying it all back up is even worse! LOL. ( I'm planning on buying a much lighter mount in the near future, and only using the big beast ( 200/1000 newtonian ) and HEQ5 when I am going for a target that warrants it ) Clear Skies!

Hi again all. I found this interesting vid by the gorgeous and very interesting Dr Becky Smethurst on YT. It is a rather pertinent video for this current thread, I felt... Clear skies!

I was just thinking, after a friend, who's super new to astronomy. I was trying to explain to him that he really doesn't ( shouldn't?? ) go out and buy a super heavy super expensive rig to begin with, because the extra heavy weight of all the gear, will make him less likely to be motivated to setup on clear nights etc. he retorted "Oh don't be silly Wes! I don't care if something is heavy!? I'm a strong enough bloke to carry any size rig in and out the back garden!" I tried to further explain that he will be much more likely to use his gear if it's light and portable, and that he has plenty of time in future to get super heavy super expensive gear. He just laughed... He reminded me of a few years ago when i was new, and I had the exact same attitude. But I quickly learned that no matter how fit n strong you are, it really really does matter how heavy and cumbersome your gear is, it really does affect your motivation to carry it all outside! I learned the hard way, and I fear my good friend will too! LOL

Hi again guys, I just wanted to update the post and say a big thank you to all who gave recommendations and guidance, thanks so much. So I've contacted both Juan of Cheapastrophotography and Andy of Astronomiser, and I'm still waiting for a reply from either. Whichever of the two gets back in touch first will get my purchase. Thanks again guys, I'm extremely grateful! Clear Skies!

@bottletopburly Thanks so much for the recommendation! I'll take a look at the website/person thanks! Kindest Regards, Wes

Hi, i'm so sorry! I didn't know it's disallowed! Thank You for informing me. Kindest regards, Wes

Hi all. Could someone please recommend a reputable, trustworthy person/company to astro-mod my Canon 600D DSLR. Also, I am confused about whether I need the full spectrum mod or just filter removal?? All I want is for my DSLR to allow the red Ha data through, because they block a lot of Ha with the special filter they have as standard. I would greatly appreciate any advice and guidance. Many Thanks, Wes Here's my mobile number, just incase any here who sees this post is an actual reputable DSLR astro-mod'er themselves <private contact details removed> * I have been informed it's a bad idea including private phone numbers in public forums, so the moderators have removed my number. Please PM me if you can help. Many Thanks, Wes

@IB20 Reading your comments makes me want to start allowing myself some time for visual astro again. I have been obsessed with imaging for almost 1 year now, and have totally neglected the part of the hobby that got me hooked on amateur astro in the first place...just looking up through a telescope and enjoying the beauty, as is, to the naked eye. Thank You for reminding me this my friend... Wes

Hi all. So last night I was so happy to be outside imaging again after couple months endless clouds. About 1 hour into my session, literally minutes after finishing a really problematic star alignment and PHD2 teething problem, finally getting the camera ( DSLR ) to start firing away taking 4.5 min subs of NGC6992, the damn power box ran out of power! Now normally, that box managed to run my HEQ5 for 3-4 hours on one full charge, but last night, the mount was picking stars for alignment that weren't visible from my location, so I was constantly slewing to new stars etc, draining lots of amps of power from power box in the process. I only got 3 x 4.5 min subs then the session was over. Gutted. Anyway it finally convinced me I need a serious bit of kit to power my rig henceforth. People had warned me about using such a low amp hour power box when I first mentioned I got it many months back, and I didn't listen, unfortunately. So to any fellow newbie out there, please learn from my ignorance and make sure you spend the money needed for an adequate power supply for your individual rig/equipment because trust me, it's so disheartening and gutting when you have a rare clear night ruined because your power let you down! Clear Skies

@Xilman Hi xilman. I accept my comment "scientists staying blindly loyal" do come across rather harsh. My counter argument to this, is impo scientists literally need to "rip up the whole book" and start from scratch, because impo, and it is only my opinion, they are wasting time trying to reconcile GR and QM.

