Enceladus Dan

Hello all, Not tonight, but it was the early hours this morning. I've just got back into astrophotography after a 2 year break, the skies were clear and I had a new set up to try. First run using my new EQ6R Pro, FMA180 Pro, ASI 533MC (uncooled) and an old work mini PC to run NINA and for remote desktop control from indoors. I had planned on the Rosette nebula, but I was having issues focusing with the L-Extreme in, there was not enough focus travel. And after many hours of confusion and cursing I realised I missed out a 7mm spacer. Once sorted and and NINA AF was successful, the rosette was going behind the led street lights. So I managed to grab this 1hr of data on the Heart Nebula before it went behind my roof. For just an hour I'm impressed with the new rig and can't wait for a full night of imaging, if I don't mess it up again. I went back over the data and processed it again, after a good sleep and less aggressive.

Been away for a long time, too busy with work or bad weather. But grabbed these with my phone. Absolutely over the moon, first time I've seen the aurora borealis and I'm blown away. Taken down in Winchester from my garden.

That's what put me off trying it out, I must look into the farm tracks now then. I Was thinking it could be a good place for a milkyway shot with my nifty fifty lens. Also it would be nice to get away from the city Street lights. Clear skies Danny

I'm not to far from winchester and often wondered about going to cheesefoot head. Security has always made me change my mind with being close to the road and never know who may come along. do you need to ask anyone's permission for the farm track? Clear skies Danny

I did manage to get out on the 19th, but I too had a tablet issue. I stopped using my gaming laptop and now have a mini pc and remote desktop from my tablet. As my west view is blocked I only every image to the east, on the 19th I decided to try and get M101 after the meridian at 1am when the street lights go out. Issue was I had no idea how to force calibration on phd2 to corect the guding after the meridian without a keyboard to shift click. (Lesson learned and screenshot on my phone from the manual now) So after getting frustrated I gave up and just admired the long missed veiw of the stars. After a sleep, I thought to myself why didn't I close phd2 down and open again. The evil light that stops me imaging before 1am. Wish they would turn them out at 2200. With my lessons learned on phd2, hopefully next clear night I'll grab some uncooled images. Clear skies Danny.

Depending on how tomorrow's skies pan out for me I might have an example image for you. I'm hoping that block of clouds either come early or late, its not great but the best opertunity I've had in a long time. Clear skies Danny

I recently (december) bought the asi533mc uncooled, so far I've only managed to test it quick on a ser file of a full moon. Between the clouds, work and full moon I can't seem to get a break. My situation was like yours, uncooled now or wait longer, my choice was down to a video on the uncooled 585mc having great results and on Paper the 533mc should be similar. I compared the dark current between 533mc and 294mc, I saw that the 533 will have similar dark current at 10c to the 294mc at -15c. My decision was put down to it being my first dedicated astro cam coming from a 600D so cooled or uncooled will both be a step up, I could get used to the 533mc and when confident look to my next one being bigger than a 1" sensor and possibly mono too. The £300 saving now can make a start towards a goto mount. As well as my trusty eq5 has been, I'm liking the idea of remote goto making things easier. Hopefully soon I can have some images to share from my uncooled 533mc. Clear skies Danny

Would sirill be able to convert tiff to fits? I tried sirill for my comet ztf image and all my cr2 were converted to fits before I could do any of the other processes. I found sirill a bit complex and ended up using a trial of PI to do my image, but it it's first step creates you some fits maybe from there DSS will accept them and apply the debayer? I'm following this as I have bought a 533mc and not managed to use it yet due to clouds. Clear skies Danny

his was the video i used as reference to fitting mine, the scope is different but has the same focuser as mine.

I think backlash is for rack and pinion focuser, ours are friction between a pin and the flat side of focuser tube. There is constant connection if the tension is too low the tube slips. I used 4x bolts as these were the original mounting holes for the focouser plate, the other holes are for focus lock, tension adjust, and Bush leveling.

Definitely do the trial, it's a full version for 45 days. Get as much practice as you can, try some videos with data to follow the steps. Then try some of your own to see how it works for you. I was trying DSS and gimp and siril in January for my comet ZTF image and couldn't get anything to work. PI did it perfectly, with some youtube help. Good luck Danny

I just bought PI and find it worth every penny. I did try it twice on a trial which is 45 days long each go. Being new to any sort of image processing it was a learning curve, but any choice of program would have been for me. As mentioned by Wim there are some good tutorials on YouTube, I liked ones by Lukomatico who is very clear and easy to follow. He also provides data to use and follow with him. I spent my trials following his guides and using the workflows on some of my old data with much better results. This convinced me to go ahead with the purchase, even if I have only used it once since due to the terrible UK weather so far this year. Clear skies Danny

If you take the whole plate off, be careful as there is 4x small rubber o rings. 1 on each screw.

Mine fitted.