SStanford

Hi all, I've got my eyes on an Evo 72ED that I intend to use for imaging using my Canon 450d. I'm struggling to figure out what additional parts I'll need to add to the telescope for use on my EQ3 pro. I'm aware that I'll need a flattener but not sure at what reduction (if at all, I see some recommendations to use a 1:1). It would also be handy to know what length extension tube I'll need to achieve focus (if any) or any other bits I'll need to plug the camera into the scope.

Welcome Firoj. Keep us updated with the build!

Welcome to the forum, Deb.

Eagerly; clouds permitting!

Hi all, As a beginner I'm in the process of acquiring all the equipment necessary to start imaging on an EQ3pro. As we're all experiencing, it's tricky to get your hands on any equipment at the moment due to stock shortage so I've been thinking of ways to keep myself busy in the meantime! I thought I'd share a project I worked on today that will give me a greater view of the night sky from my covered balcony. There are some good views from the balcony from East to West but using the tripod severely limits any overhead views. To bring the setup closer to the edge of the balcony I've built a shelf attached to the sturdy (wall set) balcony itself with a wooden pier for support. The pier itself sits on the balcony floorboards support beam and so there is no noticeable wobble. I've included an image of the spirit level to show my effort in keeping the mount level. The mount neatly slides off the feet of the shelf which I'm hoping will reduce setup time (once I have the opportunity to polar align!) The north foot points to magnetic north. Whilst building I realised I could have saved myself some trouble by using a metal telescopic "chin-up bar", not least from the missis who wasn't too happy I drilled into the decking! I'm quite happy with the outcome and glad I could get into a hardware store before "tier 4" sets in.

Hi Wobblewing, welcome to SGL! As recommended before, I think it would be best to wait before acquiring any further kit. Get yourself well acquainted with your scope first, this will however require clear skies! Before I bought a DSLR (exclusively for astrophotography) I was able to get great pictures of the moon and to a lesser extent Jupiter and Saturn by just putting the phone camera to the eyepiece.

Hi Walker, Welcome to the forum. I'm a Camberley boy myself, where about in Surrey are you from?

The list below shows a range of beginner telescopes from <£50 and up. https://www.firstlightoptics.com/beginner-telescopes.html If you're primarily looking at stars then you should be fine within your budget but for the rings of saturn and other planets I'd look at something a bit more substantial (you'll need something with a higher focal length but wide enough aperture). An alternative could be binoculars which can offer great views of the stars. Are the skies clear where you intend to observe? "star hopping" can be tricky in highly light polluted areas although Stellarium (as recommended above) would be useful. I use "Star Walk 2" app on my phone which gives the location of the stars based on GPS.

Fanatastic, thanks Freddie.

Great video Glenn! Useful stuff.

Excellent, thanks!

Thanks Wimvb, I invested in a bahtinov a few weeks ago; works a treat.

Hi All, I'm in the process of obtaining all the hardware necessary to acquire decent data and it's becoming clear this will take some time! In the meantime I'm swotting up on AP and its various requirements via books and the forum. I'm part way through "Dark Art or Magic Bullet" and am learning the ropes of image processing. Until my setup is in formation I'd love to practice with data readily available before I have my own. To this end, it would be great if there was a database of lights, flats, darks and bias frames I can play with; does this exist?

Fantastic, thanks!

Hi All, I have a few questions regarding mount control using stellarium that I can't seem to find elsewhere. I have an EQ3 pro with with Syscan (handcontrol) and a laptop with stellarium. The articles I've read refer either to EQMOD or ASCOM as a download requirement for Stellarium, is there any preference here for the EQ3? I'm also struggling to find details of the correct cable to connect the mount straight into the computer via USB (and which port recieves this in the mount). Thinking ahead, considering the requirement for the Guidscope and DSLR to be pugged into the computer, I will need to ensure this cable would be compatible with a "USB hub" (an area I havent done any research into yet). My computer has only 2 USB ports! S.

Hi Ed, welkom!

Lovely images, especially impressive without tracking! This book goes into some detail about glare reduction in image processing. Out of curiosity, what is light pollution like in your area? Do you know what your Bortle rating is? S.

Hi Ian :). Did you ask the admin if you could change your username instead of creating a new account?

Welcome! "Sods Law" in action...

Welcome!

Take it from a true beginner; those images are fantastic! 👍

Hi Rebeka, welcome to the forum

Welcome to the forum Nugs

I enjoyed the series, the last episode I felt was the most interesting (although, how did they build the robots that built the cubes that housed them initially?) The repetition of CGI scenes in the second episode was a little grating...

"a Minister for Dark Skies"?! Not doing much work here...