Jamgood

6 minutes ago, Vroobel said:

Thank you very much.

Your cc is very similar to the Skywatcher f/4 Aplanatic Super Coma Corrector, its price is also similar (SW is slightly more expensive). Is it the same product?

I believe they are the same but with a different brand name on them. 

I was using the Baader MPCC III with my Skywatcher 130PDS and was never happy with it. After lots of fiddling around to get the spacing just right, I was then dealing with focuser tilt. Due to the bevelled design of the barrel on the Baader, it was a nightmare to get the thing straight. I tried many focuser attachments, compression rings, etc. Nothing really worked well.

Then by chance I came across one of these for sale, used, on here.  TS-Optics NEWTON Coma Corrector 1.0x GPU Superflat - Even a used one was more expensive than a new Baader but much less hassle. It was literally plug and play for me. I've never been happier and highly recommend it.

Good luck with what you decide to go for. 👍

You'll probably have to put an Autostretch on in the histogram to see anything in your previews at night, especially for 2 sec exposures. I use the 296MC Pro and that's what I have to do.

In the day, focus on something as far away as possible and that should get you somewhere near the ballpark for focus at night. Also a good idea to do the same with your guidescope/cam. Depending in the make/models, some can be a bitch to focus in the dark. 

If you have to do it at night or twilight, use the moon. Very helpful for focus. 👍

3 hours ago, alacant said:

Hi

It maybe worth mentioning a quick method for the same modification....

Simply remove the clips and place the mirror back in its cell with 3 blobs of silicone sealant. 

Viz, lose the clips altogether.

Cheers

I've read arguments for and against that method. I opted for the 3D print version. Only took 5 minutes. 

I've not had much imaging time lately but managed a couple of hours on the East Veil Nebula last week.

Grabbed some obligatory shots of the moon as well, just because. 

I got round to doing the mirror clip mod yesterday and I'm looking forward to see what difference that makes to the brighter stars.

22 hours ago, BrendanC said:

As we come to the end of another astro season, and the light nights mean no astro darkness from end of May until end of July (in the UK at least), I thought I'd post some of my shots taken over the past year since I got a second-hand NEQ6 and sold my 130P AZ. It was a huge step-up and I had to improve my technique because the improved accuracy of the mount really showed up all the things I was doing wrong. Anyway, now I've learned about guiding, calibrating, dithering, polar alignment and whatever else, I love my little 130PDS. The only thing I wish I could change is those iddy-biddy little bitemarks the focuser tube takes out of stars. All photos taken with an EOS1000D with IR filter removed, some are guided, others not, captured with APT, stacked in DSS, post-processed in Affinity and Topaz AI Denoise. They're all pretty much 'the usual suspects', they won't win awards, but I've really enjoyed taking them (as well as being very, very frustrated a lot of the time!). I hope it's OK to share so many in one post...

Fantastic images Brendan. Well done. 👍

It's probably an overlooked setting somewhere. When you connect PHD2 to your camera and mount what do you have in the connection options? and do you see an image through your guide camera/scope?

It should look something like this.

You want the mount connected as above.  Your camera will have something like ASI Camera (1) ASCOM (You will need the ASCOM driver installed)

Just now, Starslayer said:

Wow.  NEVER looked through a scope?   

Nope. I should really. I got the generic eyepiece thing with my scope but that's never been out of the box. I bought the Sky Watcher 130PDS with the intention of learning Astrophotography and I've just gone from DSLR to dedicated camera an that's it. 

The big thing that puts me off visual is my backgarden is lit up with a ridiculous amount of lights all around me and I'm in a Bortle 8 zone as well. I don't need a torch when I go out there it is that light. It really blows my mind that my little scope catch see and catch the photons that it does. I think visual out there would be a major let down.

Like yourself, I've always had an interest in everything to do with space. I'm 43 now and since I can remember I've always wanted a telescope. I finally got one last year after a few months of looking around and deciding what I wanted to actually do with the 'telescope'.

Having seen lots of great images people take, I decided I wanted to have a go at Astrophotography and have since got myself a great little set up that gives me some fantastic images. Plenty of kit for me to learn with before I eventually upgrade or add more to my arsenal.

Strangely though, to this day, I still have never looked through a telescope at the stars. I don't know why but I've not felt the need to. I'm quite happy collecting data and creating images that continue to amaze me every time.

This is my current image I'm working on. It's a great hobby. 👍

Looks like a very poorly home made project. The mirror (if it is a mirror) looks like it's been mauled with grubby fingers. The spider vanes looks twisted. 

Someone probably had fun making it but it looks worthless to me, although I'm no expert.

I can't vouch for your recommended Coma Corrector but I do have a TS Optics CC which was an upgrade from the Baader MPCC.

https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/language/en/info/p6706_TS-Optics-NEWTON-Coma-Corrector-1-0x-GPU-Superflat---4-element---2--connection.html

More expensive than the one in your link and non reducing but I have no complaints with this, used on a Sky Watcher 130PDS.

I did have the Baader and used it for quite a while but found it very troublesome to mount well without tilt. One corner of my images were always off. I tried different focuser attachments and none ever fixed the issue. 

No issues of tilt at all with the TS Optics CC. 

Some tips I found useful when using the handset.

After the first night of successful alignment, always set your mount up in the same space. Mark places on your mount so everything is the same, everytime. Mark the floor where the feet go. I do this religiously and my mount is almost polar aligned with just a little tweaking needed.

There will always be some degree of inaccuracy for star alignment. Adjustments will have to be made. Even now I plate solve, I'm slightly off but plate solving does it all for me.

There's a useful app for Android phones if you have one called SynScanInit. Gives you all the correct info you need for the handset and the polar alignment position.