@saac Hi saac. I think the best way I can describe my thoughts regarding the problems with GR is like the following... remember many many centuries ago, when the greatest minds of the day believed the earth was at the centre of the universe. And their observations fitted very well with their theories. I mean, they looked up, and it was "OBVIOUS" the earth was at the centre of the cosmos because all the stars and planets were orbiting around the earth in the night sky, even the Sun during the day! Their theories fitted very well, but not perfectly! But there were anomalies that they couldn't explain, notably the retrograde motions of the planets orbits. Well I feel a very similar phenomenon is happening with modern day scientists. I feel they're blindly loyal to GR because it explains a lot of what they see so so well. But just like in ancient times, there's anomalies with their theories, notably when you get down to the quantum level of mass and energy, and gravity etc. I hope this explains well enough where i'm coming from regarding GR my friend!

@Mr Spock I liked your comments regarding our inability to answer/understand such incredibly complex questions regarding the universe etc. I would say this... Think of a Dog, our beloved little bessies. They don't understand a lot of what we tell them to do, they have no clue about science, the cosmos etc, it's just wayyy beyond their brains ability to fathom. But they're still as happy and go-lucky as a kid at Christmas! They still obey our commands, despite not having a clue why were telling them to do something, they simply live in the moment and to hell with what they can't understand! And therein lies an important lesson for us humans...Don't get too hung up on our inabilities to understand certain things, just enjoy the things we do understand, and see what new knowledge and exciting adventures tomorrow brings! ( forgive me, I know that comment was a bit random/eclectic n out there! LOL, but i hope you get where i'm coming from! )

@michael8554 Hi again Mike. Yes the dark matter and dark energy theories are basically scientists admitting " we literally have no clue what it all is!?" Tbh Mike, I have have always wondered about whether the reason scientists can't explain what dark matter and energy is, is because the fundamental Einstein theory of general relativity, which beautifully explains a lot, very precisely, is actually totally wrong, and if scientists worked out a new "Einsteinian type theory of general relativity" that accounted for all the so called unknown mass and energy, then there would be no need for dark matter and energy theories? I feel scientists have stay blindly loyal to Einstein's theories, instead of ripping up the book and starting from scratch, so to speak. As you rightly say Mike, given time, all will be revealed.

@michael8554 Hi Mike. My friend, as far as I'm aware, we have already proven that Black Holes exist, not only that, we have actual photographic images of them. Furthermore, we have also detected indirect evidence for their existence with LIGO, the gravitational wave detector. It detects gravitational waves in the fabric ( spacetime ) of the universe. Please google "proof that black holes actually exist" and you will find 100's of academic papers related to the subject, not to mention thousands of scientific articles, stories, images, etc etc etc. Unless i'm mistaken/have misunderstood what you were actually saying my friend? If so, I'm sorry. One question I am DESPERATE for an answer for is ... Where did the universe and everything in it actually come from?? Who or what, if anything, created it?? I would give anything to know the answers!! all that considered, it does make me wonder if there is indeed a God that created the earth, the universe, because surely all this beauty and majesty of the cosmos couldn't have simply "appeared" from nothing and for absolutely no reason?? My goodness it's a tough one!

@Ratlet Hi again Ratlet. You know, I have always been reticent about buying SVBONY filters because I just assumed they wouldn't be very good? ( probably unfairly ) But if you are happy with their performances then I will definitely give one a try some time in future mate. Oh really?? A visual O111 filter too? Wow, I'll bare that in mind and give it a go when I get a chance mate! Thanks for the tip mate!

@Elp Hi again Elp. Oh right? Awesome mate! I'm hoping to eventually own all 4 Optolong LP filters, I currently own the L-pro and L-Enhance. Tbh Elp, although I'd obviously read and seen vids about narrow'ish LP filters being really good for blocking out unwanted sky-glow, LP, Moon glow etc etc etc, it wasn't until I actually used one and seen for myself, just how good they are. My goodness I was amazed at my east vale neb subs, the contrast, filamentary detail etc is sooo much better than when I was shooting emission nebs with just a broadband LP filter ( L-Pro ). In fact, when I was doing my max sub length subs using my L-Pro, 180secs, I could barely make out on DSLR screen if I'd even got the nebula in the FOV, it was just so faint, plus the background night sky was really bright, awful, tbh. And all this with an unmodded DSLR. It's been a revelation for me Elp. Tbh Elp, at this stage in my astro-imaging journey ( 11 months ) I don't mind if I get halos. I imagine I will be more concerned with them when I'm more experienced and thus much more critical of my data/images.

