vineyard

17 hours ago, Alan White said:

Now that looks a most interesting kit, wifi, pc control, very interesting indeed.

So how long have you been running this kit?
Was it easy to import to the UK?
 

Hi Alan, sorry for slow reply.  Yes I'm v pleased with it.  I got it last Oct & its been fine.  I actually got it without the wifi dongle as that's a bit cheaper, and also since I connect to a RPi3 which has its own wifi hotspot, I don't need that.  It works w ASCOM, but as I'm not a Windows user, I was most nervous about INDI compatibility.  And its fine - I use it with EKOS without any problems.

Only glitch was recently a power surge when I plugged it in frazzled something (I think the circuitry comes with a Schottky diode to protect the rest of the board?).  Alexander at the company is very good & efficient, and he suggested some diagnostics to run (it comes on the software) & based on the results, just said to take the motherboard out and post that - they will fix what needs to be fixed & send it back.  Excellent customer service throughout.

Importing was easy - just gave Alexander the delivery address, and it came from Ukraine.  I can't remember if there were any import charges though.

Hope that's helpful - cheers,

Vin

Hi both, hope you're all well.  Yes I've noticed that the realignment is needed more when I'm sloppy with my PA.  So have been trying to do it more precisely now.  I use the PA tool in EKOS & last night was the closest I've got it to being bang on.  And it seems to have worked - 3 hr long sessions guided with what looks like v little image shift.  Have to look at the lights properly, but so far keeping fingers crossed.  (And Mark, I definitely use plate solving - would be lost without it, especially in the LP skies here!).

Stay safe,

Vin

Hello,

After a little bit of tinkering with settings on the guiding, I managed to get a decent chunk of data last night.  Will try again tonight.  I had a Q on the EKOS scheduler function.  I do PA, and then use guiding, but slowly over time (b/c my PA isn't bang on perfect) the image gradually shifts, so while each light is fine, over 30-50 lights the whole image will have shifted a bit.

So, what I have done in the past is run the EKOS scheduler on a loop of smaller routines (say 1 job of 10 lights run on a loop).  That way, at the start of each loop it re-aligns.  But I noticed last night that that doesn't happen anymore.  It just continues the next batch of imaging, without re-aligning.  Is there a way of getting EKOS to automatically re-align every so often (I haven't been able to find an easy mention of that in their online docs)?

Thank you & stay safe,

Vin

(PS - was having all sorts of frustration initially with the guiding last night where "Exposure failed" messages would come & the guiding stop.  I already had bin 2x2, but the "Swap" and exposure time of 1 sec was on.  I slowed the exposure to 2 sec, and noticed that on at least one target, the "Swap" automatically turned off.  Just sharing that in case anyone else recognises that!  Fingers crossed for tonight)

For sure re the other image - its beautiful.  I find images of that calibre really motivating - I know my processing skills will likely never reach those levels but its all about continuous improvement .  Hope you get some good nights before the permanent twilight arrives!  Cheers, Vin

Hello, hope everyone healthy. So I went back to M81 earlier this month with my 4", and took longer exposures (and more of them) with guiding.  Still not a great image - too grainy for my liking & not a patch on some of the amazing M81 posted earlier today by @lux eterna (that's just incredible).

Stay safe,

Vin

Hope it goes well.  I upgraded my GP2 to full go-to w kit from here (I think its belted stepper motors) and have been quite happy with it.  I've no idea how it compares to the SW kit or to Rowan belt mods, but for my little GP2 it does the trick v well.  Cheers.

Brilliant thanks Don. 9mm it is!  Cheers & stay safe, Vin

Thanks both @Don Pensack and @Timebandit.

Don, I don't think my BVs have OCA or magnifiers in the nose. (I got them from Denis, they're excellent).  Thanks for the 9mm recommendation.  Just out of curiosity are there particular advantages of them over the 7mm, or is it that the step from 18.2mm to 9mm is a better one (leaving the space for more powerful EPs in the future)?

Timebandit, that's a good point.  I don't mind tight ER if needed (I tend to take my glasses off for viewing).  And the cost saving would certainly be great!  The main Q I'd have about Plossls and Orthos would be the FOV - would that be too narrow (or would it not be as noticeable b/c of stereoscopic vision)?

