isabe

8 hours ago, Adam J said:

For galaxies dont use a filter unless you are in brottle 6+ for nebula get a duel narrow band filter.

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/optolong-filters/optolong-l-enhance-narrowband-deep-sky-imaging-filter.html

or

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/optolong-filters/optolong-dual-band-l-extreme-filter.html

depending on how deep your pockets are.

Get the two inch an thread it onto a flattner / reducer / coma corrector, dont get the clip. The clip is just a 31mm filter in a mount it is silly that they want more for it than the 2 inch.

Adam

Thank you I’ll take that into account!

35 minutes ago, Adam J said:

What are you planning to image? 

Galaxies, nebula, DSOs mostly!

Hi,

I’ve been doing some research on light pollution/ broad spectrum filters for imaging and have decided on either the optolong l-pro or the skytech CLS. 

Obviously there’s a massive price difference, but is it worth it? I’ve head that the CLS gives a red overcast which is difficult to edit out, should I invest in a L-Pro as my first filter?

I am using an unmodded canon 700d, Thanks for looking any insight would be appreciated!

1 hour ago, rnobleeddy said:

I had the same idea.

You can use https://astronomy.tools/calculators/field_of_view/ and with a rough estimate of the width of Saturn/Jupiter in arcseconds, work out how many pixels it'll cover. 

Even with a 2x barlow, with my DSLR you'd get 1.25"x1.25" per pixel, which doesn't lead to very large planets - I don't know how to work out how big the planets will be then, but Jupiter appears to get up ~45". 

I'll have to do some more research to work out how big a barlow you can use - the Dawes limit is around 1.6" and with a 3x barlow and my DSLR, you'd be at pixels of 0.83", so roughly a 2x multiplier. The internet seems to suggest up to 3x multiplier works, but seeing will almost certainly dominate, so I don't know if it'd make a practical difference.

I'll need to check, but I imagine it'll be behind trees for me, so I'll probably pass. I had go at Mars with a DSO scope + barlow + DSLR in October but it didn't go well!  I'm considering getting a different setup for the moon/planets in time for the summer, when DSO imaging will be harder due to reduced night.

Thanks for the advice! good to know that i’m not the only one with the same idea, i’ll do some more research before buying anything 

It wouldn’t make much of a difference? 

To be honest I was inspired by this post 

And they used a 2.5x barlow, is would 3x work on my scope?

Hi!

I have a skywatcher evostar 72ed telescope and a canon 700d that I use for DSO photography, and wanted to capture the double planet event that is happening in late december. I was thinking of using a barlow in my imaging train in order to increase the magnification but having trouble with figuring out which one would work for this refractor? 

I’ve never attempted planetary photography before, any help would be really appreciated!

27 minutes ago, AstroMuni said:

Sorry missed that. Good luck with getting the reticle back in place and held flat. I had to use a pair of dividers from my kids compass box to hold it it place while I adjusted the screws to centre it. Mine has the tiny grub screws so harder to get hold of

17 minutes ago, Neil H said:

You should be able to remove it completely  take polar scope out so your not fighting the fittings in the mount then try and unscrew focuser if it does not send it back as a faulty one 

Thanks everyone for the tips!

54 minutes ago, AstroMuni said:

Great news. What did you do to fix it? That info would benefit others who maybe in similar situations.

5 hours ago, isabe said:

In case anyone is interested I managed to fix it! 

Looks like the scope came a bit broken (it’s 2nd hand) - I turned the focus until it came off and saw that the reticle was stuck to it and that’s why it wasn’t coming into focus, since as I turned the focuser it wasn’t travelling away from the reticle 😂

I’ve ordered some new knurled thumb screws, turns out the ones in the pic get stopped by the outer plastic rim before they can hold the reticle in place!

