Stickey

I use an Asiair pro and it's brilliant. It removes any pfaffing about with various pieces of s/w and just works. I'd rather spend my time fighting to get the best image than with the software. Once I'm mechanically set up, I can be polar aligned and bang on target and imaging in 10 mins. No, it's not as flexible as a pc, but for getting up and imaging fast, it's hard to beat. The original ASIAir doesn't do planetary, the ASIAir Pro and the Plus do. The latest v2 of the firmware gives much better control over planetary video. I'd suggest getting one 2nd hand and enjoy your recent acquired set up. JMHO

Hi and welcome to SGL. Astronomy is a wonderful hobby and you're in for a great adventure game. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do. Mike

Welcome to SGL. You're among friends 🙂. Mike

I also think this is lens flare. Sirius is the brightest star in the sky and your using ISO 3600 and 32s exposures? I think that might be OTT. Try reducing the ISO and/or the exposure duration. The cause is the cover glass in front of the very small sensor on your phone. I've had similar reflections of bright objects in the night sky just using the phone on its own, never mind concentrating then through an eyepiece. Experiment and see what makes a difference. Mike

Thank you 👍.

If you are a visual observer and your mount is static, the target will eventually drift out of view (unless you adjust the slow motion controls). The higher the power of the eyepiece, the quicker this will happen. The only way to avoid this is to make the mount move to follow the object.It's possible to do this manually, but it needs a VERY steady hand. The second you touch the slow-motion controls, the view through the eyepiece will wobble. It's almost impossible to avoid this and its made worse by high power eyepieces. The way to avoid this problem is to have a Tracking mount. Tracking usual relates to motorised mounts and the motors move the mount at the right speed to compensate for the rotation of the Earth and the resulting movement of the stars. Some mounts can have motors added. Hope this helps. Mike

Thanks Steve. I wasn't aware of that feature. It'll come in handy the next time the so-called "smart"-text messes up👍 Mike

*unneeded = unheated

At the risk of triggering howls of anguish, I store my Sw 200PDS pointing downwards and under a large plastic bag to prevent any dust landing on the primary. I don't have the space to lay it horizontally and it's placed in a corner, on a bench in the dry, but unneeded front porch, away from any likelihood of getting pushed over. I haven't yet got around to to, but a couple of hooks screwed into the wall either side and a strong elasticated cord should prevent any accidental toppling. But as others have said, it's down to each person's situation and the risk of it being toppled over if stored vertically. Just my way.

Hi and welcome to SGL. Astronomy is a hugely rewarding field. It encompasses pretty much every branch of science and I can't think of a better way to inspire both children and adults. I wish you clear skies. Mike

I wouldn't be in a hurry to dump everything you've got. Learn with what you've got and when you've determined what really interests you, then you upgrade appropriately. The Bresser is a small 80mm f/10 catadioptric. It won't be of much use for deep sky, but might be good for the moon and bright planets. The standard mount is manual AFAICS, so no good for astrophotography, but easier to set up and get observing. The Skywatcher is a 130mm reflector, a much greater light gathering capability than the Bresser and will let you see DSOs, up to a point. Depending on the focal ratio, it will also let you view wide-ish fields. If it came with an equatorial motorised mount, then you're in with a chance for imaging, again up to a point. Not only is an equatorial motorised mount necessary, it also needs to be "polar aligned" and that's when imaging can start to get expensive quickly. Hence the advice to learn as much as you can about the night sky and what interests you, with what you've got before deciding where you want to invest your money. 🙂

* Hope

Like Craig T82 says, it kind of depends. For visual, they're both decent starter scopes. For imaging with your a390 DSLR, you want the shortest focal length you have. Reviews report that the camera isn't great at ISO levels above 800, it gets a bit noisy, which means your exposures would need to be longer for fainter deep sky objects and that means you'll need a good solid tracking mount. If your Skywatcher 130 is the f/5 variety, it should be OK, but any astrophotography relies on good tracking, hence the question about the mount. How that helps.

Hi Blue, I agree with Vlaiv. If you're just into visual observing, a Dobsonian is much easier to use, and cheaper, than one that needs a heavy duty mount. For a beginner, that is a much better proposition. Good luck with your search. Mike

Well done and thanks for sharing the solution. 👍 Mike

Sorry to hear you're having difficulties. I also have a v1 and I've never had a problem anything like that. Mine has always worked perfectly, apart from once and a simple switch off/ switch on fixed that. Suggestions to help: Delete/ forget the ASIAir WiFi record on your phone, reboot it to remove any remaining data and then recreate the as6 WiFi record Download a WiFi checking app, like WiFi Analyzer or Fing, and see if the ASIAir WiFi signal level is good and stable. Uninstall the ASIAir app from your phone, reboot it to get rid of any lingering traces of the app left in memory and then reinstall the app. If push comes to shove, the v1 is a bog standard Raspberry Pi 3. They're as cheap as chips. Get another one and try that. Mike

In Presteigne in Wales, they're gradually replacing the street lights with Amber ones. Have a look at this - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-61676618 Good luck with the visit.

Absolutely. Going stir crazy 🤪

Hi Gallaxe, welcome to SGL. Here's to clear skies around Manchester 🤞.

That's stunning 👏 Richie.

Stunning 👏

Hi Ninjageezer, I use a 72mm refractor with an unmodded mirrorless camera to good effect. However, aperture matters in deep sky astrophotography. As a general, personal opinion, modest refractors are good with bright targets like star clusters and larger, high surface brightness galaxies. But for fainter objects like nebulae and dimmer galaxies, you'd be better off with a bigger reflector for similar money. I also have a 200mm reflector for use on the fainter nebulae, but still with my mirrorless camera. There's no such thing as 1 telescope "to rule them all", it's very much horses for courses and many of my more experienced clubmates have more than 1 telescope/camera combination to choose from. You should have no problems with the SW72 and Canon 60D, but just be realistic about what results you'll get. Mike

Beautiful image, Rodd 👏. But my goodness, what a lot of data. Mike

I'd agree with the recommendation to try the scope for visual observing first to help you become accustomed to an instrument of that size and the basics of observing with a telescope. In addition, you'll want to learn how to polar align the mount, assuming it's an equatorial one. This will be important for making it easier to follow an object in the sky and increase your observing enjoyment and it's essential for astrophotography. As others have said, you'll be better off with a HEQ5 or equivalent mount minimum if you want to venture into imaging, and that too is a hefty and expensive thing. IMHO, it's better to start off with what you've got and learn to get the best out of it before spending any money. Good luck Mike

Hello and welcome SGL, where you'll find plenty of advice from a bunch of friendly people. 🙂 Regards, Mike