Jonny_H

41 minutes ago, Grant Fribbens said:

I started with DSS and when I tried the trial of APP I was hooked. Here is my latest where I have tried using the HOO palette.

That looks great.

I haven't used PI so cannot comment as such - but from what I understand APP is more user friendly for beginners and also the results from the default settings seem to be better than the equivalent in PI.

6 minutes ago, Grant Fribbens said:

Great looking image. Yes this is quite normal for these types of cameras. With Astro Pixel Processor and a full set of calibration frames these then are minimised in the final stacked images. It is then down to post processing in software such as Photoshop. Obviously PixInsight can also do this and is incredibly powerful and this makes it more complex and something I want to try soon. I also use Topaz DeNoise as my final part of the workflow which does a great job.

Thanks Grant.

I wasn't sure so thought I would ask the question. I didn't know if it was my camera playing up ☺️

Re: PI - im tempted to get this over APP although not sure yet. Im using a trial version of APP so when that runs out I will decide.

Hi all,

I hope everyone is doing well.

A quick question for you all and apologies in advance if it is a daft question!

I had my second AP session last night where I took 10 x 180 seconds of lights on NGC2023 along with darks, flats and bias calibration frames.  This using my ZWO533MC Pro.  I noticed that within my stacked image (APP) which then lead me to look at the light frames that I have a number of red, green and blue pixels.  I know that these can be removed with good calibration frames (which i am still practicing to do 🙂), dithering etc... however I wanted to know if it is 'normal' for these types of cameras.

I am very new to using dedicated DSO cameras and have only used DSLR's in the past for photography and appreciate that they are different beasts.  Just wanted to know if there is some sort of tolerance on this or whether it is normal.

I have attached a PNG file for reference. 

Thanks in advance.

Jonny

3 hours ago, Luke Newbould said:

Hi Jonny,

I think for 30 minutes it's a really good picture regarding grain/noise, that would simply decrease with more integration time of course!

To my eye I do see quite a bit of excess green noise in the image, that's probably making it a bit more noticeable - depending on your processing software there's different ways to deal with it but it's never really a difficult task

 

Cheers!

Thanks Luke.

Yes I will up the total integration time next time. 

Re: processing software- I am using an old version of PS (CS2). I am quite new to processing so I am using it quite badly at the moment! 😆

Hi all,

I managed to get 30 minutes worth of lights in tonight on NGC2023.

This is my second ever attempt using the 533MC Pro and I am pretty pleased with it albeit not perfect. It seems a little 'grainy'.

Anyhow - 10 x 180 sec lights, 10 x darks, 20 x flats, 30 x bias @ 150 gain. Stacked in APP, tweaked in PS.

Let me know your thoughts.

Clear skies!

Jonny

4 minutes ago, steppenwolf said:

I was in this fortunate position three years ago and my forever telescope was also for imaging. My budget may have been less than yours if you are now thinking ‘Tak’ but don’t just be swayed by the brand and do your research carefully but for what it’s worth, my forever telescope turned out to be an Esprit 150 and it was a really good decision. I also considered the Esprit 120 as it too is an excellent imaging ‘scope but in the end, as this was ‘forever’, the 150 won through!

I have had a Tak (actually two) and I don’t get what all the fuss is about!!

Good luck with your research!

I haven't owned or used a Tak so cannot comment but agree that you shouldn't necessarily put all your eggs in to one basket.

I have heard very good things about the Esprit range (which is why I ended up buying one after lots or research....and bugging people on here for advise 😉) but plenty of other great feedback from the likes of Technosky, APM, TS and so on....

Not in the same league as the Taks but I've just treated myself to an Esprit 100ED which I am to keep forever.

That's not to say I won't treat myself to more forever scopes in the future..... 😉

3 minutes ago, dannybgoode said:

Oh the number of times I've just got everything set up only for clouds to roll in. They usually clear just as I have given up for the night and packed everything up too.

Ditto a perfectly clear night only to do something stupid like forgetting to press start on a sequence...

😂 same with me. Its like mother nature is mocking us!

Oh well...onwards and upwards. No one said this hobby was easy! 😉

1 minute ago, smashing said:

I know how you feel...I don't even bother unless I have a decent forecast these days

I think i just got over excited as I wasn't expecting to see a crystal clear sky. I should have known better!

Hi all,

So - on a quick trip to the garage to put something away this evening I noticed the sky was 'very' clear.  I promptly set-up my scope, let it cool down , PA'd, started guiding and.......thick clouds came over and ruined everything! 😩

Ive got the hump now.....! 😁😂

Well - I did it!

