Nicola Hannah Butterfield

It was a light artefact from the moon which was close that night, I have the month wrong it was Jan the 6th 2021.

I thought the doctor fixed that rip.

@bottletopburlyIt might be the Auto Cancel Distance, I have everything on, as you have pointed out. I then just get a message saying dither cancelled or some such. I seem to have sorted the focuser connection out as well, well at least it didn't disconnect whilst it was connected to APT last night, and that was a change of cable from the supplied one. There is also a slight issue when it plate solves sometimes, I think one or two of the database are corrupt, it says missing, and I have tried reinstalling. The thing is it gets close before it fails.

Thanks, I used Starnet to extract the nebula and extract from the image in pixinsight, so I could work on both separately, so I was able to hence the color of the stars without going to OTT and reduce noise in Topaz Denoise, but there was too much. Regarding the tracking, it seems to be tracking fine now, this is a single 2 min sub of M103 But it won't dither (not that there is much chance to do more than a few frames at a time, of late), I think it has to do with some settings in APT, like wait time or time out. I ran guiding assistant in PHD2, not sure if it helped, as it was tracking fine before, but hadn't imaged anything, so I can't compare. On a plus note though, I had it running smoothly on remote desktop, I had to really think which screen was the remote computer.

Tracking with PHD2 was good, but as soon as connect APT to the mount, mmm problems to resolve, I think I imaged Pluto, maybe, just a spec,

It is, it was auto enabled, but I will have another look, to be sure. There were some really weird things going on, the RA and dec lines just went right of the scale when trying to track, Tues/Wed having changed nothing PHD2 was tracking, albeit with a little wind turbulence. A few more clear ish nights should have it sorted. I used to use BYE for camera control, but lost my log in details, I have tried getting in touch, well starting to get me head round APT now. Thanks for the input.

Having finally got the computer in the shed working and all the software installed, still a few clichés to sort, i.e. APT and PHD2 don't want to seem to dither. There haven't been too many clear nights and sort of torn between getting a few images, and sorting out various bits i.e. guiding plate solving, things you can't do in the daytime. Equipment, Canon 40D SW 200P. APT This is what I got frame stacking. This is what I ended up with. I know there is a lot wrong, but this was only from 17 60's subs, and no guiding, so stars are off a little, no coma corrector so a little stretched towards the edges, though the 40D has helped with the crop compared with the 6D There is also a dark band showing down one edge, top in this image, and can be seen as excessive noise, but that was before I collimated and sorted the focus and USB hubs and cables needs, those two hubs need more than just sticky back velco. However, to say it is nearly a year since I did anything bar a bit of planetary, the coma issue and not being able to get reasonable flats, I have also made a light cover for the mirror end and a light shield for the front, the flats being cured by a cheap LED A3 light panel, just point the scope to the zenith, which is a saved park position in eqmod, place the panel on the top and shoot, cost £20. I guess better processing might improve it somewhat, but everything considered, I think it isn't a bad attempt at getting back into things.

This is just from 6x20's ISO1600 images, I have made a cardboard rear cover for the scope, covered in black gaffer tape, like wise a light shield that is about 12" long, this has cut-outs for the spider nuts and focuser, only thing I for got to do was cover the camera, I did the lights with the new £20 LED light panel, which seems to have worked a treat, this is a crop as I still have a coma corrector to get. This is the full frame shot on a Canon 6D SW 200P with just a ABE extraction which was this This was shot overlooking Barnsley to my S.W. at about 9.30 24/10/22 So I am not sure if that excessive light is the camera being uncovered, I do have a lot of local household LP at this time of night, or from Barnsley. But apart from that the light panel seems to be working, and for £20 I think it's a bargain. Just need to sort out a few other niggles, like plate solving.

Not sure, but this was a light artefact when I imaged Uranus last Oct So maybe something like that.

Not today, but this week. This works really well in replacement for the handset that came with the foucuser I have (SW clone), I did have the ascom driver working when it plugged directly into a USB port, but I can't see it fom the new hub. A dummy battery for the 40D a USB 3 hub,.

@John WickI have one for my 6D, got it 2 years ago when I started doing a little bit of astro imaging. I have just ordered one for my 40D, but they were difficult(ish) to source, the one I saw on Amazon had a few bad reviews about when connected to a computer via USB when the power source was plugged in the connection or the power source was iffy. So I went with this one https://www.subtel.co.uk/Power-supply-for-Canon-EOS-5D-50D-40D-300D-20D-30D-10D-D60-D30-20Da-EOS-Digital-Rebel-CA-PS700-D-915673.html much the same price and whilst only 5 reviews, all are 5*. Though to be honest it just looks the same rebadged.

I have got APT imaging well a few test shots of a cloudy Sky, had it set to record images to camera with no card in it. Guide/Planatary camera working. Things to do focuser, and dual monitor oddly isnt working, second monitor is reported in display settings, it just isn't display, yes tried two monitors, well one monitor and one tv with multi imputs, both are being shown, tried various display ratios. Set up plate solving and other stuff, but I think I am on my way to having it all working. All this bother because a PSU wasn't quite right for example, not enough power to drive the ZWO 120MC camera in Sharcap it kept losing connection, and whilst the Canon is powered, it must be drawing some power from the mobo, and i suspect this is what was happening when opening raw files, it was just pushing the power requirements over the edge, touch wood, since the change of PSU it hasn't crashed once.

Ok thanks, at least I will be able to do planetary and DS in one session if need arises.

I have been seeing LED Flat panel from as little as £16, and I was wondering if these would be suitable for an 8" Newt to do flats with.

Not the best, it is a tad windy and the first ones I have done in a while, just a quick stack.

Finally imaging something, a very wobbly Saturn. I got a powered USB 3 to help with cables, a remote focuser with ascom but need to set that up again, but the remote works for tonight.

Right think I am sorted, does seem the PSU is iffy, the camera connection seems to have been one of the cables, I cobbled several extensions together, and they worked, on both the 6 a 40, but issues talking with the 40, and for some reason APT wasn't taking images, though I can focus the EF lens on the 40D in APT or was it NINA, heads a shed at the mo.