CCD-Freak

Here is the Sharpstar 150mm F2.8 hyper Newt on a GEM45 mount and a screen grab of Astroart 8 during part of the imaging run.

This is my first go at processing NGC7000  The Wall

80 x 180" subs ASI533MMp and a Baader 7nm Ha filter
Gain = 100  -5C  Dithered every 3rd image
SS15028HNT on an iOptron GEM45
Guider ASI290MM / Meade 277 (300 mm FL)
Average seeing
Captured and processed with Astroart 8

Captured at Star Ranch Obs -SRO near Paducah, Texas

I really like black and white Ha images.....My inspiration is the work of E E Barnard and Hans Vehrenberg and of course Ansel Adams

Some say "You can't shoot DSOs with a non cooled camera !!"

Well....This is 120 x 2 minutes of NGC253 with an un-cooled ASI482MC camera with a Baader UV-IR filter.  It was shot with an AT6RC on an iOptron GEM45 mount.

Captured and processed with Astroart 8 at my SRO dark site last week.

F2.8 speed is where it is at.

This is a single 5 minute exposure of B33, IC434 and NGC2024 with a SS15028HNT with an ASI533MMp with a Baader 7nm Ha filter with Astroart 8.

I use a 40Ah LifePO4 battery pack and it powers my rig easily for a night.  I can recharge from the mains using a 4A charger or a solar panel with a charge regulator. 

I installed the batteries in a plastic ammo box.  The battery pack and the mains charger cost less than $100.  I use Anderson Power Pole connectors on everything to make a very flexible power system.

I would say one of my best astronomy bargains was when I purchased an Edmund Scientific 8" F8 mirror still in it's cell at the Texas Star Party swap meet for the whopping sum of $40

I built a nice Dob around it and it delivers incredibly sharp views.  I haven't used it much in recent years but I just can't bring myself to selling it.

Hi from another who's doctor says to give up pies and beer.  So I get more exercise lugging telescope gear around.

Welcome to SGL.

Welcome to SGL  (^8

I live in Texas but I have property just up the road from you in Trinidad, CO.

I have a long time friend that lives in Mora, NM so it is a "small world"

I recently made a quick drawing of how I constructed my Todmorden Pier "Texas Style".

I thought I would post it to help others contemplating construction of a Todmorden Pier.

Howdy from Texas.

Welcome from a fellow Texan. (^8

Are you in the Brazos Valley south of Guthrie?  My SRO site is between Guthrie and Paducah.

As I get older camping comfort is more important than when I was 20.  

So now I stay in my little Casita caravan which I call the Moonlight Manor and I control my imaging setup from the comfort of the manor. 

Cold BEvERage in hand. (^8

I can get New Castle Brown Ale over here and it is one of my favorites. 

I like the name of that BEvERage.  Doubt I can find it on this side of the pond.

I may have to settle for some of this.  8^P

Hello from John in Texas.  Today it is 105°F with a THI of 110°F but at least it is clear at the moment.  8^P

The largest scope I have put on my GEM45 has been a C8 with all the guide scope and other imaging stuff.  The guiding was quite good even at 2000mm. 

I don't know how much more your C9.25 weighs but I would think it would probably manage it just fine.

Looks like it will be a great "Ham Fest".  Wish I could be there but it would be a bit of a trip since I am on the other side of the pond.

Will there be an HF station on the air?

The problem is I love all of my scopes but this one is another of my favorites.

Sharpstar 15028 Hyper Newt on my AP900GTO mount.   At F 2.8 this thing is a "photon sponge"  (^8

Yes....there are several yellow stars that must have some IR in their spectrum which caused the pinkish halos and the overall color balance was off too.  The brighter blue stars also had blue halos around them as well.   The UV-IR filter cleaned up both problems so now I use it all the time when shooting with an ASI533MC camera so that I don't inadvertently discover shells of ejected mater around red stars.  

I had to laugh since our definitions of "portable" are quite different.   (^8

I use a HP mini computer which has 6 USB 3 ports and one USB C port as well as a gigabit Ethernet port.  It has an i7 processor and 16 GB of ram and a 1TB SSD so it can run all my favorite imaging software.  I remote into it with Remote Desktop and the best part is it cost lest than the ASIair.

Here is the Iris with the same equipment and a Baader UV-IR filter....what a difference. (^8

Use a UV-IR filter since the ASI533MC window is only AR coated.

Without the filter the red star on the left edge of the image is pink with micro lens artifacts.  IR leakage also messes with the color.

Moderator please remove this duplicate post.   My ISP did something weird just as I posted.

I guess I should have put the imaging info with my image. 

NGC4565 (Needle galaxy or Flying Saucer galaxy)  100 x 120 seconds (3.3 hours total) captured and processed with Astroart 8.  with a little denoise and sharpen in Topaz. 

The scope used was an old Celestron C8 ota on a GEM45 sitting on a Todmorden pier guided and dithered every 4th image with Meade 277 (60mm f5) and an ASI290MM using AA8

(The picture shows the scope with an ASI533MM)  Imaged at SRO under low Bortle 2 skies SQM 21.99 typical.