DroneSaif

On 07/07/2021 at 21:34, xs4allan said:

You can put an adapter extender/block between the dovetail and the scope. Or use another dovetail.

I was thinking of buying this scope and wondered about this too. Does the focuser adapter (grey round thing) fit the focuser on the scope?

Yes the gray round thing fits. 
 

believe it or. It I have not yet attached the focuser to the scope !

Anyone has any idea how I can connect the ZWO EAF to the Vixen FL55SS? 

What comes as standard does not fit 🤷🏽‍♂️
 

Attaching the L-bracket to the focuser fails because the screws positions on the focuser does not line up with the bracket screw holes. 

Attaching the L-bracket to the dovetail fails because there is not enough space between the focuser and the dove tail to fit in the bracket. 

And I cannot attach it to the bottom part of the dovetail because the bracket is not “tall” enough to fit the the motor from that position.

Any ideas ? 

Following 

Hi. 
Can anyone help me with this problem. The physical movement of my DEC axis does not match that of the controller software. 
 

in the video I first turn physically anti clockwise by 90 Deg.  You can see the reading from the synscan app is out of sync. 

Then I sent it clockwise and you can really see it’s not in synch. Any help you can render is much appreciated!!

Hi,

Any ideas how EKOS tracks the DEC and RA movement on AZ-GTI ? I realise that my AZ-GTI is not slipping. It moves, but EKOS does not think it has moved when turning clockwise. Anti-clockwise it works fine.

Same issue when using the SynScan App. The motor and the Dec axis turns, but SynScan DEC position shows it's not moving.

Help anyone ?

On 05/05/2021 at 12:04, vlaiv said:

Get yourself a copy of Stellarium application.

It is planetarium application that will show you what is in the sky for your location and selected time.

Look at the symbols that I marked. Green squares denote emission type nebulae / HII regions. Circles with little spikes denote planetary nebulae.

These are types of targets that you are interested in. Planetary nebulae are usually small in size - so go for "squares" rather than circles with spikes

You'll have additional info (size, brightness and such in top left corner once you select your target).

Thanks very much!

Will check it out

17 hours ago, ollypenrice said:

Always do a test shot to see if you're on target. Besides, the plate solution won't necessarily give you the best composition in terms of stars around the edge of the picture. This is quite important when it comes to the visual appeal of the final result. You can also end up with flares from out-of-shot stars. If this happens, drive the mount towards the out-of-shot star and the flare may vanish.

Olly

Thanks for the tips! Appreciate the input 

20 hours ago, vlaiv said:

I guess that is mystery solved then. Probably the same thing with M105 and others, but do keep in mind - this filter is not suitable for galaxies - only emission type nebulae.

Yes I understand that. Now making a list of a good targets. Any suggestions? 

22 hours ago, michael.h.f.wilkinson said:

I took a huge load of 60 s subs at ISO 800 on my Canon EOS 550D (modded). The Rosette is some 12 hours 21 minutes total exposure time. I was shooting at 384mm focal length, F/4.8. Darks, flats and dark-flats all applied. 

Thanks for the info!

On 02/05/2021 at 14:21, vlaiv said:

OP says that above image is M8 Lagoon, and that is emission target / Ha region.

I think that something is wrong with filter or the way it is used.

Other than that - maybe M8 is very low at the moment, or was shot at wrong time - but I have no idea what's the visibility like in Riyadh at the moment, or what altitude M8 reaches right now.

I had thought that M8 Lagoon is a suitable target.  
 

But some people pointed out that maybe I was imaging the wrong part of the sky. 
 

I was using EKOS to plate solve and maybe I did not choose the “slew to target “ option. 🤷🏽‍♂️

On 02/05/2021 at 14:14, ollypenrice said:

As Michael says, this is an emission Nebula filter but I think you should have had some success with the Lagoon which is quite strong in Ha. I've imaged it easily from my dark site with an OSC camera unfiltered.

You say one image is autostretched but I don't know what this autostretch process is. It hasn't stretched the stars so why would you think it had stretched anything else? Does the nebulosity show if you stretch manually in the usual way (eg Levels and Curves in Photoshop? And has it been debayered for colour? It doesn't look as if it has. This may just be a software/image extraction problem.

Olly

I stack using SIRIL and it has an “Auto stretch” feature. Not sure what it does, I’m afraid. 😌

On 02/05/2021 at 14:28, vlaiv said:

Just checked, at the moment M8 reaches 41° at 3:15am local time (GMT+3) and can be imaged prior to that as night ends at about 4am

When was M8 imaged?