Thank you everyone for all your help!!

see the post at the top of the page! Happy to have an answer now 👍

36 minutes ago, AstroMuni said:

I have the HEQ5-Pro and the Polarscope is similar. As others have said yours may not have the built-in light to illuminate the reticle, but otherwise the same. You should be able to see the reticle in daylight! Be careful when you rotate the polarscope eyepiece. If you overdo it and remove the eyepiece, the reticle is likely to fall out into your hands. As you bought the polarscope separately and attached it yourself, I would suggest you remove it from the scope and that way you can easily point it at bright lights to see the reticle, get it into focus etc. Once that is done you can install it back into the scope and then do the alignment.

I had written an FAQ when I went through this journey myself and its here ...

Good luck.

Cheers that looks like a really useful faq! I think I’ve sorted it now 👍

In case anyone is interested I managed to fix it! 

Looks like the scope came a bit broken (it’s 2nd hand) - I turned the focus until it came off and saw that the reticle was stuck to it and that’s why it wasn’t coming into focus, since as I turned the focuser it wasn’t travelling away from the reticle 😂

I’ve ordered some new knurled thumb screws, turns out the ones in the pic get stopped by the outer plastic rim before they can hold the reticle in place!

Thank you everyone for all your help!!

2 hours ago, Franklin said:

Unscrew the polarscope eyepiece and the reticule should come into focus. I have the same one and I need to make about 3 or 4 full turns anticlockwise to get focus on the reticule. From your photo the eyepiece seems to be fully in.

Thank for the reply, It’s fully in in the pic but i’ve played around with it a bunch with no luck!

2 minutes ago, Neil H said:

 

4 minutes ago, Neil H said:

You will need to calibrate the polar scope day time i will link a video that will help also you do rotate the axis to open the scope ?  Watch video it will show you all you need to know . Download synscanit app i know you dont have go to but it will show you how you polar scope should look at the time you are doing  polar alginment 

 

Thank you I’ll check those out!

4 minutes ago, Art Gecko said:

I think I vaguely remember focussing mine Before screwing it into the mount... but I may be wrong I don’t know for sure if that makes a difference

14 minutes ago, Neil H said:

The focus ring is the end part turn it not the whole scope to focus it 

Thanks for all your help, I will play about with it a bit more - probably something obvious I’m doing wrong! 

3 minutes ago, Art Gecko said:

Does a polar scope have focus adjusters? I can’t remember!! Been so long since I had to calibrate one!! 

Yes it has a ridged thing in the front that turns, I have tried everything it just doesn’t seem to want to focus on the cross hairs!

8 minutes ago, Neil H said:

Have you got the polar scope mounted the right way round can you post a photo

I think I have it mounted the right way around 😂😂

7 minutes ago, Art Gecko said:

You should be able to see the markings in daylight... you need to!! Otherwise how have you calibrated/centred it to the mount?? Where did you get it? 

That’s the problem I’m having, so hard to calibrate... It’s a skywatcher eq3-2 polarscope, I’m really confused lol

8 minutes ago, M40 said:

Have you thought about shining a torch down it? You should be able to see any markings clearly then. Enjoy

Yes just a bit annoying! glad that my polarscope is alright, thought that maybe it was a bit broken because I couldn’t see the markings in the day

1 minute ago, Art Gecko said:

I used to strap a head torch with a red light to mine and angle it so the markings showed up but Polaris still showed through! 

Haha that will probably be me, my arm is getting tired of holding my headtorch!

Ooh ok thank you, will get one of those then - thought I had a dodgy polarscope!

Oh right thanks for the reply, so youre saying that usually there is no way you can see the marks without it being illuminated? 

Hi 

Im new to astrophotography and just recently got a polar scope. I’m a bit confused because when I look through it there are no markings visible (in broad daylight), and I’ve seen other people’s scopes and the NCP and polaris orbit drawing is clearly visible when they look through. 

Its making it difficult to calibrate it and have been relying on shining a red torch down the lens in order to see it.

It is a skywatcher eq3-2 / eq5 polarscope.

Maybe this is normal? Im a total beginner, any help would be appreciated.