Stuart1971

Hmmm, it seems that you are doing it all correctly, the only thing I can add, is that CMOS cameras seem to work better with slightly longer flats, mine are all 4 seconds, and 25,000 ADU…

This M51, Whirlpool Galaxy was taken the same night as the M81 & M2 image that I posted, this is 100 x 2 min exposures, with no filter used…

I think the RASA’s are very popular and great for the type of target you want to image…👍🏼

Yes, as @barbulosays when using a Narrowband filter you need a higher gain, or in your case ISO, minimum 800 I would have thought….👍🏼

So how does it know the worm period for the attached mount…? And have you tried running this alongside the GSS PPEC, or,is that not possible, I thought I read somewhere this can be done…🤔

I would like to try the PHD pec, but not sure what setting I need to fill in to it…🤔 as I think it requires worm wheel cycle time or something….

Hmmmm, I asked Rob, the same thing, why it would not do a few worm periods, and it’s because he uses the skywatcher code that it already in the handset, which just does 1 worm period…EQMOD has its own code that does a few…and does not use the skywatcher code. Have not tried the PHD PEC yet…must give it a go….👍🏼

Sorry but no idea what this means…🤔 I am sorted now but thanks….I think….🤔🤔

Super image, I much prefer the more neutral background in this image, I find many people seem to want the background, as black as possible…👏🏻👍🏼

Hmmm, yes he also recommended I upgrade my EQ8 mount motor card driver, but it’s not to a skywatcher produced one, but to one produced by Rob, so am a bit hesitant…TBH….🤔

I was told by Rob at GSS, to make sure you have a separate profile in PHD for GSS. And to calibrate on that profile, and make sure that the setting “ swap Dec direction after flip” is enabled…( this has to be un checked for EQMOD) that is very important, and I had done none of this…. Hope you get it sorted, also you have to disable PPEC during calibration of that can cause issues, and the DEC goto option must also be disabled during calibration, although I don’t use that… I have to say up till the other night PPEC was working very well, and made a big difference…

Yes, I think you are correct, it is the FSQ85, I was going to crop it more, but it just looked worse noise wise, but the galaxy did look better, well M81 anyway… Thanks for you comments….👍🏼

Not sure about this one, at f5.3, I don’t think my scope is up to it, 140 x 2 min subs, on M81 & M82, QHY268c, heavily cropped, minimal processing, calibrated in APP, and a bit of tweaking in affinity photo…. Quite surprised how much more noisy it is compared to an image of a nebula with the same integration time…

Not too far from Shropshire….

I did mange this from last night, M81 & M82, but am not super impressed for 4 hours and 40 mins of 2 min subs….🤔🤔

No, this was all before the flip… I think I have, or should I say Rob from GSS has, sorted it, apparently there is a setting in PHS2 that says, “change DEC direction after flip” and for EQMOD this should be left unchecked but GSS requires it to be checked, and I have never had it checked, so I am assuming that it was working fine while imaging on one side of the pier, but last night I was Imaging on the other side right from the off, so I guess this was the issue….or should I say I hope…. so in effect there was a flip from one session to the next…also he says you should have a separate Profile in PHD2 for GSS and make sure you calibrate with GSS and not use a cali ration that was done in EQMOD….again I had….so I learnt a few things….

Well, I had a nightmare last night, and had to switch back to EQMOD, it would guide for a few mins then the guide star just went off the graph in DEC, RA was fine, almost like it was actually pulsing it off the screen with commands, so re started and same again after a few mins…. So I know what you are thinking, this is a PHD issue, me too, so I swapped back to EQMOD and all was good, went back to GSS and same again off the screen in DEC after a few mins…very frustrating TBH, as I was really enjoying using GSS…..☹️

Yes, and was pressing it every few seconds, drove me mad….😂😂

I would find that extremely helpful…I did watch one on YouTube, but the guy spoke so quick, and also moved around the screen so quick I could not follow it….😂

I use affinity, as a beginner, but a lot of what you said went wayyyyy over my head….😂😂

Hmmm, I used an L-extreme 7nm Ha, and OIII, last week, and got some good subs of M81 and M82, but each to there own…👍🏼 Any filter I have ever used shows the stars, so should show any galaxy, just with a lack of colour, but some BB subs with no filter will give the colour….

I use the Optolong L pro, seems to work well, I sold my Idas, as this worked better…👍🏼

Have you got the very latest PHD2, as I have, and have noticed a few errors since I updated, I might move back to the version before…could it be that…?

It’s not the dreaded Lynx cable issue is it…. https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/354943-problems-with-lynx-astro-eqdir-cable/

Thanks Olly, i use an EQ8, and with the backlash it has in DEC, i guide in one direction only in DEC, and it works very well, I have a slight polar misalignment, it’s about 3 arc mins off, so dithering would be problematic, as I can only really do it in RA, and some say that can be worse than not at all, but I have to say, with my IMX571 sensor and perfectly, temp matched darks and flats, I am not really sure I need to do it…so think I will give it a miss…👍🏼