That’s from two nights ago. I suspect, (nay I am pretty sure) I may have been imaging the wrong part of the sky. 🤗

On 02/05/2021 at 13:26, michael.h.f.wilkinson said:

The L-eXtreme filter is really intended for narrow-band objects, i.e., emission nebulae and planetaries, not galaxies, and certainly not elliptical galaxies which lack H-II regions. This was obtained on the Rosette with teh L-eXtreme

Thanks for the suggestion. I will see if Rosetta is something Incan try next. 
 

care to share some exposure details not this photo? 

Hi all. Need some help please.

I live in a Bortle 8/9 area, in Riyadh, KSA. So to try and do some imaging from my roof top I bought the Optalong l-extreme. As a light pollution filter this filter may be a ..Little Extreme. I have attached a single sub of 600 seconds exposure just to show how extreme it is. They are both the same file, one is auto stretched, and the other isn't. I just removed the green colour cast on both. This is supposed to be M8- Lagoon Nebula. i had similarly underwhelming results from M105 and M85/M86.

I am not sure what I got wrong. Did i just choose the wrong targets for l-extreme ? if so, can anyone suggest a target visible from the northern sky right around 24 degrees ?

Or is 600 seconds is still not enough (!!!)

Or is there something else I should do?

My equipment are as follows :-

Vixen FL55SS - 314mm F/5.7 (inc Flattener)

QHY294C Pro

AZ-GTI in EQ mode

EKOS on Astroberry

PHD2 single star tracking.

Thanks

11 hours ago, pete_gamby said:

Even in the diagram, the CCD camera is shown connecting via T-C rather than something more up to date and therefore using the 60mm-T ring!

Hi, 

I did start from this diagram but was flummoxed because the CCD camera is shown without the Flattener & reducer. 

Worked it out with the help of guys here (and a couple of guys in Facebook)
 

Ok to conclude this so that the next person seduced by the vixen(😁) will have an easier time.

The back focus from the Flattener kit is 63.5mm. 
 

The kit comes with a female 60mm thread. You will need to get an adaptor from 60mm to your preferred size. Vixen does have a 60-42 male to male adaptor ( see above for link). The adaptor is 5mm thick. This is what is in the photo. There are other adaptors available for they are hard to find. 
 

The QHY294C pro comes with a built in back focus of 17.5mm. This is a 42mm female thread. 
 

This leaves 41mm for filter box, OAG, rotator and any additional adaptor needed. 
 

Hope this helps someone in the future!!
 

9 hours ago, Adam J said:

I have to say that given this scope is literally sold for AP and at a significant cost this whole thing is horrendous, vixen need  to have a good look at themselves for not providing the correct adaptor with the scope. 

I could not agree with you more…

On 15/03/2021 at 20:27, skybadger said:

The second item on the list you have ordered will do this job fine unless you need to put your filterwheel with M54 or M48 threads there

As it happens both adaptor that I bought worked. They are essentially the same. I am now able to have the full imaging train. But still, they are both 60-to-42. The 60-48 were still in wait list but I can at least have first light with both camera and telescope. With any luck I hope to do so this weekend.

Thanks so much for your help

On 15/03/2021 at 20:27, skybadger said:

I'm happy to loan for a period if you want it. I'll need it back eventually but not in a rush. 

That is very very kind of you. I may take you up on that offer. Let me see how I get on with these two items first and I’ll get back to you. 
 

and thank you very much. 

On 14/03/2021 at 07:27, DroneSaif said:

I have ordered this.

https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p5354

 

And I have ordered this 

https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p202

So maybe I will bypass the camera adaptor and connect to either the m48 for the filter box or to M42 of the 

16 hours ago, skybadger said:

Burger. Let me see what I've got. 

Hi, 

I have ordered this.

https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p5354

And I have ordered this 

https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p202

So maybe I will bypass the camera adaptor and connect to either the m48 for the filter box or to M42 of the camera.

That’s almost 100 euro down on just hope of at least one will work.

Much appreciated sir ! But please don’t feel obligated 

Alas no, not in stock. Looked also in the main TS website. 
 

7 hours ago, skybadger said:

The missing link here is that the vixen adapter you link is meant to be used with dslrs and dismantled t-adapters. Sadly I have yet to find a «thing» to t2 male  thread adapter, they are all t2 female to camera native bayonet. So in the past I have made my own.

To attach a camera to the vixen draw tube I have  used a 60mm to t2 adapter or more preferably, a 60mm to M48 male to M48F to t2 M because it's more flexible for you to put a M48 filter wheel or OAG in between. 

I would gladly buy one of you if you are making it still. 
 

also I have been scouring the usual places for a m60-m48. No luck there either   
 

3 hours ago, skybadger said:

IIRC, you take your canon t adapter apart by unscrewing the clamping screws at the side and mount the canon bayonet part on the smooth angled flange of the vixen adapter by tightening the screws up again. 

It probably could but I am not using canon. I am using an Astro camera QHYCCD. 

to be precise I am trying to use the camera with a manual filter box and connect it to the scope… and failing at it