Yes the Delites would be pricey, but luckily I have a 15mm & 13mm Delite in great condition that I bought from a very careful prior owner - and since they're so close in range, that's what made me think about selling those and going a bit further down the EP focal range (plus the desire to be able to see the moon in more detail!).

Stay safe both & thanks again for the tips,

Vin

I love how clean the galaxies look.  Every time I try them, they end up grainy! 👏🏾

Hello,

Hope everyone is safe & well.  I had a really nice session just being hypnotised by the moon yesterday through a BV.  Used it with a pair of 18.2mm Delites.  And unsurprisingly found myself wanting to be able to get closer in as well.  So I'm thinking of going for either 9mm or 7mm Delites (I have some intermediate focal length ones that I can sell for part-financing of that!).  I'm sure both of those EPs are individually excellent.  But wanted to see if anyone had tried both sets in BVs and whether there were any form factor differences?  Would it be better to go for 7mm to get closer in quicker, or stay to 9mm as that then allows for an eventual future even shorter focal length EP as well as a 2x step from the 18.2mm?

Cheers,

Vin

(PS - I should have said my main scope for BV'ing is 4" 880mm f/l)

Thanks Mark - I'm not sure whether I'd describe it as brave or foolhardy   That's a good idea re the powermate - hadn't thought about that.  I reckon I will save for a cooled colour camera first & then play with the powermate boosting.  Cheers

Thanks Craney.  Its about 270 consecutive images taken in ASICAP on an ASI120MM mini (so probably just over a few seconds).  I took them as images rather than a video.  And then when playing with Blink in PI on something else, wondered what would happen if I tried the stills.  Couldn't get PI to make a video though, so I just downloaded GIPHY for free and made the gif from the video that the Blink function was playing!

I still have to figure out my lucky imaging for proper Ha features (I think I need to use a tracked EQ mount for that - with an altaz it just moves across so fast that AS!3 comes up with a real patchwork quilt of bits of images).  While I figure that out, this GIF thing could be fun to play with though!

Cheers.

Hello,

I have no idea whether this will work.  But I grabbed some video through my modded TV/Lunt frankenscope earlier this week.  And I've tried to turn it into a GIF - will upload it here but since its my first ever GIF I have no idea whether it will work!

Cheers,

Vin

After really pushing my little Primaluce 72ED to its limit unguided on the Draco Trio back in March, I thought I'd re-visit the trio with a TV102iis guided.  The difference between the images is palpable, even though this image isn't great either tbh.  I find it far too grainy, which I suspect is my processing-butchering.  My eventual aim is to try & get sharper & cleaner images, which I'm guessing may be a combination of even more data, but also perhaps different camera?  (Certainly I think cooled would give better images?).  Also I guess on targets so small & far away, a bigger aperture might help but there's a limit to what can be changed  

Stay safe all,

Vin

Thanks Andrew.  I was playing with the Blink function in PI and that's great b/c it shows the flip happening - and it was exactly after the 10th light!  Will try stacking in two batches and then try combining the two images.  Cheers again - you called it spot on, Vin

Hmm, interesting idea Andrew.  I can't remember for sure but I think there was one. And yes I guess depending on how the camera orientation to M81 changed, the top right hand corner of the chip would be move to a different orientation to the galaxy.  Maybe I need to find the pre- & post- flip images and stack them separately.  Now, to figure out how to find out which were pre- and post- flip FITS!  Cheers, Vin 

Hello,

Hope everyone is safe & well.  I've started playing with some lights I took on Sat night, and noticed something weird.  I spent a good two hours on M81.  Attached below are 2 JPEGs.  I haven't done any processing other than stacking in DSS and then doing ABE in PI.  One image (where the amp glow is top right hand corner) is 10 lights stacked w darks, flats & biases.  The other image (where the amp glow is bottom left hand corner) is 55 lights stacked w the same darks, flats & biases.

Why does the direction of the apparent amp glow change depending on how many lights are used?  When I look at the darks & the individual lights, the amp glow is in the top right hand corner w nothing like that in the bottom left hand.  So how come something is being subtracted from the bottom left hand if more lights are stacked?  (With more lights stacked, the amp glow form the top right hand goes which would make sense since the darks are subtracted but how come something weird is happening on the bottom left hand too?).

Thank you for any insights!

