Priesters

3 hours ago, AstroKeith said:

since why not just look at images on the web!

😔 darn it, think I’ll sell up.  I never thought of that.
 

Or alternatively maybe I just enjoy the process and have got to a point where I’m happy with the outcome.  I’ve also never heard any photographer of any type refuse to take a photo just because someone else has snapped it already.  Anyhow, this thread is already getting a bit tasty without me adding an imagers v visual barney 😉.  We’ll be going all Cloudy Nights next.

I’m not one for superlatives but ‘Spectacular’ is the only word that comes to mind.  Well done. 👏 

Very nice. Any filters involved in that capture?  Picked up an Askar 120 myself a few weeks ago but it has yet to get first light 🙄

My two penneth for what it’s worth is to try and get focus on a distant object in the daytime. It’s so much easier and gets you to rough focus for the night.

Finally swapped out my SCT for a large-ish refractor.  Looking forward to first light whenever that may be 🙄

Hi all,

Going to show my ignorance now (again).  Can anyone explain why my Sharpcap histogram when using a narrowband filter looks like a slope (see below) rather than the usual 'hill'?

Thanks

Andrew

Hello and welcome to SGL.  I think a little more info is needed.  Is your hubby interested in taking pictures do you think or would he prefer to observe visually?  If its pictures then you probably already have the answer with the ZWO Seestar. If it’s visual, how technical a chap is he and how portable does this kit need to be?

Whilst I totally agree with the advice given on telescope/camera set up for DSO imaging it’s perhaps not such a lost  cause as you may think.  If you are willing to invest further in a tracking equatorial mount you may find you can get some acceptable images of the smaller DSO’s (distant galaxies and planetary nebula).  You will need to use ‘binning’ to get a sensible pixel scale though. Investment in a decent mount will also not be wasted if you change scope/camera at a later date.  At the risk of putting my head over the parapet I’ve added a couple of examples from my 8” SCT with reducer and camera with APS-C sensor that has 3.75 um pixels @ 2xbinning. They’ve been post processed using SIRIL which is free software and Topaz AI which isn’t free.  However, as people have already said, I’d think very hard before spending more on your current set up unless it’s something transferable to another set up at a later date.

Please be gentle people, we all have different views on what’s an acceptable image and I’m only posting this because the OP already has the SCT, camera and reducer and investment in a decent mount would not be wasted if he went a different route in the future.

Only thing I’d add is that if you do swap things around (e.g. remove diagonal and use extension tubes) you’ll need to refocus.  My advice is to try and get rough focus during the daytime on the most distant object you can see.  It makes life so much easier and quicker when you are in the dark searching for a tiny object in the sky.

Lake District, UK. iPhone.

33 minutes ago, Stuart1971 said:

Which is the Askar 180…??

Good point.  Where is it?

Holy moly, I feel so inadequate 😂

Very nice. I bet you could barely see the Askar on top of an EQ8 😂

Bought the AZ4 and other bits and used it last night with my GT81 and a 3mm and 27mm eyepiece.   AZ4 was a bit ‘sticky’ so might change the grease.  However, can’t really express enough how much I enjoyed those 3 hours with Jupiter, Saturn and the Pleiades but god was it cold last night up here in the Lake District.  I’m also expecting a telling off at some point today for putting towels over the bollard lights at our caravan site😂.   GT81 did admirably at 160x but I’ve got the bug now so have an appointment to inspect a used Altair Starwave Ascent 102 ED on Wednesday as per @The Lapwingtip.  If (when) I pull the trigger on that I’m just hoping the CFO won’t notice there are two white scopes for a while.  Very much looking forwards to planetary/lunar visual whilst DSO imaging. Thanks for all your advice.

Cheers

Andrew

36 minutes ago, Paz said:

good eyesight,

Thanks for the advice.  Pretty certain eyesight will prove to be a limiting factor so might not push it too far.

On 04/11/2023 at 20:04, RobertI said:

but you have your 80mm for that. 🙂

@RobertI  I seem to be flip flopping around on this and am now wondering if, as a starter rig, I could achieve my aim with my WO GT81 and AZ4 and potentially move up to 100mm aperture or more at a later date.  Question is what magnification would be realistic at 80mm?

7 hours ago, WestCoastCannuck said:

Evostar 120  (F7.5 FPL 53 Doublet)

Must admit I hadn’t appreciated there were two versions with different glass.  This one retails in the UK for £1409 and the other EvoStar 120 that I had in mind is F8.33 and retails for £339.  Quite a difference. 😂

7 hours ago, WestCoastCannuck said:

Sorry to muddy the waters....

Absolutely no problem.  Thanks for taking the time.  I guess buying a SkyTee is a no regrets decision though as it will be a robust enough mount for my 8” SCT and pretty much any other scope that I may change to in the future if I really get in to lunar/planetary.  It’s more expensive than an AZ4 but not massively so.

Thanks again.

Andrew

Ok, so after receiving some great advice I’ve changed the goalposts somewhat.  I remembered that when I started out visual I most enjoyed good close ups of the moon and planets so I’m going to need more focal length than a 4” refractor.  Plan is to start storing my Meade 8” LX200 ACF in the unheated summerhouse and buy a SkyTee to mount it on.  Hopefully that gives me a quick set up.   Obviously this puts the Meade out of simultaneous imaging action but I’ll still be able to use my WO GT81 for imaging.  I also think I’ll be able to use the redundant tripod from my EQ6 to put the SkyTee on (have a pier now).  Couple of questions:

- any obvious flaws in the plan?

- what magnification is realistic in average seeing conditions for an 8” SCT (2000mm FL)?

Thanks (and promise I won’t change the goal posts again 🙄).

Andrew

1 hour ago, The Lapwing said:

a bargain…

OMG - the seller is actually located along my commute route to work.  I may just need to find a safe place to hide it from the CFO for a few months 😂.  

Thanks all - really appreciate the input and lots to think about.  As a couple of you have picked up on I’m looking for speed and simplicity with this rig so AltAz Mount is my preference but still undecided on the optics. That said having just splashed out a bit on my imaging rig I’ll need some time before I can get any further Astro purchases past the CFO.  Will update this thread when I do pull the trigger on a lunar/planetary rig.  Thanks again.

Hi all,

Started Astronomy visually in 2018 and moved to imaging by about 2020 but now really fancy getting cold again out under the stars.   Looking to build a planetary/lunar rig with as quick a set up time as possible and also not using any of my existing imaging equipment (plan is to stay entertained whilst imaging).  So far I’ve come up with :

SkyWatcher AZ4 mount 

Skywatcher EvoStar 120 OTA

Don’t want to go beyond £700.

Just wanted to (be lazy and) check if there were any better options for quick set up planetary/lunar for a similar price?

Thanks

Andrew

I was there last new moon.  Beautiful place and had some great quality time with my daughter but totally clouded out.  How is it tonight? 

Set up with the Mk1 eyeball last night as I’m away in the Lake District without any of my usual rig.  Deck chair, several  tins of neck oil and a cosy sleeping bag and I was set up in about 30 seconds although had to position myself strategically to avoid direct line of sight to campsite lights.  Once proper darkness arrived I was pleased to spot 4 decent perseids but then two mystery flashes.  One I reckon was an iridium flare and the other maybe a rocket launch separation. Anyone any way of checking whether my guesses could be right?  Overall a very relaxing evening away from the laptop and various technical challenges of imaging.  

PM me if this kit would be any use.  It’s USB 2 though and needs power at the remote end so not sure if it would help.  Been trying to sell it for a while so price would be good particularly to a fellow SGL’er. Would come with 15m ethernet Cat6 cable.