A few of you must have been sending me button pressing thoughts from afar! 😉

I'm sure with my current setup it will be fine but in the future I may have to upgrade my mount which I can deal with at a later date. Just very excited to have my forever scope turning up in the next 20-30 days! Not to say that it won't be my only forever scope though! 🤣

Thanks to all for putting up with my indecisiveness over the past few days and apologies in advance for the huge amount of clouds and generally rubbish weather for the next few months! 😲

33 minutes ago, Adam J said:

Depends on which OSC some of the larger sensors like the 2600 are quite a bit heavier than a 1600. If I could turn back time I would have kept the HEQ5 pro and gotten a stellarmira 85mm instead but I cornered myself into having to upgrade the mount as I was not going to send the Esprit back. 

I have the 533mc pro which I believe is a tad heavier than the 1600 @ 470g.

I don't blame you re: keeping the esprit over sending it back!

1 hour ago, Adam J said:

About 11kg. 

The issues are that the weight quoted for the Esprit 100 dose not include rings and dove tail bar. The provided dove tail is not long enough so you end up getting a bigger one. I had a ASI1600mm pro filter wheel a 50mm finder guider and a auto focuser on mine. 

Thanks Adam,

So from what I have learnt on here is that it is 'do-able' but you have to be quite reserved and careful with your accessories potentially.i

I guess what works in my favour although could be considered negligible is that I have a one shot colour so I don't have the additional weight of a filter wheel and filters. I also don't have a EAF at the moment but it is on my list 

10 hours ago, Adam J said:

I tried running my esprit 100 on my heq5 pro, it did not work out for me and I get a used AZ eq6 GT to replace it with. I found it was limiting my exposure length and that I could not consistently guide under 1 arcsecond like I could with the 130pds on it. That resulted in stars slightly out or round, so it depends on how fussy you are and the size of your pixels. 

Thanks Adam.

What equipment were you using on the HEQ5? Were you close to the maximum imaging payload, over it etc....?

2 minutes ago, teoria_del_big_bang said:

Its a great scope, and in years to come if looked after will command a good resale price.

I guess it's a matter of whether you think you will never upgrade your HEQ5. If you think you might (and also these are easily re-sellable bits of kit) then you can't go wrong.
It he HEQ5 is your forever mount (and for many it is as it is a great mount for AP) then still no reason not to but yo will have to just watch the other added bits but that's not difficult and perhaps not a bad thing. 

Also when I buy expensive bits of kit I think how sought after are they, if it is a bit of kit that many people would happily have then I always think that what I am actually spending is about 1/3 of the actual cost as it should hold around 2/3's their value (as things currently stand - of course could change) so instead of thinking I am spending £1,800 I would think of it as spending £600 and putting the rest to one side for now. 
I am not saying that is right but helps me feel a bit easier about the big spends.

Also most of all think can you afford it, really? 
If it is beyond what you can afford really then maybe wait till you can but for sure do not buy something and then wish you had waited and saved or just spent that extra bit of cash.  I have in the past and I always ended up buying what I really wanted eventually and then ended up loosing on the one I bought to begin with.

Hope it all works out 🙂 

Steve

Thanks Steve,

I can't say I will never upgrade my HEQ5 Pro but for the time being I am going to keep it and use it.

My only reservation about upgrading the mount is the weight.......one of the reasons I picked the heq5 over the others was that I felt it hit the sweet spot between being light enough to lug about and sturdy enough to future proof me (to a degree).

Re: the cost - I have around the £2k mark so the 100ed + flattener comes in at just under that figure (I should have purchased before brexit) 😩

45 minutes ago, teoria_del_big_bang said:

I can confirm that the 100ED with usual astro gear is right on the limit. but useable.
When I bought mine and replaced my WO73 I could not balance with the CW right at end of the CW post and bought an extension which is not ideal.
I did not like the extension so ended up removing a few bits of extras that took it over the weight at which I could balance (mainy the adjustable SW Guidescope mount which is a great piece of kit but pretty weighty and not really needed for AP).

When I was getting the weight down I actually weighed everything myself so if of any use:

What is on top of mount:-

New Geoptic saddle and puck (replaces old saddle & puck so not too much difference) ------------    1.02 Kg

Losmandy Dovetail --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------     0.67 Kg

Primaluce clamp used on Losmandy at top for safety  to stop rig sliding down when fitting to mount  0.29 Kg

Supplied Scope Clamps (420g each x2) ----------------------------------------------------------------      0.84 Kg

Esprit 100ED + Flattener + 20 mm spacer --------------------------------------------------------------     6.30 Kg

SX Filter wheel + filters ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------     0.78 Kg

ASI 1600 MM Camera -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------     0.43 Kg

Vixen Dovetail on top of Main Scope rings to mount guidescope to ---------------------------------      0.47 Kg

Guidescope, guidescope mount & Altair Guidescope -------------------------------------------------      0.85 Kg

TOTAL ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------     11.65 Kg

I didn't weight the dew bands and controller for these but they are not much.

