Richard Wesson

The 150PDS is really pushing it on an EQ5 for imaging and many would say is too heavy. This will have an impact on longer subs, esoecially unguided.

He is using the EQ5 - not HEQ5 so the worm period will be different.

Which wifi dongle do you use? I am struggling to find a dongle that will actually work with Stellarmate - the one available from the PI Hut states 'This product no longer works with the provided driver/instructions due to a kernel change in Raspberry Pi OS.'

A short focal length achromatic refractor like this will show significant chromatic abberation. I would also suggest not buying from a general consumer goods store such as Currys - go to a specilaist astronomical retailer such as First Light Optics, 365 Astronomy etc.

I have been trying to come up with something to block the reflection of the main scope when using the concenter! I have a 130pds and trying to get a sheet of paper in there very difficult due to space. Your idea looks great and will try to make something similar!

I dont know if it gives better' polar alignment. However, the cost is a fraction of that of the polemaster at £10 per year subscription for Sharpcap Pro compared to around £250.00 for the polemaster.

I would really recommend it. I used to struggle with trying to find a target in the light polluted skies here, then lining it up in the frame properly which could take ages. In APT (https://www.astrophotography.app/) I normally (following polar alignment in Sharpcap) select an object and use go to ++ which directs it roughly into the correct place and then uses plate solving to accurately place it in the centre of view. I also connect PhD to APT to allow dithering and use it to control my imaging runs.

Link to CdC download here: https://sourceforge.net/projects/skychart/

I always use Sharpcap to Polar Align following a rough alignment with the polar scope. Not really sure what additional benefits the Polemaster would confer.

You should try plate solving - I use it in APT with my dslr. Saves so much time and hassle when aligning on an image. CdC or Cartes du Ciel is a free planetarium bit of software. Integrate better with eqmod than stellarium.

Yes - managed to get into the front end of the site on another computer, but internal links give an error page.

Interestingly, I have just tried to access it from the link and I get page saying 'Error establishing a database connection'

Karen, I have the EQ3 with 130pds and my understanding is that part of the weakness is the rather flimsy tripod that comes with it. I have my mount on the eq5 tripod which is a lot more substantial and find stability pretty good and it does increase the maximum weight you can use - by how much I dont know though. A possible upgrade that may be worth making and you can find them second hand.

The other option is the Astrogadget kit here: https://astro-gadget.net/gadgets/control-of-telescopes/eqstareq3 I have the simple dream version for my eq3 which acts as 'micro-goto' and allows tracking. I have also used it for guiding with PHD2 using the optional Guidedream. Hope this helps.

Have sent PM to Robby and included those who expressed an interest in the thread - let me know if it didnt come through.

Excellent - sounds good. Be good to meet up - you too Greg. Do you both want to PM me and then we can sort out meeting up?

It seems like there are a good number of us scattered around Bristol. I wonder if it may be a good idea to look at observing together on occasion and covid restrictions permitting? Obviously BAA do sterling work, but this may augment that and allow sharing of locations. JM - I live in Henbury when I first moved to Bristol! Cant really think of any dark sky sites immediately there, but Mendips not too far. Wes - the 130pds is a great little scope. Greg - I am not far from Victoria Park, and the skys at the back of my flat are not too bad, although obscured in some directions.

Hi Robby, I am just round the corner from Victoria Park! I will join BAS the virtual meet tomorrow looks intersting although with potentially clear skys getting out with the scope is tempting.... Have had a look at Wellow and velvet bottom in the daytime and both look promising. Also have looked at Dundry and there seems to be some potential there. Have you been over to Priddy? I would very much like some company and there looks like some good stuff coming up. Be good to have somebody there to correct various errors... Pain in the Neck would I think be interested too!

Appreciated Stu! Had bought EQ3-2 earlier in year on the basis that I would use my old 130P on there... The kit works OK and there are people on the EQ3 thread getting good results so will stick with for now! I do realise that expennditure is likely to increase exponentially however...

Hi Danny, have looked at Pixinsight, but the budget wont stretch to that at present.... My gear is fairly portable, although yet to fully test that! I have got the various bits of guiding kit together and bought a windows tablet that I can use for PhD II etc so should still be portable... will try out on my patio first I think though as dont want to be messing about with unfamiliar software and kit for the first time far from home!

Excellent - all sorted now!

Cheera. I have been looking at that thread and the EQ3 thread - both very inspirational! By the way, how do people get stuff in their signature such as equipment etc?

Sorry about the delay in replying - I should have provided details earlier! I am using a recently acquired Skywatcher 130pds, Eq3-2 mount driven by a Simple Dream kit. The Eq3 is mounted on an EQ5 tripod and I use a Canon EOS 750D, unmodified. It has been a bit of an evolutionary process - I have been fascinated by astronomy and space in general since childhood, partially inspired by the Apollo Missions which I have early memories of. I bought a Skywatcher 130P some years ago which saw little use 'til earlier this year. I realised that if I wanted to photograph stuff, the kit I had wouldnt cut it - tried eyepiece projection on the moon etc with the stock lenses which did not give good results. I had bought the mount second hand earlier in the year too... Camera I have had for years! Thank you everybody for your encouraging comments. I have, I realise, a huge amount to learn, but I am really enjoying the process.

Thanks Danny. It took a while to get my head around processing with initial attempts being very dark and showing little data. Had a book on Photoshop processing (The R. Scott Ireland one) that gave a great tutorial on setting black and white points which transformed the image! I dont guide as yet... I have been accumulating the various bits of kit to do so, so this is something I will do in the coming weeks when I have worked out how to set up PhD 2 etc... Also keen to get out to darker sky sites too.

Thanks Tomato. Only a small number of subs used - around 12 I think at 30 seconds each ISO 1600. Need to improve tracking as you say which may be down to PA, scope balance etc. Intend to get a lot more subs when skies clear!