Vin

Sorry if this is too late, but I have the EQStar EQ5 modded on my old VIxen GP2.  Very happy with my purchase - Alexander at astragadget is very helpful & prompt.  (For example, for some reason a voltage surge recently blew out my mother board, and he's replacing it).  I use it w EKOS (ie via INDI rather than ASCOM) and it works a treat.  I haven't tried it with SkySafari via a mobile device yet though.  I'd happily buy it again - will use it as a go-to for my visual viewing.

Hope that's helpful - cheers,

Vin

I have to practice my white light viewing - tried a couple of times this afternoon but I couldn't see anything.  Maybe I left it too late.  (Would a solar continuum filter make it easier - I do have a normal polarising filter in my white light train?).  Oh well luckily summer's coming so hopefully there will be plenty of chances  Cheers for the head's up Stu.

Argh, that'll have been frustrating about the filter Mark.  I've not been brave enough to try that level of complexity yet (sticking to current colour camera kit) - will wait to hear how you fare.  Good luck!

Thanks James.  I was using local offline (much prefer that too, and normally it works well - this is the first time I've experienced this binning difference during PA).  The dithering - when it works smoothly - is an automated treat!  I've been impressed by the guiding so far - I think it seems to stay within +/- 1 arcsec based on the drift diagram and the bullseye chart?

Cheers,

Vin

Hello,

Hope this finds everyone safe & well.  I managed to get two nights of playing done (Sat & Sun).  This time with my 4" TV102iis on the HEQ5Pro, with an Evoguide50.

Sat worked a treat, with the polar alignment, guiding & dithering working smoothly.  I set up a job scheduler, and found that the scheduler actually seems to loop infinitely. So I can set up a routine of taking 5 images of 120s with track, align & guide activated (I don't have automated focusing).  And the software dithers between each image, and every 5 images re-aligns (since my PA isn't perfect).  I did a quick eyeball of the data I gathered on Sat night, and its the sharpest I've ever managed to grab  I even managed to have a nap during the night!

Sun was more quirky shall we say.  First, during PA, the solver kept failing - I tried solving w the guide-camera & that worked.  And so I tweaked the binning to 1x1 on the main camera (it was 4x4 before) and the solver worked.  Hey ho, I can remember to keep an eye on that.  The dithering was much more temperamental though - every 2 or 3 images, it would fail to dither (the error message would be exposure failed) - it would keep taking the main image, and then start working again.  Does anyone know why this happens - I don't think I updated anything between Sat & Sun so why would the same kit suddenly do this?  The scheduler also seemed to not do its infinite loop which was annoying as I like the refreshed alignment.

(The other annoying thing was that on Sat I could use the kit remotely using Stellarmate on an RPi3, but on Sun the remote link suddenly cut out & wouldn't find it again (even though both devices were on the same wifi) - so I had to use a wired set-up.  Has that ever happened to anyone, and if so, any idea why - sitting wired is no good for my health - wife has banned me from doing that tonight!)).

Thank you for any tips - stay safe all,

Vin

Hello,

Last image from Fri 27 March.  I decided to see how far I could push my little Primaluce 72ED (FPL51 glass) so pointed it to NGC5985 in Draco (apparent magnitude 14-15).  Took 25 lights of 120s on an unguided HEQ5Pro - these are the best 16.  Have to say I'm impressed at what that little baby has managed to eke out, its a lovely user-friendly wide field scope.  Lovely to see NGC5981 caught in side-profile.  NGC5982 is just the bright blur between them.  I tried to get the Image Solve process in PI to circle & label them, but it's not working for me (says the image could not be aligned with the reference star field?).

I might try and point a 4" refractor at this region this weekend to see the difference.

Stay safe all,

Vin

Thanks again Jeremy.  Just wanted to say your new Tak looks gorgeous.  I've never peeped through one, but was meant to be diving in Cyprus this month where @nicoscywas kindly going to put on an evening with some of the amazing glass he has.  Sadly a bat got in the way...

Love the eggshell blue trim on the Tak.

Cheers

Hello,

Yet another first for me: my first ever comet  Literally only 10 lights of 60 seconds taken just before packing up during the night of 27 March.  Can't believe I managed to capture it - hope to go back to it for more images this Sat night 🤞🏾

Stay safe all,

Vin