This was after removing the adjustable SW guidescope mount.

Steve

 

Thanks Steve.

In my situation then I guess I will be roughly the same minus the primeluce clamps and filter wheel + filters so I should be just shy of the max payload. 

Oooo I don't know what to do! I think I need to stop over thinking it! 😆

4 minutes ago, carastro said:

I have an HEQ5 and an Esprit 100.  It's fine on it's own with a finderguider Atik CCD camera and EFW. 

But if I try to mount anything else on top, it's overweight.  i.e. I tried adding my Samyang lens and CCD and EFW on top and that was too much.

Carole 

 

Thanks Carole,

So assuming I would be fine with my evoguide 50ed, zwo120mm and zwo533mc pro therefore?

30 minutes ago, KP82 said:

The APM 107 is a very nice scope made by Sharpstar. I've had mine for about 2 years. Solid construction, robust lens cell, fairly compact (580mm with dew shield retracted) and a quite beefy 3" R&P focuser. The new version now comes with a 2.5" R&P focuser instead but should be able to hold the same amount of payload. I've read Sharpstar have recently discontinued it in favour of their new EDPH lineup (The AL-107PH has been on the market for a very long time).

How much does the APM weigh? I've seen a huge difference depending on which site you look at - from 5.7kg to 8.1kg 😲

49 minutes ago, tooth_dr said:

I always find this very much controversial.  I’ve found my ED80 focusers to be very adequate, as long as a motor focuser is fitted to the shaft and the focuser is well tensioned. At F6.3 it’s very tolerant to slight tilt, and mine held 1.8kg imaging kit.  Spending £300 on a focuser doesn’t make sense on a scope of this price.

 

My daughter wanted a gold telescope so i gave her my ED80(!) but i suppose I just fancied a change anyway.  I got the ED80 new in 2009.

Im looking at a few options - Esprit 100 with flattener or APM 107/700 with 0.75 reducer.  The APM is a little more money but like you I’m considering this as a permanent addition. 

Ooo the APM looks like a lovely scope. That coupled with the model 1 field flattener for imaging 🤑

33 minutes ago, tooth_dr said:

I’m currently in the process of upgrading from an ED80 DS-Pro.  It’s a fantastic scope for the money, and I think you’d be hard pushed to show the difference at first glance. But with more and more use I believe you would start to see the differences, whether that’s worth £1300 more is a matter of personal choice! 

Yes absolutely down to personal choice....and more importantly funds 😉

In my mind I am thinking that the Esprit 100 would likely be a 'forever scope' whereas the 80ED despite being a very good scope, would be upgraded at some point in the future (I guess similar to what you are doing).

Just out of curiosity what are you looking to upgrade to?

Just to throw a spanner in the works on this one. Another potential candidate is the 80ED DS Pro. Coming in at nearly £1,300 cheaper than the 100ED - are you getting £1,300's worth of better scope with the 100ED? 

Hmmmm......? 🤔

Thanks for the responses.

Would it be beneficial to do the belt mod if I were to go down the esprit route? Note the mount isn't that old (purchased last year). Or shall I just wait and see how it reacts (again on the basis that i do buy the esprit).

Thanks,

Jon

Hi all,

As above - I have been having very bad thoughts as of late re: pressing the button to buy an Esprit 100ed.

My only reservation is my mount which is an unmodded HEQ5 Pro. Looking at my current accessories, with the Esprit I think i will be comfortably under the recommended max imaging payload of 11kg.....however I have read so many conflicting articles.

Currently my HEQ5 Pro is comfortably handling a 150PDS, evoguide 50ed, zwo120mm mini, zwo533mc Pro and asiair pro.

Can someone talk some sense into me - whether that is to man-up and buy the Esprit, or tell me that it is a ridiculous idea and walk away 😉

53 minutes ago, alacant said:

 

Hi

The acquisition looks great. There's some lovely detail hiding there

Here is the luminance of the stack from the light and bias frames. Best not using dark frames with a 1300d. 

Could you post -a link to- the flat frames too? They would allow us to lose the dust, the vignetting and enable much easier processing.

Cheers

 

I don't think OP has flats alacant.

Please correct me if I am talking nonsense! 

Here you go: