nfotis

Any bets which company will blink first by publishing an actual price?

🙂

N.F.

On 23/03/2022 at 14:51, SteveNickolls said:

And the price is....

Still waiting for the big two (ZWO and QHY) to release prices, I guess that they are waiting for each other, in order to compete on price.

N.F.

If you like the 533, but it's too small size, you have either the 294MC sensor or the IMX571 sensor to go upwards in size.

The 294 needs extra work if you want good results, but it's a step above the 533 in size and resolution. SVBONY is beta testing their version, if cost is a problem (405CC)

The price of the ASI2600MC (the ZWO implementation of the IMX571) is quite steep, but there are cheaper alternatives like the RisingCam version (discussed in other threads)

N.F.

For planetary and lunar imaging, a planetary camera like the ASI462MC is much easier to use than a dSLR, and gives much better results with the 'lucky imaging' technique

(you shoot video, then stack the top 30% or so of the video frames)

N.F.

Interesting, it looks quite heavily engineered (I don't know their range much).

Let's see the prices and reviews...

N.F.

The pier system looks good.

What are the hard cases for? Batteries and accessories?

N.F.

Hello, and welcome to SGL.

For moon and planetary views, there's no need to venture outside the city (in fact, I use my Maksutovs on the rooftop for planetary viewing and imaging). For this kind of target, long focal distances of your tube are very helpful.

If you can, try to upgrade to a better mount, the AZ3 will be unpleasant at 5+ kg of loading.

For lunar/planetary viewing, I vote Maksutov scopes like the Skymax 150, because these offer refractor-like views (I own a Skymax 127 and a Skymax 180 myself).

N.F.

You don't want a black Starlink satellite, it'll raise temperature very fast and cook everything inside.

These low orbit satellites are not a problem, because these enter the earth shadow faster and leave it later than higher orbit satellites. Only case these may reflect light are during the dusk and dawn, when these are being hit by sun rays.

Airliners are more of a problem, due to their strobe lights etc.

N.F.

It seems that the whole story is incorrect, a Chinese rocket seems to be the one ending at the Moon:

https://arstechnica.com/science/2022/02/actually-a-falcon-9-rocket-is-not-going-to-hit-the-moon/

This happens all the time, really - but everybody is quick to blame Elon for anything (and let's not speak about Chinese boosters falling on their villages full of UDMH and other nasty stuff...)

N.F.

Looks good, if it's reliable and gives repeatable results it should be fine...

N.F.

14 hours ago, Davesellars said:

I hadn't thought about that.  A fine helical focuser at the diagonal could alleviate the issue...  What advantage does the 6" mak have over the 6" CC (with them both being f/12) ?

It's more a matter of taste and manufacturing variation for such "mass produced" items.

From my understanding, the larger Synta Maks are quite consistent, very rarely lose collimation and tend to be less fussy. These offer refractor-like views (quite contrasty), and the closed tube means less maintenance of the mirror etc (the internals are better protected against dust and humidity). On the other hand, the glass corrector in front may mean more time needed to acclimatize the scope if it's cold outside.

A well-built CC should be even better in visual acuity and quicker to acclimatize (since you don't have the glass corrector in front), a bit harder to collimate *if* it needs it. Oh, and it'll offer you diffraction spikes due to the secondary mirror being mounted via steel spider vanes. You may get more dust etc on the primary mirror in the long term.

The nice things about the GSO CC is that in the price they include an adequate Crayford focuser already, which should help with fine focusing (but the standard focuser on the Mak snaps quite clearly into focus).

N.F.

I suggested the BackyardNikon software because the original poster mentioned that he has already a Nikon

(presumably with live view capability - that's the way the software records RAW video from these dSLRs, using the 10x zoom feature essentially uses  a crop of the whole sensor)

N.F.

You don't *have* to use the internal focuser all the time, you could use it for going at the region of focus, then use an external focuser for precision focus and let the mirror steady?

N.F.

If I understand correctly, you have already a quite good mount (EQ6-R), so no reason to get a second Celestron mount, only the OTA.

For galaxy imaging, you probably want around 2000 to 2800mm focal length (if you have a large enough sensor). So, a C8 or C9.25 should be fine with your 4/3rds sensor and an OAG. Few targets like M31 and Pleiades won't fit the combination, even with a 0.67x reducer. If you plan on doing often DSO imaging, the EdgeHD version would be preferable.

For planetary imaging, a 2x Barlow and a planetary camera like the ASI462MC should be a quite potent combination with the SCT.

N.F.

Hello there,

"inexpensive" and astrophotography don't go together usually 🙂

Fortunately, there are various options on shooting the moon.

If you want to shoot details as small as craters, you want a long focal length (at least 1500mm), perhaps even adding a Barlow lens.

The easiest way is to use a Maksutov scope like the Skymax 127 or 150, add a 2x Barlow and a planetary camera like the ASI462. It's not the cheapest, of course, but it's comparatively easier than other methods (you record a raw video of 3000 to 4000 frames, select the best and stack them).

If your budget doesn't allow a planetary camera, I think that there are programs like BackyardEOS and BackyardNikon which let you control your camera from your laptop and crop the live view to a video, which can be later stacked as usual.

Check with the field of view calculator (imaging mode) for the framing possible on the moon disk with various combinations of cameras, scopes and barlows:

https://astronomy.tools/calculators/field_of_view/

N.F.

Another option is to buy used. I started in this hobby with a Skymax 127 and a beaten up HEQ5 mount myself, which were relatively easy to find even in Athens (which isn't exactly a hotbed of astronomy). If I remember correctly, I paid about 250 EUR for the Skymax (and various stuff), plus 550 EUR more for the HEQ5.

N.F.

Personally, I am a fan of Maksutov scopes when speaking about lunar/planetary observation and imaging.

My vote would be for a Skymax 150, if the 180 is out of your budget. The nice thing about the Maks is that their long focal ratio leads to high contrast and refractor-like views.

N.F.

For planetary, I love my Skymax 180 Maksutov scope. It's no grab and go, though (easier to handle than a C9.25, to tell the truth). A Skymax 150 is easier to handle (a Skymax 127 is nice and cheap, but feels heavy despite its small size).

A 102ED or similar should be a nice refractor for general use (you may want to add a 2x Barlow for extra reach). It's longer than a Maksutov, though, and that may make handling it a bit harder. 

N.F.

23 minutes ago, The Admiral said:

Not sure why the sensor isn't centred in the cooled verson. Presumably this is a mock-up?

Ian

Probably due to off-centre perspective from the wide angle camera used to shoot the image? 

N.F.

Checked with the field of view calculator, and it seems that the non-cooled version of the IMX533 will hit at the Apollo-M Max sensor (almost the same area, higher resolution, half the well size). By the way, I think that a pull down menu of sensors would be nice to have (IMX432, etc)...

It remains to be seen if it works well and without banding in solar imaging applications, or moon shots.

N.F.

I am not sure about the forum policy regarding FB links, so I am just attaching the photos from the ZWO group:

N.F.

ZWO has announced two editions of the 533MM camera, one with cooling, the other without.

Price and features list remains to be seen.

N.F.

21 minutes ago, newbie alert said:

Literally was about to post this.. wonder if Vlaiv want to cast his eye over

https://www.starfieldoptics.co.uk/apollo-m-mini-usb30-mono-camera-imx429.html

Quite an interesting sensor, seems quite good for solar imaging.

N.F.

On 31/01/2022 at 00:21, ONIKKINEN said:

Is this picture really true? Looks like the mount only goes to 50 degrees of latitude?

I was going to comment that those knobs are not really usable with thick gloves in wintertime but looks like they solved the issue by having the mount be restricted to areas around the world that do not get winter 😎.

Oh, don't worry, we can get temperatures under zero Celsius even in Athens in winter...

N.F.

On 27/01/2022 at 17:56, PeterC65 said:

If you make this mod, be very careful to keep the tube objective lens upwards when you remove the focus knob as I understand that without the knob there is nothing to stop the whole mirror and focus mechanism from disappearing inside the tube!

It has happened to me when I tried to fit a bigger focus knob *bummer* on my Skymax 127. I had to ask a more knowledgeable guy from a Greek astronomy forum to help me because I had no idea what I was doing (the Skymax 127 was my first scope ever, bought used).

N.F.