Check that the reticle in your polar scope is calibrated. Easy to do and can be done in the day time with a distant tv aerial or something static.

Don't give up. These things are frustrating and can change from one night to the next. Troubleshooting will become a regular occurrence as technology has a habit of being off sometimes.

👍

I highly recommend the 130PDS as a first scope. It's my first and only scope so far. Yes you will have the usual brain aches with regards to collimation but that's par for the course I think with everyone new to Reflectors. Once you get your head around it, no problem.

The thing that is of the most importance is the mount. I'd say, at the very least, you want an HEQ5Pro. I started out with the EQ3pro with my 130PDS and sold it within 3 months and upgraded. Look out for good used stuff as well as that can save you a lot of $£$.

Play, learn, watch video's, tutorials, read everything you can. Know in your mind what you want to achieve and what you need to achieve it before hitting the Buy Now buttons. Fools rush in. 👍

(*EDIT*) Looking at people's signatures on here helped me with my purchases. Look at people's images and see what gear they use.

4 minutes ago, Stuf1978 said:

It's the first time I've stacked data from a dedicated astro camera so it could be all or none of the above  All frames were taken at -10 degrees and at the same gain and offset value and the images were captured in APT. I will have a go at stacking the images in Siril and see if I get the same results and I'll try and share the files on here for others to have a play.

Have you got Dark Optimization ticked in DSS Settings? If so, turn it off.

2 minutes ago, Stuf1978 said:

Thread hijak

I've also just bought a 294MC Pro and last night was the first chance I have had to use it and I'm also having issues with calibration. I had read this thread prior to using it (some great advice here) and took a lot of it into consideration. So I shot the Leo Triplet and I gathered 39 x 180 second light frames, 20 x 180 second dark frames, 20 flats x 7 seconds and 20 dark flats x 7 seconds. All were shot at 120 (unity) gain and with an offset of 30, the flats were taken using APT flat aid with a target ADU of 25000 with a double layer white t-shirt and white screen from an ipad. The ipad screen brightness was turned down pretty low to ensure that the flat exposures were greater than 3-4 seconds as is recommended for this camera. I stacked/debayered everything in DSS and processed in photoshop. On first impressions it all looked good, however once I started to stretch the image there is a dark band along the top of the image attached (aggressively stretched to highlight). I also tried manual flats but the result was exactly the same. 

Does this look like a flats issue or something else?

The equipment was as follows:

ZWO ASI 294MC Pro > Spacers for required 55mm back focus > OVL Field Flattener with 2" UV/IR cut filter > Evostar 72ED

Thanks,

Stu

 

 

It does look like it could be Flat related. Did you have the tshirt stretched tight? Maybe try without the tshirt or try with plain paper.

I don't use a tshirt or paper as I've never found the need to with my tablet. (Although I tried everything to fix my issue) A white screen seems to do the job just nicely. My flats with the 294MC are between 0.1 and 0.3 seconds depending on the filter I use.

What are your Dither settings in APT?

When I had mine set to small dithers (around 2) I used to get correction errors like you're seeing. Between 7 and 12 seems to be the right area for my mount. 

Further trialing of the new camera from last night. 3hrs on M101. (The Pinwheel Galaxy) Next time it's clear I'm going to try add some 600s shots to this and see what the result bring. Happy with this so far though. 

36x300s Light Frames (3hrs) Cooled -10°
40 Dark Frames
40 Flats
40 Dark Flats

Sky Watcher 130PDS
HEQ5 Pro with Rowan Belt Mod
ZWO ASI294MC Pro
Pegasus Powerbox Advance
TS-Optics GPU Superflat Coma Corrector
SVBony UV/IR Cut Filter
Orion 50mm Guide Scope & Orion Star Shoot Auto Guider
Astro Photography Tools & PHD2
Deep Sky Stacker & Photoshop

I've got that target on my to do list. 

Well done 👍

I recently started with the 294mc and had a similar thing on my first night. Small stars, couldn't focus barely as Bahtinov mask image was a pin prick. 

My settings for live view were all default regarding gain and offset. I put it into Bulb mode with a 1 second loop binned 1x1. (Camera functuons down the bottom right)

Opened Histogram and stretched. Voila! I could see.

Hope this helps.

I use the Orion 55mm Guide scope and Orion Astro Shoot Guide Cam with my 130PDS. I got it used from someone here on SGL but it works great for me.

There's something not right there. With those settings (ISO 6400, 30s exposure) you should see more than there is.

Have you tried imaging without the barlow?

I use mine every time. Helps with stray light reflections as well as dew.

👍

9 hours ago, Shimrod said:

I can imagine stacks of telescopes next to the stacks of toilet rolls....

.....and pasta. 

The Fish Head Nebula. My first proper image with the new camera after my 60Da died. I had a few teething problems due a bug in APT with Flats but got that resolved with the help of some very clever folk from around these parts. I think I'm going to like this camera for a while until I finally decide to go Mono.
I'm going to add more to this (Clouds came tonight!) and I think I'll use this as the basis of a mosaic and go for the heart. Try something different.

20x300s Light Frames (1hr 40) Cooled -10° Binned 1x1
40 Dark Frames
40 Flats
40 Dark Flats

Sky Watcher 130PDS
HEQ5 Pro with Rowan Belt Mod
ZWO ASI294MC Pro
Pegasus Powerbox Advance
TS-Optics GPU Superflat Coma Corrector
Optolong L-Enhance
Orion 50mm Guide Scope & Orion Star Shoot Auto Guider
Astro Photography Tools & PHD2
Deep Sky Stacker & Photoshop

I've bought all my Astro gear in the last 12 months but had to wait for a lot of it to be in stock. I did however grab some great 2nd hand bargains off members from here though which I'm eternally grateful for.

Which reminds me, I need to update my sig......