Hi all. So I recently got a chance to get some Emission Nebula ( East vale Neb ) sub-exposures with my new Optolong L-Enhance Filter ( fitted to unmodded DSLR ) and I was amazed at the difference it made with my subs compared to a regular LP Filter!? ( namely the Optolong L-Pro ) I was able to substantially increase exposure time, while maintaining a dark night sky background. Now bare in mind, this was with a cheap unmodded DSLR Camera, and yet I still got lovely detailed subs, and they were only at ISO 800 for 4 mins. I was blown away! At the time I only got 5 x 4min subs before clouds stopped me, but it's made me even more excited about getting a full nights worth of subs on this target asap! It's made me really look forward to buying and using an even narrower filter like the optolong L-Extreme, but not for a while, I still have lots of enjoyment ahead with the L-Enhance! Highly highly recommend any fellow newbie like me to go out n buy one, they're worth every penny! Clear Skies

@sinbad40 Thanks mate, I have ongoing problems with my stomach ( long story ) and when it flares up I'm stuck in bed sick. Thanks for kind words. Yes the L-Pro is great for relfection nebs. I actually had a go at the iris neb a couple months back but I only got about 50 minutes on it before clouds came in. I think it's a beautiful mysterious nebula, and looks awesome with enough hours of subs. Definitely going back to it at some point. I'm not very knowledgeable on Hubble pallette except i think it's a colour matching thing for narrowband channels? Yes I love OSC too for the same reasons you mentioned, plus I live on 2nd floor of flats, so I have to carry all my gear downstairs, and stay outside all night while imaging ( a local theif would steal my gear in a second, unfortunately ) so I have to make every second count, and narrowband imaging would be too difficult. It's hard enough doing OSC! Plus, as you rightly mentioned, clear sky time in uk is vanishingly rare so narrowband is really difficult.

@sinbad40 Aww well I'm glad that you managed atleast some time outside my friend! If nothing else it helps you/us not forget our workflow setting up and imaging outside because multi-month dry spells causes us to to start forgetting our setup regime! LOL I actually finally managed about 1 hour myself last night. The night before I was super unwell so missed the first clear night for over 2 months! Gutted! Anyway I got outside last night and got an hour or so of data before, you guessed it, the clouds rolled in! I was/am super happy still though because it was first ever time using a narrow'ish tri-band filter ( L-Enhance ) and I just could not believe how much better my east vale neb subs were with the L-Enhance compared to a regular broadband LP filter ( specifically the L-Pro filter ) The subs were so much cleaner, the signal to noise was drastically improved because I was able to do longer subs with the L-Enhance ( 4.5 mins, compared to around 2 mins with L-Pro ) and obviousely the L-Enhance blocks much more LP and lets in specific much narrower wavelengths of light ( Ha, Hb, O111 ) So all in I am so happy with the new filter, and in a few months I will go even narrower with an L-Extreme filter. But for now I want to just enjoy using the L-Enhance. *So sorry for such long rambliong message! I got/get carried away sometimes! LOL

@WolfieGlos Haha sorry, my bad! I should have known you were only kidding! haha! Incidentally, the weather / clouds ruined last night yet again! GRRR I think I need a holiday too! haha! Clear Skies my friend!

@Robert7980 I feel your pain, my friend! The frustration is awful! I don't want to jinx myself, but tonight, FINALLY, is looking 90-95% probability i'll be able to get outside and image for first time since around 11th June, if I recall correctly! I really hope you get more clear skies ASAP my friend.

@sinbad40 Oh right, so you have had identical cloud probs as me during these last 2 months or so. Tonight ( Wed. 16th august ) is looking almost a certain opportunity, FINALLY! LOL. I really hope you are able to get outside too tonight! Clear Skies!

@WolfieGlos So sorry for late reply! I wouldn't say it's bad that you flirted with the idea of not going away because in the UK, as very well demonstrated recently, the chances we get to do Astro are rare and impossible to plan ahead for more than a few days in advance. So it's no surprise you're thinking that way imho! LOL it turned out I couldn't get outside in the end, the forecasts were way off! Typical! Ironically, tonight is looking even more promising! ( I dare not get too excited though! The let-downs are awful! LOL )

@AstroMuni yes I too am worrying i'll have forgotten my workflow after so long without doing it! I too am new, just 11 months into astro-imaging, after years of visual astro. Hopefully the weather will improve soon!